A Rich History
Brookes Bible College boasts a rich history of men & women trained and devoted to Bible teaching.
The birth of Brookes Bible College begins with the legacy of James Hall Brookes (1830-1897). A descendant of Presbyterian pastors on both sides of his family, Dr. Brookes became an influential theologian, author of many books, editor of The Truth, or Testimony for Christ periodical, and pastor of a congregation which became Washington and Compton Presbyterian Church. His work established the seedbed that inspired the desire for an institution of formal study of the Bible.
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On September 24, 1909, a group of Christian businessmen met at the home of Mr. John F. Green to organize a nondenominational school devoted to teaching the Bible and providing competent spiritual leadership for Christian laymen in organizations and churches. Mr. George T. Coxhead was elected President; Mr. Robert Rutledge, secretary; and Mr. Benjamin F. Edwards, treasurer.
One month later on October 23, the Articles of Incorporation of The St. Louis Bible Training School for Lay Workers – as the school became known – were recorded in the state of Missouri. Three years would pass before the school would hold its first class. On October 1, 1912, the first two classes were held in the Washington and Compton Avenue Presbyterian Church. Dr. Joseph Henry Gauss, who had been the pastor of Carondelet Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, was the school’s first superintendent. Gauss served the school for a total of thirty-nine years, first as superintendent and later as dean. |
After a few years, the school's name "The St. Louis Bible Training School for Lay Workers" appeared too lengthy and vague. Those in leadership decided that naming the school after James Hall Brookes would clearly identify the college’s ties to dispensational teachings. Dr. Brookes was founder and pastor of the Walnut Street Presbyterian Church in St. Louis (later known as Washington and Compton Avenue Presbyterian Church and presently Memorial Presbyterian Church). Dr. Brookes was well known throughout the city, state, and nation as an avid proponent of dispensationalism, a system of theology that emphasizes the role of progressive revelation, the historical grammatical method of interpretation, and the distinction between Israel and the Church in salvation history. In addition to teaching from the pulpit, he was a writer/editor for numerous periodicals including The Truth, or Testimony for Christ, and authored many books as well. In 1916, the St. Louis Bible Training School for Lay Workers became the Brookes Bible Institute of St. Louis.
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Established 1909
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Contact10257 St. Charles Rock Road
St. Louis, MO 63074 Map Phone: 314.773.0083 Fax: 314.773.7471 Email: office@brookes.edu Degree programsBachelor of Theology
Bachelor of Biblical Studies (ONLINE) Associate of Biblical & Ministerial Studies Associate of Biblical Counseling & Practical Theology |
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