The Tribune

THE Mother Rachel Huyler Memorial Bible Institute saw its first graduation ceremony on August 21 at Greater Bethel Cathedral. Eighteen students who satisfactorily completed different courses were awarded certificates by Bishop Ellis J Farrington, chairman of the Bahamas State Council.

The Bible Institute is a satellite campus of Aenon Bible College in Indianapolis, Indiana. Executive President of Aenon Bible College, Bishop Michael D Hannah, was the guest speaker at the graduation.

He advised graduates and members of the audience not to stay in the valley; his address was taken from the gospel of St Mark, chapter 13.

Bishop Hannah has spent over three decades as a prolific preacher and teacher, and is a highly sought after conference speaker.

As senior pastor and founder of Life Celebration Center Churches in Baltimore, Maryland, and most recently, as the senior pastor of Christ Tabernacle Apostolic Church in Worcester, Massachusetts, he explores the Word of God holistically, ministering to the spiritual man, as well as the natural man.

The Mother Rachel Huyler Memorial Institute was launched in Cargill Creek, Andros, during the 44th Annual District Convention in 2013 by Evangelist Arnette Cooper, granddaughter of Rachel Huyler.

The Assistant National Sunday School Superintendent, Evangelist Marjorie Gilbert, is the Bible Institute’s coordinator. The first programme offered was the Aenon’s Sunday School Teachers Training Certificate.

Evangelist Gilbert said the invitation to start a satellite campus of Aenon College in the Bahamas came during her visit to one of the international conventions in the US.

She said she was not ready at that time to accept the invitation, but promised to give it some thought.

Years later, while they were pursuing studies via distance learning, she and the late Pastor Lillymae Knowles talked about opening an institute in the Bahamas after completion of their studies. During a teachers and officers meeting at Greater Bethel Cathedral, Evangelist Gilbert mentioned the need for having all Sunday School teachers certified through pursuing the Sunday School Teachers Certificate Programme at Aenon. The then National Sunday School Superintendent, Evangelist Ivy Higgins, asked for the programme to involve all churches in the Bahamas State Council.

When Evangelist Gilbert became National Sunday School Superintendent she brought up the subject of inviting Aenon to start a branch in the Bahamas during a meeting with national officers. State Bishop Ellis J Farrington was in attendance at the meeting and he endorsed the idea. Shortly afterwards, Aenon Bible College’s distance learning director was approached. She thrilled by the response and the process of establishing a branch commenced.

Aenon Bible College is the official educational school for the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World. Since its establishment in 1941, it has matriculated thousands of students, utilising not only the Indianapolis campus but the more that 120 satellite campuses around the world. Aenon is accredited by the Accrediting Commission International.