By By Adrienne McKenzie
Faith Bible Institute graduates were recognized Sunday during First Baptist Church's morning worship service for completing the three-year program.
The graduating class members include, Elwood Barden, Ruby Barden, Earlene Biggs, James Biggs, Linda Bumann, Betty Burkett, Roy Burkett, Tina Francis, Dean Graham, Kimberly Jernigan, Jean Johnson, Billy Conn Madison, Shirley Pettis, Woodrow Pettis Jr., Otis Roberts, Ina Stafford and Nell Thomas. Nancy Johnson attended the classes but was not a graduate.
This is the first graduating class of the program and director, Ruby Barden, said they have had a good time throughout the three years and that anyone is invited to join the program next semester.
"We have such a great fellowship," Barden said. "We invite all church members, denominations or anyone that is interested in the word of God, they are all welcome."
The Faith Bible Institute is a program of chronological Bible study that can provide students with Bible school credits.
"This is a Bible course that covers the Bible chronologically and it lasts three years," Barden said. "We start in Genesis and end in Revelation and will cover the whole Bible. The students will have 36 credits that they can take into Bible schools like Seminary."
The three-year course is divided into six semesters of 17 to 19 weeks each. Live classes are taped at Faith Bible Institute's central location, which is in Monroe, La. Every lesson is on DVD and each one is up-to-date. The professor is John T. Yates, who founded the institute in 1985.
Barden said she enjoys Yates' teachings and that he keeps the students interested.
"I really enjoy the teacher, he has a good testimony," Barden said. "He loves the Word. He's a teacher-preacher and you don't get tired of him. I like him because some churches have different opinions and he generally teaches all of them."
The course covers three subjects, the Old Testament, New Testament and theology. There are tests but Yates provides study guides for them.
"He (Yates) has study sheets for his tests and if the information is not on the study sheet, it will not be on the test," Barden said.
Thus far the students who have gone through Faith Bible Institute have enjoyed the classes, according to Barden.
"They love the class," she said. "There has not been a class where there have been less than 21 in attendance. We have eight of the 17 that graduated that turned around and started over again. You can never exhaust the word of God."
The class meets on Monday nights at First Baptist Church from 6:30 until 9:15. The fall semester will begin Aug. 20 and will end Dec. 10. The initial cost is $110 per semester which includes all textbooks and study materials. Tuition for spouses and other family members of students is $80 and the first two class sessions are free.
For more information, please call FBC at 368-2181 or Barden at 368-5713.