IABC West Texas District

A BRIEF HISTORY OF OUR COLLEGE
From its beginning, the Apostolic Assembly has had the need to train its ministers and leaders. During the first convention in 1925, which was held in San Bernardino, California, it was immediately noticeable to our founders that ample time needed to be given to the study of different issues. This practice was mantained for many conventions, as these respective acts demonstrate.
President Antonio C. Nava and Benjamin Cantu were burdened to provide some form of formal education to their pastors and ministers. Pastor Leonardo Sepulveda, Ernesto Cantu, and others initiated bible college projects, but these where limited economically.
In 1996, under the direction of Pastor Eleazar Rodriguez, the National Apostolic Bible College was founded in Hayward, California. There he worked with much success for many years. Many of his graduates served faithfully as pastors. Others still continue to serve in different functions as teachers, pastors, or bishops.
In 1978, the NABC was moved to San Jose, California, where its rector was Bishop Daniel Jauhall.
The National Apostolic Bible College was later moved to facilities of the Apostolic Assembly in Ontario, California. There, its rector was Bishop Richard Almaraz, the Secretary of Christian Education at the time.
Bishop Samuel Valverde, the Secretary of Christian Education from 1990 to 1998, directed the NABC during his service, an implemented a experimental program called" Apostolic Institute of Ministries." A specific contribution of this period, was the realization of different intensive courses for pastors of all districts.
By the end of the 1980s, different districts began to realize educational programs for their pastors as a way to address the need to better equip ministers and leaders.
Form 1998 to 2006, Bishop Luciano Montes, who served this years as Secretary of Christian Education, prompted the formation of a Bible college in every district, under the authority of the NABC with the aid of Bishop Marcos Zacarias. This was another very important step to take biblical preparation to the whole nation.
Since the beginning of 2007, current Secretary of Christian Education Bishop Ismael Martin del Campo has traced out the following goals:
a) To recognize the international outreach of the college, the name was changed from the National Apostolic Bible College to the INTERNATIONAL APOSTOLIC BIBLE COLLEGE, as there are IABC in 14 other nations, apart from the United States of America.
b) The goal was established to have 40 manuals for the complete Bachelor's in Theology program to be written by apostolic teachers and pastors.
c) Steps were taken so that IABC graduates could continue in post-graduate studies at fully accredited institutes. This is now a present reality through the accords signed with Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, California.