Statement of Belief

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Paragraph one of the College charter states that the original Board of Trustees was formed “for the purpose of establishing, conducting and perpetuating a college for the higher education of men and women under auspices distinctly Christian and spiritual, as a testimony to the supreme glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to the divine inspiration and infallibility of the Bible.”

Paragraph three continues as follows:

We believe that the Holy Bible, composed of the Old and New Testaments is of final and supreme authority in faith and life and, being inspired by God, is inerrant in the original writings.
We believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, this trinity being one God, eternally existing in three persons.
We believe in the virgin birth of Jesus Christ; that He was born of the Virgin Mary and begotten of the Holy Spirit.
We believe that the origin of man was by fiat of God in the act of creation as related in the Book of Genesis; that he was created in the image of God; that he sinned and thereby incurred physical and spiritual death.*
We believe that all human beings are born with a sinful nature, and are in need of a Savior for their reconciliation to God.
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only Savior, that He was crucified for our sins, according to the Scriptures, as a voluntary representative and substitutionary sacrifice, and that all who believe in Him and confess Him before men are justified on the ground of His shed blood.
We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of Jesus, in His ascension into Heaven, and in ‘that blessed hope,’ the personal return to this earth of Jesus Christ, and He shall reign forever.
We believe in the bodily resurrection of all persons, judgment to come, the everlasting blessedness of the saved, and the everlasting punishment of the lost.

*On February 10, 2014, the Board of Trustees affirmed its historical Statement of Belief in regard to origins (Item 4 in the Statement of Belief) and that when signing the Statement of Belief annually, trustees, administration, faculty, and staff are affirming that they are in agreement with the following clarification:

“We believe that all humanity is descended from Adam and Eve. They are historical persons created by God in a special formative act, and not from previously existing life forms.”

The bylaws provide that the administrative officers, faculty, and staff shall sign this statement annually in writing and this annual signing for trustees has also been provided for by action of the board.

Community Life Standards

In matters of social life and personal conduct, College personnel aspires to exemplify the College motto, “Christ Above All.” Emphasis is placed on the positive application of the principles of loyalty to Christ and seeking to honor Him rather than on a code of controls. Love and reverence for God, respect and care for the personal self, courtesy and concern toward others, and respect for the law are broad principles that govern the conduct of all College personnel.

To enable our mission, all employees of the College must be professing Christians who concur with and support the Bryan College Statement of Belief.
To continually refresh our spiritual life and maintain our core values, all employees of the College, consistent with the Bryan College Statement of Belief, are expected to be maturing followers of Christ and active in the life of a local church.
To live a life of holiness and foster a loving community, all employees are expected to avoid impropriety and abstain from practices prohibited in or inferred from scripture. These behaviors include, but are not limited to, dishonesty, theft, vandalism, immodest dress, profanity, gossip, drunkenness, pornography, and sexual sins (fornication, adultery, homosexual behavior).
To be good citizens as the Bible calls us to be, all employees should submit to and pray for governmental authority over them.
To model scholarship with integrity, all employees must refrain from academic dishonesty, including cheating and plagiarism.
To cultivate an emotionally healthy lifestyle, all employees will abstain from the use of illegal drugs and from the misuse of prescription drugs. They will also refrain from the use of legal substances for the purposes of altering one’s psychological or physiological state in a way not recommended by medical professionals.
For the purposes of student and employee safety and to encourage the respect of all persons, all employees are prohibited from using or possessing alcohol on campus, during Bryan-sponsored events off-campus, in the presence of students at private gatherings, or while operating any vehicle while on College business. In addition, all employees are prohibited from using tobacco products on campus, during Bryan-sponsored events off-campus, or while operating College vehicles.

The trustees, administration, faculty, and staff of the College believe that these standards of conduct and behavior are meaningful guidelines for our community, are necessary for carrying out our mission, and apply to all persons employed by Bryan College, including adjunct and full-time faculty, and full-time and part-time staff.

Statement of Belief