Special to the Progress
CNHI
JACKSONVILLE —
The Baptist Missionary Association Theological Seminary announced the completion of the newest building on the Jacksonville campus, the Roy L. Grimsley Building. A Dedication Ceremony and Ribbon Cutting was held on March 9 on the seminary campus located at 1530 Pine Street in Jacksonville.
On May 26, 1950, the Baptist Missionary Association of America voted to consider an invitation from the Baptist Missionary Association of Texas to make Jacksonville (Texas) College Seminary a project of the national association. The first classes began on Sept. 8, 1957. Fifty-seven students from six states made up the first class.
Construction on the Kellar Library was begun in1963 and completed in time for dedication and a grand opening on Feb. 18, 1964. The John W. Duggar Library Annex was begun in 1980 with the dedication and grand opening on Feb. 17, 1981. The latest building on campus, the Roy L. Grimsley Building, was erected in 2009 and dedicated March 9, 2010. These buildings contain more than 100,000 items, consisting of books, periodicals, historical documents and other resources.
In January 1971, the seminary was granted associate membership in the Association of Theological Schools, and was granted full accreditation in January 2008. The seminary has maintained accreditation with the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools since 1986.
Today, under the continued support of the churches of the BMA of America, the seminary continues to grow and contribute to the local community through its educational and spiritual influence. The current enrollment includes students from at least six foreign countries and a number of states.
