History of New England Bible College

In its early years, NEBC was known as Glen Cove Bible School and was an affiliate of Christian Schools, Inc. It was founded in 1959 under the leadership of President Harold Duff to prepare men and women for Christian service. At that time the school was denominationally unrelated, cooperating with all denominational and independent bodies that were in sympathy with its objectives and its doctrinal position. The facilities of Christian Schools, Inc. were located on the shores of Penobscot Bay in the village of Glen Cove, Maine. The campus, on 64 acres of woods and fields, included an administration and classroom building, a gymnasium, and sports fields. A new dormitory was completed in 1972 providing accommodation for over 100 students.

Recognizing the need for exposure to certain disciplines of general education, a four year college curriculum was initiated along with its three year Bible institute program. In the spring of 1973 the four year program was granted college status by the Maine legislature, and Glen Cove began to award the Bachelor of Religious Education degree. To reflect the new status, the name was changed to Glen Cove Bible College. A one year program of intensified Bible and Theology was also added to the curriculum of studies offered.

In 1979 Christian Schools, Inc. became insolvent and GCBC was forced to close its doors. However, permission was sought from the state to reopen the school with a new name in a new location. Renamed New England Bible College, the college opened its doors in January 1980 in Portland, Maine under the leadership of Dr. Jack Christensen. In 1984 Edward Hales became the new president, and the college was moved to larger facilities at the First Baptist Church of South Portland.

Dr. Carll Grathwohl became the president of NEBC in 1987, and the first to serve again on a full-time basis. During the presidency of Rev. William E. Inman NEBC began to offer BA and BS degrees in 1997, replacing the BRE program. The curriculum also underwent revision as plans were laid for several new majors; the first, in Missions, was launched in 2001. Rev. Richard Francis became president in January 2007. Today the school averages from 50-60 students each semester under the instruction of three full-time and eleven part-time faculty.