History of Bell Bible College
D.R. Bell Apostolic Bible College formerly known as Midwest Apostolic Bible College (MABC). Since 1975 MABC, has been achieving its mission of equipping men and women to take the Word of God to every nation of the world. Countless students have taken courses at MABC and are currently serving as pastors, missionaries, teachers, and church leaders.
Midwest Apostolic Bible School first opened in January 1975. The idea came about for the purpose of educating ministers so that they would be more profitable to people of God. Later on it was decided to open the school to everyone, including lay members, who wanted to know more about God’s Word.
At the Illinois State Council in Maywood, Illinois, Elder John P. Bellamy, the council assistant chairman, gave the school its name. All of the pastors agreed to call it The Midwest Apostolic Bible College. At a later date the teachers were chosen and board members and officers were elected.
Our initial course offerings were Bible Survey, Church History, Public Speaking, Personal Evangelism, English and Doctrine. Since that time our curriculum has expanded to include courses such as Sunday School Teachers Training, Systematic Theology, Homiletics, Greek, Hermeneutics, Romans, Leadership Skills, Church Administration, Sign Language, Spanish, Revelations, The Power of Prayer, Praise & Worship, Faith, Spiritual Warfare, Christian Psychology, Christian Education, Computer Literacy, Word Processing, and much more.
The teaching staff consisted of the following people: Bishop D. Rayford Bell, District Elder Reese Price, Jr., Bishop Dean Howard (of the Living Witness of the Apostolic Faith), District Elder J. E. Moore, Evangelist Hattie Brownlow, Evangelist Lula Sullivan, Elder Joseph Farmer, Evangelist Marie Robinson, Sister Mandy Honold, Evangelist Mary Peebles, Evangelist Gladys Love, Elder Odears Wright, Jr, and Elder Bervin Magee was the Chaplin.
For the first four years MABC was housed at 502 South Sixth Avenue, Maywood, Illinois. Our school has been blessed tremendously and we thank God for His goodness to us. We relocated to 14 South Ashland Chicago, IL. We salute our fallen soldiers, Evangelist Marie Robinson, District Elder James T. Robinson, and Bishop Odears Wright, Jr., Evangelist Hattie Brownlow, Bishop John P. Bellamy, Bishop Reese Price, and Evangelist Mary Peebles, an instructor whose teaching still rings in the hearts of the ministers that were under her tutelage. These individuals help pave the way for our continual success.
The Midwest Apostolic Bible College now have satellite schools in Joliet, Illinois; Jackson, Mississippi; Cincinnati, Ohio; along with a online campus. The Lord continues to move on our school with growth and expansion in our classes, staff and student body. MABC recently changed it’s name to D.R. Bell Apostolic Bible College, in honor of our great leader and president.