A Short History of Holmes Bible College: A Greenville Miracle

In the summer of 1893, N. J Holmes initiated the foundation of Holmes Bible College with Bible study among several people on Paris Mountain, South Carolina. From that first summer session to today, Holmes Bible College has been non-denominational, a faith school to train men and women as Gospel ministers by establishing churches or missionaries for the home missions or the foreign lands. This history seeks to provide insight into the persons and places and, most importantly, allow the voices of Holmes students, supporters, and professors to witness the Divine direction in establishing Holmes Bible College. Listen closely to these voices as you will witness life changes for God's glory and workers entering the harvest fields.We will look at the context of Greenville County and the South. It is important to understand any obstacles that challenged the school's formation in the Post-Reconstruction Era. A brief biography of Holmes invites us to look at informative life events leading to God's Call on his life as a lawyer and pastor. His biography introduces many leading Holiness/Pentecostal pastors and denominations. These facts aid in establishing a theological foundation for the school. The school's movement from Paris Mountain to Atlanta, Georgia to Columbia, South Carolina, and eventually its return to Paris Mountain. Then Paris Mountain relocated led to Briggs Avenue as the school grew. Finally, a new campus resides in Travelers Rest, South Carolina. Allow the story of the world's oldest Pentecostal Bible School to provide eyes, hearts, and a vision for your future ministry. As the school's Founder and first President, N. J. Holmes states his vision for the mission and purpose of Holmes Bible College: "The purpose of the school from the very beginning has been to serve men and women of all denominations who are called to the ministry. We believe that the development of the highest type of Christian character and the helping of those who are to enter Christian service to understand sufficiently and to rightly interpret and consistently apply the Word of God. We commit with confidence and faith, the entire Bible and Missionary Institute to Christ, the great Head of the Church, trusting that the government shall be upon His shoulders, praying that it may ever be under the good providence of God, who knows the past, surveys the future, and supplies the needs of His people."