A Note from Dr. Blanc
Welcome, Davis Family!
A new year is upon us. Have you thought about what you will pursue in the coming year? The prophet Haggai spoke these words from the Lord: “from this day on I will bless you” (Hag. 2:19b). The ancient people of God were in pursuit of one thing: to glorify God by building a temple for His name.
One purpose.
One pursuit.
To glorify God.
The apostle Paul reduced all his efforts to one thing: “the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14b). We must pursue the Pioneer and Perfector of our faith (Heb. 12:2). He is the One who called us to deny ourselves, to take up our cross, and follow Him (Matt. 16:24). To do so, we must put His kingdom and righteousness first over everything else (Matt. 6:33).
The ancient people of God discovered how to simplify!
One purpose.
One pursuit.
To glorify God.
Can we do the same, together? If so, we will continue to have God’s blessing from this day forward.
These monthly newsletters will chronicle the many ways God is blessing a college in pursuit of the glory of God through its mission, vision, core values, and programs. This will be featured through the testimonies of staff, faculty, students, and alumni. Together, we are Davis College, a family of Jesus-followers in pursuit of one thing: to glorify God in all that we do (1 Cor. 10:31).
Sincerely,
D. Alan Blanc, PhD
President, Davis College
Feature: A History on Davis College
For 120 years, students at Davis College enjoyed the beautiful scenery of the Susquehanna River in Johnson City, New York. We are celebrating the beginning of the second official year of Davis College’s relocation to the campus of Word of Life Bible Institute, which began a partnership that is changing the lives of students today.
Practical Bible Training School emerged in 1900 from a series of Bible classes that were conducted in downtown Lestershire (Johnson City), New York, by a young evangelist, John A. Davis. He had attended the Chicago Bible Institute (now Moody Bible Institute), where he served at D. L. Moody’s table. His summer evening classes were engendered by the conviction that God would have a Bible institute, similar to Moody, established in the Binghamton area.
With an attendance of more than one hundred people, it was agreed that a school should be permanently organized and that a new location should be secured. The school was incorporated on December 6, 1900, as Practical Bible Training School, with Evangelist Davis as the superintendent and Hymnwriter John R. Clements as the president of the board. The first six years of classes were conducted during the summer months, when renowned Bible teachers and evangelists lectured in an extensive summer conference program. An academic year schedule was adopted in the fall of 1906, when the school began a two-year study program with resident teachers. This developed into a three-year program in 1912.
When the school outgrew its original quarters on Harrison Street, the Lord opened the door for the purchase of the White City Amusement Park. The property consisted of some thirty acres overlooking the Susquehanna River. After extensive renovations and alterations, Practical Bible Training School occupied the park in June of 1911. In October of the same year, a United States Post Office was established at the school and was called Bible School Park, NY.
On September 24, 1993, Practical Bible Training School became Practical Bible College and was authorized to grant a two-year Associate of Applied Science (AAS) Degree and a four-year Bachelor of Religious Education (BRE) Degree. On August 1, 2004, Practical Bible College became Davis College.
From its inception, Davis College has promoted preaching, evangelism, and missions as well as other church ministries and Bible study. Being a gifted preacher and evangelist, John A. Davis was eager to train men and women for Bible-centered ministries. As a result, graduates are serving the Lord on nearly every mission field in the world.
Today, the vision, leadership, and enthusiasm of Dr. Davis are personified in our current leadership. The Lord is doing great things through this ministry, teaching His people the the Word and preparing them to use the Word effectively to evangelize the lost and disciple His people.
Davis College no longer occupies the 13 oak-covered acres overlooking the Susquehanna River in Johnson City, New York, that it had for the previous 120 years. The institution sold the property to a third party in December 2019 and concurrently applied to the New York State Department of Education (NYSED) to relocate its main campus to the spacious property of Word of Life Bible Institute (Pottersville, New York). The New York State Department of Education Board of Regents granted approval to relocate in March 2023.
Over the past four years, Word of Life Bible Institute and Davis College have been nurturing a partnership between the students and staff members and creating an opportunity for students who attend Word of Life Bible Institute’s two-year program to stay on campus with Davis College to earn a bachelor’s degree. There are several opportunities for Davis students to get involved in campus life, including ministry outings, sports teams, student leadership positions, and even campus employment.
There’s nothing more rewarding than being able to spend four years in an environment that constantly pushes you towards greater intimacy with Christ through uplifting community and relationships on top of biblically focused classwork and teaching. We praise God for all He is doing at Davis College and through the partnership with Word of Life Bible Institute!
Student Testimony
“During my freshman year at Word of Life Bible Institute, my roommate was a senior at Davis College. He had a significant impact on me being a student this year. He intentionally sought me out and promoted Davis College to me. I said “no.” Then, the Lord provided the opportunity to serve in a leadership position as a lead resident assistant (RA) while being a student at Davis, which helped change my mind.
The classes here have challenged me to look deeper into the Bible, especially on focused topics. While studying biblical counseling, I’ve been able to look into what God’s word says about counseling to help other people. I’ve even been able to grow closer to God through it.
I recently served at the Glens Falls Reverb (an all-night evangelistic event), where I served the whole night with middle and high school youth. I was able to talk about life and even share opportunities for education at the Bible Institute and Davis College.”
– Ryan Taylor
Junior, Biblical Counseling Major
Latest News
Christmas Party!
During December, Dr. And Mrs. Blanc generously opened their church home to the staff and students to celebrate the holiday together with delicious food and uplifting community! This all-day Christmas tradition takes place in Johnstown and is highly anticipated by the hosts and guests as a relaxing way to interact in the final stretch of the semester. Some activities the students enjoyed included bowling, DIY soft-serve ice cream, basketball, arcade games, and more! We all give a big thank-you to Dr. Blanc and his family for making this possible.
Upcoming Events
Christmas Break
We hope all Davis students had a great Christmas and New Year’s Day. As a reminder, students need to return January 19 by in-dorms (UNLESS they are a student leader or participating in Snowcamp; in that case, they need to return January 12 by 7:00 PM).
Snowcamp Opportunity
The eagerly awaited Snowcamp season is just around the corner! Every winter, Word of Life hosts a camp for middle and high school students for seven weekends beginning in mid-January. During this busy and exciting time of year, Davis students are offered positions in various different work areas to help camp run smoothly and fulfill their semester ministry requirement. Please be praying for all the students and staff members who will be serving this winter, as well as the youth participating in the camp.
