Golden State Baptist College (GSBC) is an unaccredited

independent Baptist Independent Baptist churches (some also called Independent Fundamental Baptist or IFB) are Christian congregations, generally holding to conservative (primarily fundamentalist) Baptist beliefs. Although some Independent Baptist churches refuse af ...

Bible college in

Santa Clara, California Santa Clara (; Spanish for " Saint Clare") is a city in Santa Clara County, California. The city's population was 127,647 at the 2020 census, making it the eighth-most populous city in the Bay Area. Located in the southern Bay Area, the cit ...

, offering

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

s and

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

programs in fields related to

Christian ministry In Christianity, ministry is an activity carried out by Christians to express or spread their faith, the prototype being the Great Commission. The '' Encyclopedia of Christianity'' defines it as "carrying forth Christ's mission in the world", in ...

Programs

Programs offered are intended to lead students into the work of the

ministry Ministry may refer to: Government * Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister * Ministry (government department), a department of a government Religion * Christian ...

as pastors, assistants,

missionaries A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...

, teachers, musicians, and the financial side of the Christian ministry. Unaccredited bachelor's degrees are offered in pastoral theology, pastoral assistant, missions, Christian ministries, music education, Christian education (elementary and secondary), and secretarial science. Unaccredited master's degree programs are also offered.

Accreditation status

Golden State Baptist College, like most Independent Fundamental Baptist Bible colleges, has chosen to maintain its independence from secular authorities by deliberately refraining from seeking or accepting accreditation. Thus, it is not accredited by any recognized accreditation body.Golden State Baptist College is not listed in th
U.S. Department of Education database
of accredited institutions of higher learning. As such, its degrees and credits earned are not recognized as valid to most potential employers or other educational institutions.

Rules

GSBC's ''Institutional Distinctives'' can be found on their website. The school promises to deny admission to applicants who are from "charismatic, 'Bible' church, 'Christian' church, non-denominational, or inter-denominational" churches. Another rule states that "The King James Version is the only English-language Bible that will be permitted on campus." The administration "stand against the destructiveness of para-church organizations", a reference to Christian ministries not operating under the authority of a local church. The ''General Information'' section highlights more rules for students. It states that "the activities on campus, the dormitory life, and the entire program of the college require the full participation and cooperation of every student." Students must attend North Valley Baptist Church, unless an active member of another "local, ''fundamental Baptist'' church" before applying to the school. Even then, the student "must first obtain special administrative approval in order to attend his home church while enrolled at GSBC." Attendance at the daily chapel service is required. "Golden State Baptist College students are expected to go ''soul winning'' for a minimum of three hours per week." ''Christian service'' of all students (such as teaching Sunday school classes, working on bus routes, or participating in the music ministry) "is required by the administration." Dating is limited to "church dates" as well as planned activities on or off campus with chaperones. The campus is equipped with a "dating parlor" with arranged chairs and tables for activities and seating. Physical contact is prohibited, and intercourse is grounds for expulsion, and things such as kissing are also grounds for severe punishment. Students must have their music choices approved by staff members. Any "secular music" is prohibited. If any is found, prompt removal will be requested by staff. A computer lab is provided on campus for students to utilize during assigned hours of operation, however students are also allowed to use the college's provided wifi within the rules that are given in the rule book (no video streaming, games, pornography, etc.) Curfew for students is 10:30pm. Floor leaders perform routine "lights out" checks at 11:00 PM, however if a student is out at work they are allowed to be out as late as 1 AM.

North Valley Publications

North Valley Publications (NVP) is based at Golden State Baptist College, and is affiliated with North Valley Baptist Church. North Valley Publications is a small publisher that specializes in books on Christian living and Church leadership. Many of the books published by NVP are written by the college's chancellor, Dr. Jack Trieber.

Notes

External links