History & Heritage

From Our Founder

Nearly forty years ago, the Lord put it on my heart to build a Bible College, something I knew little about, if anything. But the Lord knew exactly what He wanted, and how He wanted it accomplished. Christ the carpenter is still building that which is eternal, and He uses people like you and me to help with constructions that result in people being saved, baptized with the Holy Spirit, healed, delivered, and set free. Still, there are times when the blueprint He lays before us is daunting. 

When the Lord told me to build this Bible College, I walked to the empty lot where I believed the complex would one day stand. There, the Lord reminded me of another lot, empty some forty years earlier – the one in Ferriday, Louisiana, that Lester Sumrall’s mother and sister cleared with their bare hands for the purpose of building a church. These dear ladies had no financial help or support of any kind, only a word from God to stretch a tent and start a revival, which would grow into a church. The richest man in the parish – my Uncle Lee – saw these ladies pulling weeds in that lot and asked who had sent them. Mother Sumrall stood up straight and said, “God sent us”; she was sure of that. Uncle Lee asked if they had any money, and they answered, “God will provide.” And He did. A tent was stretched, people came, and souls were saved. My uncle ended up loaning the money for that church to be built. It was the same church, incidentally, where my parents would say yes to Christ – a decision that transformed our home and later resulted in many souls being saved around the world.

If you believe that God has called you into the ministry, it is imperative that your faith resides in Jesus Christ and Him crucified. It is vital you know that God has sent you. And, you must trust that God will provide for you regardless of circumstance. Learning to live this way – by faith in Christ and what Christ accomplished at Calvary – the true objective at JSBC. It’s not easy, nor is this College meant to be an easy place. You may find yourself clearing a spiritual lot or two with your bare hands. But at the end of your education here, I believe you will be able to stand strong for the Lord Jesus Christ in these last days, and successfully carry out that which He has called you to do for the body of Christ.

— Evangelist Jimmy Swaggart, Founder and Chancellor, Jimmy Swaggart Bible College