The history of West Coast Baptist College began in July of 1986 when our pastor, Paul Chappell, came to the Antelope Valley of Southern California. He was driven by a passion for lost souls and a vision of what God would do through His local church. The church began to grow through an aggressive soulwinning program with new believers being grounded through the Bible-centered preaching and an emphasis on a compassion for others. In 1995, Lancaster Baptist Church voted unanimously to expand the church’s ministry by opening the doors of WCBC.
Today, the college sits on ninety-six acres which have been strategically planned to facilitate the expansion and fulfillment of the mission of WCBC. One of Dr. Chappell’s earliest goals was coalescing a team of quality, biblically minded, doctrinally-sound, and academically-strong faculty. These early instructors provided a strong foundation that has been added to in successive years. The Lord has blessed WCBC with able and qualified faculty who model church ministry, provide servant leadership, and give quality instruction to our students.
The campus and programs of WCBC continue to expand and develop. As a Bible college, our core concentrations are in Bible, Pastoral Studies, Missions, Evangelism, Music, Church Ministries, Christian Education, Ministry Leadership Administration, Office Administration, and Secretarial. To further equip students for the work of the ministry, we also offer proficiencies in Youth Ministry, Speech, Biblical Counseling, and Graphic Design. With God’s help, WCBC continues to be a leading choice of young people from around the world. Please pray that God will continue to use this place to send laborers into His harvest.
West Coast Baptist College is committed to developing leaders with a heart for God who are committed to the Word, compassionate toward the lost, and compelled to change communities for Christ in the twenty-first century.
The mission of West Coast Baptist College is to provide a balanced Christian education, which will fully equip born-again people with Bible doctrine that is distinctively Baptistic, and also to provide practical hands-on training through the local church, which will prepare each individual to effectively reach and impact the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
West Coast Baptist College exists to develop the head, the heart, and the hands for ministry. As such, the Institutional Learning Outcomes are:
It is important to receive college instruction from an institution and leaders that share your values and convictions. West Coast Baptist College seeks to build upon the foundation that pastors and parents have begun in students’ lives. At West Coast, students build life-long friendships and date fellow Baptist students.
People do what people see—that’s why mentoring in a local church Bible college environment is so special. At West Coast, not only do the students receive quality academics, they also see their teachers involved in weekly soulwinning and local church ministry at Lancaster Baptist Church. If students miss seeing dynamic soulwinning and personal discipleship for four years, they are unlikely to implement such service when they enter the ministry.
We thank God for godly engineers, lawyers, nurses, and businessmen, but at West Coast we are focused on training future pastors, missionaries, evangelists, music leaders, and Christian educators. We exist to develop leaders with a heart for God who are committed to the Word, compassionate toward the lost, and compelled to change communities for Christ. We train the next generation to strive for balance in rules and relationships and in soulwinning and discipleship.
The following comprise the Scriptural beliefs of this college.
We believe the Bible to be the revealed Word of God, fully and verbally inspired of God. We believe the Scriptures to be the inerrant, infallible Word of God, as found within the 66 books from Genesis to Revelation. We believe that God not only inspired every word, but that He has preserved them through the ages. We believe that the King James Version is the preserved Word of God for the English-speaking people and is the only acceptable translation to be used in this church. (Psalm 12:6–7; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 1 Peter 1:23-25; 2 Peter 1:19-21)
We believe in one God; Who is eternal, self-existent, infinite, and immutable. We believe He has one nature, one essence, and one substance; yet manifests Himself to man in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Timothy 1:17; James 1:17; 1 John 4:4)
We believe Jesus Christ to be the one and only Saviour of mankind. We believe Jesus Christ to be eternally God and to possess all the attributes of Deity. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ was virgin-born, that He was God incarnate, and that the purposes of the incarnation were to reveal God, to redeem men, and to rule over God's kingdom. We believe Jesus Christ never relinquished any attributes of His Deity, but merely veiled them. We believe He lived a perfect, sinless life, at the end of which He was offered for all mankind as a substitutionary sacrifice for man's sin. This sacrifice was a just payment to God for the forgiveness of sin. It was activated by His death through the shedding of His blood on the cross and was accepted by God upon His resurrection. We believe He ascended into Heaven after His resurrection to be seated at the right hand of the Father and is now waiting for the time of receiving His church at the rapture, which is followed by His return seven years later to earth to rule and reign as King for 1,000 years. (Psalm 2:7-9; Isaiah 7:14, 9:6, 43:11; Micah 5:2; Matthew 1:25; Luke 1:26-35; John 1:1, 1:3, 14, 18, 29; Romans 3:19-25; Romans 5:6-15; Philippians 2:5-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Timothy 2:5; 1 Timothy 3:16; Titus 2:10-15; Hebrews 7:26, 9:24-28; 1 Peter 1:19, 2:2; 1 John 1:3; Revelation 20:1-6)
We believe the Holy Spirit of God is a person who has personality and all the attributes of Deity. We believe the Holy Spirit has always been involved in the affairs of mankind; however, we believe He has a special ministry that began at Pentecost and will continue until the rapture. This ministry includes reproving the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Holy Spirit was also sent to regenerate, sanctify, seal, and fill all who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ. (Genesis 1:2; John 3:5-6; John 14:16; Acts 1:5; Acts 11:15; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 1 Corinthians 12:13)
We believe all men were born with an inherited sin nature received from our common ancestor, Adam. We believe that because of his nature, man is a sinner by choice, and he is totally incapable of reforming himself or ceasing from his sin by his own power. We believe the only hope of deliverance for man is a total change of mind concerning his sinful condition and inability to change it, and a turning to Jesus Christ as the only Saviour. We believe that only through the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ on the cross can a man be delivered from his sin. We believe that all those who reject Jesus Christ as their Saviour are already condemned to an eternity in the lake of fire. (Genesis 5:1-5; Acts 4:19; Acts 16:31; Romans 3:10-23; Romans 5:6-12; Romans 6:23; Romans 10:9-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-6; Revelation 20:11-14)
We believe that the church began with the calling out of the twelve apostles by Jesus Christ and was empowered on the day of Pentecost. We believe the local church is composed of members who have been saved and baptized according to the command of Christ, and have voluntarily united together for the purposes of worship, fellowship, service, and observance of the ordinances of baptism and communion. We believe all true believers will be taken up at the rapture, just prior to the tribulation. (Matthew 16:16-18; Acts 1:15; Acts 2:41-43; Acts 11:15; Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 15: 51-58; Ephesians 1:12-14; Ephesians 5:25-30; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Timothy 3:4-15)
We believe in the literal interpretation of the Scriptures in their grammatical and historical context. We believe in the pre-tribulational rapture of the church saints, followed by the seven-year tribulation. We believe in the pre-millennial return of Christ to the earth and His literal rule of 1,000 years. Following this one-thousand-year reign is the Great White Throne judgment and then the new heaven and new earth. (1 Corinthians 15:51-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-9; Revelation 19-22)
We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Saviour and Lord. God commands His people to separate from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations; and to refrain from all immodest and immoderate appearances, piercings, and bodily markings. (Romans 12:1-2; 14:13; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; 1 John 2:15-17; 2 John 9-11; Leviticus 19:28; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
We believe that God created the universe in six literal, 24-hour periods. We reject evolution, the gap theory, the day-age theory, theistic evolution, and intelligent design not attributed to God as unscriptural theories of origin. (Genesis 1-2; Exodus 20:11)
We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) the home, 2) the church, and 3) the state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities and balanced these responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblically-assigned spheres of responsibility under God. (Romans 13:1-7; Ephesians 5:22-24; Hebrews 13:17; 1 Peter 2:13-14)
We believe that God disapproves of and forbids divorce and intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies. Although divorced and remarried persons or divorced persons may hold positions of service in the church and be greatly used of God for Christian service, they may not be considered for the offices of pastor or deacon or those administrative positions within the church that would consist of pastoral duties. (Malachi 2:14-17; Matthew 19:3-12; Romans 7:1-3; 1 Timothy 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6)
We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the physical or mental well being of the mother are acceptable. (Job 3:16; Psalm 51:5; 139:14-16; Isaiah 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jeremiah 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44)
We believe that we should demonstrate love for others, not only toward fellow believers, but also toward both those who are not believers and those who oppose us. We are to deal with those who oppose us graciously, gently, patiently, and humbly. God forbids the stirring up of strife, the taking of revenge, or the threat or the use of violence as a means of resolving personal conflict or obtaining personal justice. Although God commands us to abhor sinful actions, we are to love and pray for any person who engages in such sinful actions. (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 5:44-48; Luke 6:31; John 13:34-35; Romans 12:9-10; 17-21; 13:8-10; Philippians 2:2-4; 2 Timothy 2:24-26; Titus 3:2; 1 John 3:17-18)
We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other Christians or the church to resolve personal disputes. We believe the church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members. We do believe, however, that a Christian may seek compensation for injuries from another Christian’s insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without malice or slander. (1 Corinthians 6:1-8; Ephesians 4:31-32)
We believe that God has given the church a great commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ we must use all available means to go to the foreign nations and not wait for them to come to us. (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 5:20)
We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God’s wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to support his local church financially. We believe that God has established the tithe as a basis for giving, but that every Christian should also give other offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the Gospel. We believe that a Christian relinquishes all rights to direct the use of the tithe or offering once the gift has been made. (Genesis 14:20; Proverbs 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; 1 Corinthians 16:2; 2 Corinthians 9:6-7; Galatians 6:6; Ephesians 4:28; 1 Timothy 5:17-18; 1 John 3:17)
We believe that the direct taking of an innocent human life is a moral evil, regardless of the intention. Life is a gift of God and must be respected from conception until natural death. Thus we believe that an act or omission which, of itself or by intention, causes death in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder contrary to the will of God. Discontinuing medical procedures that are extraordinary or disproportionate to the expected outcome can be a legitimate refusal of over-zealous treatment. (Exodus 20:13, 23:7; Matthew 5:21; Acts 17:28)
As the Apostle Paul developed leaders, he followed a three-part process: hear, see, do. He described this in Philippians 4:9: “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do….” At West Coast Baptist College, we avoid the one-dimensional teaching method of lecture only and implement this three-dimensional biblical model. Our students hear local church leadership instruction in college classrooms. They see local church leadership modeled as our college faculty engages in personal soulwinning, discipleship, and church leadership. And they do local church ministry as they participate in weekly ministry opportunities here at Lancaster Baptist Church.
It is our conviction that students who hear, see, and do over a four-year period are far more likely to return to the local church and be involved upon graduation than students who only hear the truth taught. Furthermore, by following this three-dimensional model in our training of laborers, our graduates are equipped to likewise raise up local church leaders as they minister in harvest fields around the world.
All students are taught that the main counsel for a Christian must come from the Word of God. Furthermore, students are taught that Jesus Christ promised the person of the Holy Spirit to every believer to guide us into truth. Finally, we teach our students that they should seek counsel from their pastor, parents, and other godly Christians when making important decisions.
We do not teach the pragmatic ways of compromising biblical doctrine for the sake of church growth. We do teach that there is no substitute for the preaching of the Word of God and personal soulwinning. Our students are taught how to organize an effective Sunday school and soulwinning program, and they are taught that all things should be done decently and in order. Furthermore, our students are instructed in the ways of developing first-class materials and facilities for the purpose of being a good representation of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Students are taught the biblical model of local church-based missions as set forth in the New Testament. They are taught that it is God's will for local churches to support missionaries, both home and abroad, with a substantial percentage of the annual income of the church's offerings. Students are taught that missionaries are to be esteemed as heroes of the faith. Students are taught that biblical qualifications and guidelines, such as those found in I Timothy 3 and Titus 1, are essential for all those in Christian ministry.
Students at West Coast Baptist College will be taught the importance of appreciating and growing spiritually through the means of godly music. Students will also be taught that worldly music and Christian rock music are destructive to their maturing as a Christian.
West Coast Baptist College believes in the importance of following the scriptural admonitions regarding music found in Ephesians 5; therefore, our concentration revolves around psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.
The 250-voice choir of Lancaster Baptist Church, as well as all musical groups and instrumentalists, adhere to conservative music standards, emphasizing a distinct melody and godly music theory. Students will not, however, be taught to have a judgmental spirit of other ministries with slight variations in music style from that which is taught at West Coast Baptist College. They will be taught that a critical and judgmental spirit is as grievous to the Lord as perhaps an unintentional variation in music style by a like-minded fundamental church.
Students at West Coast Baptist College are taught the importance of doctrine as a basis for biblical ministry and the Bible as the final authority for all matters of faith and practice. They are taught the Baptist distinctives and the headship of Christ over the local church. They are also taught the need for ecclesiastical and personal separation.
West Coast Baptist College recognizes the privilege of continuing the education of students and individuals who have been raised in godly homes. It is the goal of West Coast Baptist College to support the counsel of godly parents in the lives of their children. It is the student's responsibility to stay accountable to his parents regarding his spiritual, academic, and financial status as a student. West Coast Baptist College will contact parents in the event of serious physical or spiritual needs in the life of their child.
West Coast Baptist College recognizes the labor of love which each home church and pastor have displayed toward any student recommended to West Coast Baptist College. Therefore, we promote loyalty to the home church and pastor at all times. A student who withdraws from college will be encouraged to return to his home church, unless he is gainfully employed and is planning to return to school the very next semester under the counsel of his home pastor. Furthermore, students are encouraged to spend their summer months at home. This provides the students the opportunity to be with their families, to serve in the ministries of their home churches, and to save financially for the upcoming school year.
A college is a place for learning. We have done our best to develop strong academic standards, but we are convinced that without a Bible-based philosophy of education, academics alone will never bring revival to our land. As you pray for the ministry of West Coast Baptist College or consider sending young people to this place, it is our heart's desire to communicate to you the values and principles that are emphasized here for the purpose of glorifying God.
1 Corinthians 14:8 -"For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?" We are committed to rightly dividing the Word of Truth in the pulpit and in the classroom. We believe biblical preaching will present strong doctrinal content in a fashion which is not confusing. Furthermore, we will not follow the current trends that diminish doctrine in order to make the truth palatable to the unregenerate man. It is vital that we teach and preach sound doctrine, which includes our biblical Baptist distinctives and the biblical principles for ecclesiastical separation.
2 Corinthians 4:5 -"For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake." We believe in the biblical role of the pastor as the overseer of the church. We also believe that godly pastors should follow the example of our Lord Jesus (Philippians 2:6-7) by modeling servant leadership in their congregation and in their communities.
Philippians 1:27 -"Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;" It is imperative that we recognize God's desire for us to strive together, as a team, for the faith of the Gospel. As a college we must strive together with the home pastor. It is our belief that we are entering into the labor of the home pastor. We will not attempt to replace his role in the lives of the students. We are privileged to have great influence on the lives of the college students, but we are not the only influence. Furthermore, we must have a spirit of teamwork with the parents of the students. The parents who send students to this college deserve to hear from us when their students excel or have a trial. Finally, it is our desire that the students will observe, in our faculty and church family, the joy of serving together as a team in ministry.
John 1:14 -"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." All of us have observed the tragedies of imbalanced lives. We believe that Jesus Christ must be at the center of all Christian ministry. It is our desire that the Word of God will bring a proper balance into the lives of our students. We will do our best to balance grace and truth, rules and relationships, holiness and helpfulness, along with doctrine and obedience.
Titus 1:7 -"For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;" Self-willed leadership is limiting and unapproachable. We believe spiritual leaders in this era must be easily approached. It is our desire that pastors know we want their input, and we welcome their phone calls. Furthermore, we want students to sense that they can come and ask questions or seek counsel throughout their years at West Coast Baptist College.
Matthew 28:19-20 -"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." We believe soulwinning is not only to be "taught," but it must also be "caught," as the leadership provides the example in faithfulness. Therefore, as a college, it is our philosophy that the faculty will model soulwinning through their faithful, weekly involvement in reaching others. We have no interest in lifting up musicians or theologians who are not actively involved in reaching the lost. It is our desire that instructors be soulwinnners who bear fruit that remains. Furthermore, it is our prayer that these soulwinners be motivated by the Holy Spirit as He develops a disposition of compassion and faithfulness within their hearts for the Saviour.
Psalm 57:7 -"My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise." While we do not apologize for the old-fashioned guidelines and rules that exist on our Bible college campus, we also must not be so foolish as to believe that outward conformity will lead to a spiritual heart. Our primary goal is not outward conformity. Our primary goal for West Coast students is that they would have yielded hearts to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is our prayer that they would leave West Coast Baptist College "doing the will of God from the heart" (Ephesians 6:6).
Philippians 4:9 -"Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you." We believe in the necessity of modeling the Christian life and mentoring our students in service for the Lord. It is vital that our students observe the leadership around them "doing the work of God."
1 Timothy 3:4-5 -"One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)" Ephesians 5:25 -"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;" We want our college students to see that God requires ministry families to be spiritually healthy and vibrant. We must remember that our first ministry is in the home-to our spouses and children. We do not believe the concepts of a vibrant, growing church and a loving family are mutually exclusive.
Galatians 5:22-25 -"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." We cannot, by ourselves, produce the fruit that evidences mature Christianity. Each of us must yield to the Holy Spirit. The Christian life is a holy life, and as we endeavor to take the "high road" in the Christian life, we will only find true success in the power and leadership of the Holy Spirit. We must be dead to self in order to be filled with God's Holy Spirit. We will walk in the Spirit as we die to self, yield to God's Holy Spirit, and emphasize the necessity of spiritual music in our lives. This list is not intended to be exhaustive, but we do believe it shares the heart and core values of the ministry at West Coast Baptist College. This is a local church Bible college. It is a place where students learn the truths of God's eternal Word and then experience those truths in the local body of one of America's dynamic, soulwinning churches.
