Brief History
The Church of God in Christ Inc. has a longstanding commitment to education. The process to form All Saints Bible College began in July 2001, by the directives of Presiding Bishop Gilbert Earl Patterson and the General Board of the Church of God in Christ. The school's formation was the result of three Church of God in Christ jurisdictions in Tennessee agreeing to merge their school with the C. H. Mason Bible College of Memphis, and by following the principles of the Church of God in Christ's national educational initiative.
C. H. Mason Bible College was one component of the educational vision introduced to the Church of God in Christ by the late Presiding Bishop James Oglethorpe Patterson, Sr. This included the establishment of C. H. Mason Theological Seminary (a constituent school in the Interdenominational Theological Center) in Atlanta, 1971. The Charles Harrison Mason System of Bible Colleges was also formed in that year. While the theological seminary was the property and responsibility of the national church, the system of Bible colleges were established by individual jurisdictions. The Bible colleges were created as a service to the jurisdictions, offering them a unified curriculum for the training of laypersons and credential holders. Dr. A.J. Hines of Houston and a team of supporters were assigned to the task of developing this system of Bible colleges. (Dr. Hines organized a pilot school in Houston. Other schools were developed in various cities around the nation, which were modeled after the Houston project. The System eventually grew to nearly 40 chapters in the United States.
Beginning in 1973, the Church of God in Christ established chapters of the C. H. Mason System of Bible Colleges in the Memphis at Tennessee Headquarters, Tennessee 4th and at Tennessee 5th Jurisdiction. In 1998, the three-jurisdictional Bible College merged and Bishops G.E. Patterson, James O. Patterson Jr., and Samuel L. Lowe, representing their respective jurisdictions, served as Co-Presidents of the school. Elder Benjamin L. Smith was appointed the first Dean and was later succeeded by Dr. Perry C. Little. The school held its last graduation ceremony on July 28th, 2001.
In December of 2000, Bishop G.E. Patterson and the General Board appointed Dr. Alonzo Johnson (who at the time served as a tenured Professor of Religious Studies at the University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C. and superintendent and pastor in the South Carolina Jurisdiction of the Church of God in Christ) to become the Commissioner of Education for the Church of God in Christ Inc. Dr. Johnson was assigned the task of merging C. H. Mason Bible College of Memphis with the newly proposed All Saints Bible College. Dr. Johnson steered a process that included shaping the academic program, establishing the budget, hiring faculty and staff, and promoting the school. Dr. Johnson serves as the first President of All Saints Bible College.
On September 16, 2002, Professor Iris Stevenson, President – International Music Department of the Church of God in Christ, composed and presented the Alma Mater for All Saints Bible College.
In October 2003, Presiding Bishop G. E. Patterson and the General Board of the Church of God in Christ appointed Dr. Perry C. Little to serve as the second and current President, who at the time served as Dean of Student Affairs, and as an instructor. He is currently the Pastor of the Gateway Church of God in Christ in Memphis, Tennessee. He is the Chairman of the J. E. Chandler Memorial District. He also serves on the Ordination Board of the Tennessee Fifth Jurisdiction. All Saints Bible College is in the applicant phase of the accreditation process and moving swiftly toward the accreditation phase. In the centennial celebration of the Church of God in Christ 100th Year Holy Convocation, the All Saints Bible College dedicated the Bishop G. E. Patterson Memorial Library at the historic Mason Temple and held its Third Commencement Exercises. The following members serve as Board of Directors of All Saints Bible College: Bishop Malcolm Coby – Chairman, Board of Directors, Elder Hurley Coleman – Vice Chairman, Board of Directors, Bishop Robert Asberry, Development Chairperson, Elder Larry Kendrick, Business Affairs Chairpersons, Board Members: Dr. Mary T. Maynard, Bishop Bryant Robinson, Bishop Lemuel Thuston, Dr. Quentin Robertson and Dr. Goldie Wells.
Bishop Gilbert Earl Patterson, International Presiding Bishop served as Chancellor of All Saints Bible College 2002 – 2007 until his demise on March 20, 2007. Bishop Charles E. Blake, International Presiding Bishop is currently serving as Chancellor of All Saints Bible College.
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