History

HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE MACEDONIA BAPTIST COLLEGE

The Peru Bible College was  started in 1988 with the goal  of training men for the work  of the ministry. Missionary  Austin Gardner started the  college out of Hunter Baptist  Church. The college has  prepared many young men  and women to be ready to  serve in the work of God. In  the beginning, Austin  Gardner taught all of the  classes, but then little by

little the students were able to take on the responsibility of teaching others what they had learned.

The first classes were actually all day long discipleship sessions. This is a teaching style that we have tried to keep in practice today, through small Bible groups among the students.

Three men that were key in helping start this ministry were Brothers Carlos Marquina, Octavio Paredes and Victor Ocampo and they participated in the very first graduation.

In 1998, ten years later, God provided a piece of land to start building a place to train men and women, which had long been a dream we had in our hearts.

However the enemy does not sleep. Not long after the property was purchased, a man came along with a group of people illegally took over ownership of the property and began to sell small pieces of the land turning it into a housing development. When they realized what had happened, immediately moved to the property and started building as quickly as they could. The people, who believed themselves to be the lawful owners, hired a group of people to forcefully take back the land. They threw rocks and sticks and left many wounded and bleeding including Bro. Austin Gardner who was left with a fractured skull. After that the only thing they could do was watch as all of our walls were torn down and water towers were destroyed. They felt very confused and helpless at all that was taking place, but at the same time knew that God was greater than the problems they were facing.

The prayers of many were answered and God opened the door to purchase a piece of land that was much better suited for the need. The 2.5 acre piece of property is located at Av. Italia in Zamacola, in the district of Cerro Colorado. Temporary buildings were constructed in August, 2002 and in 2006 a more permanent structure was built.

We currently have 40 students at the Peru Bible College, including men and women. We have had 18 graduations and those graduates are now working around the country and the world, spreading the Gospel.