Life Pacific College

Life Pacific College
The Hicks Center
Established 1923 (1923)
Affiliation International Church of the Foursquare Gospel
President Jim J. Adams, Ed.D.
Location San Dimas, California, United States
Website lifepacific.edu

Life Pacific College (Life Pacific University in 2019) is a private Christian institution in San Dimas, California. LPC is associated with the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel and serves as the denomination's primary center for higher education. The college operates an extension site, LPC-Ignite, in Christiansburg, Virginia.

History

The school was founded in 1923 as Echo Park Evangelistic and Missionary Training Institute by Aimee Semple McPherson in Echo Park, Los Angeles, California. [1] The name was changed to LIFE Bible College, LIFE standing for "Lighthouse of International Foursquare Evangelism", in 1926 when it moved into a newly constructed five-story complex next door to Angelus Temple. In 1990 the college relocated to its current home in San Dimas, California. In the early 2000s its present name was adopted.

In 1957, in Mount Vernon, Ohio, the Mount Vernon Bible College was founded by the school. It moved to Christiansburg, Virginia and changed its name to LIFE Bible College East in 1988. In 2003 LIFE East closed for financial reasons and its records were transferred to Life Pacific College. The institution now operates LPC-Ignite at the former LIFE Bible College East property.

Programs

Along with seven traditional degrees offered at the San Dimas campus (A.A. in General Studies, B.A. in Biblical Studies, B.A. in Communication, B.A. in Transformational Ministry, B.A. in Business Administration, B.A. in Human Development & Psychology, B.A. in Worship Arts & Media), it also offers four non-traditional programs (M.A. in Strategic Leadership, M.A. in Christian Leadership, a joint-degree program with TCA College Singapore, B.A. in Organizational management, and B.A. in Ministry & Leadership) Life Pacific College now also provides an A.A. degree in General Studies at LPC Ignite on the Christiansburg campus. In 2019 the M.A. in Strategic Leadership in Spanish will launch.

Alumni

Alumni have played a significant role not only within the Foursquare church, but also within the Assemblies of God, Calvary Chapel and the Vineyard movement. Life's most prominent graduates include pastors Jack Hayford, Chuck Smith, Ronald D. Mehl, Ralph Moore, Ricky Temple, Jim Tolle, Chad Veach, Irene Poupore and the African American actor, pastor and academic Otis Young.

LPC has always focused on educating men and women in practical ministry and for much of its history few alumni pursued additional education. However, it has now become common for Life alumni to attend seminary or graduate school. A growing number of alumni have also earned academic doctorates from institutions such as Fuller Seminary, Regent University, the University of Southern California, and the universities of Nebraska, Edinburgh, St. Andrews, Aberdeen and Oxford.

Accreditation and Affiliations

LPC is accredited by The Association for Biblical Higher Education, and with Western Association of Schools and Colleges. It is an affiliate member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. LPC also holds membership in the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU), as well as many other professional higher education associations and societies.

The Center of LIFE's Campus

Sports

Life Pacific began fielding sports teams in the late 1940s and early 1950s with baseball, football, and basketball. Following a 7-year hiatus, in Fall 2015, LPC returned to intercollegiate competition with a men's basketball team and a women's volleyball team. LPC also offers cross county and track teams for both men and women. Life Pacific College is a member of the NAIA and the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC), as of fall 2018 also offers women's basketball, women's golf, men's wrestling, and a club team for women's wrestling. Intervarsity women's wrestling, and men's and women's soccer teams are planned for fall 2019.

See also

  • The Foundations of Pentecostal Theology

References

  1. ↑ George Thomas Kurian, Mark A. Lamport, Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States, Volume 5, Rowman & Littlefield, USA, 2016, p. 1200

Coordinates: 34°05′57″N 117°49′44″W / 34.0993°N 117.8290°W / 34.0993; -117.8290

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