fairs gotten under control, it be came Talbot's real problem to raise sufficient money to carry on the programs of the Church of the Open Door and the Bible Institute. For five years he did what humanly speaking would have been the im possible, raising the money neces sary for both organizations. During 1943 to 1945 he set out to clear the remaining debt on the build ings, first the Institute, then the church. Later, because of his heavy duties at the Institute, Talbot resigned as pastor of the church, leaving no debt, so that his successor, Dr. J. Vernon McGee, could assume his responsibilities unhampered by fi nancial problems. In the meantime, the Bible In stitute's China branch was not far ing so well. The wave of strong nationalism that was sweeping China in the early thirties had won over the Christian population and now those interested in the Hunan Bible Institute were pressing for complete independence. Hard on this disturbing event came the de stroying troops of Japan. From the mid-thirties until 1946 the school was closed. With government help, the school was repaired and re opened in 1946 only to be cap tured shortly afterward by the Chinese Communists who turned the 10-acre campus into an agri cultural school for the Red govern ment. What was left of the once extensive BIOLA ministry in China was then being carried on under the direction of Dr. Charles Roberts in Hong Kong where the Institute maintained a church, book room, youth center and medical clinic. Long before the Institute en tered the depression years there
were plans under way to broaden the academic structure. As early as 1920, Torrey decided that the course of study should be length ened from two to three years. By 1934 the school attorney was asked to draw up the necessary legal paper whereby the school might be developed to the point of grant ing at least one academic or pro fessional degree. In 1943 Dr. S. H. Sutherland, who had recently be come dean of the Institute, out lined a new academic program to raise the standards of the school. In March 1944, Sutherland out lined a plan to establish the School of Missionary Medicine under the direction of Miss Leonie V. Sou- birou. This action was followed in 1949 by the establishment of a Bible College course leading to a B.A. degree. In 1952 the Talbot Theological Seminary, a graduate school of theology was established with Dr. Charles L. Feinberg as Director. In less than 50 years the Bible Institute had moved from a two-year institute to an institution of higher learning including four distinct schools: the Bible Institute, Bible College, School of Mission ary Medicine and Talbot Theolog ical Seminary. With this expansion came the need for additional physical facil ities. In 1942 the board of directors of the Institute purchased the parking lot directly across Hope Street. In 1953, Sutherland (who had become president the previ ous year) recommended to the board that a building be erected on the lot. The plan was for a limit-height, all purpose building including administrative offices, faculty offices, enlarged library, gymnasium and other facilities Page 27
Made with FlippingBook HTML5