A. MISSION STATEMENT:
Covenant Bible Seminary exists to provide Biblical education for spiritual and professional career
development in Christian ministry vocations, "... for the work of the ministry, for the
edifying of the Body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12), as lay-ministers, missionaries, chaplains,
pastors, evangelists, counselors, and teachers and parish administrators, etc. To fulfill our
Mission, the Seminary offers a full program of Biblical studies as outlined in this website.
B. HISTORY:
In 1946 Covenant Bible Fellowship, Inc. was founded in Bellingham, Washington, and is dedicated to the
pastoral and teaching ministry of the Holy Bible as the inspired and inerrant Word of God.
In 1985, Dr. Merritt E. Lawson, Jr., while serving as the Academic Dean and Professor of Systematic and
Practical Theology at Faith Evangelical Lutheran Seminary of Tacoma, WA., received a pastoral Call from
the Board of Directors of Covenant Bible Fellowship, Inc., to serve as their corporate President and to
establish a chaplaincy ministry of Biblical pastoral care to the institutionalized elderly. Dr.
Lawson accepted the Call and shortly thereafter the chaplaincy ministry was established. It
also became apparent to the Board that there was a need, in the Seattle-Tacoma-Olympia area, for an
interdenominational Biblical school of theology.
In February, 1989 the Seminary was established and named Covenant Bible Seminary, after its parent corporation
and Dr. Lawson was Called by the Board to serve as President and Dean of the Seminary. The first
graduating class was held in June of 1989 with students from the chaplaincy ministry and other transfer students.
C. LIBRARY AND BOOKSTORE:
Covenant Bible Seminary is uniquely blessed in its present location by two significant
theological libraries. These are available to students of the Seminary, for
reference use, at no charge. They are:
D. RECOGNITION, APPROVAL, AND AFFLIAATION:
Covenant Bible Seminary is an interdenominational Bible college and graduate school for
Christian education of the Covenant Bible Fellowship, Inc., which is a Washington non-profit
corporation with the purpose of "establishing and operating churches, missions, seminaries
of religious learning, Bible schools, colleges, for the study of the Scriptures, in the
State of Washington or in the United States of America." This corporation was recognized,
"Approved and Filed, February 14, 1946" by the Secretary of State of the State of Washington and granted
Affiliate Status with The Full Gospel Fellowship of Churches and Ministers International with general
offices at 1000 N. Belt Line Road, Suite 201, Irving, Texas 75016-4000. FGFCMI.ORG.
Covenant Bible Seminary was also recognized, approved and granted Affiliate Status with the Association for Biblical Higher Education (Formerly: The Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges) on April 14, 2005. The Association is committed to advancing and assuring quality Biblical higher education. The Association was founded in 1947 and has held U.S. Department of Education recognition since 1952. The following Statement of Faith must be subscribed to annually, by each Affiliate Institution of the Association, through the signature of the President of that Institution:
1. We believe that there is one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Deut 6:4; 1 John 2:22-23, 2 Cor. 13:14).
2. We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible authoritative Word of God (Ps. 119:89, 2 Tim. 3:16, 2 Pet. 1:21).
3. We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious atonement through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal and visible return in power and glory (Col. 1:15, John 1:1, John 1:14, Luke 1:35, Heb. 4:15, Acts 2:22, 1 Pet. 2:24, Luke 24:1- 48, Acts 1:9, John 14:2-3, Acts 1:11).
4. We believe that man was created in the image of God, that he was tempted by Satan and fell, and that, because of the exceeding sinfulness of human nature, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely necessary for salvation (Gen. 1:27, Gen. 3:15, Rom. 5:12, Ps. 51:5, Rom 3:10, Rom 3:23, Titus 3:5, 1 Pet. 1:18-19).
5. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian in enabled to live a godly life, and by whom the church is empowered to carry out Christ’s great commission (John 14:15-17, Acts 1:6- 8, Acts 13:2-4, Rom. 8:14).
6. We believe in the bodily resurrection of both the saved and the lost; those who are saved unto the resurrection of life and those who are lost unto the resurrection of damnation (Matt. 25:31-46, 1 Th. 4:13-18, John 5:28-29).
The signature of the President of Covenant Bible Seminary is on record with the Association for Biblical Higher Education, with General Offices at 5575 S. Semoran Blvd., Suite 26, Orlando, FL. 32822-1781. DIRECTORY.ABHE.ORG.
Covenant Bible Seminary was additionally recognized, approved and granted Affiliate Status with ACCESS: the Association of Christian Continuing Education Schools and Seminaries for Distance, Independent Study, Higher Education Courses and Degree Programs. ACCESS also subscribes to the Statement of Faith of the Association of Biblical Higher Education which Covenant Bible Seminary is an Affiliate Institution. The website for ACCESS is ACCESSED.ORG.
E. ORDINATION:
Covenant Bible Seminary is an interdenominational Christian educational institution and, as
such, does not ordain candidates for the ministry. All ordinations must be officiated
by the student's own church organization. It is the goal of the Seminary to educate
and train its students to meet the standards for their church in order to become a candidate for
ordination as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.