Nazareth Evangelical College was created in 2014 as a result of a merger of two other Bible colleges: Galilee Bible College and Nazareth Evangelical Theological Seminary. Nazareth Evangelical Theological Seminary was founded in 2007 by the Scottish missionary-scholar J. Bryson Arthur and his wife May, originally with the name The Nazareth Center for Christian Studies. Some of his co-workers in helping set up the seminary were Scott Bridger, Brent Neely, Azar Ajaj, Phil Hill, and Duane Alexander Miller. The primary language of instruction was English, with the following courses being offered: a Bachelor of Divinity, a Master of Theology, and a Master of Arts in Christian ministry. A locally accredited Bachelor of Theology degree was also offered, with the language of instruction being Arabic. Galilee Bible College was founded as an Israeli branch of the West Bank Bible college Bethlehem Bible College. All courses were taught in Arabic. With the departure of NETS's primarily Western staff in 2013, NETS was handed over to entirely Arab leadership, turned into a purely Arab-language institution, and was merged with GBC to become Nazareth Evangelical College, Israel's only theological seminary dedicated to serving the country's Arab evangelical minority in their own language. The merger took place in partnership with the Association of Baptist Churches in Israel, Bethlehem Bible College, and the Convention of Evangelical Churches in Israel.
Academics and programs
All are Arabs. Nazareth Evangelical College offers a BA in Biblical Studies and an MA in Leadership & Christian Ministry. Both degrees receive their accreditation through Bethlehem Bible College, which is accredited by the Middle East Association for Theological Education, Asia Theological Association and the Palestinian Authority. NEC has also started an , a series of courses and excursions designed to help develop relationships with international partners and share something about the unique Palestinian-Israeli evangelical context to visitors interested in deepening their understanding of the region. Currently on offer are a on different facets of the local context and a combination of these lectures . In addition to an extensive English language theological library, NEC now hosts the largest in the country.
Approach
NEC subscribes to an evangelical . Under its current academic dean , NEC has adopted a two-fold focus to theological education and ministry: Christ & Culture and Christ & Church.
Mission statement
As stated on the , "Nazareth Evangelical College trains leaders, men and women, to follow Christ faithfully and to be equipped and qualified for serving the church in the Holy Land enabling her to have a powerful influence on society according to God’s purposes."
