| | | An Interview With President Jones Regarding the New COP Program | 
| | Thad Jones |
What are your feelings about the new COP Program?
I am excited about it and all the possibilities it brings to the faith community locally and beyond once we begin to expand it to our other campuses and cities.
What are those possibilities?
The first one is providing persons an opportunity to teach certified classes in our local churches, district, state and national Leadership Schools. The others are by-products of the first, like an accelerated program, cost savings to the students, a certified pool of instructors, certified schools and an educated pew. Can you tell that I am excited?
Why Western Baptist Bible College?
Because this is one program that fulfills our vision and dream of Western since I have been affiliated with the school.
What is that vision and dream?
With the history, legacy, location and support, I believe Western should be the religious Center of the city. Practically every Baptist church on the Missouri or Kansas side of the state line has some affiliation with the school regardless of denomination affiliation. Western crosses association and convention lines. Plus we are a Christian education institution, therefore we have been placed in the community to benefit it. Education enhances and benefits everything. Everything.
Why will people enroll in COPP?
Because they have been requesting it. So many people have come to me and asked why don't Western have a program to help them get certified. There are people who have the gift and desire to teach in district, state and national schools but have not had the resources to travel to take the necessary classes. Also not everyone wants to pursue a degree from an institution of higher learning. But there is a great hunger and thirst out there.
What will make the Western COPP different?
It's three-fold. First, money. When you consider the costs to travel, gas, lodging, airfare, meals and incidentals, then multiply that by four years to complete all four phases, our program becomes special and affordable.
Secondly, it's accelerated. We will have multiple classes going on during one week. If a person is aggressive, energetic and has the time, they can almost complete Phase 1 in a college semester.
The third reason is due to the Transcript component. If a person has taken religious classes in a bible institute, bible college, seminary or university, they could get credit for those courses and not have to take the classes.
Your wife is a beneficiary of the Transcript component. Why?
Yes Sandra is because our great director of the program, Rev. Nathan Jones submitted her transcripts to the Sunday School Publishing Board from William Jewel College, Webster University and Western Baptist Bible College where she had taken religious classes and they gave her credit for the classes that were similar or the same as the COPP classes.
Thank you for the interview. We will check back with you after the conclusion of the first session.
Thank you. I will be looking forward to sharing a great praise report. |
| Former Professor Rev. J. J. Woods, Sr. Passes Away | 
| | Rev. J. J. Woods, Sr. (l) Thad Jones (r) at the 2007 Retirement Banquet |
Rev. J. J. Woods, Sr. passed away on Friday, December 17,2 010 after a lengthy illness.
Woods is the former professor and department chairman of Missions.
Woods taught all of the classes with an emphasis on Missions. Woods earned an undergraduate degree from Western.
Woods was the pastor emeritus of the Bethel Baptist Church of Kansas City, Missouri. He started his service at Bethel as supply pastor in 1970. In 1976 he was called to pastor Bethel. He served for 37 years until 2007 where the church then selected his son to succeed him.
Woods served in every leadership capacity in the city and denominational work including Moderator of the Union District Association, president of the Kansas City Baptist Ministers Union and president of the General Baptist Convention of Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska from 1997 to 2003.
Funeral services were held on December 24th at Bethel at 11:00 a.m.
Woods leaves to cherish his memories, his wife of 52 years, Laura Woods, five children and a host of relatives. |
| Western Establishes COP Program
Certificate of Progress Program
On December 10, 2010, Western Baptist Bible College introduced its plans to be a Christian Leadership School under the rules, procedures and guidelines of the National Baptist Convention USA, Inc. Sunday School Publishing Board's Certificate of Progress Program. (COPP).
The COP Program is the SSPB program organized in 1937 designed to produce qualified church leaders that will lead church members into positions of knowledge and understanding. In 1978 certification of leadership schools were established on all levels of convention work to certify deans and instructors for the nurturing of standards of teaching and the expansion of a new standard curriculum.
Western's Vision & Program
Western Baptist Bible College's vision is to offer COPP classes in an accelerated fashion to prepare individuals to become certifiable to teach in local, district, state and national Congress of Christian Educations and to prepare teachers so that Christian Leadership Schools on all levels will have a pool of certified instructors to ensure that the schools are certified.
Two Component Program
Western's program is a two component program. (1)Transcript and (2) Classes.
The Transcript component is where individuals who have taken religious classes at bible institutes, bible colleges, seminaries and universities and colleges can submit their transcripts and a review of it will be made of classes that meet the criteria of the SSPB. Individuals will be given credit for those classes and they will not have to retake those classes in a Leadership School.
The Class component is where Western will offer the Four-Phase classes of the COPP taught by certified instructors. There will be a minimum of three classes a week for two hours, one day a week for six weeks. This will meet the COPP criteria of ten hours of class time for a person to earn a completion of class card.
Accelerated
There is a minimum of seven classes for each phase of COPP. For a person to become certifiable, they would have to complete Phase I, a minimum of eight classes and to receive a diploma, complete all four phases of 30 or more classes. That could take several years traveling to the state and national Congresses of Christian Education.
In the Western program, a person could complete six classes in one college semester or one 12-week period.
Savings
The Western program offers an individual great savings. Traveling to other cities to take classes would cost one-week hotel lodging, airfare or gasoline costs and meals for a week. Multiply that by the number of years it takes to attend the necessary classes.
Enrollment for the Western program has begun. Persons can contact the school at 816-842-4195 for information or the Director of the Program and Certified Dean Rev. Nathan Jones at 913-207-2738.
COPP classes begin on Monday, January 24, 2011. Classes will be Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.
The first classes that will be offered are:
Effective Bible Reading
Introduction to the New Testament
Creative Ways of Teaching
Public Speaking
Baptist Doctrine
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| Rev. Nathan Jones Named Director of Western COPP | 
| | Rev. Nathan Jones
Certified Dean | Rev. Nathan Jones, pastor of the First Mt. Olive Baptist Church of Paola, Kansas was named director of the Western Certificate of Progress Program. (COPP) Jones was born in Waynesboro, Georgia, grew up in Pompano Beach Florida, and relocated to Olathe, Kansas on March 3, 1997. God ordained such a time as this, that First Mt. Olivet Missionary Baptist Church in Paola, Kansas called him as their Pastor on Dec. 21, 1997. God has blessed Rev. Jones to have the 2nd highest tenure at this church since 1866 and as their first Certified Dean.
As a student of Western Baptist Bible College in Kansas City Missouri, Jones has graduated three times receiving an A.A. and B.A. Degrees in Bible Interpretation, and on May 21, 2009 he received his M.A. in Christian Theology and is currently enrolled in the Masters of Divinity degree program.
On June 26, 2009 in Detroit Michigan, he graduated from the Deans & Presidents Seminar and graduated again for Outstanding Achievement in Completion of the requirements for the COPP (Certificate of Progress Program) presented by the DCEAC (Department of Christian Education Accreditation and Credentials) SSPB (Sunday School Publishing Board) National Baptist Convention (NBC) USA, Inc. He received his Dean's number on January 6, 2010. Jones serves as the Certified Dean of the Neosho Valley District Association of Kansas Congress of Christian Education (CLS) Christian Leadership School;.
Jones is married to Viola Wilson Jones for almost 28 years. She serves as Registrar of Neosho Valley District Congress of Christian Education and 1st Vice-President of the Minister's Wives Auxiliary. Together they have a blended family of (4) beautiful daughters, (3) daughters are married (1) daughter is a junior at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas. She serves as the Youth President of the Missionary Baptist State Convention of Kansas and the Officer Assistant of Neosho Valley District Association of Kansas. They have (3) Wonderful Son-n-laws, (10)-Awesome Grandchildren and (3)-Adorable Great-grandchildren. |
| Sandra Jones Become First Person to Become Certifiable from the Western COPP | 
| | Sandra Jones | Sandra Jones, Western alumna and current professor in the music department is the first person to become certified as a COPP instructor in the Western Certificate of Progress Program.
Jones submitted her transcripts from William Jewell College where she earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree, Webster University where she earned a Master of Arts Degree and Western Baptist Bible College where she earned a Masters of Divinity Degree. She also submitted class cards for classes she had taken in district, state and national Congress of Christian Educations.
After the review by the Sunday School Publishing Board, it was determined that she has taken all of the Phase I classes and is just nine classes short of receiving the COPP diploma for completing all four phases.
Jones is now eligible to teach in local, district, state and national leadership schools on various subjects. She has made herself available to the district and state deans and made them aware that she is now certified to teach. | | | | | | |
| Administration
Rev. Samuel Nero, Sr.
Chairman of the Board
Dr. Thad Jones
President
Dr. Robert Baynham
Dean of Academics
Rev. Harry Hill
Business Manager
Ms. Chiquita Parker
Secretary
Dr. Eddie Flackes, Jr.
National Alumni President
Mrs. Brenda Rucker
Special Asst. to the President
Mrs. Lorine Hill
Special Asst. to the President
Rev. Nathan Jones
Director of COPP Faculty
Dr. Robert Baynham
Dr. Stanley Counts Sr.
Dr. Thomas McCormick
Dr. Thad Jones
Dr. Charles Oliver, Jr.
Rev. Harry Hill
Mrs. Sharon McDonald
Rev. Elisha Fleming
Minister Diane Elliott
Mrs. Sandra Jones
Ms. Laura Allen Rev. James Perkins
Dr. James Sims
Rev. Michael Milliken
Extensions
St. Louis, Missouri
Dr. Harold Butler, Dean
Topeka, Kansas
Dr. Michael Moore, Dean
Wichita, Kansas
Rev. Terrell Davis, Dean
Junction City, Kansas
Rev. Leonard Gray, Dean
Olathe, Kansas
Rev. Bobby Love, Dean
Leavenworth, Kansas
Rev. James Lambeth, Dean
Summer Program
Dr. Charles Oliver, Jr.
Online Learning
Dr. Charles Oliver, Jr.
Calendar of Events
January 8, 2011
National Alumni Association
Founder's Day Breakfast
9:00 a.m.
Rescue Baptist Church
2901 Indiana Avenue
Rev. B. W. Rucker
Keynote
January 9, 2011
National Alumni Association
Founder's Day Service
3:00 p.m.
Rescue Baptist Church
Dr. R. L. Baynham
Keynote
January 17 - 21, 2011
Spring Semester Registration
January 24, 2011
Spring Semester Classes Begins
COPP Classes Begin
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