Our Purpose

The Lord Jesus Christ is the One Who is building His church according to Matthew 16:18. On the basis of His resurrection and ascension He made available gifts for the edification of His people, and those that are applicable for today for the edification of the local church. As a ministry of Grace Church of Mentor, Great Lakes Bible Institute (GLBI) functions on the basis that God intended the gift-offices of evangelist and pastor-teacher to provide spiritual instruction and training at the local church level.

GLBI has been raised up by the pastors, elders, and people of Grace Church for the purpose of perfecting God’s saints for service and edification (Eph. 4:12). Through spiritual instruction coupled with ample opportunities to serve in this local church, we have witnessed God’s preparation of many sincere students for Christian service.

Six of our pastor-instructors have completed masters’ degrees, and four of these are in various stages of their M. Div. Program. One of the instructors has earned two Bachelor’s degrees and has thirty-three years of pastoral ministry experience. Combined, our staff has approximately fifty years of practical ministry experience. We mention these details simply to stress our conviction that in both our local church and our Bible Institute settings, we believe that the process of equipping future pastors, missionaries, and God’s people in general requires trained pastoral instructors.

There are abundant opportunities for transferring classroom content to practical service and ministry here at Grace Church. In the past some of our students training for the ministry have availed themselves of preaching opportunities at Grace and its branch churches. Other areas of service involve teaching and assisting in Sunday school, door-to-door evangelism, fair and festival evangelism, mass youth evangelism events, music ministry, nursing home ministries, and home Bible studies. At GLBI we believe that practical application is essential to the training of believers at all levels.

GLBI and Grace Church both stress the essential balance between evangelism, accurate exegesis of the Scriptures, and a biblical view of separation from sin and worldliness in all of its manifestations. Therefore, we stand firmly against ecumenical efforts that lead God’s people into false doctrine. Furthermore, we align ourselves with scriptural warnings against the abuses of New Evangelicalism, the church marketing movement, and the modern charismatic movement. At the same time we wholly support unity and cooperation among those who without apology hold and practice the whole counsel of God’s Word. We continually experience the joy of working with other churches in a united effort to reach this world for Jesus Christ.

Whether you are training for ministry or simply desiring personal spiritual edification, GLBI will be a blessing to you. A love for our Lord and a desire to be taught from God’s Word are the chief prerequisites for benefiting from what GLBI offers. We will do our best to equip you in your walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. Come and join us!