Emmanuel Bible College

Setting up the Church:  In 1916 John Douglas Drysdale a young Scottish evangelist settled in Birkenhead and gathered around him a following which soon became Emmanuel Church in Claughton Road. His fervent preaching challenged young people to be trained in reaching out to the needs of people world-wide.

Setting up the College: Training commenced in 5 Alexandra Road, Birkenhead on November 11th 1920 with three students. By January 1921 that number had risen to twelve, and it soon became clear that a larger building, where all the students could be residential was required. The large house which stood at the corner of Palm Grove and Park Road South, became an answer to prayer. It had been vacated by its German owner during World War 1and was up for sale along with an acre of land and an old coach house with adjoining coachman’s quarters. All this was offered for £1750. Low as the price was even for those days, it was no small challenge to a man who had no funds available other than an earmarked gift of £50. Repairs and furnishings would be an additional expense, but he went ahead in faith, taking out a mortgage, convinced that the remaining money would follow. “J.D.”, as he was often called, became a familiar figure in the local auction rooms where he acquired some fine furniture, including a table at which twenty-two people could be seated, without overcrowding. The hub of the enterprise, 1 Palm Grove, at first became “Emmanuel Training Home” a centre for the training of young men and women who shared J.D.’s vision. This would eventually reach out to people in all five continents. In a 1927 issue of Emmanuel’s magazine appeared a list of thirty-four names of those who had completed their 3 yr. training period. They put that training into practice, serving as missionaries in:- North Africa, West Africa, South Africa, Belgian Congo, Mauritius, India, Ceylon, China, Japan, Korea, Brazil, Paraguay and Latvia.

Expansion:  During the following years, as the student numbers further increased, more accommodation was required. Numbers 93 and 95 Park Road South were then purchased. These two commodious semi-detached houses were separated from the main College building by a large lawn which later became the site for the erection, annually of a large marquee, used for a Missionary Convention. The money required for all the College buildings was provided entirely by donations from people who recognised the importance of what was going on within the campus.

Refugees:  During  World War II, although student accommodation was adequate, a new emergency had come to J.D.’s notice - the plight of Hebrew Christian refugees from Nazi Germany. Number 3 Palm Grove was purchased and thirteen people found love and care there until the war ended. Afterwards this building was used for College purposes, but was eventually sold and in 1970, a more suitable purpose-built teaching block was erected alongside the main College building, and appropriately named “Drysdale Hall”.

Serving the World:  A stream of dedicated young men and women continued to flow in and out of the gates of “Emmanuel Bible College”. They came from all the major Christian denominations, and are today serving both overseas and in this country, some with their own churches, many in large interdenominational missions working together with a common purpose. In Arctic regions and on the Equator, among primitive jungle tribes and in modern cities far and near, Emmanuel’s past students serve as ministers, pastors, evangelists and teachers, doctors, nurses and Bible translators. Some have carried out the work at the cost of their lives. During the Simba revolution in the Congo in the 60’s, one lady graduate was murdered and thrown into a crocodile-infested river. Another taken captive by the rebels was eventually shot within half an hour of her rescuers’ arrival.

The Work continues:  Following J.D.’s death, his son-in-law Rev Stanley Banks became College principal in 1953 and he was later succeeded by Rev Lionel Hawker. In 1997 a decision was taken which brought about the amalgamation of Emmanuel Bible College with the Nazarene Theological College in Didsbury, Manchester. Subsequently, the Birkenhead site was sold, and the proceeds donated towards building a new ‘Emmanuel Centre for Mission Studies’ at Didsbury.

Postscript: Birkenhead is renowned for its shipyard, where over the years time and effort have been given to the building of reliable vessels ready to weather the storm and carry goods far and wide. At Emmanuel Bible College, characters were built and young Christians were prepared for a life of self-giving service, come wind, come weather. The aim of the College always remained that of its founder: to launch into the world Christian workers with a good Biblical theological education welded to a passion for its practical application, both in their personal lives and in service to others.