EBI Church Planting Training Centers

EBI is about developing leaders for new and established churches committed to planting churches.  The mission of Equip Biblical Institute is to bring glory to God by assisting local churches to equip believers of various cultures and languages to live and minister biblically based on the inerrant Word of God. This equipping includes building biblical knowledge, Christian character, and ministry skills.

The vision is to impact entire congregations with the training, passion, and skills necessary to grow healthy churches and start new churches by establishing EBI Church Planting Training Centers at no charge to local churches and associations.

The goal is to equip church planters, pastors, and church leaders for effective servant ministry by making Bible college and seminary level courses available to the local church at a fraction of the cost of traditional schools.  Each EBI Church Planting Training Center is self-supporting.

Over 700 church planters, pastors, leaders, teachers, and Bible students have attended EBI Church Planting Training Centers in the United States and Mexico.

Student-leaders are trained in transformational leadership, church planting, the disciple-making process, relationship building, Bible interpretation, expository preaching, church health, servant leadership, small groups, team leadership, conflict resolution, church administration, prayer ministry, biblical marriage, worship, fellowship, discipleship, community outreach, evangelism, and missions.

Student-leaders learn how to start churches, develop leaders, equip members, organize small groups, maximize ministry, impact communities, and transform lives through local-church computer-enhanced student-centered learning. Courses are offered in English and Spanish—and are transferable to the Southern California Seminary Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies program.

EBI degree tracks:

• Certificate of Biblical Studies in Leadership
• Diploma of Biblical Studies in Leadership
• Associate of Biblical Studies in Leadership
• Bachelor of Biblical Studies in Leadership

Click Here for Student Testimonials
Click Here for Graduation Photos

EBI is on Facebook. Please add EBI to your social networks.

About EBI Church Planting Training Centers
EBI Church Planting Training Centers are committed to providing transformational leadership training and education for nontraditional student-leaders in multicultural, urban, rural, and global environments without charging traditional tuition.

EBI practices decentralized open education. The student is only responsible for paying the local instructor and a graduation fee. All other costs are covered by donations from churches and individuals committed to developing community and church leaders.

Donations from individuals and churches allow students to take courses for a fraction of their real cost. Courses that cost normally $1000 at other institutions can be taken through EBI for around $100.

EBI is a project of the California Southern Baptist Convention , Southern California Seminary, and Shadow Mountain Community Church and underwritten by donations. Email: gwoods@socalsem.edu

Courses are developed in collaboration with Southern California Seminary and the California Southern Baptist Convention utilizing computer-supported, student-centered learning. Students meet for four hours per week for fourteen weeks and create portfolios of action plans, reflections, projects, group work, and presentations that demonstrate real-life learning and application. EBI follows the "Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education."

The books you read and the people you meet become the mentors who change your life. The EBI curriculum guides each pastor, leader, and student in assembling a virtual leadership team comprised of insights from Dr. Max Anders, Dr. Voddie Baucham, Dr. Henry Blackaby, Dr. Emerson Eggerichs, Dr. Tony Evans, Dr. Howard Hendricks, Dr. David Jeremiah, Dr. Tim LaHaye, Dr. Aubrey Malphurs, Dr. John Maxwell, Dr. Tom Rainer, Dr. Haddon Robinson, Dr. Daniel Sanchez, Dr. Ed Stetzer, Dr. Jerry Vines, Dr. Warren Wiersbe, Dr. Bruce Wilkinson, Dr. Harold Willmington, and Dr. Roy Zuck. You will profit from applications from Josh McDowell, Nelson Searcy, Andy Stanley, and Lee Strobel. These men impact the lives and ministries of students in incredible ways.

EBI graduation is held at Southern California Seminary
Students who complete the certificate, diploma, associate, bachelor, and master degrees participate in the Southern California Seminary commencement exercises held each year in May.

EBI accepts SBC transfer credit
Transfer credit is accepted from Contextualized Leadership Development and Seminary Extension into the Diploma, Associate, and Bachelor degrees.

EBI courses are transferable to Southern California Seminary
Up to 60 units are transferable to the Southern California Seminary accredited Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies degree based on the SCS-EBI Articulation Agreement of 2009.



Dr. Gary C. Woods
Executive Director, Equip Biblical Institute
EBI Church Planting Training Centers

Dr. Gary F. Coombs
President, Southern California Seminary

Prof. Juan F. Cortez
Hispanic Director, EBI Seminario Bíblico de Capacitación

EBI Church Planting Training Centers incorporate the simple church disciple-making process to plant new churches. This real-life training takes place in local churches and associations of churches with practitioners as the instructors and mentors. This training includes the pastors, leaders, and the members which will be a part of church planting teams. This training is intentional about Bible knowledge and application, Christian character and integrity, and ministry and relational skills. This training includes strengthening the marriages and families of church planters. Each EBI Church Planting Training Center is self-supporting.