Prospective students make enrollment decisions based on whether they can see themselves in the community. See yourself here.
Arkansas Baptist College · James & Rosa McKissic School of Christian Studies · Est. 1884
"ABC didn't just give me a degree. It gave me a calling, a community, and a covenant."
Short video testimonials from current students across all four concentrations.
"I always knew I was called to something. I just didn't know there was a place that took that seriously."
"The Worship Arts program gave me a theological foundation I didn't even know I was missing."
"ABC didn't just give me a degree. It gave me a calling, a community, and a covenant."
"I transferred from a secular university because I wanted my education and my calling to be the same thing. At ABC, they are."
"My pastor told me ABC would change my life. He was right. It changed my trajectory."
"The small class sizes and the mentorship from Dr. Palmer made all the difference. He actually knows my name — and my calling."
Video content will be populated as the program's documentary-style production is completed. Contact us to schedule a virtual campus tour.
Class of 2026 · Little Rock, AR
"I grew up preaching in my grandfather's church. I knew the calling was there — but I didn't know how to develop it. When I found the Homiletics concentration at ABC, I found the place that would take my calling seriously. Dr. Palmer doesn't just teach you how to preach. He teaches you how to be a pastor — the kind your congregation can trust."
After graduation, Marcus plans to enter a pastoral residency program at a Little Rock church.
Class of 2025 · Pine Bluff, AR
"I've been singing in church my whole life. But this program gave me something I didn't even know I needed — a theological vocabulary for what I was already doing. Now when I lead worship, I understand WHY I'm doing it. That changes everything about how you lead."
Destiny serves as Minister of Music at her home church while finishing her degree.
Confirmed ABC alumni who entered pastoral ministry, civil leadership, and academic life — organized chronologically by graduation era. Their callings span continents and centuries, all rooted in a formation that began on this campus.
Educator · Civic Leader · NAACP Officer · Boston, MA
One of ABC's early women graduates. A pioneering educator and civic leader who rose to prominence in Boston — serving as an NAACP officer and founding a branch of Poro Beauty College in 1927. Her life after ABC embodied the institution's conviction that education transforms families, communities, and cities.
Civil Rights Lawyer · Little Rock, Arkansas
Son of ABC's first president, Joseph Albert Booker. Earned his B.A. from ABC in 1914, then his law degree from Northwestern University in 1917. Became a giant of Arkansas civil rights law — working alongside Thurgood Marshall on landmark NAACP cases and serving as President of the National Bar Association in 1949–1950.
COGIC Bishop, 2nd Jurisdiction of Arkansas (1974–2009) · North Little Rock, AR
A World War II veteran called to ministry during his service. Enrolled at ABC after returning from war, earned his B.A. in 1949, then pursued graduate work at Fisk and Tuskegee. Elevated to Bishop in 1974. First African American on the North Little Rock City Council and Chamber of Commerce. Holds honorary doctorates from ABC and Shorter College. Inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame in 2015.
Pastor · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Born 1936 in Columbia County, Arkansas. Pastored for 64 years across Arkansas, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania. In Philadelphia: helped break a 50-day teachers' strike (1981), co-founded the Black Clergy of Philadelphia — instrumental in electing the city's first Black mayor, W. Wilson Goode (1983) — and advised President Clinton. Vice President of the National Baptist Convention USA, Inc.
Senior Pastor, Beulah MBC (Megachurch) · Decatur, Georgia
ABC and Ouachita Baptist University graduate. Grew Greater Paradise Baptist Church in Little Rock from 17 to 3,000 members. Moved to Beulah Missionary Baptist in 1991, growing it to megachurch scale on a 40-acre campus. Named one of Georgia's best preachers. Inducted into the MLK College of Ministers at Morehouse. NAACP Faith-Based Award recipient. Honored with a U.S. postal stamp. ABC awarded him the Doctor of Humane Letters at the 2022 Commencement.
Senior Pastor, Morning Star Baptist Church · Kansas City, Missouri
Served 19 years as a Kansas City, Missouri Police Officer before transitioning to full-time ministry in 2013. Previously pastored True Faith Baptist Church (Detroit), Liberty Hill Baptist Church, and Mount Sinai Baptist Church (Little Rock). Also served as an instructor at ABC. Senior Pastor of Morning Star Baptist Church since April 5, 1987.
Pastor, Saint Bethel MBC · Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Graduated from ABC with a degree in Christian Theology in 1983. Elected Pastor of Saint Bethel in 1999. A lifelong learner, he earned a Bachelor of Theology from Saint Thomas Christian University at age 79 in 2021 — his commitment to ongoing education embodying ABC's founding conviction that the pursuit of knowledge and the pursuit of God are inseparable.
President, Consolidated MBC of Arkansas · Pastor, St. John MBC · Little Rock, AR
Honored among the Consolidated Missionary Baptist State Convention's 50-year pastoral honorees in 2018. As President of the Convention that has partnered with ABC since its founding, his ministry represents the deep institutional covenant between Arkansas Baptist College and the Black Baptist community of Arkansas — a covenant now bearing fruit in the McKissic School.
Chairman, Dept. of Religious Studies, ABC · Pastor, Mt. Sinai Baptist · Little Rock, AR
An ABC graduate who returned to chair the very Department of Religious Studies now elevated and renamed as the McKissic School of Christian Studies. Holds a B.S. from ABC and an M.Div. from Virginia Union University. One of the foundational architects of the academic infrastructure upon which the new school is built — a living bridge between the old program and the new school.
Assoc. Dean & Asst. Professor, McKissic School · Senior Pastor, FBC Highland Park · Little Rock, AR
The McKissic School's most powerful living embodiment of its mission. Graduated from ABC with highest honors (2010), earned his M.Div. from Memphis Theological Seminary Summa Cum Laude (2016), and his D.Min. at Beeson Divinity School, Samford University (2021). Ph.D. candidate in Applied Theology. Currently serves simultaneously as pastor, professor, hospice chaplain, and community leader. Co-author of A Legacy of Faith, Formation & Leadership. His life is the school's mission statement made flesh.
Source: A Legacy of Faith, Formation & Leadership · McKissic School of Christian Studies · 2026
Chapel. Study. Community. Worship. This is what it looks like to belong to something larger.
If you're a current student or alumni of the James & Rosa McKissic School of Christian Studies, we'd love to share your story. Apply now and start building yours.
