Bible Student Information
*Program Admission Information
*Bible Scholarship Information

History
In 1997, Ohio Valley College announced plans to open the Clayton Pepper Center for Church Growth Studies. With the arrival of Jerry C. Dyer as the director of the Center in January, 1999, the dream became a small reality. The official ribbon-cutting ceremony was held in April, 2000 during the annual Ohio Valley College Bible Lectureship. The Center is housed in the South Campus Administration Building. Named in honor of Clayton Pepper, the Center has as its specific mission the encouragement and strengthening of domestic mission churches, especially those in the eastern and northeastern United States.

A Library of Resources for Churches
As the operations of the Center for Church Growth develop and expand, it is providing an increasing number of resources for churches.
A library of church growth resources and materials has been assembled and continues to grow. This library includes books, charts, evangelism tools and resources, filmstrips, videos, and a variety of printed evangelism materials. Contributions continue to be accepted. [If you have evangelism or outreach materials you would consider donating, please contact Jerry Dyer, director of the Center.] These resources are available for checkout (in the case of copyrighted materials) and for copying (non-copyrighted materials). Some printed materials can be distributed at minimal cost. The Center also lends written, audio, and audio-visual materials which encourage and develop evangelism to churches at a nominal cost.
Because a special focus of the Center is on smaller missions churches, a library of resources and materials on small church dynamics is also being assembled.

Resources for Churches
A variety of church diagnostics and consultations are available through the Center. The Bible program at Ohio Valley College includes faculty with expertise in church growth, small church dynamics, alternate dispute resolution, evangelism, missions (foreign and domestic), family dynamics, and other areas of study. Seminars and workshops on these and a number of other topics related to church growth and development are available.

Missions Campaigns
Many student campaigns which involved OVC students are arranged and directed through the Center. These campaigns may involve not only OVC students and faculty, but students from other Christian colleges who are especially interested in the domestic mission field.

Missionary/Minister in Residence Opportunities
Both the Bible program and the Center believe that ministers and missionaries in residence provide fresh resources for students and for mission churches.
Such residencies can be arranged with work designated in specific areas of interest. Contact the Bible Department at the College for more information.
The minister-in-residence program is intended to provide relief from the pressures of ministry which so often lead to preacher burnout, especially in smaller, struggling mission churches. During brief sabbaticals, OVC students and personnel are available to help with the work of the local church. This program works best for churches within an 8-10 hour drive of the campus.

Future Plans
The vision of the Pepper Center for Church Growth is not only on helping the present situation in mission churches. The Center for Church Growth dreams of more effective ministry and missions training for students going into mission churches.
Through the Center for Church Growth, students are being encouraged and trained. All students at Ohio Valley College take classes designed to help them understand the unique message of Christianity, how that message is communicated in a relativistic, pluralistic culture, and the unique dynamics and problems which arise in churches.
All students at Ohio Valley College take classes where an emphasis is placed upon spreading the gospel message and assisting and strengthening the local church. Students are encouraged by training which will enable them to serve local churches as teachers and leaders.
The availability of a baccalaureate degree in Vocational Ministry suggests that many students who go forth from OVC go into situations where ministry requires that those serving in ministry be prepared to support themselves through a profession or vocation. Resources and consultations from the Center will be of special help to these students as they prepare themselves and as they are in the field facing unique situations.

Contacting the Center

The Clayton Pepper Center for Church Growth Studies is open every day and may be contacted through the College telephone system (304-865-6222 or 6223). Brother Dyer can also be contacted through his home (740-374-5828).