Western Baptist Bible College - C.O.P.P.
Certificate of Progress Program (C.O.P.P.)
Western was certified by the Sunday School Publishing Board as a Christian Leadership School on February 21, 2011. Our school number is 165095. We instituted a three-component C.O.P program. Persons can become certified instructors by classes, transcript, and re-certification.
Dr. Nathan Jones, Certified Dean, is the Director.
History
The Certificate of Progress Program (COPP), organized at the Sunday School Publishing Board in October of 1937, is designed to produce qualified church leaders that will lead church members from positions of knowledge and understanding. Dr. Marshall A. Talley has been credited as the person who instituted the Certificate of Progress Program. Between the years 1939 and 1953, boards of Christian education were implemented in local churches, and advanced studies were added to the curriculum. The certificate of achievement was awarded to those students who exceeded the requirements of the COPP and who had advanced in studies beyond its scope.
In 1978, during the Dr. Amos Jones Jr. administration, certification of leadership schools was established on all levels of Convention work. The certification of deans and instructors was implemented as a part of the department's work. Eventually, the idea of increasing and nurturing new standards led to the expansion of the curriculum and changes in the entire format of the certification process. With these ideas in mind, Dr. Jones re-created the four-phase Certificate of Progress Program. He challenged the Christian educators of this Convention by requiring more writing assignments, course cards, and course evaluations for the successful completion of each class.
Western C.O.O.P. History
On September 16, 2010, President Dr. Thad Jones delivered a school opening address to the faculty, staff, student body, supporters, and friends at Western Baptist Bible College. He addressed Western's largest enrollment in recent years and expressed his vision to implement the Certificate of Progress Program (COPP) as part of the curriculum. With this idea in mind, in October 2010, President Thad Jones appointed Rev. Nathan Jones, a 2009 graduate of COPP, as the Director of the COPP/ Dean of Records for Western Baptist Bible College COPP School-Multiple Sessions and added the Certificate of Progress Program (COPP) as part of their curriculum as a subsidiary of the DCEAC (Department of Christian Education Accreditation and Credentials) of the (SSPB) Sunday School Publishing Board in Nashville, Tennessee.
Policies and Procedures
Persons wishing to enter the Certificate of Progress Program must follow specific procedures for enrollment:
Participants must complete and submit the application to the Director of COPP/Dean of Records.
The Director of COPP/ Dean of Record is responsible for giving guidance to the COPP applicant throughout the program. All applications, assignments, and forms for COPP should be submitted to the Director of COPP/Dean of Record. The Dean of Record will communicate with participants and forward all correspondence to the DCEAC (COPP Coordinator) in Nashville, Tennessee.
Participants must subscribe to the Christian Education Informer ($30.00 a year or multiple years at a discount price) or must submit a copy of the Informer subscription and the expiration date to the Director of COPP/Dean of Records.
All participants who have received any credits from colleges, universities, or seminaries must submit that transcript information to the Director of COPP/Dean of Record, who will forward it to the COPP Coordinator for evaluation and possible substitution for required courses in the certificate program for graduation.
All applications for each of the four phases must have the required signatures from the candidate, the President of Western Baptist Bible College, and the Director of COPP/ Dean of Record.
NOTE:
Prospective applicants for instructor certification must complete Phase 1 requirements and take courses 2023—"Creative Ways of Teaching" and 9008— "Public Speaking."
COPP Transcript Program
All participants who have received any credits from colleges, universities, or seminaries must submit that transcript information to the Director of COPP/Dean of Record, who will forward it to the COPP Coordinator for evaluation and possible substitution for required courses in the certificate program for graduation. (See Director of COPP/Dean of Records for Transcript, Evaluation, and Graduation Fees)