Pentecostal Collegiate Institute (New York)

The Pentecostal Collegiate Institute (New York) was a short-lived co-educational collegiate institute operated initially by the Association of Pentecostal Churches of America at Saratoga Springs, New York from September 1900 to May 1902, and from then by Lyman C. Pettit until its closure in February 1903. It is considered an antecedent institution of the Pentecostal Collegiate Institute (Rhode Island) and also Eastern Nazarene College.

Location Initially the Pentecostal Collegiate Institute held its classes and accommodated its students and faculty from September 1900 to September 1901 at the Garden View House,Smith, 64; Cunningham, 70. which was located at 534 Broadway Avenue, Saratoga Springs, New York.Charles Newhall Taintor, Saratoga Illustrated: The Visitor's Guide of Saratoga Springs (New York: Taintor Brothers & Co., 1892):31. At that time the Garden View House was owned by a Mrs. Carpenter. This is the address of the Saratoga Hilton Hotel currently. See http://www.thesaratogahotel.com/

From 25 September 1901 PCI was located at the Kenmore Hotel,Directory of Saratoga Springs (1901):17. which had been built in 1880."The Hotels at Saratoga", The New York Times (10 June 1888):11. The three-story building was located at 556 Broadway Avenue"Hotel Property Traded for Flats", The New York Times (7 December 1909):14; Directory of Saratoga Springs (1901):17. (at the corner with Van Dam Street) in Saratoga Springs."Saratoga Hotel Sold", The New York Times (17 September 1901):12. It was on the high ground overlooking Congress Park on the main avenue to the lake, and could accommodate 400 guests.

History Pentecostal Collegiate Institute and Bible Training School (1900-1901) Almost immediately after he became a member of the Association of Pentecostal Churches of America (APCA) in 1898, Rev. Lyman C. Pettit, pastor of the Grace Pentecostal Church in Saratoga Springs, New York, began to articulate the need for a school for training preachers, missionaries and evangelists and other Christian workers for the APCA,Redford (1948):111. to the extent that "Pettit was one of the main advocates for starting the Pentecostal Collegiate Institute."Cunningham, 70. Pettit was supported by Rev. John H. Norris, pastor of the APCA church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and moderator of the APCA from 1899;Cameron, 17. and Rev. Fred A. Hillery, pastor of the People's Pentecostal Church in South Providence, Rhode Island, who each wanted the school to be located near their church.Cameron, 18, 32-33. Hiram F. Reynolds, one of the founders of the APCA, was influential in convincing the delegates at the 4th annual meeting of the APCA in April 1899 to create a Committee on Education to "consider the matter of Pentecostal schools; to outline courses of study for training preachers, missionaries, and evangelists; and to deal with such other interests as might come before them."Redford, 45, http://wesley.nnu.edu/wesleyctr/books/0101-0200/HDM0145.PDF At the same meeting, the APCA elected a standing committee on education with Norris as chairman and Reynolds chosen to be the financial secretary.Cameron, 18; Smith, 64. During the following year this committee recommended both the adoption of a course of study for preachers, and the establishment of Pentecostal schools.Cameron, 20-21. These recommendations were adopted at the next annual meeting held at Pettit's church in April 1900.Redford, 45. In 1900 Pettit was chosen to be chairman of the education committee,Cameron, 18; Redford, 45. with Reynolds as the financial secretary> Other committee members were: Norris; Rev. Joseph Caldwell Bearse (born 4 October 1869 in South Chatham, Massachusetts; died 2 July 1931 in South Portland, Maine), then pastor of the APCA Church at Malden, Massachusetts;See Jones 2:918. Bearse was the son of Isaac J. Bearse (born about 1834), a fisherman, and Susan J. Bearse (born about 1837). See 1870 Federal Census and 1900 US Federal Census. Bearse married Meta H. Clark (born 17 July 1878 in New Brunswick) when she was only 15. See 1930 US Federal Census: Source Citation: Year: 1930; Census Place: South Portland, Cumberland, Maine; Roll 832; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 99; Image: 243.0. Bearse was a special student at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island from 1894-1895, see Mary Drew Vaughan, ed., Historical Catalogue of Brown University, 1764-1904 (Pub. by the University, 1905):693. From 1895 to 1905 Bearse was pastor of the APCA Church at Malden, Massachusetts, then pastor at Cliftondale, Massachusetts from 1905-1910, before accepting the invitation to be associate pastor in Brooklyn (1910-1913). From 1914 to 1916, Bearse was principal of PCI, before serving as pastor at Mattapoisett, Massachusetts (1916-1917). See Louise Bauer and William Thomson Hastings, eds., The Historical Catalogue of Brown University, 1764-1934 (The University, 1936):412. By 1936 Bearse was a graduate of the Boston School of Theology. See, Brown University (1936):412. Eventually Bearse left the denomination to become a Methodist clergyman. By 1928 Bearse was the pastor of the Methodist Episcopal church in South Portland, Maine. See Minutes of the Annual Conferences of the Methodist Episcopal Church (T. Mason and G. Lane for the Methodist Episcopal Church, 1929):181, and Maine Legislature, Legislative Record, Vol. 85 (s.n., 1931):299. Rev. Charles H. BeVier (born 5 September 1858; died about 1905), then pastor of the John Wesley Pentecostal Church in Brooklyn, New York;Katherine Bevier, The Bevier Family: A History of the Descendants of Louis Bevier (Higginson Book Company, 1916):221; Ernest Alexander Girvin, Phineas F. Bresee: A Prince in Israel, A Biography (Pentecostal Nazarene Pub. House, 1916):322; Ingersol, "Century"; Directory of Saratoga Springs (1901):17. and Rev. Henry N. Brown.Cameron, 18. Pentecostal Collegiate Institute and Bible Training School was established for the purpose of providing liberal education and ministry training in a preparatory academy, four-year college, and theological seminary. The committee elected Pettit as the first president of the new school, but as no salary was provided, Pettit served without any compensation, relying on his income as pastor of the Grace Pentecostal Church.Cameron, 19.

By the summer of 1900, Pettit had recruited a faculty and the APCA's official periodical, the Beulah Christian announced that the Pentecostal Collegiate Institute would begin operation in September 1900.Smith, 64. PCI was accredited by the New York State Education Department's Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York. As there was no other similar state institution in Saratoga Springs at that time, PCI was given state funding in addition to that raised from APCA churches and members. All faculty were required to be in the experience of entire sanctification, and the Bible was to be "the Great Textbook". During the summer of 1900 Pettit was active in recruiting students while speaking at camp meetings from Canada to Pennsylvania. On 25 September 1900 PCI commenced with Rev. William F. Albrecht (born June 1856 in New York),The 1900 US Federal Census indicates that Albrecht had married Sharlott (born February 1872 in New York) in 1897, his second wife about 1897, and that he had three children: William H. Albrecht, Jr. (born February 1883 in New York), Lula F. Albrecht (born December 1884 in New York), and Raymond J. Albrecht (born 23 August 1890 in New York), and that on 1 June 1900 they were living in the town of East Fishkill, New York. See 1900 US Federal Census: Census Place: East Fishkill, Dutchess, New York; Roll T623_1022; Page: 10A; Enumeration District: 5, pages 20-21. a former Methodist clergyman from the New York Conference,Albrecht was ordained by Bishop Willard Francis Mallalieu (11 December 1828 - 1 August 1911) at the St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal church in New York City on 8 April 1889. On 22 September 1900 Albrecht "surrendered his parchments and withdrew from the Church for the purpose of joining another denomination". The Conference agreed to return his ordination papers after being suitably endorsed. See Official Journal: Minutes of the Session of the New York Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church (The Conference, 1888-1892):26; Official Journal: Minutes of the Session of the New York Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church (The Conference, 1900):51, 102. who had previously been principal of Greenville Academy in Greenville, New York for several years, and for two years as a professor at Claverack College,Cameron, 19; History of Greene County, New York: With Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men (Hope Farm Press, 1969):307. who had joined the APCA about September 1900, chosen to be principal. There was five other teaching staff: Miss Henrietta Moke, a former Brooklyn high school teacher, who was vice-principal; Miss Eva B. Ayers, a former principal of Portland High School in Maine, was Preceptress; William H. Albrecht, son of the principal, taught algebra and geometry.Cameron, 20.

For the first year, PCI was based in the rented Garden View House, a Summer resort hotel at 536 Broadway Avenue, Saratoga Springs,Cameron, 20; Smith, 64; Cunningham, 70. that had the capacity for seventy-five students. Tuition, room, board, and laundry was only $100, with an increase to $125 the following year. From its inception, PCI was both co-educational and interdenominational.Cameron, 21. The initial enrolment was 51 students, with 21 from Saratoga Springs, and students from eight different states. The students were enrolled in PCI's high school, and its preparatory department. There were 17 elementary, 12 high school, 11 seminary, and 11 special students.Cameron, 20. Redford indicates there was 41 students. See Redford, 45. Unlike Bible Colleges of that day, PCI was a post-secondary school collegiate institute and for its first two years had a liberal arts program with "Latin, Greek, modern languages, art, music, and oratory" in its curriculum for ministerial students. PCI specially rejected the use of higher criticism to study the Bible. It was the stated purpose of the founders that "holiness shall be written upon all from headstone to keystone, and shall be Christocentric under the constantly sought and clearly recognized guidance of the Holy Ghost." Additionally, they indicated "both mind and body ruled by a blood washed, fire crowned spirit is the end sought for every student."Cited in Cameron, 20. As a consequence, from its inception, there was a commitment to a balanced educational preparation for ministry, however "tremendous pressure was applied throughout the year to bring every student into a profession of saving and sanctifying grace. Scenes of rather unrestrained emotional fervor were characteristic." By the end of the first school term, "virtually all were converted, and most of them were sanctified wholly".Redford (1948 ed.), 111.

Pentecostal Collegiate Institute and Biblical Seminary (1901-1903) At the 6th annual meeting of the APCA held in April 1901, Pettit was re-elected president of the educational committee, with Bearse elected Secretary, Reynolds elected financial secretary. In addition to Bevier, and Norris, the educational committee also included Reynolds; Rev. Albert B. Riggs,Cameron, 23. the pastor of the APCA Church at Lowell, Massachusetts;C.T. Corbett, Our Pioneer Nazarenes (Kansas City, MO: Nazarene, 1958; Wesleyan Holiness Publications, 1998):22, http://www.ylsa.org/alkitab-6/wh2-hdm/hdm0447.pdf; Smith, 48. and Hillery, who was elected treasurer. The committee decided not to