An Interview with GBC’s Principal Dr. Pramod Tantarpale
1. Principal Pramod, you are almost half way through the 2019-2020 school year at Grace Bible College. How are the students doing in their studies this year? We continue to enjoy serving and equipping young men and women in GBC, preparing them to work in the Lord’s vineyard. It is so exciting to see the students doing well in their studies and in extra-curricular activities in spite of language difficulties. It gives me an immense joy to see these students growing spiritually, academically and in other areas of life. So it is an overall development.
2. The faculty and staff completed the annual GBC Sports Day this month, congratulations! How many of these students have never done anything like this before and what did that special day mean to the students? This year GBC’s annual sports and games meet was held from December 2-4, 2019. The whole GBC family enthusiastically participated in it. Many boys and girls who never played some of the games were given opportunity to play those games, specially girls who never played in their life games like cricket, throw ball, discus throw, javelin throw and were encouraged to participate; it was a good learning step for them.
3. How many of the students in your student body are from villages or towns that have little or no access to the gospel? What brought those students to Christ? There are 16 students who did not have any access to gospel in their villages, but they came to know Christ in Christian orphanages where they grew up. There are another 10 – 12 students who came to know the Lord through the ministries like Campus Crusade, India, Every Home Crusade and other ministries. It is interesting to know that few of our students are involved in these ministries. The remaining students came from Christian families.
4. Out of your third year students this year, how many are planning on going into full time ministry? And what types of ministry? This year we have six students in the 3rd year who will be graduating in February 2020. This is what they are planning for their future ministry –
1. Mrs. Rajni Shingade will work on staff in her church in uplifting women in impoverished areas with the gospel
2. Mr. Bhushan Ambore is planning for his further education and is going to take up youth leadership in his local church
3. Ms. Stuti Jadhav is planning on further education and will work with youth and children alongside her father, a pastor
4. Mrs. Tejaswini Garud recently got married and she wants to take active part in ministry
5. Mr. Praveen Kumar will work as a pastor in Kanada church in Bangalore
6. Mr. Vijay Bhatkar will be serving as the general director of an orphan children’s home with 250 children
5. What do you see as the biggest challenge for Grace Bible College in the next five years? The biggest challenge of GBC for the next 5 years is that we want to start M.Div studies and want to see over 200 students on the campus studying God’s word.
6. How can we pray for you, faculty and student body more effectively? Pray for my family and children’s education and future life.
-Pray for faculty’s educational upliftment so that in near future when we start M.Div we will have qualified faculty.
-Pray for the students so that they will fully trust the Lord for their future ministry and financial provision.
