The Moody Bible Institute (MBI) is a Christian higher education institution with a main campus in Chicago, Illinois. It was founded by the evangelist and businessman Dwight Lyman Moody in 1886. Since its foundation, the main campus of the university has been in the northern part of the city.
Story
In 1883, Emma Dreyer, with the permission of Moody, organized and led the so-called May Institute. These were weekly meetings at which church members gathered and prayed. However, the most important thing in this institution was the tradition of open discussion of both religious and secular issues. After the closure of this institution, members of the local church began asking Moody to open a new institution that would continue the good old traditions of the May Institute. It would serve as a training school for the youth of the church, where future evangelists would acquire the skills necessary to continue the Protestant religious tradition.
Base
On January 22, 1886, the most venerable preacher mentioned above addressed church members at a general official meeting. A group was formed on it, which became the forerunner of Moody University. Her goal was to educate Christian workers, including teachers, ministers, missionaries, and musicians who could effectively preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. The school was renamed the Moody Research Institute after the death of the founder in 1899.
Further fate
Until his death, the creator of the university played a significant role in raising funds to support Christian educational institutions. However, after the founder died, the Moody Institute experienced financial difficulties. James M. Gray, his president, invited Henry Parsons Crowell to conduct a financial restructuring of the institution. Crowell ran the university based on the principles of efficiency and maximum productivity. The institute's executive committee met almost every Tuesday for the next 40 years. The construction of the office building, however, took whole years.
Our days
In November 2017, the institution announced the closure of the campus in Spokane, Washington, and the reduction of other programs and services due to the continuing decline in student numbers. Two months later, the president and chief operating officer resigned, as did the vice-rector. In its announcement of these changes, management referred to a very deep concern about the future direction of the university.