Reverend Lela G. McConnell

This remarkable woman was born and educated in Honeybrook, Pa. She was a teacher in her native state and in Atlantic City, N.J., received religious training in Chicago and then entered Asbury College, a Methodist Theological School at Wilmore, Ky. She was the fifth woman licensed by the Methodist Church to preach. A couple gave her 12 acres to build the mission school she always wanted. The School, named Mount Caramel, is now a fully accredited high school for boys and girls. Miss Lela founded the Bible Institute in 1931, again using the donated land.

KMBC was established in 1931 by Dr. Lela G. McConnell as an answer to prayer for further training of young people in the Kentucky Mountains. At the time it was named Kentucky Mountain Bible Institute (KMBI) and was located approximately 3 miles from the present site. It started out offering a two year Bible course, and in 1938 KMBI expanded its program to three years.

On July 5, 1939 a cloudburst on Frozen Creek caused a flash flood that destroyed the original school, as well as many of the homes that were near the school. Forty-four houses, sixty barns, numerous trees, cattle, and rocks, were picked up, carried away and dashed to pieces. Fifty-two people lost their lives in less than three hours.

But the school belonged to God, and He was not about to let it die! The people worked hard, and in October of that year, the school re-opened at a new site, located far above flood waters, in a half-finished building with 18 students. From that moment on, KMBI continued to grow.

In 1989 the school was granted Candidate Status for accreditation with the Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges (now Association for Biblical Higher Education). They started offering a four year B. A. Degree, and a two year A. A. Degree, and the name of the school was officially changed to KMBC. In 1994, the school was accepted and became fully accredited with the AABC (ABHE).

Now KMBC is continuing to grow, and adapt as it tries to complete the task for which it was started. Men and women are being trained to minister, both at home and abroad. We look forward to many more years of training young people to serve God.

Kentucky Mountain Bible College (KMBC) is committed to prepare men and women to serve today's world, living and communicating the Word of God. KMBC is located in a beautiful, rural community, where we hold a strong spiritual focus, have a caring family atmosphere, maintain high academic standards, and are very affordable. With a student/faculty ratio of 6 to 1 and almost 80% of our faculty having homes on campus, caring and personal attention is what you can expect at KMBC. We hold a clearly Biblical world-view, and as a result stress character development. KMBC embraces scriptural holiness in both heart and life.

Today KMBC graduates are reaching out all over the world, touching over 50 countries and crisscrossing the United States. From spearheading inner-city missions to denominational leadership, from international ministry and administration, to Native American outreach, our graduates are making a worldwide difference.

For more information go to the Kentucky Mountain Bible College and Mount Carmel High School website.