Coronavirus Updates

Coronavirus Update—November 17, 3:15 PM CDT

As Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary approaches the finish line of the fall semester, additional statewide COVID-19 protocols are being implemented by Governor Kim Reynolds.

In a 6 p.m. news conference Monday evening, Governor Reynolds issued a new proclamation to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus in the state of Iowa. This proclamation is effective until 11:59 p.m. on December 10, 2020. For the complete announcement, click here.  

Coronavirus Update—November 10, 4:15 PM CDT

Governor Kim Reynolds has issued new guidelines to reduce the spread of the coronavirus in Iowa. One of those measures includes the requirement of masks for indoor gatherings of more than 25 people. Due to this new guideline, visitors over the age of two will be required to wear a mask during all campus events (except while eating or drinking) at Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary if more than 25 people are present. This new guideline goes into effect from 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, November 11, through Monday, November 30, at 11:59 p.m. For the complete announcement, click the article here.

Coronavirus Update—October 22, 2:00 PM CDT

Update regarding CARES Act – As of October 22, 2020, no emergency financial grants made under the CARES Act Section 18004(a)(1) Student Aid Portion have been declined or returned to the college.  Thus, the total of financial grants for students ($148,517) have been disbursed and there are no additional funds to be released to students.  Separately, Faith’s public reporting through September 30, 2020 for CARES Act Section 18004(a)(1) Institutional Portion, (a)(2), and (a)(3) Funds can be found here.

Coronavirus Update—September 18, 12:00 PM CDT

Homecoming postponed and classes moved online for one week. View more here.

Coronavirus Update—August 7, 3:00 PM CDT

NCCAA moves forward with fall championships. View the statement here.

Coronavirus Update—July 24, 1:00 PM CDT

Please view the latest update to our safe return to campus plan here.

Coronavirus Update—July 17, 10:00 AM CDT

Please view the latest updates regarding our planning for the fall semester here.

Coronavirus Update—June 11, 4:00 PM CDT

Faith has announced a revised fall schedule. View the complete announcement here.

Coronavirus Update—Faith Announces Plans for Fall Classes

Faith has announced plans to return to on-campus learning. View more details in a message from Dr. Jim Tillotson here.

Coronavirus Update—June 1, 2:00 PM CDT

CARES Act (Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund) information can be found here.

Coronavirus Update—May 8, 3:00 PM CDT

Today would have normally been filled with tearful goodbyes, family photos, and hugs of congratulations for graduates during Faith’s regularly scheduled Commencement activities. The coronavirus changed everything.

Instead of speaking to a gymnasium jammed to the rafters with graduates, family, and students, Dr. Jim Tillotson gave a video update to an empty auditorium. You can view the details of that update here, which include preparations to return to fall classes on campus, events that will be happening during the rescheduled Commencement Weekend, August 21-22, and his recognition of the Class of 2020.

Coronavirus Update—May 7, 4:00 PM CDT

On Wednesday, May 6, 2020, Governor Reynolds signed a new proclamation allowing some businesses to reopen in our county. Beginning Friday morning, May 8, at 5 a.m., retail businesses are allowed to open at 50 percent capacity in Polk County.

With this announcement, our bookstore will reopen on Friday, May 8. The bookstore will be sanitizing counters once an hour to meet the new cleaning expectations. You can view all of the Mother’s Day specials through our bookstore at fbbcbooks.com.

Coronavirus Update—April 17, 4:00 PM CDT

View a message regarding an updated date and time for 2020 Commencement ceremonies here.

Coronavirus Update—April 10, 4:00 PM CDT

View a Good Friday video message from Dr. Jim Tillotson here.

Coronavirus Update—April 6, 4:00 PM CDT

In accordance with the most recent closures by our state’s governor, the Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary Library will be closed until April 30, 2020.

Coronavirus Update—April 3, 5:00 PM CDT

View the latest video update from Dr. Jim Tillotson here.

Coronavirus Update—April 3, 11:00 AM CDT

Governor Reynolds extended the temporary closure of all bookstores until April 30. You can still shop online or take advantage of curbside service! Representatives are available from 9 AM-3 PM, Monday through Friday, and Saturday from 10 AM-2 PM at 515-964-7946. Visit our website at fbbcbooks.com or email books@faith.edu Thank you for your business through this difficult time!

Coronavirus Update—March 26, 2020

This afternoon, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds announced the temporary closure of all bookstores, clothing, and furniture stores in her coronavirus daily press conference.

Due to this announcement, the Faith Bookstore will close at 6 p.m. tonight and will remain closed until April 7, 2020.

Coronavirus Update—March 25, 2020

View a video announcement from Dr. Tillotson here.

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Coronavirus Update—March 20, 2020

As we wrap up one of the craziest weeks in school history, there are two things that have stood out. First, we do not know what tomorrow will bring. Second, like our own Dr. Taylor wrote this week, we have to get creative in times of crisis.

It is the latter that requires real effort and real intention. One of the creative methods we have established to stay connected with students is through the creation of a private Facebook group page for students, staff, and faculty. We plan to keep students engaged on a daily basis through videos, humor, and messages from Dr. Tillotson and others.

If you are looking for creative ways to stay connected to others in your church, consider these ideas from Christians in Italy who remain on lockdown:

“We spend time throughout the day thinking about our church family, writing them messages, video-chatting, and even inviting them over for dinner—virtually. Zoom has been really useful to at least spend some face time with our church family. Apart from our online worship, prayer groups, etc., we are trying to be creative in how we spend time together, especially with the singles in our church. In fact, we are currently organizing a game-night in which we will fellowship and play a game together with the singles of our church via Zoom.”

 

In conclusion, we miss our students but continue to keep campus offices open as long as we are allowed. There are still no reported cases of COVID-19 here, or with our students.

Coronavirus Update—March 19, 6:00 PM CDT

The first three chapters of Joshua offer some neat parallels to what we are all currently facing with coronavirus. Joshua was about to lead his people into uncharted territory, full of unknowns and uncertainties. Certainly, it was a time of anxiety. Four times in chapter one, the Lord tells Joshua to “be strong and courageous.” In chapter two, God provides protection, and in chapter three, we see one of the first documented instances of “social distancing” with the command to keep a distance of 2,000 cubits from the Ark of the Covenant. God’s word is timeless.

We are thankful to keep offices open for now, and we continue to deep-clean and sanitize campus and work in small groups. We have closed down the weight room and gymnasium by order of the governor, but everything else continues to operate normally. There are no reported cases of coronavirus on campus.

We continue to spend time in prayer every morning at 9 a.m., and you can be assured that we are praying for pastors, churches, and the spiritual and physical health of you, our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Coronavirus Update—March 18, 4:00 PM CDT

We had a great day of prayer across campus this morning, and we are praising God that we still have no reported cases of COVID-19.

Approximately 75 percent of our students have departed campus, and that process has gone exceptionally calmly and efficiently. It has been encouraging to see students working together to accomplish that task, with staff and faculty pitching in wherever they can—through helping a student pack, helping them find a place to stay, or providing meals. It has been a remarkable team effort.

We miss our students already, but preparations to move online are well underway, and we anticipate no issues as we make that transition. We are discussing unique and creative ways to stay connected with students while they are gone, and ways to keep them connected with each other. We will continue to keep you informed as well in the days ahead.

That’s it for today! We treasure your continual prayers. Morale is good. God is good.

Coronavirus Update—March 17, 6:00 PM CDT

We praise God for the gorgeous day we had on campus! Students enjoyed the sunshine and mild temperatures as many of them said goodbye to each other and completed the dorm checkout procedure. We also praise God that we have no known cases of COVID-19 on our campus.

Here are the updates for today:

1. All campus offices will remain open for now.
2. Library hours will change from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; closed on Saturday and Sunday.
3. Employees will meet in small groups of ten or less every day at 9 a.m. for a time of prayer.
4. We plan to have a decision about graduation by April 1, 2020.

Coronavirus Update—March 16, 10:00 PM CDT

Today was an emotional day at Faith. There were a lot of tears at chapel this morning as Dr. Tillotson addressed students with the details about going online and how the rest of the week would work. While we thought we would have two additional morning chapel sessions together, it turned out to be our last.

This afternoon, President Trump recommended that no gatherings of more than ten people be held. Due to this recommendation, Faith Baptist Bible College has decided that today was the final day of class on campus, and for the remainder of the week. Students were told at a combined dorm devotional at 9:00 p.m. Monday. Here are the important details:

• Students can begin the dorm checkout process at 8:00 a.m. Tuesday morning and will be allowed to leave campus as soon as their resident advisors have signed their checkout papers.
• We will have donuts available in the gymnasium from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, and our IT department and faculty advisors will be available to help answer any questions students have before they leave.
• Online classes will still begin on Monday, March 23, 2020. Students were given full details in chapel this morning about how that process will work.
• Dining Services will remain open for meals until noon on Saturday for those who need extra time to wrap things up on campus.
• Due to the shortened semester, college students will be credited for seven weeks of room and board. Student accounts will be updated by Friday, March 27.

With the latest direction from President Trump, the seminary has now changed course as well and will move to online-only classes starting Wednesday, March 18. The seminary will evaluate on a weekly basis when they can resume live classes for the semester. Faith Pulpit Day has also been canceled.

Please pray for students for safety as they head home for the semester, and for Faith as we make the transition to online instruction for the remainder of the semester.

Coronavirus Update—March 15, 2020, 7:11 PM

Please view an update from our president, Dr. Jim Tillotson, regarding Faith’s response to COVID-19 here.

Coronavirus Update—March 15, 2020

Saturday night, at 8:30 p.m. CDT, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds held a special press conference to give updates on COVID-19 in the state of Iowa. During her conference, Governor Reynolds made a new proclamation that “Iowans should not hold or attend large gatherings of more than 250 people.”

Due to this announcement, Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary has made the following decisions:

1. We will hold class on campus, as scheduled, Monday, March 16, through Wednesday, March 18.
2. Classes will go online for the rest of the semester, beginning Monday, March 23.
3. Thursday and Friday will be set aside for students to prepare for their departure from campus. Students will need to be moved out of the dorms, following normal year-end dorm checkout procedures, by 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 21. Dining Services will continue to provide meals throughout the week.

We know there will be a lot of questions, and we ask for your patience as we continue to work out details. Faith administration is meeting later this afternoon to work through as many of those details as we can, and President Tillotson will make a statement tonight following these meetings. Please pray for Faith as we seek God’s wisdom during this unprecedented time.

Coronavirus Update—March 13, 2020:

Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary continues to monitor the spread of coronavirus and the potential impact on our campus. At the moment, there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 amongst our students, staff, and faculty.

Faith continues to follow the lead of the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and we continue to have internal discussions about COVID-19 on a daily basis. Following the IDPH recommendation and the collective agreement of Faith’s administrative team, we will hold classes as scheduled on Monday, March 16.

Here is an excerpt of the most recent statement from the IDPH:

There is currently no known community spread of COVID-19 in Iowa and IDPH is not making any recommendations to cancel planned events and mass gatherings at this time.  

“Iowa has not identified community spread of COVID-19 at this time, and absent community spread or additional guidance from our federal partners, we aren’t making any recommendations to cancel events,” said Dr. Caitlin Pedati, IDPH medical director and state epidemiologist. “This is, however, a very fluid situation and we urge the public to closely monitor messaging from the Iowa Department of Public Health for updated guidance.”

To view the full statement from the IDPH, click here.

Currently, there are just 16 known cases of coronavirus in Iowa. Fourteen of those are quarantined in Johnson County in Eastern Iowa, one is quarantined in Carroll County in Western Iowa, and the other is in Pottawattamie County, also in Western Iowa. All of these locations are a considerable distance from Faith’s campus.

Faith’s goal is to continue instruction on-campus through the end of the semester. However, we understand this is an extremely fluid situation and things could change quickly, so we are making preparations to move all classes online if that becomes necessary.

Changes to Overnight Visits

As concerns for the spread of coronavirus grow, and in the best interest of our students, one change we are making is that no overnight guests will be allowed in the dorms through the end of the semester. Visitors to campus are still welcome, but those needing overnight accommodations will need to book hotel rooms in the Ankeny area.

Events

Following the lead of the Iowa Department of Public Health regarding public gatherings, we have not canceled any events on campus, with the exception of the MAACS Fine Arts Competition that was scheduled to take place next week. MAACS officials informed Faith this morning that they would no longer be holding that event for 2020. Faith students will attend regular class sessions during the days that MAACS was scheduled to be on campus.

Scholarship Weekend on April 2-4 will not be canceled, but instead will be transitioning to an online format that will allow registrants a virtual experience and scholarship interview.  Expect to see information about this posted on the Scholarship Weekend webpage in the days to come.

Athletics

You may be aware that our men’s basketball team was in Joplin, Missouri, this week for the National Championships. Ten minutes prior to tipoff, they were told the NCCAA had decided to cancel the event, so our historic season ended the same way every other collegiate basketball team did—without knowing whether or not they could have won a national title. Decisions about track and field competition this spring will be made in the near future.

Conclusion

We covet your prayers as we continue to navigate these tricky waters and keep our students safe. Our goal is to make rational, localized decisions, without panic or pressure of what other schools may be doing across the country. Ultimately, we know that God is in control. Please continue to monitor Faith’s response to coronavirus at https://faith.edu/resources/coronavirus-updates/

Coronavirus Update–March 11, 2020

As the coronavirus (COVID-19) spreads across the United States, Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary is monitoring the situation in an effort to keep our students safe as they return from Spring Break 2020. Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary will remain open for regular classes when they resume on Monday, March 16, 2020.

Faith officials met Wednesday afternoon to assess the situation and will continue to monitor conditions on a weekly basis and follow the direction of the Center for Disease Control and the Iowa Department of Public Health.

Currently, there are no known cases of COVID-19 on Faith’s campus. There are also no known cases among Faith students, faculty, or staff across the globe. International travel has been prohibited for faculty and staff through Commencement.

If students are concerned that they have contracted COVID-19, or if they have symptoms, they should contact Kim Nihart at 515-964-0601, extension 219, before returning to campus. Further information will be provided to students in chapel on Monday, March 16, at 9:00 a.m.

We will continue to provide updates as new information becomes available with this rapidly developing situation.

RESOURCES

Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Iowa Department of Public Health

Polk County Public Health