ABOUT JC

Our Mission

We provide Christ-centered teaching and training that prepares students to lead meaningful lives that transform the world.

Our Faith

A deep faith in God is the foundation of Jacksonville College. We believe that no education is complete until a student understands who God is and how to relate to Him through His Son Jesus Christ.

Doctrinal beliefs influence all that the college does and teaches.

Our Beliefs

Doctrinal beliefs influence all that the college does and teaches.

Jacksonville College recognizes certain basic tenets of the Christian faith. The following are basic doctrinal distinctives, but not exhaustive of all our beliefs.

The Bible is the inerrant, infallible Word of God and is the final authority in all matters of belief and practice.

There is one and only one living and triune God. He is Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the Universe.

Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation, Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.

Man is God’s special creation, who created us male and female.

Salvation is the gracious act of God through faith in Jesus Christ and Him alone.

Believers are to mature in faith through discipleship and serve God and others through a New Testament Church.

Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth. Christ will judge all men according to His will.

Jacksonville College entrance with flags

Our Commitment

Jacksonville College is committed to educational studies within the framework of a Christian theistic worldview as revealed in scripture.

Such a view sees no dichotomy in truth, affirms that Biblical revelation and scientific inquiry are complementary rather than contradictory, and requires a recognition of a personal God revealed both in nature and in the person of Jesus Christ. Thus, all truth is regarded as God-given and is considered sacred. Truth should be pursued with diligence and received with humility.

Jacksonville College Chapel

Our Campus

Nestled in the beautiful, rolling hills of East Texas, Jacksonville College is located in Jacksonville, Texas, a city of almost 15,000 residents.

We are proud to call Jacksonville home. The city boasts several industries, a prosperous farming region, friendly people, an exemplary system of public schools, a national seminary, and many churches that are impacting our community.

Our History

Moved by the need for a private Christian college in East Texas, a group of earnest Baptists met in Palestine, Texas in March of 1899. They formed a permanent organization known as “The East Texas Educational Society.”

Jacksonville College Historical Image

Our Leaders

We’re proud of the legacy passed down to us from the line of faithful and godly men who have served Jacksonville College over the years.

Listed below are the Presidents and their terms of office:

J. V. Vermilion

1899-1903

B. J. Albritton

1903-1905

J. M. Newburn

1905-1906

J. V. Vermilion

1908-1911

F. D. Graves

1911-1912

H. R. Chapman

1912-1913

J. W. Hoppe

1913-1914

D. C. Dove

1914-1915

J. V. Vermilion

1915-1918

B. J. Albritton

1918-1937

J. W. Overall

1937-1941

C. R. Meadows

1941-1944

Gerald D. Kellar

1944-1956

Douglas L. Laird

1956-1961

Curtis M. Carroll

1961-1986

F. Donald Collins

1986-1988

H. Edwin Crank

1988-2011

W. Michael Smith

2011-2021

JOE LIGHTNER

2021-2022

David Erickson

2023-Present