Newsletter 30 September 2009
A One of a Kind Mission
Gary L. Olin
The Society for Biblical Studies is one of a kind. SBS is a classroom without
walls, a graduate school whose campus is the lands of the Bible. For 12 years
SBS has provided world-class experiential learning in Biblical studies, archaeology,
mission studies, peace studies, multi-culturalism, anthropology, geopolitical
science, world history, and spiritual formation. Those who have traveled with
SBS can add to the list the ways their understanding has grown, their lives
have been enriched and their spirits renewed by its programs.
The Society for Biblical Studies is a not-for-profit educational enterprise.
Unlike commercial tour companies, SBS does not sell its groups of travelers
to souvenir vendors. It does not participate in the system of profiting from
travelers’ shopping. SBS does not use guides who take commissions for
delivering busloads of tourists to particular shops. Coach drivers and faculty
do not receive kickbacks from souvenir shops and restaurants. With SBS, you
will not see hundreds of dollars of hidden costs that suddenly appear on your
invoice after the initial registration.
Recently a commercial tour to the Holy Land was advertised for a surprisingly
low price. However, the additions in the fine print along with the extra admissions
charges and optional excursions made the total cost $500 more than a similar
SBS program that was obviously superior to the commercial one.
No educational institution can advance or even survive on tuition and fees
alone. Tuition for SBS, the price a participant pays, never covers the total
cost of all that goes into providing quality study programs. The list of related
expenses includes time and cost intensive task of developing new distinctive
programs. It includes institutional management, faculty salaries and expenses,
administrative support, course preparation, on-site assistance, transportation
and housing costs and much more.
All educational institutions, including SBS, depend upon the generous support
of others. The gifts of alumni/ae and friends, those whose lives have been
enriched by its programs, and who believe in its mission often provide a significant
portion of an institution’s annual budget. SBS is blessed by such a
faithful group of contributors many of whom give month after month, year after
year to the work. Each year new persons are added to the list.
All of our Board of Directors—100%— supports SBS financially and
The Board of Directors of The Society for Biblical Studies asks for you to
become a partner in the ministry of SBS through the annual appeal for gifts
in the fall of 2009.
The Rev. Dr. Gary L. Olin is President of the Board of Directors of The Society for Biblical Studies
