Context for Our Ministry

Tri-State Bible College is located in north central Appalachia in South Point, Ohio. Appalachia is made up of 423 counties across 13 states and spans 206,000 square miles, from southern New York to northern Mississippi.

The Region’s 26 million residents live in parts of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia, and all of West Virginia.

Our goal at Tri-State Bible College is to equip those called by God to serve the residents who live within this region of the United States, many of whom face deep poverty, both economically and spiritually.

The Institute offers several resources to address the needs of this region:

• The Level Paths podcast of the Appalachian Ministry Institute is hosted by Rex J. Howe, President of Tri-State Bible College, and Dr. J. Matt Shamblin, Appalachian Research Fellow at Tri-State Bible College.
• The Appalachian Ministry Conference on April 25, 2023 [EVENT LINK]
• Scholarships for students in the North Central and Central Appalachian Regions
• Appalachian Ministry Certification
• Appalachian Ministry B. A. Minor

To get involved in supporting the Appalachian Ministry Institute, please fill out the following form:

Did you know…

Did you know that a 2010 study was completed by the KY Baptist Convention on “Lostness Indicators for Kentucky” based upon the “Religious Congregations and Membership in the United States”?

The Eastern Kentucky District counties nearest TSBC are made up of Lewis, Greenup, Boyd, Carter, Rowan, Elliott, Lawrence, and Morgan Counties.

The first summary of the study showed the % of Adherents among the Population. “Adherents” were defined as “all members, including full members, their children, and the estimated number of other participants who are not considered members.”

The summary concluded that “In Kentucky, 51.6% of the total population is considered adherents to any religion.” However, the % of seven of the counties nearest TSBC scored (far) below this KY statewide percentage:

Lewis – 28% • Greenup – 41.9% • Boyd – 59.6% • Carter – 26.6% • Rowan – 19.9% • Elliott – 5.1% • Lawrence – 30.6% • Morgan – 21.3%

The WV Social Survey in 2021 states that 78.8% identify as Christian in WV; however, only 27.1% attend a religious service weekly or more than once a week. Only 7.2% attend 1–3 times per month. Combining those two figures shows that only 34.3% attend a religious service at least once a month.

Of the 88 counties in Ohio, 32 of them are located in Appalachia. Lawrence, Scioto, Jackson, and Gallia are in the western region of the Ohio Appalachian counties and closest to TSBC. According to The Association of Religion Data Archives, these four nearby counties are ranked 69th (Jackson), 74th (Gallia), 81st (Scioto), and 84th (Lawrence).

God has providentially placed TSBC for this missional opportunity. Our region needs the gospel. Please pray for us as we continue to investigate the state of the church in north central Appalachia. Our vision to see men and women “fulfill their ministries” and to complete the gospel work remaining in our region is as relevant as ever. TSBC will reach this vision by offering local churches access to believing, biblical training for the glory of God.

Together, we can complete the great commission of Christ in Appalachia and beyond.