The Institute for GOD
History
The Institute for GOD had its inaugural year in 2004-2005, where seven students and 12 staff committed themselves to a deeper study of God’s Word. The Institute was registered with the Tennessee Higher Education Commission that same year. In the Institute’s curriculum, Gregg was continuing to formulate an answer to the lack he witnessed in educational institutions, community service organizations, and mission agencies.
Gregg was both the founder and President of the college but partnered in the task with his father, Dr. Mike Garner, who served as the school’s inaugural director and dean (2004-2010). The curriculum gave students the tools to interpret the Bible responsibly and develop a biblical knowledge of Christ and his mission. Rather than focusing on the abstract concepts of theology, the curriculum exposed students to the entirety of the biblical canon, the culminating message of Jesus’ life and teaching, and the responsibility of believers to follow this example through committed relationships and service to the poor.
A New Campus
Enrollment doubled after the first year. Students came to Nashville from across the country. Within a few years, the Institute received students from East Tennessee, North Carolina, New York, Georgia, Arkansas, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, New Mexico, California, Washington, and Hawaii, as well as international students from Mexico and Uganda.In December of 2008, The Institute moved its campus 25 minutes across town from Antioch to historic Old Hickory, TN.
The campus was formerly a segregated school during the Jim Crow era in the South. The building had been severely damaged by weather, vandalism, and fire. It was overall rundown, matching the unfortunate unraveling of the neighborhood in the center of which it sat. In a unified effort that demonstrated the shared values and mission of students faculties, they gave their time over 40 days to completely renovate and reinvigorate the campus. At the end of the effort, the school was re-appraised at seven times its purchase value.
The campus has now expanded to about 40 acres. It includes classrooms, gardens, sports fields, an amphitheater, auditorium, workshops, a coffee shop, and more. Today, God continues to draw students to the Institute in search of biblical education and a supportive community of believers with whom they can live out their faith. This combination offers students something energizing and meaningful. We are confident that students will gain the tools they need to make a real difference in a world of need, to the glory of God.
More To Come
Today, the college is fully accredited by the Association of Biblical Higher Education. The Institute offers online, undergraduate, and graduate degree programs. Gregg has launched unique distinctives at the college. For one, a promise that NO student will graduate with debt. Another, that every student in search of work is guaranteed a job through the ProDev program. In the 2020-2021 school year, the college featured a hybrid classroom experience, blending Netflix-style videos and podcasts with in-class workshops for a flipped classroom modality for learning.
Graduates of our programs have moved on to become college professors, elementary and secondary school teachers, adult education specialists, youth program directors, missions specialists, youth pastors, senior pastors, music pastors, designers, contractors, photojournalists, master plumbers, published writers, electricians, doulas, midwives, mechanics, development advisors, legal advocates, restaurant managers, artisans, counselors, consultants, and business owners. Their practical skills are motivated by the biblical command to use their talents to serve others, making special consideration for the poor as emphasized by Jesus the Lord. The Institute has graduated 96 students. 100% of them were given a job offer with three months of graduation. 95% of them are still involved in missions today.
