Piedmont Baptist College is a testimony to the vision and leadership of Dr. Charles H. Stevens, pastor of Salem Baptist Church in Winston-Salem (1925-28; 1933-72). Dr. Stevens, a man of fervent love for the Bible, was long noted as a “walking Bible” and a pastor with a passion “to teach the Scriptures as they are, to men as they are.”  

It was this intense desire to share the Word of God that led him to lay the foundations of what was to become Piedmont Baptist College.

In 1945, Dr. Stevens established the Piedmont Bible Institute to accommodate returning war veterans eager to begin long-delayed Bible studies. Classes were held in the educational facilities of his church for a number of years.

In response to the recommendation of mission boards and leaders in the field of Christian Education, the Bible Institute enlarged its faculty and expanded its curriculum to include a Bible College in the spring of 1948. The first college students were enrolled in the fall semester of that year.

In 1956, Piedmont Baptist College became an accredited member of the Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges. In the late 1950s and 1960s, the college continued to grow. New facilities were constructed, including Griffith Hall, a residence hall for single men located south of Deeds Hall. Classroom space was added to Deeds Hall.

Dr. Donald K. Drake became president in 1970, succeeding Dr. Stevens who had served as president since Piedmont’s founding. Dr. Drake had arrived at Piedmont in 1967 as Business Manager after serving in the home office of the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism. The missionary aviation program was added to train and prepare missionaries to carry out the great commission through the use of airplanes. The Missionary Aviation Institute (MAI) is now located near Mocksville, North Carolina on 71 acres known as Sugar Valley.

The campus continued to grow in 1973 and 1974 with the addition of Lee Hall, a residence facility for single women, and the Chapel-Gymnasium complex adjacent to Griffith Hall. In 1987, Dr. Howard Wilburn succeeded Dr. Drake as president. An experienced pastor and Th.B. graduate of Piedmont, Dr. Wilburn also earned his M.A. and Ed. D. from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Thanks to Dr. Wilburn’s leadership, Piedmont received accreditation through the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS).

Dr. Charles W. Petitt was inaugurated as the fifth president of Piedmont Baptist College in 2002, and the influence of Piedmont has significantly expanded. The College now has branch campuses in Bangladesh and Egypt. And the merger in 2004 of Piedmont Baptist College and Spurgeon Baptist Bible College in Lakeland, Florida has created a world-class online education program—Spurgeon School of Online Education.  As we move into a new century and a new millennium, Piedmont continues its rich heritage of preparing young people to serve the Lord throughout the world by providing a quality biblical education.