Trustees
RALPH “YANKEE” ARNOLD, B.A., D.D. – President
Dr. Ralph “Yankee” Arnold accepted Jesus Christ as his personal savior at the age of 18. In 1964, he attended Summer School at Tennessee Temple Schools in Chattanooga, Tennessee and graduated from Florida Bible College in 1968. He was Founder and Pastor of the Colorado Bible Church in Arvada, Colorado from 1972 -1987. For 13 years, he was Founder and President of the Arvada Christian School and Colorado Bible College.
He directed a large youth work ministry called the “Christian Youth Ranch”, for many years with over 200 attending Bible College. The major thrust of Dr. Arnold’s ministry is soul winning. Through the years his burden for evangelism continued to grow, and in 1987 Dr. Arnold resigned as pastor and president to enter the field of full time evangelism. Dr. Arnold had the honor of sharing his pulpit many times with Dr. Curtis Hutson and preaching with him for four years at the South Texas Sword of the Lord Conferences.
He is known for his clear presentation of the gospel and his fervent appeal for sinners to be saved. His sermons challenge and motivate Christians to win souls as a result of yielding their lives to Christ. As an evangelist, he speaks out clearly and unmistakably on the issues that effect fundamentalists, warning against compromise with liberals and modernists.
As the Pastor of Northside Baptist Church in Athens, Georgia, he hosted the Northside Bible Hour on television for 8 years and radio for 17 years.
“Yankee” has been married over 60 years to his wonderful, sacrificial, dedicated and Godly wife, Betty. Their mutual love of the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been the cause of thousands upon thousands of children being born into the Family of God. They have been blessed with three precious children and five awesome grandchildren.
Dr. Arnold has been pastor of Calvary Community Church of Tampa for 11 years (2009-2020). He is still serving as President of Florida Bible College of Tampa and host of Yankee Radio Broadcast Ministry.
JAMES B. POLSON, PH.D. – Treasurer
Dr. Polson heard and accepted the gospel at a young age through his Christian family.
When his service in the U.S. Army separated him from his family and Christian friends, and, after military service, as his formal education progressed, he questioned his faith. In 1977, he again sought the truth about God, and, with the help of Dr. Hank Lindstrom, he understood clearly the gospel of salvation by grace through faith. He rejected the secular philosophies he was taught as a young man and gained his assurance of eternal salvation by the work of Jesus alone.
Under Pastor Lindstrom’s guidance and teaching, he dedicated his life to the Lord and began to grow spiritually. He attended Tampa Bay Bible College and earned an M.A. degree in Biblical Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary. His Ph.D. degree is in Pharmacology from the University of Missouri. He was Professor of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the University of South Florida College of Medicine where he taught for 33 years. He also served there in the capacity of Assistant Dean for Research and Graduate Affairs. Meanwhile, he served as Deacon, then as Elder at Calvary Community Church of Tampa where Dr. Lindstrom was Pastor.
Presently, he serves as Elder at Calvary Community Church where Dr. Ralph “Yankee” Arnold is now the Pastor after succeeding Pastor Lindstrom who went home to be with the Lord in October of 2008. Dr. Polson has been married to his beloved wife Nancy since 1959. She is a believer who loves and serves the Lord.
ROBERT GILBERT, DD, B.A., M.L.A.(ABT) – Secretary
DD, Grace Biblical Seminary; B.A., Florida Bible College, Valedictorian; Master of Liberal Arts (ABT), University of South Florida; Language studies, Moody Bible Correspondence School; Registrar, Tampa Bay Bible College; Pastor, Dalkeith Baptist Church; Christian school teacher; prison evangelist; author; Captain, US Marine Corps; Registrar, Florida Bible College of Tampa.
Dr. Bob Gilbert believed in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and received the promise of eternal life in the evening on January 26, 1970, at Youth Ranch led by Dr. Mels Carbonell. Bible reading first, and faithful involvement the Youth Ranch led by Ed Williamson shortly thereafter, led to the decision to attend Florida Bible College, after high school graduation in June, 1972. Success at FBC led to graduation as class Valedictorian in 1975.
After graduation, Bob served in the Youth Ranch and Faith Bible Church in Clearwater, Florida, then served in the U. S. Marine Corps, starting at Parris Island, and leaving active duty in December, 1980, to begin teaching at Tampa Bay Bible College, under Dr. Hank Lindstrom, also serving as Registrar, until May, 1987. During this time in Tampa he continued his affiliation with the Marine Corps, and was promoted to Captain in 1982.
He attended the University of South Florida, in graduate studies in Liberal Arts. He also became reacquainted with Miss Cynthia Hatcher, another 1975 FBC graduate, and they wed in June of 1983. Bob (and Cindy) taught in some six Christian schools over the next ten years; he was led to the pastorate of Dalkeith Baptist Church in Wewahitchka, Florida, worked in prison ministries in six states and Puerto Rico, and joined with Dr. Arnold to begin Florida Bible College of Tampa in 2012, where he continues to serve. The Grace Biblical Seminary of Griffen, Georgia, awarded him an honorary Doctor of Divinity in September, 2021.
Jesse Martinez, Pastor – Vice President
B.A., Florida Bible College of Tampa. He attended Florida Bible College of Tampa from 2013-2017 and graduated with a bachelor’s in biblical studies. He has been in Christian work since 2012. Pastor Jesse is passionate in his preaching, approachable in conversation, and dedicated to making the gospel clear.
BOB BROOKES
Robert “Bob” Brookes accepted Christ at the young age of three when his mother explained John 3:16. “Even at that tender age I realized I was not as perfect as God and that I was a sinner. I put my faith and trust in Jesus Christ and have never doubted my salvation since that day.”
Mr. Brookes is a graduate of Florida Bible College and attained a Master’s degree in Counseling from Liberty University. He has served as Registrar and Professor at Florida Bible College, Tampa Bay Bible College and Colorado Bible College where he was also Dean. He has served as the Pastor of St. Charles Bible Church and Faith Bible Church in Clearwater FL and founded Suncoast Christian Academy.
Bob now brings his many talents and skills to Florida Bible College and Bibleline Institute. His passion to continue affecting the lives of young people through sound Bible teaching is what drives him.
Bob has been married to Mary Brookes since 1974 and they have two adult daughters, Jami and Joy.
Dr. Wally Morillo, B.A., D.D.
Founder of Christian Youth Ranch in Pharr, TX, 1967-present; Founder/lead pastor of Grace Community Church in Pharr, 1970-present. Founder/President of Grace Christian School (38 years, 1979(?)-2017) Conference organizer/speaker; 56+ years in ministry.
Pastor Wally’s story began when he was invited by a friend to attend a church camp (Boca) in 1962. The final week of camp, Wally accepted Christ as his personal savior and decided to attend Florida Bible College. Working nights and teaching days, Wally graduated Florida Bible College in 1966. Later that year, Wally felt called into ministry. He left his job as an airline mechanic and January 23, 1967, he arrived in the Rio Grande Valley. In September 1967, Wally started Christian Youth Ranch with two neighborhood kids, which quickly grew to over 100. Wally and Jayne began taking about 20 kids to church with them, but there was a problem. These kids did not know how to behave in church, so the kids asked Wally to start a church where they could attend. In 1970, Grace Community Church was born.
Dave Adams
In 1969 I heard the gospel and accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. I attended and graduated from Florida Bible College in 1973 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biblical Education and Pastoral Studies. That same year I married my wife, Pauline. We have been happily married for 50 years and have one son, Jonathan.
In 1975, I accepted a teaching position in a Christian School in Lewisville, Texas, which began my career in Christian Education. In 1979, I accepted an administrative position in a Christian School in Madera, California. Two years later, I became the administrator of Lewisville Christian Academy which was the model school for Accelerated Christian Education. After serving as the Administrator for four years, I became a full-time Educational Consultant for Accelerated Christian Education. It was my honor to help start over 100 Christian Schools in the state of Texas. While serving in this capacity, I started one of the first distance learning schools called Christian Academy of America in 1984. Christian Academy of America has served tens of thousands of families through the years and this school continues to this day.
In 1996, I was one of the founding board members of the National Association of Private Schools (N.A.P.S.). N.A.P.S. serves as an accrediting body for private Christian schools across the nation. Currently, I serve as the President of the Board of Directors for this organization.
I have been a member of Grace Baptist Church of Flower Mound, Texas for over 40 years. I have served in many capacities of this church through those years. Included in my services are:
- Christian School Administrator (4 years)
- Deacon (32 years to current)
- Adult Sunday School Teacher (32 years to current)
- Awana Leader (3 years)
- Discipleship Minister (26 years to current)
John Hembree
Pastor John Hembree is the Senior Pastor of Northside Baptist Church, Athens, Georgia.
A native of Georgia, Pastor Hembree accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior when he was ten years old and dedicated his life to serve the Lord when he was twenty one.
Pastor Hembree received his bachelor’s degree in Pastoral Studies from Florida Bible College of Tampa in 2018.
He is passionately committed to the preaching of the gospel with clarity to reach the lost with the good news of God’s amazing grace and to training the saved how to effectively walk with the Lord through preaching and teaching sound doctrine by rightly dividing the word of truth.
| National Advisory Board |
MR. STEVE YANT
Steve has been a regular church attendee since age three. He was raised in a Christian family where he heard about God’s love and desired to know more about the Lord Jesus Christ. His desire to grow spiritually continued for many years as he studied the Bible. In 2001, he heard the gospel presented by Dr. Hank Lindstrom with such clarity that he knew he had to learn more. The message resonated with Steve when he heard that because God loved him, God offered eternal life as a free gift. It was paid for by Jesus on the cross and by simply trusting in the Lord Jesus as his Savior, he could have everlasting life.
The Bible verses seemed to jump off the page as Dr. Lindstrom shared this message at Calvary Community Church. Steve, his wife Ann and family continued to grow in their knowledge of God’s word under the ministry of Dr. Lindstrom. Steve dedicated his life and his family to the work of the Lord. Steve soon became a Deacon at the church and currently serves as an Elder at the church. Ann shares Steve’s passion for the ministry and teaches both Sunday school and AWANA. Their love of the Lord and dedication to Him is evident by the Bible verse that states “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth”. Their oldest daughter and her husband are the directors of AWANA at the church. His youngest daughter and husband oversee the Sunday school and Youth Ranch ministries.
Steve is thankful to the Lord for the ministry and memory of Dr. Lindstrom. He is equally excited about the ministry under Pastor Ralph “Yankee” Arnold. Steve recognizes that the clarity and beauty of the gospel is the tie that binds the congregation together at Calvary Community Church. Steve and his entire family are thankful for what the Lord is doing in their lives and look forward to continuing their service to Him through Calvary Community Church and Florida Bible College of Tampa. Steve is a respected business owner in the community. He has been married to Ann since 1974.
DAVID PETERSON, B.A., M.A., TH.D.
B.A., Florida Bible College (Hollywood), 1979; M.A., Florida Bible College (Hollywood), 1980; Doctor of Pastoral Theology, Bob Jones University, 2003; Youth Pastor, First Baptist Church of Land O’ Lakes, FL, 1980-1981; Pastor, First Baptist Church of Land O’ Lakes, FL, 1981 – present; author.