One of Shelby County’s newest higher-learning additions will celebrate its status as one of the oldest colleges in Central Alabama April 22.

Southeastern Bible College will hold its 75th anniversary ceremony at the campus auditorium April 22 at 7 p.m.

Dr. Jerry Jenkins, co-author of the “Left Behind” book series, will speak during the event, and college staff members will serve refreshments after the program, said SEBC Director of Alumni and Public Relations Jenny Ellison.

“Dr. Jenkins is very well-known. He has authored 150 books or so,” Ellison said. “He is more of a storyteller than a speaker.”

Jenkins will speak to guests about the importance of biblically based higher education in modern society, Ellison said.

The event will mark the 75th anniversary of the college’s May 1, 1935, founding by Dr. Harry Ironside.

“At an inter-church Bible conference in Birmingham in 1933, the late Dr. Harry A. Ironside, a respected Bible teacher, challenged a group of Christian business and professional men to establish a Bible school,” read a school press release.

“It was the unanimous conviction of these men that there was a vital need for a Bible-centered, evangelical school to train Christian workers,” the release read.

Since its founding, the school’s name changed from the Birmingham School of the Bible to the Southeastern Bible School in 1943, and was renamed Southeastern Bible College in 1952.

The school began in a two-story house before moving to Pawnee Avenue in Birmingham in 1947. In 1988, the college moved to Mountain Brook before moving to its current location on Valleydale Road in North Shelby in 2004.

“Seventy-five years is a significant milestone for any institution, and Southeastern has had a significant impact on the greater Birmingham area and the Southeast over the years,” said SEBC President Dr. Don Hawkins.

“It is appropriate to hold a time of celebration and thanks to God for his providential care, as we have produced graduates who are biblically grounded, spiritually mature and culturally relevant,” he added.

The 75th anniversary celebration is free and open to the public, but anyone interested in attending must register by visiting SEBC.edu/alumni-meal.php, or calling 970-9213.