South Pacific Bible College, Otumoetai (Tauranga)

About South Pacific Bible College

South Pacific Bible College (SPBC) is a private Christian institution based in New Zealand. It opened on 25 January 1982 in Tauranga, founded with support from the Otumoetai Church of Christ (Tauranga), the Lakewood Church of Christ (Denver, Colorado), and other churches and individuals. It began with seven full-time students.

The college's stated mission is to transform lives through the Bible and to multiply followers of Christ. Its five stated goals are biblical instruction, relevant scholarship, spiritual growth, ministry skills, and personal and interpersonal development.

SPBC offers three one-year diploma programmes. The first two are designed to be taken together and provide theological grounding; the third is an internship-based practical year. Since 1982, the college has trained more than 150 students from countries including New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, Tonga, the Philippines, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States, among others.

The Chief Executive Officer is Steve Raine. Faculty includes both regular and visiting members, drawing on backgrounds in Christian education, mission work, chaplaincy, and church ministry.

Studying at South Pacific Bible College

All lectures and assignments at South Pacific Bible College (SPBC) are conducted in the English language. Students are enrolled in courses at either Level 5 or Level 6 of the New Zealand qualifications framework.

Estimated living costs for a single student for one year are approximately NZ$20,000. Each student is responsible for arranging their own financial support. A fund exists to provide temporary assistance in emergencies.

Students are classified as either domestic or international. Domestic students include New Zealand citizens — among them those from Tokelau, the Cook Islands, and Niue — and holders of a residence class visa, which normally includes Australian citizens and permanent residents. International students are those who do not meet the domestic definition.

International students must hold the correct visa for their intended course of study before SPBC can enrol them, as required under section 40(1) of the Immigration Act 1987. International students must also provide evidence of English language proficiency, as specified by NZQA, and are required by law to hold appropriate insurance while studying in New Zealand. Details on fees, visas, accommodation, and student life support are outlined in the SPBC Prospectus and on the college's website.

Programmes and Qualifications

South Pacific Bible College offers two named qualifications:

• Certificate in Chaplaincy — NZQA Level 5
• Diploma in Christian Studies — NZQA Level 5

Subject area: Theological

The Ministry of Education groups South Pacific Bible College under Theological — the broad field of education and training it's classified under in the official tertiary directory.

Theological

Address

Where South Pacific Bible College is based, taken directly from the Ministry of Education's own address record for this provider.

• Street201 Otumoetai Road
• SuburbOtumoetai
• CityTauranga
• Postcode3145
• Territorial authorityTauranga City
• RegionBay of Plenty Region

No coordinates are published for tertiary providers in this dataset, so no map is shown here.

Contact South Pacific Bible College

Find the published contact details for South Pacific Bible College, including its phone number, website and other available contact information.

• Phone+64 7 576 9091
• Emailspbc@spbc.org.nz
• Fax07-5769091
• Websitewww.spbc.org.nz

Contact details combine official Ministry of Education records with information published on South Pacific Bible College's own website, reviewed by the KuraData team on 16 September 2026.

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