Hawaii Theological Seminary began with the work by Dr. James Cook, the pastor of International Baptist Church in Honolulu, Hawaii. Dr. Cook grew up in India where his parents were missionaries to the Naga tribes-people. His father, Dr. John W. Cook, founded Calcutta Bible College to rear spiritual leaders for the churches he was planting. Dr. James Cook followed the calling of his parents and became a missionary in the Philippines. After several years of fruitful ministry, James came to Hawaii with the vision of starting a church to minister to the spiritual needs of this multi-ethnic culture. In the early part of his ministry he discovered that it would be impossible to impact the people of Hawaii without the help of trained lay leaders. Thus was born the vision of a lay institute for teaching the Bible and how to communicate its truths.

With this vision in mind, night classes were started in 1967 to teach specially-selected men of International Baptist Church how to study the Bible, do personal evangelism, and prepare and deliver biblical messages. The purposes of the classes was clearly defined: “to equip the student with the ability to communicate and to give the reason for ‘the hope that is within him.’”

The success of these classes at International Baptist Church, the demand for a wider scope of classes to meet the needs of people from other churches, and the need for the Christian youth of Hawaii for a Christian college education produced the vision for launching International Bible College. It’s purpose, as stated in the first catalog, was the following:

“The International Bible College, called into existence, we believe, by the Holy Spirit, has as its purpose the training of men and women through a Bible-centered program to develop the whole man ‘that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.’ II Timothy 3:17.”

Dr. Cook served as the first president and lead teacher. Because of increasing student enrollment and an expanded curriculum, the need was soon felt for an experienced educator and Bible teacher. Providentially, in the summer of 1968, Dr. Cook’s father retired from Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon. Following many years on the mission field, John W. Cook taught missions for several years at Western. He trained a host of young people who formed a steady stream of missionary volunteers under the Conservative Baptist Foreign Mission Society. Sensing the opportunity for a renewed area of service, Dr. and Mrs. John W. Cook felt led to join their son in this new pastoral and educational challenge.

The pastor’s father, fondly nicknamed “grand pastor,” brought a wealth of education experience from his years as founder and principal of Calcutta Bible College in India. This, combined with his unique ability to teach the Bible, helped him lay a solid foundation with his son that gradually developed into a stable Christian college in America’s 50th state. In 1971, International Bible College began its first year of full-time operation, and incorporated in the State of Hawaii in 1972.

From 1971 to 1981, the school saw steady growth under the leadership of Dr. Cook and his father. ICGS graduated its first class in 1974, and 124 men and women graduated from then until 1981. Many of them went on to become evangelists, church planters, pastors, youth directors, missionaries, and chaplains in the military and in prisons. The College added a graduate program during this time and became International College and Graduate School.

In 1981, after some fourteen years of service to International Baptist Church and International College and Graduate School, Dr. James Cook felt led by the Lord to accept the pastorate of one of the largest churches in the Conservative Baptist Association, the renowned First Baptist Church of San Jose, California. This move on the part of Dr. Cook presented him and the College with a dilemma: should he move the college to San Jose or should it remain in Hawaii?

At first, he announced that the College would move with him to San Jose. With this announcement, most of the College personnel and more than half of the students decided to accompany him to San Jose. The announcement of the college’s move, however, was made prior to any formal action of the Board of Directors. Therefore, when the Board met and the option to move the College was considered, the Board voted to keep the College in Hawaii. This action led to the founding of Pacific International College in San Joe with Dr. Cook as its President. Difficulties resulted from the split, but a dedicated Board and administration helped the school move forward as it sought to bring biblical education to the islands.

From 1981 until 1990, the school achieved several milestones. Through the generosity of the members of International Baptist Church, a new education building was constructed. It provided three floors with classrooms, administrative offices, and a library. The library had been housed off-campus, but now it was brought to the new campus which had enough room to hold more than 30,000 volumes. The school added a Doctor of Ministry degree to its graduate program, and with the help of one of its alumni, Dr. Hack Bong Chung, a Korean program was started.

In 1990, Dr. William L. Simmer, an alumnus of ICGS and the founder of Good News Jail and Prison Ministry, became president of the school. The school had been associated with the Conservative Baptist Association since its founding in 1971, but Dr. Simmer believed it needed to be a school for all of the churches in Hawaii. Therefore, the school became transdenominational under his leadership and is no longer identified with one denomination. Dr. Simmer also believed it was important for ICGS to become accredited. In 1990, ICGS began the process of accreditation with the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS). In 1994, ICGS received full accreditation from TRACS.

In January 2006, the school changed its name to Hawai’i Theological Seminary and began looking for a new home. The “new wineskins for new wine” policy that motivated the name change and campus move is just the most recent example of the seminary’s continued progress in the fulfillment of its mission from 1994 to the present.