About The Academy...
The Anchor Academy of Biblical Studies serves the Hampton Roads Church as well as the churches of the American Commonwealth Region and sister churches throughout Australia, the Caribbean, Fiji, India, Indonesia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and the UK.
The Anchor Academy marshalls the resources of Teachers throughout our fellowship of churches to equip the saints for works of ministry. We cooperate fully with the curriculum committee of the International Churches of Christ Ministry Training Academy (MTA) to meet all requirements for training ministers to serve in our churches. MTA courses are available via the TentMakers links on this site.
It's our hope that many will also take advantage of our CrossBearers (foundational studies for new Christians), DiscipleMakers (training for more effective studies with seekers), eMANcipators (a resource to break free from chronic sin - especially sexual sin), MeatEaters (solid food for the mature), BodyBuilders (training aids for Small Group leaders), and Caleb Corps (relaunch your Kingdom dreams in a second act) courses that are available for online viewing or download from the site.
Why are we called “ANCHOR” Academy?
Similar to the Ichthys Fish symbol, the Anchor played a prominent role in early Christian symbolism. If you visit the catacombs of Rome, you’ll notice that many of the ancient Christian burial sites from the first and second century bear the Anchor symbol. There is even an ancient etching of an Anchor on the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem. Some suggest that the symbol of the Anchor emerges from its powerful reference to “hope” in Hebrews 6:17 (“we have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure”). That may be the source for some uses of the Anchor but likely not the most significant. There is an important clue to be gained in the catacombs: after Latin supplants Greek as the main language of the empire and the church, the use of the Anchor as a Christian symbol wanes. Why? It was likely a word play between the Greek word for “Anchor” (ankura) and the Greek phrase for “In The Lord” (en kurio). Ankura and En Kurio are virtual homonyms. Thus, an Anchor signified that you were “in the Lord.” After the Church adopted Latin as its primary language, the wordplay no longer existed and thus the symbol was used much less frequently.
So why do we employ it? First, we aspire to honor our Lord in all the we do and teach and train through this Academy. Second, the Anchor symbol also serves as a place-marker us at our geographic root, the city of Norfolk, VA — home of the world’s largest naval base and the Port of Virginia.