The college began as a vision in 1963 in the minds and hearts of Jerald Johnson, serving in Germany, and Bob Cerrato, of Italy. The vision was to serve continental Europe by training persons for ministry. A building was found in a little German village surrounded by Switzerland, the village of Büsingen. The mandate of the college was to be international in scope, with English as the medium of instruction, and to prepare persons for ordination and Christian service.