GIESSEN (ANS) -- An evangelical theological institution in Germany has been granted university status.

The Free Theological Academy (FTA) in Giessen near Frankfurt is the first state recognized evangelical university college.

The status was granted by the federal state of Hesse, in which the college is located. The FTA was founded in 1974. It regards the Bible as the inerrant word of God.

The college will offer B.A. and M.A. courses in theology. At this time, the college has 15 resident lecturers and 150 students. The Baptist theologian Helge Stadelmann serves as director.

The FTA fills a vacuum of biblical academic theology in Germany. Most of the existing university colleges and faculties follow a liberal theology.

There are also approximately 50 evangelical bible schools and theological seminaries with 3,000 students in Germany, Austria and German speaking parts of Switzerland.