Three years ago a proposal to rename the School of Intercultural Studies after then-president Clyde Cook landed on the desk of Cook himself. He refused to accept the honor.

However, last week, a year after his death, the idea was realized – with one small addition: his wife’s name, Anna Belle, was also included. During the 80th Missions Conference, the school became the Clyde and Anna Belle Cook School of Intercultural Studies. At the same time, the school celebrated its 25th anniversary.

At the renaming ceremony, the Cook’s children said their parents imputed to them a love of missions that they have even today. Anna Belle Cook, who also spoke, pointed upward.

“If Clyde was with us he would want to give God all the glory, as do I,” she said.

Cook and his family spent time in the mission field before he became a professor in the department. The School of Intercultural Studies was founded in 1983 under Cook’s presidency.

Speakers at the Missions Conference included President Corey, George Verwer, founder of Operation Mobilization and Marilyn Laszlo, who spent 24 years in Papua New Guinea as a missionary. Along with the sessions, there were a variety of worship opportunities and booths representing various countries. Global Awareness, a mock tour through several different countries, gave students a look at several cultures largely unreached by Christianity.

“Our heart in mission’s conference has been and will continue to be that we exist to educate people and equip them and inspire them to find their role in the great commission,” said Kyle Shanebeck, co-director of Missions Conference.

Reaching cultures with little Christian influence was an emphasis of the conference. Of the 7,000 languages in the world, about 2,200 are without a Bible translation, according to Wycliffe.org.

“The Bible is the only book that can break ethnic, racial, language barriers,” Laszlo said.

President Corey emphasized the need for Christ’s name to be proclaimed outside Biola.

“Our world needs you, Biola,” Corey said.

Last year, 93 of Biola’s 1,276 total graduates received their degrees in ICS. The school has experienced many recent changes, including a new Web site, which prominently bears the school’s new name. The school has also started a new master’s program in anthropology. Biola is the only evangelical university with such a program, said Doug Pennoyer, the school’s dean. The school is also starting an online master’s degree program in teaching English to students of other languages.

Ahlim Kim, a second-year international grad student in the ICS masters program, said she joined the program to be better prepared to go overseas. The professors have made a personal impact in her life, she said.

“They have the life I want to live after Biola,” Kim said.