Bethlehem College and Seminary General Questions
- What is Bethlehem College and Seminary?
- Where is Bethlehem College and Seminary located?
- What is Bethlehem Baptist Church?
- What is the Bethlehem Baptist Church Elder Affirmation of Faith?
- Is Bethlehem College and Seminary accredited?
- Will Bethlehem College and Seminary accept transfer credit for their degree programs?
- How many students are enrolled in Bethlehem College and Seminary?
- How many students are anticipated being involved at the undergraduate and graduate level once the degree programs are in full swing?
- How does one apply for the Bethlehem College and Seminary degree programs?
- How does one register for the non-degree Bethlehem Institute programs?
- How much will the Bethlehem College and Seminary degree programs cost?
- How can International Students benefit from Bethlehem College and Seminary?
- What does it mean that Bethlehem College and Seminary is a “church-based” program?
- What does it mean that Bethlehem College and Seminary is a “cohort-based” program?
- Where do students live?
- Does one need to be a member of Bethlehem Baptist Church to participate in Bethlehem College and Seminary?
- Must a Bethlehem College and Seminary student attend Bethlehem Baptist Church?
- Do students need a car?
- Are there jobs at Bethlehem Baptist Church or Desiring God that students can get?
- What is Converge Worldwide (the Baptist General Conference)?
- How is Bethlehem College and Seminary governed?
- Who administrates, teaches, and mentors in Bethlehem College and Seminary?
- How does one apply to serve on the Bethlehem College and Seminary administration or faculty?
- What is Bethlehem College and Seminary’s long-term vision for the kind of core faculty being sought?
- What is Arcing?
Bethlehem College Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the vision for the Bethlehem College B.A. in Biblical Studies?
- When will the Bethlehem College B.A. in Biblical Studies be launched?
- What are the advantages of a church-based college program?
- Will the Bethlehem College B.A. in Biblical Studies be available through Distance Education?
Bethlehem Seminary Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the vision for the Bethlehem Seminary M.Div. program?
- When will the Bethlehem Seminary M.Div. Apprenticeship program be launched?
- Will the Bethlehem Seminary M.Div. Apprenticeship program be available through Distance Education?
- What is the Bethlehem College and Seminary Board looking for when they consider applicants for the M.Div. Apprenticeship Program?
- What is “mentored-ministry?”
- What are the benefits of a church-based seminary program?
Bethlehem College and Seminary General Questions
1. What is Bethlehem College and Seminary?
Bethlehem College and Seminary, scheduled to begin classes in Fall 2009, is a small, Christ-centered, college and seminary affiliated with Bethlehem Baptist Church. Bethlehem College and Seminary is growing out of The Bethlehem Institute, which has been a higher education ministry of Bethlehem Baptist Church for the last ten years.
Currently, Bethlehem College and Seminary consists of a college, seminary, and institute. At this time, Bethlehem College only offers an accredited, one-year undergraduate program, called INSIGHT, in partnership with Northwestern College. Bethlehem Seminary’s first class of the Master of Divinity Apprenticeship Program begins Fall 2009. See the Seminary page for application information. The Bethlehem Institute will continue to offer non-accredited lay leadership courses to both the local Bethlehem Baptist Church congregation and provide teaching curriculum for the wider church.
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2. Where is Bethlehem College and Seminary located?
Currently Bethlehem College and Seminary is located on the downtown campus of Bethlehem Baptist Church on the corner of 8th Street and 13th Avenue in Minneapolis. Bethlehem has been on this corner for over 130 years. We are on the edge of the Elliot Park Neighborhood—an inner-city economically and ethnically diverse neighborhood. The downtown campus is a 15-minute walk to the center of the city and just several blocks from the Metrodome where the Twins and Vikings play. Just a few blocks south is the Philips Neighborhood, the most ethnically diverse and economically challenged neighborhood in Minneapolis. We are also a ten minute bike ride to the University of Minnesota campus with its 50,000 students and thousands of international students. What an awesome place for ministry training.
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3. What is Bethlehem Baptist Church?
Bethlehem Baptist Church is a fellowship of about 4,100 believers who meet for worship in three locations: downtown Minneapolis, Mounds View, and Burnsville, Minnesota. We are old and young, married and single, urban and suburban, growing in ethnic and economic diversity, and we exist to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ.
One of the Biblical truths that drives us is the great news that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him. This means that worship is a feast for the souls of God's hungry people. Hearts that are hungry for God show the goodness of heaven's delights. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desire of your heart (Psalm 37:4). Taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8). So we go hard together after God.
This vision of reality radically frees us from the passing and dying trinkets of the world and compels us (as joy always does) to spread what we love the most through radical acts of love. We long to see those who do not treasure God now, whether in the American urban centers or suburban sprawls or among the unreached peoples of the world, come to know true and lasting Joy — which is found only in God through Jesus Christ.
In all of our excitement about the vision of God and the philosophy of ministry we embrace at Bethlehem, we freely acknowledge that we are a church in process. We have many weaknesses and blind spots and much remaining sin. If you are drawn to join us in our pursuit of the glory of God we don’t expect you to be anything other than a fellow pilgrim on the Calvary road. May God transform us together. May He use us for His glory in the process.
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4. What is the Bethlehem Baptist Church Elder Affirmation of Faith?
The Bethlehem Baptist Church Elder Affirmation of Faith was crafted in the early years of The Bethlehem Institute. It has since been embraced by Bethlehem Baptist Church as the body of doctrine, which all elders of the church and core faculty of Bethlehem College and Seminary must gladly affirm. Bethlehem College and Seminary is a confessional institution meaning that our aim is to persuasively and winsomely teach the “whole counsel of God” as we have come to understand it. This affirmation is not seeking to advance anything new or innovative but to pass on the historic Christian faith as it has been taught in the reformed tradition. The wisdom of being a confessional institution is that it will help preserve us from losing our biblical moorings and drifting away from the authority of the Scriptures. Download the Bethlehem Baptist Church Elder Affirmation of Faith.
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5. Is Bethlehem College and Seminary accredited?
Currently Bethlehem College and Seminary is not accredited. See our accreditation page for more information.
Our plan is to seek accreditation through The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools; whether any other accreditation will be pursued is yet to be determined.
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6. Will Bethlehem College and Seminary accept transfer credit for their degree programs?
Because Bethlehem College and Seminary is a cohort-based program, students will normally only be admitted if they intend to go through the entire program. So, in general, we will not be admitting students who are only seeking to complete programs started elsewhere. Exceptions may be considered for previous graduates of the former TBI Vocational Elder Training (Track 2) program who would like to work toward a complete M.Div. degree, or Bethlehem supported missionaries who are working toward a B.A. or M.Div. during their periodic home assignments.
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7. How many students are enrolled in Bethlehem College and Seminary?
At the college level we anticipate 55–60 for the coming academic year participating in our 2-year, 4-year, and DCP programs. At the seminary level we anticipate 40–45 apprentices studying this coming academic year. Several hundred people take lay leadership courses and seminars in any given year at the Bethlehem Institute.
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8. How many students are anticipated being involved at the undergraduate and graduate level once the degree programs are in full swing?
When the college program is in full swing, we anticipate having approximately 200 students studying at the college-level. When the M.Div. is in full swing, we anticipate having up to 60 apprentices involved in the M.Div. Program at any given time. This would mean a total of around 260 students in our degree programs.
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9. How does one apply for the Bethlehem College and Seminary degree programs?
Visit the Bethlehem College page for more information on how to apply for the INSIGHT Program.
Download the catalog and application for more information on how to apply for the M.Div. Apprenticeship Program for Vocational Eldership.
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10. How does one register for the non-degree Bethlehem Institute programs?
Visit The Bethlehem Institute Courses and Seminars page for more information on how to take part in the Leadership Development program.
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11. How much will the Bethlehem College and Seminary degree programs cost?
One of the motivating factors behind Bethlehem College and Seminary is our concern for the increasing costs of education and the increasing amount of debt future pastors, missionaries and Christian leaders are incurring. Our prayer and desire is to be able to provide both undergraduate and graduate degree programs at a fraction of what most institutions of higher learning charge. We are praying toward having our facilities and our core faculty funded by outside donors so that those costs don’t need to be factored into the amount of tuition we charge.
Therefore, the program fee for the entire M.Div. program (equivalent to approximately 100+ semester units of graduate study), beginning Fall 2009, will be $14,000. This program cost does not include miscellaneous fees for conferences, required textbooks, housing, and living expenses. Applicants accepted into the M.Div. program will confirm their acceptance with a $200.00 non-refundable deposit, which is applied toward the program cost. Program payment will be due in eight $1,725.00 installments (due September 1 and January 1 of each academic year). Please note that program costs can change without advanced notice.
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12. How can International Students benefit from Bethlehem College and Seminary?
Bethlehem College and Seminary is very committed to doing what we can to help develop leaders in other parts of the world. Our church-based training curriculum is available throughout the world. In addition, the M.Div. students will teach at least once (ideally twice) in a culture other than their own, fulfilling the cross-cultural internship required in the M.Div. program. Not only will this broaden the horizons of our seminary apprentices, but it will also enrich students and pastors from many parts of the world.
Obviously, with the small student body and limited class-size, Bethlehem College and Seminary is not designed to be a place where hundreds of international students come and study (as much as we would love it!). But, as the Lord directs and provides, we hope to have at least 10% of each class be international students. Currently the international students we have are here through partnerships we have with other accredited schools.
At this point Bethlehem College and Seminary cannot offer an I-20 necessary for a successful student visa application.
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13. What does it mean that Bethlehem College and Seminary is a “church-based” program?
When we say Bethlehem College and Seminary is a “church-based” theological and ministry training program we mean that Bethlehem College and Seminary is a ministry of Bethlehem Baptist Church. We are not just housing theological education coming from somewhere else (though we will welcome many adjunct professors and lectures from the greater Christian community); but we as a church are wholeheartedly investing in the leadership through the preaching, teaching, and many other ministries of the church. The Bethlehem College and Seminary students, both undergraduate and graduate, will be folded into the life of the church, using their gifts to benefit the body, and benefiting from the gifts of others in the body.
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14. What does it mean that Bethlehem College and Seminary is a “cohort-based” program?
Bethlehem College and Seminary offers several of its programs (M.Div., B.A., and TBI Essentials) in a cohort-based format. This means that a limited number of students are admitted to each program, and then they go through the entire program together. Usually the cohorts are anywhere from 8-20 people. The curriculum is set in a very thought-through sequence, and students pass through the curriculum together. This facilitates in-depth interaction and in-depth relationships. There is still plenty of interaction between students outside of their cohorts (colloquiums, Tabletalks, Modular Courses, Church-wide seminars, hallway, lunchroom and late-night interactions, etc.), but for most of the formal course-work, students will go deep into the subject matter and its relevance for real life in the context of ever-deepening relationships. One of the greatest strengths of Bethlehem College and Seminary is the interaction and mutual encouragement between students in a non-competitive supportive environment.
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15. Where do students live?
Now that Bethlehem is located on three campuses, students are free to live anywhere in the Twin Cities area. However since the classes are currently held at the Downtown Campus, most students have chosen to live in the neighborhoods closest to the church. At this point Bethlehem College and Seminary does not own dormitories or married housing units; however, many people (including pastors!) from Bethlehem love to rent out rooms in their homes or floors in their duplexes. Most single students are able to find housing for around $300 per month plus utilities; couples and families are finding housing for between $600-$800 per month, some more and some less. We have marveled year after year how God has opened up housing for Bethlehem College and Seminary students.
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16. Does one need to be a member of Bethlehem Baptist Church to attend Bethlehem College and Seminary?
One does not need to be a member to be admitted to, or to graduate from, any of Bethlehem College and Seminary’s programs. In general, Bethlehem Baptist Church encourages students who are members of Bethlehem, but leave to attend other colleges or seminaries, to become members of the church they are regularly attending. They are always welcome to join Bethlehem again if they return to Minneapolis. Likewise we encourage students attending Bethlehem College and Seminary to become members while they are here. The principle is: in general, it is best to be a full member of the church you are attending. We realize, however, there may be reasons why maintaining one’s membership in his or her home church is best, and we would support that.
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17. Must a Bethlehem College and Seminary student attend Bethlehem Baptist Church?
The Bethlehem Institute has many students in the Leadership Development program who are part of other churches in the Twin Cities or around the country. We are delighted with this and are eager to train anyone from any church who senses God’s leading to study in The Bethlehem Institute’s Leadership Development program. However, with regard to our college-level and seminary-level programs, we will only admit students who intend to be part of the Bethlehem community during the course of their studies. This is because our degree programs are designed to be church-based and cohort-based.
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18. Do students need a car?
Life without a car has many benefits. Many students get along well without a car. Minneapolis has adequate bus service a few blocks from the downtown campus. There is a light rail transit system that will bring students a few blocks from the church to the airport or the Mall of America. There are wonderful bike paths and bike lanes throughout the city. For those who choose to have cars, there is parking at the downtown campus. Students may also purchase Critical Parking Permits, which make parking in the neighborhoods of the church very easy.
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19. Are there jobs at Bethlehem Baptist Church or Desiring God that students can get?
Over the years, many students have found part-time jobs through Bethlehem Baptist Church and Desiring God. Very few will line up one of these jobs before they come. During the course of the school year different opportunities may at times open up. However, most Bethlehem College and Seminary students find employment in local businesses.
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20. What is Converge Worldwide (the Baptist General Conference)?
Bethlehem Baptist Church is affiliated with Converge Worldwide (Baptist General Conference). Converge Worldwide consists of over 1,000 churches in the U.S. The Converge Worldwide (BGC) statement of identity reads: The Conference is a voluntary fellowship or association of Baptist churches in the United States and Islands of the Caribbean and Bahamas. The Conference is a fellowship of churches whose theology is biblically evangelical; whose character is multiethnic; whose spirit is positive and affirmative; whose purpose is to fulfill the Great Commission through evangelism, discipleship, and church planting; and whose people celebrate openness and freedom in the context of Christ's Lordship.
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21. How is Bethlehem College and Seminary governed?
Bethlehem College and Seminary is governed by the Bethlehem Baptist Church Council of Elders. To assist the elders in overseeing Bethlehem College and Seminary, the elders have appointed a Bethlehem College and Seminary Board which meets quarterly (more often as needed).
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22. Who administrates, teaches, and mentors in Bethlehem College and Seminary?
The administrators, teachers, and mentors in Bethlehem College and Seminary are men and women who gladly embrace the Bethlehem Baptist Church Elder Affirmation of Faith, are members of Bethlehem Baptist Church or other like-minded congregations, and gladly subscribe to the Bethlehem Baptist Church covenant.
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23. How does one apply to serve on the Bethlehem College and Seminary administration or faculty?
At this point the only applications for administration or faculty that we will accept are those that can come with their own support already raised. We have begun our own fundraising efforts, by which we are praying to raise money for salaries for our core administrative and teaching staff. Please pray with us that God will bring in the necessary funding. If you, or someone you know, have administrative or teaching gifts and your own means of support, we would love to talk with you, assuming you love the passion, the affirmation of faith, and the vision behind Bethlehem College and Seminary.
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24. What is Bethlehem College and Seminary’s long-term vision for the kind of core faculty being sought?
Currently our seminary faculty includes: John Piper, Preaching and Practical Theology; Tom Steller, Greek Grammar and Exegesis; Jason DeRouchie, Old Testament, Hebrew Grammar and Exegesis; Tim Porter, Hebrew Grammar and Exegesis; and Brian Tabb, Hebrew Grammar and Missions. In addition to this core faculty, we have had adjunct professors such as: Scott Hafemann, Tom Schreiner, Don Westblade, Bill Mounce, Wayne Grudem, Greg Beale, and Doug Moo.
Bethlehem College and Seminary will continue to enlist the core faculty and use adjunct professors of this caliber; however, we are also praying that God will provide the funding for additional full-time professors/researchers/writers: New Testament, Systematic Theology, Church History, and a Jonathan Edwards chair. We are praying for ten million dollars to fund these positions. We are looking for scholar/pastors who have a passion to teach and a passion to write in their fields, and a passion to serve the church of Jesus Christ through their scholarship and pastoral giftings. Our prayer for these men is that they will have moderate teaching loads with maximally stimulating and engaged students, ample time to write and publish God-glorifying biblical scholarship that will serve the church world-wide, and that they will thrive ministering as elders at Bethlehem Baptist Church.
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25. What is Arcing?
At Bethlehem College and Seminary, one of the key Bible study methods taught is a method of discourse analysis called “arcing.” Arcing is a tool for following and documenting the flow of thought in the Biblical text. In brief, arcing involves dividing the text into its propositions and then noting the logical relationship between the propositions.
Visit Biblearc.com, a web-based arcing tool that provides the ability to arc passages of Scripture in English or Greek, and also provides an excellent video-based tutorial.
This web-based tool is used throughout our programs, including the seminary Greek exegesis classes and our lay leadership diagramming and arcing courses.
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Bethlehem College Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the vision for the Bethlehem College B.A. in Biblical Studies?
Our vision is to expand our current one year INSIGHT program into a four-year Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies. Some students may choose to come to Bethlehem College for the INSIGHT program and then continue on at other colleges and universities that will offer the courses necessary for the major they want to pursue. Some students, after completing the year of INSIGHT, may choose to stay on for the necessary courses to complete a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Biblical Studies.
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2. When will the Bethlehem College B.A. in Biblical Studies be launched?
Our aim is to launch the B. A. in Biblical Studies in the Fall 2010.
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3. What are the advantages of a church-based college program?
Sadly, a significant percentage of Christian high school students drop out of regular church involvement during their college years; some even abandon the faith. Others wonderfully get gripped by the gospel through a dynamic para-church ministry, but then after their college years have trouble with re-entry into a local church. By bringing an undergraduate program into the life of a vibrant church congregation, students can both earn college credit while being strengthened in a Christian worldview and also grow in their vision and passion for the local church. The advantages of a church-based college program are many:
- Daily reinforcement that serious world, biblical and theological studies matter in real church life and ministry;
- The opportunity to develop a discipling relationship with an experienced mentor whom they can observe and assist on a regular basis;
- The opportunity to see how a distinctive theology and philosophy of ministry impact the day-to-day ministry of the local church;
- Regular opportunities to live out what they are learning in the context of their ministry focus in and beyond the church;
- The opportunity to learn and apply theology in the context of inner city life where there is cohesiveness in where the apprentice lives, studies, worships and ministers;
- A World Christian mindset, which sees the local church as a seedbed for missions, permeating the entire program.
4. Will the Bethlehem College B.A. in Biblical Studies be available through Distance Education?
We will not be offering the B.A. in Biblical Studies through distance education since it is designed to be church-based and cohort-based.
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Bethlehem Seminary Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the vision for the Bethlehem Seminary M.Div. program?
Our vision is to continue the essence of what has been offered in The Bethlehem Institute’s Apprenticeship Program for Vocational Elders, but to expand it into a 100-semester credit hour Master’s of Divinity program. We plan to offer the full slate of traditional M.Div. courses: Old Testament and New Testament Studies in the original languages, Systematic Theology, Church History, and courses in pastoral ministry, missions, and preaching. Also included will be pastoral supervision and relationship. We will stress whole Bible exegesis with a special focus on the unfolding of God’s sovereign goodness in the course of redemptive history.
We are eager that students leave Bethlehem Seminary with an arsenal of tools in order to be life-long learners and proclaimers of the Word of God, a matured character in order to be exemplary and effective lovers of His church, and a passion to winsomely and boldly invite others to cherish Christ from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
The M.Div. program catalog includes the program course flow, in which a couple of unique things should be pointed out: 1) there is an intentional effort in the sequencing of Old Testament Survey 1 and 2, New Testament Survey, Church History 1 and 2 and a missions course (with a significant focus on the history of missions) to demonstrate the unfolding purpose of God to fill the earth with His glory “as the waters cover the sea” by winning worshipers to Himself from every tribe, tongue, people and nation; 2) we have set up the flow of courses in such a way that the biblical languages will be integrated into every semester throughout the M.Div.—Greek beginning the first semester and Hebrew beginning the summer between the first and second year. Not only will there be many ministry related courses (preaching, mentored-ministry, practical theology, missions, worship, etc.) but even the most rigorous Greek and Hebrew courses will aim to keep the needs of the local church and the advancement of God’s Kingdom ever before the students.
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2. When will the Bethlehem Seminary M.Div. Apprenticeship Program be launched?
The application deadline for the inaugural M.Div. program is December 15, 2008. We have a secondary application deadline of January 15, 2009. Our Admissions Committee will act first on completed applications received by December 15th. If open slots for the program exist after the first round of applications are reviewed, the Admissions Committee will act on the completed applications received between December 16th and January 15th.
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3. Will the Bethlehem Seminary M.Div. Apprenticeship Program be available through Distance Education?
We will not be offering the M.Div. Apprenticeship Program through distance education since it is designed to be church-based and cohort-based.
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4. What is the Bethlehem Seminary Board looking for when they consider applicants for the M.Div. Apprenticeship Program?
The Bethlehem Seminary Board is looking for:
- A man who aspires to leadership in the church and in Christ's mission at the level of elder;
- One who's character and lifestyle is increasingly reflecting the elder qualifications of 1 Timothy 3:1-7;
- One who is joyfully committed to the authority and inerrancy of Scripture;
- One who has successfully completed a year of Greek (two semesters or three quarters of formal or informal study), and hungers to grow in his ability to study God's Word in the original languages;
- One who is drawn to the theological and ministry ethos of Bethlehem Baptist Church and to its mission to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ;
- One who is glad to live in accordance with the lifestyle implications of the Bethlehem Baptist Church covenant which read as follows: “I engage to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in my dealings, faithful in my engagements, and exemplary in my deportment, to avoid all tattling, backbiting and excessive anger; to seek God's help in abstaining from all drugs, food, drink, and practices which bring unwarranted harm to the body or jeopardize my own or another’s faith.”;
- One who is able to make the time and energy commitment necessary to fully participate in the M.Div. Program;
- One who is able to afford (by God's gracious provision through one’s own savings, and/or the gifts of family, friends and church) the tuition, books and living expenses required by the M.Div. Program without going into excessive debt [Note: Students are encouraged not to be employed more than 10 hours per week during the 4 years (not including summer) of their apprenticeship.];
- One who is strongly recommended by his pastor, professor, and friend as a man of godly character and of significant leadership potential;
- One who has completed an undergraduate degree (B.A. or B.S.);
- (For Worship Pastor Concentration applicants) One who demonstrates a proficiency in at least one applied worship leading area (voice, piano, guitar).
It is a matter of earnest debate among Christians today, whether women ought to serve as elders in the church. Our understanding of the Biblical teaching on this matter is that God has ordained distinct, complementary roles for men and women in the church and that men, not women, bear the responsibility of the office and function of elder. So while we want to train men to be teaching elders and ministers of the Word in local churches and on the mission field through the M.Div. Apprenticeship Program, we are eager to train both men and women to be teachers and ministers of the Word in a wide variety of settings in the church, in para-church ministries, and on the mission fields wherever God may lead them through our College and Institute programs.
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5. What is “mentored-ministry?”
Each apprentice is expected to put in a minimum of five ministry hours per week either in a focused ministry or in a broad range of ministry opportunities. Many will choose to do more. The pastoral staff of Bethlehem is committed to mentoring the men who are in the M.Div. Apprenticeship Program. So much of ministry is learned through relationship with someone who has been in ministry. And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach (Mark 3:14). Jesus left an example of investing in a select number of men whom He intended to send out to preach. His aim was that they might first be with him for a season. This example of discipleship was also carried on by the apostle Paul who invited Timothy to be with him for a season and then sent him out with the instructions to perpetuate the process to subsequent generations. The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also (2 Timothy 2:2).
Mentoring is a great privilege and a weighty responsibility that God has given to pastors. It is both relational and doctrinal. It is both spontaneous and intentional. Mentoring isn’t primarily a program; it is a relationship. It is teaching by word and deed. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you (Philippians 4:9). Part of the weightiness of the pastor’s responsibility is that he should strive to be able to say to his apprentices what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.”
Jesus mentored through specialized doctrinal instruction (cf. Mark 4:10ff) and through ministry modeling (cf. Mark 9:14-29) and ministry partnership (Luke 10:1-20). He prayed for them (John 17); he taught them to pray (Luke 11:1ff); he sang with them (Matthew 26:30); he corrected them (Luke 24:25) and he encouraged them (Luke 10:21-24). Unlike Jesus, pastors are not perfect examples, so the teaching won’t be perfect. But the teaching of his life and thought will be important nonetheless. Even his weaknesses and failures can be instructive. So transparency and honesty is crucial in the mentoring relationship. (1 Tim. 1:12-17)
The pastors of Bethlehem have a strategic opportunity through Bethlehem College and Seminary to significantly invest in a select number of gifted men who have the potential of influencing thousands of people with the vision of God in Scripture that has come to be so cherished at Bethlehem.
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6. What are the benefits of a church-based seminary program?
Some of the benefits of doing this kind of study and ministry training in the context of the local church are:
- Daily reinforcement that serious biblical and theological studies from the original languages matter in real life and ministry;
- The opportunity to develop a discipling relationship with an experienced mentor whom they can observe and assist on a regular basis;
- The opportunity to see how a distinctive theology and philosophy of ministry impact the day-to-day ministry of the local church;
- Regular opportunities to teach and model what they are learning in the context of their ministry focus in and beyond the church;
- The preaching course is integrated with the weekly preaching ministry. On (most) Thursday mornings the apprentices meet to interact with the preaching pastor about the sermon they just heard preached and also to look ahead with him to next Sunday’s sermon;
- The opportunity to learn and apply theology in the context of inner city life where there is cohesiveness in where the apprentice lives, studies, worships and ministers;
- A World Christian mindset, which sees the local church as a seedbed for missions, permeating the entire program.