In Paul’s second letter to Timothy, he urged Timothy, “What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2). Timothy’s job was to locate faithful men and entrust Christian doctrine to them such that those men would be “able to teach others also.” That verse summarizes the aim of Bethlehem Theological Seminary. At Bethlehem, we want to admit into our seminary program faithful men, men whose lives are characterized by godliness and Christian piety. We want our curriculum—its scope and sequence—to be a faithful transmission of Christian doctrine, such that these men would be equipped to spread the message of Christ accurately and fervently around the globe. To this end, we earnestly desire to offer a thorough and rigorous pastoral training program, and we are always seeking ways to improve what we offer.
At a time when many institutions have reduced degree requirements and prioritized online and hybrid delivery, we continue to emphasize rigorous, in-person pastoral preparation in our flagship 102-credit Master of Divinity program that includes extensive training in Greek and Hebrew exegesis, robust resident pastoral apprenticeship, and a cohort experience with a like-minded band of brothers. Recently we have made three key changes to our M.Div. degree as we seek to prepare joyful pastors to preach a big God.
First, we have increased the course credits for our resident pastoral apprenticeship program from six to ten credits. One of the features of our M.Div. degree is that it affords our students an opportunity to apprentice under a seasoned pastoral supervisor at one of our local partner churches. This change strengthens our commitment to provide a robust hands-on experience for our pastors in training.
Second, we are introducing an advanced standing option for eligible students. We recognize that some prospective seminarians may have already taken advanced courses in Bible, theology, Greek, or Hebrew. For these students, there may be areas of curricular overlap between the Bethlehem M.Div. and their previous degree. In such cases, Bethlehem is offering an advanced standing option, in which the total required credit hours for the M.Div. is reduced based on their prior academic history. Eligible students for the advanced standing option would include: (1) men who have completed a bachelor’s or graduate degree from theologically likeminded institutions; (2) transfer students from likeminded seminaries; and (3) Bethlehem College graduates returning for the M.Div.
Third, we are adding an accelerated M.Div. option, which is a dual-degree track specifically tailored for Bethlehem College men. It will allow eligible Bethlehem College students to complete their B.A. and M.Div. in 7 years (4+3).
We believe that improving our pastoral apprenticeship experience and increasing our curricular flexibility will enhance the quality of our M.Div. program without compromising our commitment to in-person, church-based, cohort-focused pastoral training.
If you or someone you know may be interested in learning more about our M.Div. program, please reach out to us at [email protected].
For the cause of Christ,
Joshua M. Greever, Ph.D.
Associate Dean of Bethlehem Theological Seminary & Associate Professor of New Testament