Southern Baptist School

 

 

Associate
Small Church Ministry
General Catalog

 

Questions Most Often Asked Are?

About Transfer Of Credits:

  1. Does the School accept credits from other schools? Yes. Transcripted passing grades from legitimate schools may be accepted if such credits related to the curriculum of the Southern Baptist School For Biblical Studies.
  2. Do other schools accept credits from the Southern Baptist School for Biblical Studies? We cannot answer this questions because each school sets its own policy regarding acceptance of credits.
  3. May I receive credit for experience? No, but you may receive credit from learning gained through experience. Learning may be documented through testing, development of a personnel portfolio, or an onsite assessment.

About The Location:

  1. How large is the campus? The school does not have a campus in the traditional sense. Actually, the world is the campus and your home and church provide the classrooms.
  2. Must I ever come to Jacksonville? No, but you are welcome to visit. You may also elect to come to Jacksonville for various help sessions.
  3. Does the School have a library? Not in the traditional sense. We arrange for books and others required learning materials to be shipped to you from the publishers and suppliers.

Relationship To Southern Baptists:

  1. Is the School Southern Baptist? Yes and no. The School is Southern Baptist School in reference to personel and doctrine. On the other hand, the School is not owned, controlled or managed by the Convention or any of its boards or agencies. The School is not subsidized in any way by the Convention, though Southern Baptist Churches may give direct or indirect financial support.
  2. Why do you use "Southern Baptist" in the name of the School? You may be assured that much though and prayer went into the selection of the name. We sincerely wanted to established an identity without implying a relationship that did not exist. We believe the Lord led us to choose the name of the School. The term "Southern Baptist" seems to be generic, rather than a trade-mark, name.
  3. May non-Southern Baptists become students? Yes of course.

Enrollment:

  1. When may I begin? Because your degree program will be tailored to meet your individual needs and wishes you may begin as soon as your preliminary forms and fees are filed with the School. Application forms are printed in the school catalog.
  2. Who may enroll? Anyone who may benefit may enroll, but we essentially train Baptist pastors. The school is an affirmative action equal educational and employment institution and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age, handicap or national origin.

Cost:

  1. How much does it cost to get started? The application fee for each degree is only $25.00, the matriculation is $75.00 and the annual registration fee is $20.00. These are non-refundable, non-transferable processing fees.
  2. How much is the tuition?. Tuition for each course is only $179.00.
  3. How does a student pay tuition fee? Normally, one course is ordered and paid for at a time.
  4. How much is the graduation fee? The graduation fee is only $225.00. This includes the diploma fee. This is a non-refundable, non-transferable processing fee.

Patterns of Study:

  1. Do you offer courses through class work? Yes, Some Pastor/Teachers offer courses in their churches for which the School awards credit.
  2. Do you offer courses through seminars? Yes. Periodic seminars are offered at the school and in other selected sites.
  3. Do you offer courses through individual study? Yes, Faculty Advisors evaluate courses taken by individual study.
  4. Why does your school put so much emphasis on training bi-vocational ministers? Because there are so many of them, and the need is so great. A bi-vocational minister is (1) job bound (2) church-bound, and (3) family-bound. To expect him to leave his job and his church, and to expose his family to possible deprivation in these days of economic instability is, in may cases, unconscionable.

Recogniton:

  1. Is the School accredited? No. A separate document detailing our position on accreditation is available upon request.
  2. Is the School licenses? No. The School is not owned, funded controlled or licensed by the State of Florida of the U.S. Department of Education.
  3. Is the School approved for the federal loans, grants, G.I. benefits and teacher certification? No.
  4. Is something lacking when a student has to study without being in class with teachers and other students? Yes, but it should be remembered that this is the method every practicing minister uses continuously. A pastor prepares several sermons each week individual study. It make good sense to educate students in the methodology used in actual ministry spheres.

Degrees:

  1. What degree are offered?
  1. What is the value of a degree from the School? In addition to the obvious and well-known values derived from having a degree, two benefits may be mentioned. These are self-esteem (how you feel about yourself) and reputation (how others feel about you).
  2. How long will it take me to earn a degree? The answer depends on the degree you seen and your ability and interest. Associate degrees generally require two years, while Bachelor degrees generally requires two additional years beyond the Associate. Master's degrees require from one to three years beyond the bachelor. Doctoral degrees require one and one-half years beyond Master's. Since all degrees are earned outside the traditional campus setting, time is not the major determinant.

President:

Charles A. Williams is the founding president of Southern Baptist School for Biblical Studies. He has served Southern Baptist churches in Kentucky, Georgia, and Florida for more than forty years. he has also served as a leader in ministry education for more than four decades. In addition to earning two bachelor's degree and two master's degree, Charles earned three doctorates: Doctor of Theology (1968), Doctor of Education (1978), Doctor of Ministsry (2003).

Educational Philosophy:

All programs of study are designed for ministers, whether full-time, bi-professional, or lay. Furthermore, all study experiences are intended to enable the student to relate to and manipulate the variables in the environment in which the Lord has placed him.

We believe that good education (plus credible degree recognition) is of great value in the churches today. We affirm that if this value is to be appropriated for most Christians servants, it must be made available to them through distance educational deliver systems. We believe that today's ministers need education in the ministry, not merely for the ministry. Accordingly, we insist that one's study be complete within the actual laboratory of ministry sphere. It is prudent to pay attention to the entire person including his environment, when involving him in a formal educative process.

The school is not a theological seminary. We perceive of our mission as focusing on the development, in the student, of the entire range of learning domains. This means that the best of accepted learning theory is built into the curricula. Cognitive (intellectual), affective (theological), and conative (usable) learning activities are complete by students.

Educational Distincitives:

Courses provide a combination of learning experiences in an integrated sequence, so that each learning activity complements the other. The emphasis is on learning, not teaching.

The role of the advisor is one of friend, counselor, facilitator, and resource person. This provides a non-adversarial relationship between student and advisor.

Learning activities are designed to assist the student in reaching ministry objectives.

Different levels of intensity of the learning strategies are used for the various degree programs.

Each student studies in generally accepted learning styles.

The student learns by doing, and actually uses what is learned in the real world of the church.

The student learns at the time best suited for him. For some this is early, for other it is late.