{"id":25,"date":"2014-06-23T00:30:00","date_gmt":"2014-06-23T00:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/biblicalstudies.org.uk\/blog\/?p=25"},"modified":"2018-11-09T09:36:26","modified_gmt":"2018-11-09T09:36:26","slug":"blog-interview-dr-andrew-naselli-bethlehem-college-and-seminary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/biblicalstudies.org.uk\/blog\/blog-interview-dr-andrew-naselli-bethlehem-college-and-seminary\/","title":{"rendered":"Blog Interview \u2013 Dr Andrew Naselli – Bethlehem College and Seminary"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Dr Andy Naselli (with Betsy Howard)<\/h3>\n
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1) Please introduce yourself and your role at Bethlehem College and Seminary<\/a>.<\/h4>\n

\"naselli_4490e424ef9416b82053c5d733907002\"<\/a> I serve as assistant professor of New Testament and biblical theology. I teach courses primarily at the seminary-level on Greek exegesis, New Testament, biblical theology, and systematic theology.<\/p>\n

2) Tell us a little about Bethlehem College and Seminary.<\/h4>\n

John Piper, our chancellor and professor of practical theology and biblical exegesis, summarizes our vision: \u201cIn every subject of Bethlehem College and Seminary, the ultimate aim is the same: see Jesus as infinitely admirable and share in the Father\u2019s infinite enjoyment of the greatness of his Son, and then be equipped to show it.\u201d
\nBCS is the organic outgrowth of The Bethlehem Institute (TBI), \u2028which began as a church-based training center that also offered a two-year graduate-level vocational eldership training program in 1998. In 2009 the TBI Board sensed God\u2019s leading to develop TBI into Bethlehem College and Seminary. \u2028BCS offers several degrees:
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A.A. in Christian Worldview
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 B.A. in the History of Ideas
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 B.A. in Biblical and Theological Studies with a cross cultural or exegesis concentration
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 B.Th. through our Degree Completion Program
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 M.Div. through our seminary
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Th.M. through our seminary
\nAnd BCS has continued to offer non-credit classes for lay people through The Bethlehem Institute.
\nCurrently 180 students attend BCS.
\n\"aboutHeader_fe49fa4bf8bc29c94254213ad2e2d555\"<\/a><\/p>\n

3) Are the courses full time, part-time or a mixture of both?<\/h4>\n

All of the degree programs are full-time, but both undergraduate and graduate certificate options exist for students who wish to take courses on a part-time basis.<\/p>\n

4) How do Bethlehem College and Seminary students fund their studies?<\/h4>\n

One of our institutional goals<\/a> is to keep tuition low so that students can graduate unencumbered by debt. Although BCS does not give any formal financial aid, in effect, every BCS student is receiving a significant scholarship grant because tuition covers only about one-third of the actual cost of providing their education. Currently a year\u2019s tuition in the seminary costs $4,500 and a year of undergraduate tuition $5,540.
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5) Does Bethlehem College and Seminary take students from overseas?<\/h4>\n

While BCS cannot currently offer international student visas, non-U.S. citizens who have permanent residency status are able to apply for admission. We desire to offer more biblical training to international students in the near future.<\/p>\n

6) What type of ministry is Bethlehem College and Seminary intended to prepare students for?<\/h4>\n

Our M.Div. and Th.M. degrees prepare students for pastoral ministry and further scholarship. Our undergraduate programs prepare students for a variety of secular and ministry vocations.<\/p>\n

7) When students leave Bethlehem College and Seminary what kind of ministries \/ jobs do they go into?<\/h4>\n

Many seminary graduates have become full-time pastors, church planters, and missionaries. Others have gone on to further study to teach. Our Associates Degree and Bachelors Degree students have pursued teaching, tech work, and further education.<\/p>\n

8) What is distinctive about what Bethlehem College and Seminary offers compared with other colleges in the US and overseas?<\/h4>\n

I\u2019m not sure I\u2019m sufficiently familiar with other colleges in the UK and overseas to answer this question accurately. But one of our distinctives is that we are a church-based school, an arm of Bethlehem Baptist Church<\/a>. And we are intentionally small so that the professors can invest more in the students. The seminary has a cohort-model that accepts only fifteen students a year, and those students take all their classes together.
\n\"library_af5fc6e9fdb8163ca7ad2b81c1002fb6\"<\/a><\/p>\n

9) Please tell us about the library and other research facilities.<\/h4>\n

BCS just renovated and expanded its library space to over 3,000 ft. BCS students have access to all of its online resources remotely and all of its physical holdings on site. The recent expansion has also drastically increased student study space on campus.<\/p>\n

10) Does Bethlehem College and Seminary offer a distance or on-line learning option? If yes, please tell us more about it.<\/h4>\n

Given BCS\u2019s desire<\/a> to be church-based with a strong emphasis on discipleship, degree and certificate programs require \u201cin-person\u201d participation. (We provide lay-level theological curriculum for wide distribution through Bethlehem College and Seminary Press<\/a>.)<\/p>\n