Bethlehem College and Seminary - John Piper

[bpkantor]

Hey everyone. Do any of you know much about Bethlehem Seminary which was recently started in Minneapolis in connection with John Piper's church (Bethlehem Baptist)? Anyone know much about the faculty and their program? Thanks and God bless, --Ben

 

[Notthemama1984]

If it just recently started, then I doubt it is accredited. That could pose problems depending on what your ministry goals are. I would also venture to guess that the faculty is not going to be out of this world either. They may get a couple big time profs, but not many. I say this because all of the elite guys are already teaching somewhere. There is not a group of guys sitting on the sideline just waiting for another seminary to start.

Personally I would rather go to a seminary that has been around for a while. They will be accredited, have a reputation, have a stronger faculty, and more than likely have a better library.

(just my inept thinking)

 

[FenderPriest]

Bethlehem Seminary is the recent "upgrade" of the Bethlehem Institute, which has been around for quiet a while. It was previously (under Bethlehem Institue) essentially a pre-seminary accredited 2 year program. Now it is it's own full out seminary.

Personally, I'd absolutely love to attend, but it's not in my area, and we're not moving. They're obviously lead by John Piper, so their theological training is going to be heavily Edwardsian, which I think is a good thing.

 

[SolaScriptura]

Oh man, ANOTHER Bible college/seminary???

If you want a school with (basically) their statement of faith and ethos, do yourself a favor and go to TEDS.

But I still maintain - if one is a credobaptist, there is no finer institution than SBTS.

 

[Edward]

I say this because all of the elite guys are already teaching somewhere.

A lot of the guys who are 'teaching elsewhere' will do an occasional class at a lesser known school.

That being said, while the church based seminaries are great for part time and second career guys, if someone is going to be traveling half way around the world, they probably should aim high.

 

[Siberian]

If it just recently started, then I doubt it is accredited. That could pose problems depending on what your ministry goals are. I would also venture to guess that the faculty is not going to be out of this world either. They may get a couple big time profs, but not many. I say this because all of the elite guys are already teaching somewhere. There is not a group of guys sitting on the sideline just waiting for another seminary to start.

Personally I would rather go to a seminary that has been around for a while. They will be accredited, have a reputation, have a stronger faculty, and more than likely have a better library.

(just my inept thinking)

Accreditation or not, their program would be exceptional training for ministry. And I seriously doubt that you are correct about their faculty being ho-hum. There is a lot of interest in BCS' success, and there actually is a glut of scholars waiting for a new seminary to open, as a matter of fact.

Also, there might be some advantages over traditional seminaries, such as the proximity to the assembly, and the freshly thought out curriculum.

 

[Joseph Scibbe]

I agree with Ben. I think that this is unnecessary and redundant. There are already a lot of great seminaries and this one seems like another road for Piper fans to get their fix.

 

[CharlieJ]

I agree with Ben. I think that this is unnecessary and redundant. There are already a lot of great seminaries and this one seems like another road for Piper fans to get their fix.

That's a bit harsh. Why not more seminaries? If God blesses North America with a season of awakened conscience and godly zeal, we'll need all we can get. If Reformed seminaries are worried about competition, they can always pray for God to raise up more laborers. As to the quality of the school, all seminaries are a bit dinky at the beginning. In ten years, it might really be something, and let's hope and pray it is.

 

[Ivan]

I highly doubt Piper cares what we think.

 

[Heidelberg1]

They are attempting to do Ministerial Training in the context of the local church, which I think is a good thing. The same thing is taking place at the Midwest Center for Theological Studies (Reformed Baptist) and I think at Heidelberg Theological Seminary (RCUS).

Grounded in the Local Church

As a church-based institution, all programs of Bethlehem College and Seminary are woven into the life and ministry of Bethlehem Baptist Church. From participation in corporate worship to active involvement in church small groups and ministries, our students will deepen and stretch their faith by treasuring Christ together with the congregation. In addition, our faculty members self-consciously bring the vision, values, and theology of Bethlehem Baptist Church to bear on all of our course readings, lectures, and discussions.

 

[Notthemama1984]

If it just recently started, then I doubt it is accredited. That could pose problems depending on what your ministry goals are. I would also venture to guess that the faculty is not going to be out of this world either. They may get a couple big time profs, but not many. I say this because all of the elite guys are already teaching somewhere. There is not a group of guys sitting on the sideline just waiting for another seminary to start.

Personally I would rather go to a seminary that has been around for a while. They will be accredited, have a reputation, have a stronger faculty, and more than likely have a better library.

(just my inept thinking)

Accreditation or not, their program would be exceptional training for ministry. And I seriously doubt that you are correct about their faculty being ho-hum. There is a lot of interest in BCS' success, and there actually is a glut of scholars waiting for a new seminary to open, as a matter of fact.

Also, there might be some advantages over traditional seminaries, such as the proximity to the assembly, and the freshly thought out curriculum.

I did not mean to imply that their faculty was ho hum. I was attempting to make the case that the faculty is probably not elite. Except for Mounce (someone mentioned that he was not teaching anywhere right now), I cannot think of any well respected genius elite prof that is sitting on the sidelines. They all have teaching positions somewhere.

The scholars in waiting that you refer to, may be elite in the making, but they could also be average. I only have one seminary education. If everything else is equal and I have a choice to study under someone who may or may not be good or from the most respected theologian of whatever field, I am going to choose the latter hands down.

I do agree that more goes into picking a seminary than merely the faculty. I am a DTS student for numerous reasons besides the faculty.