Catch the new wave of education at Free Will Baptist Bible College.

Online, On Target, On Fire!

by Allan Crowson

Dear John

We can call him John. In your church, he may have a different name. Maybe he went to the military right out of high school then moved back home where he teaches Sunday School and helps with the young people. Perhaps he answered the call to ministry later in life, and now supports a family. He works whatever jobs he can that will leave him time to serve the congregation where God called him. Perhaps he spent his earlier years away from God but turned things around and wants to serve God more effectively.

Or consider Janet. She works in an office with little possibility to move up. She knows that with some business training, she could advance in her current job, or perhaps at another company. She has thought of running a home-based business, but she needs more preparation.
What can John or Janet do? They have children and spouses, and perhaps congregations to consider. They cannot uproot their families, no matter how much they want to prepare themselves. Yet they want God to use them even more. Is there anything for them?

Online

Meet the online studies program at Free Will Baptist Bible College! Our mission is to educate leaders to serve Christ, His Church, and His world through biblical thought and life. Nothing in that mission statement requires the student to move to Nashville, Tennessee. Our online program allows John, Janet, and many others like them to learn how to minister and serve more effectively where they are.

Online students take their courses…online. With a computer and a good Internet connection, they log on to their account, do course work, view lectures, participate in discussion forums, and take exams on their own schedule. They arrange studies around their family and professional obligations.

Online semesters contain three cycles or sessions. Students can take up to two courses each session, for as many as 18 hours per semester. Each session runs six weeks, with a week off between sessions. Three-hour courses run the entire six weeks, and two-hour courses run four weeks. Students can reduce the number of courses they take at one time to meet scheduling or financial constraints.

Students pursuing the Associate’s Degree in Ministry study subjects such as Bible survey, Bible doctrine, Christian ethics, evangelism and discipleship, Christian counseling, foundations of Christian education, homiletics (preaching), the biblical foundations of missions, worldwide missions and the local church. This is along with subjects such as English, history, speech, appreciation of the arts, lifetime fitness, and math or science. Students pursuing the recently added online Associate’s Degree in Business study many of the same core biblical and general education subjects, plus business courses including accounting, economics, and others.

On Target

Our online program offers many advantages to help students stay on target. Consider:
Course work is fully accredited and can be transferred nearly anywhere.

Financial aid is available, just as for campus courses. In addition, many online students qualify for substantial cost reductions through scholarships for ordained Free Will Baptist pastors or for lay workers who are active in local church ministry.

Students learn at their own pace on a more flexible schedule.

Most online students are settled in life, with family and professional responsibilities. They bring the variety and wealth of their own life experiences to discussions.

We work for student success, with online access to the college’s Welch Library and numerous online research databases. Our recommended first course covers an introduction to Free Will Baptist history and beliefs, sharing one’s testimony, developing a Christian worldview, and how to be a successful online student.

Consider the high quality course work: our original Bible and Ministry material is recorded directly in our campus classes, then edited and synchronized with slides for viewing or listening on screen. Students hear original lectures from respected professors such as Dr. Garnett Reid, Dr. Kevin Hester, Mr. Terry Forrest, Mr. Ron Callaway, and others.

Consider the high quality of our online course instructors. Some online programs at other colleges use instructors who are not necessarily expert or experienced in the course material. Sometimes they are not trained in how to conduct online education. Not at Free Will Baptist Bible College! We use gifted Bible and Ministry online instructors who must meet several criteria that most other online programs do not require:

• They are academically qualified for the online subject material, just as if they were teaching on campus.
  

• They have solid ministry experience.
  

• They receive specialized training in delivering online instruction.
  

These online instructors guide online discussions, administer tests, counsel students on projects and papers, and may bring in their own material to supplement original course material. Some of the gifted people with God’s blessing upon their ministry who have served in this way include: Aaron Baldridge, Jeff Cockrell, Randy Corn, Richard Hendrix, Randy Kinnick, Jeff Manning, Donnie McDonald, and Jose Rodriguez. Recent additions to the pool of online instructors include Mike Edwards, Daryl Ellis, and Tim Sturgill. In addition, campus professors such as Mr. Gary Turner and Dr. James Stevens are active in online courses in their field.

Most of our online students say they work harder in online courses than they ever did in a classroom. The required online discussions involve every student in meaningful ways. We are proud of the quality of our online students, instructors, and their educational performance. Our online students are motivated to learn, grow, and use what they learn for God.

On Fire

We believe education must enhance ministry, not diminish it. Here are a few of the ways our online program does that:

• Through online discussions, students learn of the challenges others are facing. They share prayer requests and struggles, and encourage one another.
  

• Students can apply what they learn almost immediately, at church the next Sunday or at work the next day.
  

• Students keep roots in their local church and community. They serve as they learn, a great way to keep their spiritual passion alive and robust. They are a blessing to their local church.
  

Whether through an Associate’s Degree in Ministry or in Business, if you can get online, Free Will Baptist Bible College wants to help you stay on track, and on fire! Call 615-844-5226 for more information, or send an email inquiry to online@fwbbc.edu. More information is available at https://sites.google.com/a/fwbbc.edu/online-learning/the-five-ws-of-fwbbc-online.

About the Writer: Allan Crowson is director of the adult degree program at Free Will Baptist Bible College.