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Finding a distance learning bible college isn’t difficult. In fact, typing the term “online bible classes” into Google’s search engine turns up more than 2.3 million results! The truth is that a whole lot of people out there are competing for your attention if you wish to pursue some form of college online bible courses.

Religious studies are one of the biggest and most confusing areas on the web today. The good news is that if you have a clear picture of what you want to accomplish, there are now many high-quality, accredited college online bible courses.

Hundreds of free bible college courses online are available – most purely for personal enrichment. If you want a degree than could help get you on the way to an actual career in the ministry, however, you will likely be looking at one of the following options:

• Certificate of Biblical Studies: Usually about 30 credits but sometimes less, this is often a “try out” course of study, where you will be allowed to transfer credits ahead of you move on to a higher level of bible study.
• Associate of Biblical Studies: Approximately 60 credits.
• Bachelor or Bachelor of Science in Biblical Studies: A professional level degree, which usually requires about 120 semester or credit hours. Although many ministers will ultimately get a post-graduate degree, taking college online bible courses to earn a bachelors degree can qualify you to start a real career in the ministry.
• A Doctor of Ministry Degree, which takes about 30 – 45 credits and usually a dissertation, is generally the highest degree pursued. This course is usually taken by people already working full time in the ministry, and who already have undergraduate and graduate education in their field of religious study.

Beyond choosing a degree level, however, you need to pick a specialty or a perhaps a series of focus points if you plan to pursue bible college distance education. Bachelors’ degree students, for example, usually being by choosing specific courses in Prophetic Ministry, Divine Healing, Youth Ministry, Theology, Christian Counseling and many other specialties.

A word to the wise: Try to choose a school that your local minister is familiar with, or has a name you have heard of. There are lots of purveyors of bible college distance education out there who want to capitalize on the popularity of bible study, offering everything from Christian diploma mills to extras like “Christian Web Hosting.”

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People in many walks of life see an element of ministry in their work. But being in charge of a congregation small or large requires a unique kind of commitment, and poses very unique challenges. Here are some quotations from people who have confronted the challenges and seen the benefits of being in Christian ministry in many different decades. If you have an interesting quote about ministry that you would like to see added to this page, please contact us. We’d like to hear from you!

“It is one of the ironies of the ministry that the very man who works in God’s name is often hardest put to find time for God. The parents of Jesus lost Him at church, and they were not the last ones to lose Him there.”
– Vance Havner, Baptist preacher

“The Christian ministry is the worst of all trades, but the best of all professions.”
– John Newton (1725-1807), British writer

“As I look back over fifty years of ministry, I recall innumerable tests, trials and times of crushing pain. But through it all, the Lord has proven faithful, loving, and totally true to all his promises.”
– David Wilkerson

“Some plague the people with too long sermons; for the faculty of listening is a tender thing, and soon becomes weary and satiated.”
– Martin Luther (1483 – 1546)

“Use your ministry to build people, not people to build your ministry.”
– Jacquelyn K. Heasley

“I also pray for favor and His anointing on my life and ministry that I might have spiritual blessing when I minister to people. They’re my principal prayers; I don’t have a prayer list that I go down.”
– Pat Robertson

“I have to say that I have no regrets about my decision to become a priest or about the major directions my ministry has taken me… I have been and am happy as a priest, and I have never been lonely… I could have used a bit more solitude.”
– Andrew Greeley, Catholic writer

“One of the hardest jobs in ministry is keeping your own relationship with God where it needs to be.”
– Harold Warner

“I would have every minister of the gospel address his audience with the zeal of a friend, with the generous energy of a father, and with the exuberant affection of a mother.”
– Francois Fenelon

“The true character of ministry is a servants heart.”
– Harold Warner

“While I am the one who made the choice to enter the ministry, there was a choice before that one, the choice God made in calling me to be his in the first place.”
– James Green Somerville

“The gospel is only good news if it gets there in time.”
— Carl F. H. Henry

“The test of a preacher is that his congregation goes away saying, not What a lovely sermon, but, I will do something!”
– St. Francis de Sales (1567 – 1622)

“Your ministry will never be bigger than your vision of Jesus.”
– Patty Hammond

“Preach the gospel at all times, when necessary use words.”
– St. Francis of Assisi

“Nothing is more needed among preachers today than that we should have the courage to shake ourselves free from the thousand and one trivialities in which we are asked to waste our time and strength, and resolutely return to the apostolic ideal which made necessary the office of the pastorate. (We must resolve that) we will continue steadfastly in prayer, and in the ministry of the Word.”
– G. Campbell Morgan (1863 – 1945), English evangelist

“In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.”
– Titus 2:2-8

“If a commission by an earthly king is considered an honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice? “
– David Livingstone (1813 – 1873), Scottish missionary, scientist and explorer

“The Bible was America’s basic textbook in all fields.”
– Noah Webster (1758 – 1843), American lexicographer adn writer

“I always say to young fellows who consult me about the ministry, “Don’t be a minister if you can help it,” because if the man can help it, God never called him. But if he cannot help it, and he must preach or die, then he is the man.”
– C.H. Spurgeon (1834-1892), British Baptist preacher

“I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to us through this book.”
– President Abraham Lincoln

“Whether young or old, rich or poor, learned or unlearned, should presume to dispense the mysteries of Christ without the strongest of all possible reasons for doing so – the imperative, invincible call of God. No one is to show cause why he ought not to be a Minister: he is to show cause why he should be a Minister. His call to the sacred profession is not the absence of a call to any other pursuit; it is direct, immediate, powerful, to this very department of labour. He is not here because he can be nowhere else, but he is nowhere else because he must be here.”
– James Henley Thornwell (1812 – 1862), American Presbyterian preacher

“Let every preacher take note: Amid the frustrations and hardships of ministry, the most Christ-like thing is to stay focused on your calling, give thanks to God, and go on preaching the Gospel.”
– Joel Beeke, professor at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary

“The goal of the pastor is not to get people to show up but to get people to grow up.”
– John Maxwell, evangelical Christian author

“He who would be a faithful minister of the gospel must deny the pride of his heart, be emptied of ambition, and set himself wholly to seek the glory of God in his calling.”
– William Perkins (1558–1602), English puritan clergyman

“We cannot make up for failure in our devotional life by redoubling energy in service. We shall never take people beyond our own spiritual attainment.”
– W.H. Griffith Thomas (1861 – 1924), English Anglican clergyman

“Though He did what he could to help the multitudes, He had to devote Himself primarily to a few men, rather than the masses, so that the masses could at last be saved. This was the genius of his strategy.”
– Robert E. Coleman, American evangelist

“If you teach men that God is the source of their pleasure and sin is the source of their pain, they will run to God and away from sin.”
– Jacquelyn K. Heasley

“Ministry that costs nothing, accomplishes nothing.”
– John Henry Jowett (1864-1923), English minister

“There are three stages in the work of God: Impossible; Difficult; Done.”
– Hudson Taylor (1832-1905), British Christian missionary to China

“People’s lives are beaten down enough. They don’t need more of it from the pulpit.”
– Richard Ganz

“Of all the missionaries that ever preached to the heathen, I suppose St. Patrick was about the most broad-minded and tolerant; as is evidenced in the whole story of his life-work. He made allowance for all the prejudices of the native Irish, and never interfered with any of their customs so long as they did not infringe on the tenets of Christianity…yet when he encountered downright pagan beliefs, idolatrous rites or wickedness in any form, he was determined and fearless.”
– From the “Shanahus More,” published around the beginning of the 10th century.

“We must be global Christians with a global vision because our God is a global God.”
– John Stott, English Anglican clergyman

An associates degree in ministry can be a good first step into formal training if you’ve already done some church work and want to start on a path of making ministry a more important part of your life. A Christian church “career” is something people define in many different ways. Some students want to become missionaries and bring a biblical message to the countries all over the world, while others with a gift for public speaking might be attracted to the idea of becoming the minister on a large church, a goal that would require more education in most cases (more on bachelor’s degrees in ministry here). Quite a few devout Christians choose a third path of doing ministry on a part time basis at a smaller church, without leaving their day jobs in the secular world (an approach that’s sometimes called “bi-vocational” ministry, for which there are actually specific degree programs). In a life-long career in the Church, it’s actually possible that a person might do all three of these things for a period of time. A common thread through all, however, is that the choices on this path are generally based more on a sense of personal calling than on earning a great deal of money.

A Degree In Two Parts
There are two main study elements involved in an associate’s degree (generally a 60 – 66 credit program) in this area. First comes a series of basic courses in communication, English and math (in some cases) that can actually be useful in any career. The second part of your studies will focus much more intensively on theology and the specific skill set of an effective minister. Your more academic classes will cover the old and new testaments of The Bible, along with the historical and philosophical questions they raise. The more skills-based part of your study will cultivate your growth as a minister by making you more comfortable with speaking in public, communicating your message to people who come from cultures other than your own and conveying your beliefs to people who don’t necessarily share your viewpoint. While all these elements can all be challenging, ministry students often get a level of personal satisfaction and intellectual engagement from these courses that’s not enjoyed by students in many other majors.

An associate degree is likely to make you a viable candidate to start as either the minister of smaller rural church, which may be a non-paying position, or as the director of a youth ministry or other specialized office within a larger church. Missionaries who go abroad are compensated for their travel and living expenses and sometimes get a small stipend. But they mainly do the work for the satisfaction of spreading a Christian message while getting a chance to see the world. If you have a goal of becoming a pastor in a larger church, a job that can pay a more substantial salary but requires more advanced skills in many areas, you’ll probably need to follow your associate’s degree with a bachelors and even a master’s degree. Don’t forget, however, that no matter what degree you have, it’s very important that you can demonstrate that you have already done considerable work in a church environment, either on a paid or volunteer basis. Ministry is a career where having a strong sense of personal commitment and mission is always considered as important, if not more important, than educational qualifications.

Online Ministry Student Advantage
Just about all online schools promote the idea that digital learning is great for adults who are trying to earn a degree at the same time as they hold down a job and attend to their families. But ministry schools tend to be particularly helpful to adult learners, because they’re very aware that ministry study is something people may pursue with a goal of ultimately getting a job that is a part-time pursuit on top of their “day job,” and that others sign up for theological and ministry studies purely for their own personal enhancement. As such, ministry schools are often particularly flexible about allowing students to transfer in credits earned previously, pause and then restart their schooling and creating their own schedules.

Denominational Choices
Every individual church and every denomination within the Christian world is unique. It’s good to keep a few basic guidelines in mind if you are hoping that your associate’s ministry degree is going to open doors for you to get a job. First, if you want to become either a Roman Catholic priest or lay worker, it’s advisable that you attend a Catholic college. Catholics tend to see themselves as apart from Evangelicals, Baptists and many other Christians, and they tend to want people who’ve had a long-term association with Catholicism.

If you hope to get involved with a church run by Baptists or The Churches of Christ, it may give you an advantage to study at a school that has the appropriate affiliation. Happily, there are quite a few choices out there with both online and classroom degree programs in both areas. Where you want to work geographically can also make a difference. Southern churches tend to be particularly focused on the subdivisions within denominations. Many Southern Baptist churches, for example, will probably welcome someone with a degree from a seminary like Liberty University, one of the largest religious schools and a real powerhouse in online education. But a Baptist church with a more Calvinistic perspective may take a negative view of training from Liberty. Dispensational churches, which do not insist on a strict literal reading of the Bible, may shy away from a candidate who has studied at a very non-dispensational seminary.

Important Choices
Finally, there are many churches that will gladly hire ministers who have been trained at schools that are completely non-denominational. The best approach, wherever possible, is to speak with someone at a particular church where you might want to work before you commit to any degree program. The information you get may have a profound effect on which school you choose.

Choosing from the available bachelor of ministry degrees online can be tough, because there ministry is an area where there are so many different career paths. There are more and more degree options available every year, however, that can potentially meld a professional interest you may have in ministry with your goals for personal enrichment.

Like degrees in all specialties, bachelor of ministry degrees online are often categorized as BA (Bachelor of Arts) or BS (Bachelor of Science). Because many people study religious subjects purely for their own fulfillment, you might want to consider a bachelor of science or “bachelor of applied ministry” as some schools call it, to convey a sense that you are truly focused on a career in ministry. The truth, however, is that the curriculum on most BS degree programs doesn’t differ much from BA requirements. Both include a foundation of liberal arts subjects in English and Math/Science, followed by a series of “core” courses in subjects like “old & new testament” and “public speaking” that would be critical to a minister. Bachelor of science degrees in this area don’t, in most cases, actually involve much traditional science.

Many schools providing bachelor of ministry degrees online simply bypass this issue by calling their degrees “Bachelor of Divinity,” “Bachelor of Biblical Studies” or simply “Bachelor of Ministry.”

Not Just A Job
Ministry is, of course, as much a calling as a job. As a career path, it offers an extraordinarily wide range of options, from working as a minister of a rural church with less than 100 members that may be part-time and pay about $35,000., to a job as pastor of a denomination of 2,000. that may offer a salary of more than $80,000. and a full range of health and retirement benefits. A ministry degree may also open up options to work or volunteer in religious teaching, scholarship or missionary work, which do not involve actually ministering to a traditional Church congregation.

Having a degree in this area has become more important for the same reason as in many secular job specialties. There are simply so many job applicants now that have a divinity, theology or other targeted degree that you will tend to stand out if you don’t have one. And while it’s true that a bachelor’s degree alone is not likely to get you hired as pastor of a large church, it can certainly get you started on a career path where you can get a masters degree later on (possibly while you are working) to qualify for the most senior position in a large Church.

Sub Specialties
Because of the growth of Churches and the increasing complexity of their mission, it’s very possible to have a stable religious career without necessarily becoming the #1 pastor or minister in a Church. Jobs exist in specialties like youth ministry or “worship leadership,” a specialty that includes both speaking and musical expertise to lead high-quality Church services, and a number of different degree options have grown up to qualify students for them. One college, for example (Huntington University) offers a “Bachelor in Family & Children’s Ministries” degree that includes not just topics like Biblical teaching and educational psychology, but also a “discipleship-based” approach to training and developing young new leaders for the Church (it’s an interesting program that includes a seven-month internship, often served in Europe, Africa or elsewhere in the world).

Adult Learners and the Ministry
Bachelor of ministry degrees online are a sensible option for adults who are already doing paid or volunteer work in a Church setting (even if they also have a job in the secular world). It makes perfect sense, in fact, because most Churches that are hiring want to see not just a religious degree in your background, but the kind of work history that shows you have a deep commitment to your religious purpose.

Denominational Considerations
While it’s true that many associates, masters and bachelor of ministry degrees online are completely non-denominational, you may want to study at a Baptist school or one operated by the Churches of Christ if you have a strong desire to work in one of those areas. Catholic schools tend to stand a bit apart from other Christian institutions. If you wish to work in a Roman Catholic setting, it probably makes good sense to get your theology or ministry degree from a Catholic school.

Here’s a useful list of
Christian Colleges and Universities with Online Degree Programs, and:
Catholic Online Schools.

A small but growing number of schools offer a specifically Baptist course of study today. Many of the top Baptist distance education schools are based in the southern states, though online learning obviously makes it possible for you to take their courses from anywhere. 

Distance learning Baptist bible colleges recommended by the respected Wabash Center include the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond (Virginia), The New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and The Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Baptist distance education tends to be designed for pastors and missionaries or for lay persons who want advanced education, rather than for individuals who want to know more about the bible.

There are also religious schools across the country that educate not just Baptists, but also Methodists, Presbyterians and members of other denominations as well (for an example, look into Colgate Rochester Crozier Divinity School in upstate New York). A few of the top American organizations you can look up on the internet for further reading include the Baptist General Conference (Arlington Heights, IL), The Center for Baptist Studies of Mercer University, The North American Baptist Conference (Oakbrook Terrace, IL) and The Southern Baptist Convention (Augusta, GA). Several carry listings and ads on schools offering Baptist distance education.

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