Distance Learning Seminaries

A distance learning seminary provides ministry-minded people a more convenient avenue by which they can obtain credentials for careers in the ministry. Distance learning seminaries provide many of the same challenges and rewards that students would have if they attended classes on a campus, but the flexibility of doing most, if not all, of the work online. The degree in the end is the same, but the means by which it is obtained is much more flexible through a distance learning program.

Many people have disregarded a call from God to pursue full-time ministry because they thought they would never be able to quit their current job, uproot their family, and live the life of a student. A distance learning seminary offers a possible solution to these fears (though prayer for the believer's unbelief is also necessary in these situations). By studying through distance learning seminaries, men and women have the flexibility and convenience of doing the coursework from their own homes, in their own time. In addition to using textbooks, most of these programs deliver instruction to students through what are becoming very popular electronic means: downloadable study guides, audio CDs, interactive DVDs, online tutorials, and chat room discussions.

Someone pursuing an education in this manner needs to be very discerning. An Internet search of distance learning seminaries can turn up all kinds of interesting schools offering all kinds of interesting theologies. First, the student should be sure that the program they choose emphasizes the Bible as the accurate, infallible, unchanging word of God. Second, it is important to check on the accreditation of the distance learning seminary. The student may want to research potential ministry employers and see if the accreditation from the chosen program is regarded well in those circles. Third, the student should ask about the specifics of the program. This will include asking questions about the level of challenge presented through the coursework, deadlines, instructors, and fees. Finally, it is crucial to ask for testimonials from people who have earned a degree through the program.

Education through distance learning programs is becoming a very popular approach to earning ministry credentials in this technological age. Distance learning seminaries offer theological training to people who may already be involved in full-time ministry or are considering a career change toward ministry. Whether God is calling someone to pastor a small church at home, evangelize on a mission field halfway around the world, or do some other work that He hasn't revealed yet, taking advantage of the programs offered by a distance learning seminary is step of faith in the right direction. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:19-20)

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