John C. Beckman, Ph.D.
Skills are, of course, vital—but one look at contemporary corporate culture demonstrates the danger of brilliance without backbone. Any education that is worth its salt does more than just fill a person’s head with knowledge or equip them with skills to be a widget-maker; it prepares them to be clear thinkers who love truth, goodness, and beauty, and who can articulate these realities in speech and writing. But, even now, very few universities pursue those things with the foundation that was common to the earliest and best universities—that there is a ‘unity’ that holds together the ‘diversity’ in the university. That unity is the One through whom and by whom all things were created (Col. 1:15–17) and the one for whom all of our educational pursuits exist.
Bethlehem College and Seminary is a confessional institution that embraces the doctrinal beliefs set forth in the Bethlehem College and Seminary Affirmation of Faith. We joyfully embrace the historic Christian teaching on the Trinity and the incarnation of Jesus Christ as set forth in the Nicene and Chalcedonian creeds. We are reformed in our soteriology, charismatic in our affections, and baptistic in our ecclesiology. We hold all of our theological positions in submission to God’s inerrant and infallible Word.
Truly well-educated people have the habits of mind and heart to go on learning what they need to learn to live in a Christ-exalting way for the rest of their lives—in whatever sphere of life they pursue.
These habits apply to all objects in the world, but most importantly the Bible.
It is our conviction that adults learn best through asking questions and solving problems. Thus, we seek to limit the amount of direct lectures in our programs and instead utilize Socratic discussions that will provoke deeper reflection on the course material. In addition, interactive discussions require students to develop key interpersonal and relational skills such as humility, tact, and patience.
We believe that one of the biggest obstacles facing college graduates is the amount of debt accumulated in gaining a quality education. We will not contribute much to the advancement of the kingdom if we produce godly theologians, passionate missionaries, and faithful leaders who are saddled with so much debt that they cannot effectively pursue their ministry callings until they have paid off their loans. Therefore, we seek to provide the highest quality education at the most affordable price. To this end, we are working hard to find ways to fund our operations outside of student tuition. We are always seeking generous partners who will help us to establish a healthy endowment so that we can launch students into fruitful, God-centered service without the shackles of college debt.
Bethlehem College and Seminary is fundamentally committed to the coherence of all knowledge in Jesus Christ. Arising from this commitment is the belief that students learn best when they are guided by capable instructors through a systematic body of knowledge. Thus, we believe our students are best served by carefully structured programs comprised of courses which intentionally and logically build on one another rather than a haphazard conglomeration of courses which have little discernible connection to one another. For a complete consideration of the curriculum, please consult the Bethlehem College and Seminary Academic Catalog.
Our faculty and administration are bound together under the Bethlehem College and Seminary Affirmation of Faith and share a common theological and educational vision. All faculty members are committed to instructing the minds, influencing the affections, and shaping the lives of the students under our care.
Associate Dean of Seminary Programs & Associate Professor of New Testament Dr. Greever has taught a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses since 2015. He previously served at Grand Canyon University as Associate Professor of New Testament and
Assistant Professor of Theology and Philosophy David Haines grew up in a Christian home in Ontario, Canada. After obtaining a B.Th. and serving on a team of pastors at a local Baptist church in Trois-Rivières, QC, David moved with
Associate Professor of Theology and Global Studies Jon Hoglund teaches classes in theology and global studies. He longs to see the global church empowered and equipped for making disciples and establishing healthy churches. He served for thirteen years
Lecturer of History and Political Philosophy Rick Segal teaches in the undergraduate program as Lecturer of History and Political Philosophy. He is also the school’s Vice President of Advancement serving as the principal advocate for The Serious Joy
Associate Dean of Seminary Programs & Associate Professor of New Testament Dr. Greever has taught a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses since 2015. He previously served at Grand Canyon University as Associate Professor of New Testament and
Assistant Professor of Theology and Philosophy David Haines grew up in a Christian home in Ontario, Canada. After obtaining a B.Th. and serving on a team of pastors at a local Baptist church in Trois-Rivières, QC, David moved with
Associate Professor of Theology and Global Studies Jon Hoglund teaches classes in theology and global studies. He longs to see the global church empowered and equipped for making disciples and establishing healthy churches. He served for thirteen years
Lecturer of History and Political Philosophy Rick Segal teaches in the undergraduate program as Lecturer of History and Political Philosophy. He is also the school’s Vice President of Advancement serving as the principal advocate for The Serious Joy
ADJUNCT INSTRUCTOR of English Charisse is an adjunct professor of research writing and grammar at Bethlehem College & Seminary. When she is not diagramming sentences and teaching parts of speech, she is a stay-at-home mom, women’s Bible study writer
Adjunct Instructor of Theology Jones Ndzi holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from the University of Dschang (2001), a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies from the Cameroon Baptist Theological Seminary (2007), a Master of Theology in
ADJUNCT INSTRUCTOR of English Charisse is an adjunct professor of research writing and grammar at Bethlehem College & Seminary. When she is not diagramming sentences and teaching parts of speech, she is a stay-at-home mom, women’s Bible study writer
Adjunct Instructor of Theology Jones Ndzi holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from the University of Dschang (2001), a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies from the Cameroon Baptist Theological Seminary (2007), a Master of Theology in
Associate Dean of Seminary Programs & Associate Professor of New Testament Dr. Greever has taught a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses since 2015. He previously served at Grand Canyon University as Associate Professor of New Testament and
Assistant Professor of Theology and Philosophy David Haines grew up in a Christian home in Ontario, Canada. After obtaining a B.Th. and serving on a team of pastors at a local Baptist church in Trois-Rivières, QC, David moved with
Associate Professor of Theology and Global Studies Jon Hoglund teaches classes in theology and global studies. He longs to see the global church empowered and equipped for making disciples and establishing healthy churches. He served for thirteen years
Lecturer of History and Political Philosophy Rick Segal teaches in the undergraduate program as Lecturer of History and Political Philosophy. He is also the school’s Vice President of Advancement serving as the principal advocate for The Serious Joy
ADJUNCT INSTRUCTOR of English Charisse is an adjunct professor of research writing and grammar at Bethlehem College & Seminary. When she is not diagramming sentences and teaching parts of speech, she is a stay-at-home mom, women’s Bible study writer
Adjunct Instructor of Theology Jones Ndzi holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from the University of Dschang (2001), a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies from the Cameroon Baptist Theological Seminary (2007), a Master of Theology in
The library is a non-lending study center with roughly 10,000 print volumes and is growing each year. Students can also access hundreds of thousands of ebooks and articles through the library’s databases. All the library’s resources can be found here, and the library staff is available to answer questions and help students with their research.
All of our program details and academic policies are to be found in our Academic Catalog and Student Handbook. Download the PDF version—it’s optimized for reading on your iPad.
Church Planting and Exegesis Intensives
MLK Day | School Closed
Spring Classes Begin
Serious Joy Conference | No Classes
No Classes
Last Day to Add/Drop* a Course (*without transcript notation)
Language Track Choice Deadline (Freshmen) | Accelerated MA/Major Declaration Deadline (Juniors)
Last Day to Drop a Course (with notation)
Spring Break
Good Friday | No Classes
Finals Week
Commencement
Church Planting Intensive
Theology Intensive