This week I am in Arlington, TX to attend a conference on "Culture or CROSS-Culture" and to attend my final orientation meetings before I register for school. The conference is hosted by my school, B. H. Carroll Theological Institute (BHCTI), and we will have our meetings at FBC Arlington. BHCTI is a newer institution you may not have heard much about yet. If you are interested in learning more, I encourage you to check out their website at www.bhcti.org.
There were a lot of reasons why I chose to pursue my doctorate at Carroll Institute, foremost among them the leadership of the Holy Spirit. But they are an innovative and non-traditional school which, I believe, is forging new ground in theological education which will allow many ministers and laypeople around the world to have access to quality education and training in ways unavailable to them before. For instance, my PhD program allows me to remain in full-time ministry in Rockport and further my education at the same time, without having to be in residence on some campus. And yes, it is a real PhD! The format is new and exciting, and is being scrutinized by many across the world.
My studies begin in January. I will "go to school" in three ways. First, I will have a supervisor/mentor who will guide me through my education from start to finish. He will assign me a personalized reading program and guide me in the preparation for the dissertation process. Second, I will take my seminars online, interacting with the professors and the other students via the Internet every week. Third, I will have to be in Arlington twice a year to conclude the online seminars and to attend conferences like the one I am attending this week. These conferences will usually be the first week in June and the week immediately following Thanksgiving. There may be other times when I will have to actually be somewhere, but not that often. For instance, this spring one of my seminars is only offered at Oxford University in England. A donor to the school has made it possible for us to go and study there for two weeks, both at Oxford and while traveling in England and Scotland. All I have to bring is spending money.
My field of study is in pastoral leadership. My desire is to be as equipped as I possibly can be to fulfill the duties of my calling as pastor of FBC Rockport. Secondly, I hope to be available in some way to help train and encourage other pastors and their churches.
Some in our church have expressed the desire to help fund the cost of my education, and for that I am sincerely thankful. Right now I can say that the costs will be $3000 a year, not including my books. As always, that is open to change at any time.
I know the Lord has brought me to this place, and I am excited about the opportunity before me, but I have been out of school a long time and I am nervous about starting up again. A few weeks ago I was studying in the library at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth and I looked around and noticed I was the only one there using pen and paper! Yikes! Thank you in advance for all your prayers and support as I begin this new chapter in my life.
There were a lot of reasons why I chose to pursue my doctorate at Carroll Institute, foremost among them the leadership of the Holy Spirit. But they are an innovative and non-traditional school which, I believe, is forging new ground in theological education which will allow many ministers and laypeople around the world to have access to quality education and training in ways unavailable to them before. For instance, my PhD program allows me to remain in full-time ministry in Rockport and further my education at the same time, without having to be in residence on some campus. And yes, it is a real PhD! The format is new and exciting, and is being scrutinized by many across the world.
My studies begin in January. I will "go to school" in three ways. First, I will have a supervisor/mentor who will guide me through my education from start to finish. He will assign me a personalized reading program and guide me in the preparation for the dissertation process. Second, I will take my seminars online, interacting with the professors and the other students via the Internet every week. Third, I will have to be in Arlington twice a year to conclude the online seminars and to attend conferences like the one I am attending this week. These conferences will usually be the first week in June and the week immediately following Thanksgiving. There may be other times when I will have to actually be somewhere, but not that often. For instance, this spring one of my seminars is only offered at Oxford University in England. A donor to the school has made it possible for us to go and study there for two weeks, both at Oxford and while traveling in England and Scotland. All I have to bring is spending money.
My field of study is in pastoral leadership. My desire is to be as equipped as I possibly can be to fulfill the duties of my calling as pastor of FBC Rockport. Secondly, I hope to be available in some way to help train and encourage other pastors and their churches.
Some in our church have expressed the desire to help fund the cost of my education, and for that I am sincerely thankful. Right now I can say that the costs will be $3000 a year, not including my books. As always, that is open to change at any time.
I know the Lord has brought me to this place, and I am excited about the opportunity before me, but I have been out of school a long time and I am nervous about starting up again. A few weeks ago I was studying in the library at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth and I looked around and noticed I was the only one there using pen and paper! Yikes! Thank you in advance for all your prayers and support as I begin this new chapter in my life.
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