Church Partnerships
Accountability from the Church
The Church is ultimately responsible for raising up the next generation of faithful men for pastoral ministry and church leadership. Accordingly, the Seminary understands its role as assisting congregations for achieving that goal. The Seminary’s Church Partnership Program is designed to link the Seminary and congregations to provide spiritual accountability, financial stewardship, pastoral student development, and mutual educational benefit. From application to graduation, a bond of partnership between the Seminary and local churches is crucial to successfully equip future pastors and church leaders.
Keeping Tuition Affordable for All
We believe this bond should include financial partnership. No student should bear the cost of preparing for ministry and church leadership alone, independent of their home church. So we ask congregations, especially those members who are benefitting from the Seminary’s instruction, to partner with us financially. This helps keep the costs of pastoral and theological education as low as possible for your student and affordable for all students. This is crucial for students from abroad and those with significant financial need.
If students from a partner congregation still cannot attend without additional financial assistance, their tuition may be “scholarshipped” or “discounted.” If students from partner churches are able to cover their own expenses, then their congregation’s church-partner donation may be redirected to assist other more needy students. Either way, partner donations help keep the Seminary affordable and accessible to all.
Becoming a Church Partner
We invite all congregations to become Church Partners. Because full-time tuition, fees, and other student expenses cost about $7,000 per year per student, we ask larger churches (with 200 members or more) to donate $5,000 annually to become a Church Partner. That covers roughly 70 percent of a student’s estimated Seminary costs. For smaller congregations (with fewer than 200 members), we ask contributions of $2,500 or more annually.
These sized-based levels of Church Partner support allow us to provide one degree-seeking student from each partner congregation 50 percent off the regular $200 per credit tuition rate and to give congregants a full range of Church Partnership benefits.
If you have questions or want to pursue church partnership, please submit the Church Partnership Form below.
Church Partner Benefits
The Seminary blesses our supporting Church Partners with free or significant discounts on tuition for selected courses open to pastors, church leaders, and congregants. Partner benefits apply to those who wish to enroll in our degree programs or who simply wish to grow in their biblical and theological knowledge.
Church partners congregations receive the following benefits:
Each partner congregation’s annual contribution allows one qualified (regularly admitted) student to pursue a degree or to receive academic credit at the Seminary at a 50 percent discount off the regular $200 per credit tuition rate.
Classes designated as “Church Enrichment” courses are available for FREE with a “Listener’s Pass” to all Church Partner congregants as a non-credit personal enrichment experience. These classes are appropriate for elder and deacon training, church counselor training, Sunday School teacher training, adult Sunday School classes, adult Bible studies, and more.
All other regular degree-program courses (those not designated as Church Enrichment courses) may be audited or attended by Church Partner members at a 50 percent discount off the published tuition rate if a member enrolls in the Non-Matriculating Student program
Limitations and Restrictions
Please read carefully the following limitations and restrictions that apply to all Church Partner congregations and participants:
All Seminary courses are accessible on a “space-available” basis only.
Listener’s Passes are made available only to members of Church Partner congregations which have made their financial contribution (appropriate to their size) to the Seminary.
Redistribution of Listener Passes or providing course link access to anyone outside a supporting Church Partner congregation is strictly forbidden without the Seminary’s written permission. Violation of this rule may result in the termination of Church Partner benefits to the individual(s) involved.
Coursework in Church Enrichment courses is not graded and active participation in discussions and class assignments may be limited to tuition-paying students.
All Church Partner members seeking to use their tuition and “Listener Pass” benefits are subject to the Seminary’s published registration and enrollment deadlines, which apply to regularly admitted students. Church Partner students are not allowed to register for a course after a term’s registration deadline closes.