Connections and Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center
One of the goals of Bethany Theological Seminary is to make its curriculum more accessible to people who seek education for ministry but are unable to move to Bethany’s main campus in Richmond, Indiana. The Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center is a realization of this goal for Bethany students in the five Church of the Brethren districts of Area 1. These five districts partner with one another and with Bethany to offer graduate courses at several convenient locations.
Bethany Theological Seminary’s Connections program makes graduate-level ministry education accessible from a distance. Connections serves students throughout the denomination, including students at SVMC. Courses offered through SVMC and Connections complement one another. If you are interested in pursuing an M.Div. degree at Bethany without needing to relocate, Connections and SVMC can help. Contact Enten Eller, Bethany's Director of Distributed Education, enten@bethanyseminary.edu for more information.
The Connections track begins in August with an intensive weekend retreat, followed immediately by new student orientation on Bethany Seminary's main campus in Richmond, Indiana. The retreat serves as the first meeting of hybrid course F-110C, Exegeting the Call and Culture of Ministry, which assists student in exploring their call and vocation in ministry. The class continues throughout the fall term with online work, and one additional Friday-Saturday weekend meeting later in the semester. For the remainder of their studies, students can choose from a mix of other online, hybrid, face-to-face, and intensive courses, including courses offered through SVMC.
By visiting Bethany’s Richmond campus for intensive and paired courses, Connections students will experience life in the seminary community and build relationship with other students and faculty. These relationships can continue and deepen through interaction online.
Beginning the Connections Program
If you are seeking ministry education in the area served by the Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center, consider taking advantage of both SVMC and Connections. In order to take graduate-level courses through either of these extension programs, you must be admitted as a student of Bethany Theological Seminary. If you would like to sample one or more courses, you may apply for admission as an occasional student. If you are interested in pursuing the M.Div. degree, you should apply as a M.Div. student. Students who are already admitted to Bethany’s M.Div. program do not need to reapply in order to begin Connections track.
