Seminary Personal History

Please enter the email associated with your Seminary Application to begin your Personal History. This will ensure your answers are linked to the correct application file.

Email *

Photograph

Please upload a current headshot.

Headshot Photo *

Emergency Contact

Name *

Relationship to Applicant *

Phone *

Spiritual Life Information

Conversion: In 300 - 500 words, please describe your conversion. *

Church Background: Briefly comment about your church involvement prior to your current church (names of churches, reason for leaving, ministry involvement). *

Previous Ministry: Describe your past and current ministry experience (both volunteer and, if applicable, paid). *

Future Ministry: What kind of ministry do you believe God is calling you to? How do you perceive your studies at Bethlehem College and Seminary to be strategic preparation for your future? (ThM: How will a ThM degree equip you better for your current ministry and/or prepare you for future ministry?) *

Church Discipline: Have you ever been placed under church discipline or been removed from a position of ministry because of a charge of unethical or immoral behavior? *

Sexual Purity: Please describe the steps you take in your pursuit of sexual purity and any areas of current struggle or engagement in the past 12 months. *

Personal Information

Social Media: Please list what social media sites you are on (Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, etc). *

Reading: What additional reading have you done outside of required class assignments in the last two years? *

Special Needs: Do you have any special needs that we should know about in order to help you succeed at Bethlehem Seminary? *

Criminal Background: Have you ever been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony? *

Background Check: Are you willing to undergo a background check? *

Financial Information

How will you financially cover your tuition and living expenses while at Bethlehem Seminary? (Note: MDiv Students are strongly discouraged from working more than 15 hrs. per week during academic terms due to the academic rigor of the program.) *

Existing Debt: Do you have any existing debts aside from house and/or automobile (i.e. credit card, student loans)? *

Doctrinal Information

Doctrine of Scripture: Describe your view of the inspiration and inerrancy of Scripture. *

Bethlehem Church Membership

Bethlehem Seminary students are required to be members at Bethlehem Baptist Church or a Treasuring Christ Together Network in the Twin Cities area. Unusual exceptions may be granted by the agreement of both the Academic Dean and the President (ThM Applicants are excluded from this requirement. Please Enter "ThM Applicant" in the space below).

Are you willing and able to become a member at Bethlehem Baptist Church or a Treasuring Christ Together Network church should you be accepted? *

Bethlehem Affirmation of Faith | https://bcsmn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/affirmationOfFaith.pdf

At this point in your theological journey, can you say you wholeheartedly embrace this affirmation? *

Bethlehem Community Declaration | Located in Student Handbook (p. 9–12)

https://bcsmn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/StudentHandbook22-23_final.pdf

In applying for membership (admissions) into the Bethlehem College and Seminary community, I have carefully read the Bethlehem College and Seminary Community Declaration and have carefully weighed that the convictions, aspirations, and commitments contained in it mach my own. I gladly join in fulfilling the declaration's responsibilities.

Answer yes or list any questions, reservations, or disagreements. *

Student Profile Affirmation

What follows is the "profile" of a Bethlehem Seminary student. Please carefully read the profile to see if you can affirm all characteristics.

1. A man whose character and lifestyle increasingly reflect knowledge of, love for, and joy in the Triune God.

2. One who submits to the authority of Scripture and rightly handles God’s inerrant Word.

3. One whose relationships are marked by love and guided by wisdom.

4. One who is an active participant in the worship, community, and ministry of the local church.

5. One who is committed to spreading a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ.

6. One who embodies the six Bethlehem habits of mind and heart as a lifelong learner.

7. One who aspires to pastoral leadership in the church and meets the elder qualifications expressed in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1.

Profile of Seminary Student: Are You Able To Affirm All Seven Characteristics? *

Academic Writing Sample

MDiv: The writing sample should be an academic research paper that you did in college or other graduate level program. It should be 5 - 12 double-spaced pages in length. It may be on any topic, but must be a research paper (not a speech, sermon, creative writing piece, or a lab report).

ThM: The writing sample should be an academic research paper that you wrote in your other graduate level program. It may be on any topic, but must be a research paper (not a speech, sermon, creative writing piece, or a lab report). This paper should reflect your academic writing and research abilities.

The writing sample will be evaluated on the basis of grammar and writing mechanics, organization and clarity, research and content, and adherence to these instructions. With the writing sample, you must include a cover page with the following information: your name, the title of the paper, the date written, and the course and school where you submitted the paper.

Note: Applicants who have been out of school for more than five years and/or who have no academic paper that meets the criteria above should contact the Admissions Office for instructions on an alternative writing assignment: [email protected]

Academic Writing Sample *

(ThM Only) Thesis Proposal Letter

This is a letter received from a listed Bethlehem faculty member concerning your ThM thesis. It must include the faculty members stated willingness to supervise you, and it must include the topic and provisional thesis which the two of you have agreed upon. This letter must be emailed to [email protected]

Thesis Concentrations: Biblical Exegesis, Biblical Theology, Church History, Historical Theology, Systematic Theology, Missiology

Faculty Supervisors:

John Beckman, Ph.D. (Old Testament)
Jared Compton, Ph.D. (New Testament, Biblical Theology)
Joshua Greever, Ph.D. (New Testament, Biblical Theology)
Brian Hanson, Ph.D. (History, Historical Theology)
David Howard, Ph.D. (Old Testament)
James McGlothlin, Ph.D. (Philosophy)
Andy Naselli, Ph.D. (Systematic Theology, New Testament)
Rick Shenk, Ph.D. (Systematic Theology)
Brian Tabb, Ph.D. (New Testament, Biblical Theology)
Adjunct Supervisors are approved on a case-by-case basis.

Worship Leadership Demo

For those applying for the Worship Pastor Concentration (M.Div. only). Please upload a video recording showing your proficiency in at least one applied worship leading area (including voice, piano, or guitar).

Worship Demo Video Link

Acknowledgements

By submitting this application to Bethlehem Seminary, I certify that all the information submitted in the admissions process - including this application, my writing sample, and any other supporting materials - is my own work, factually true, and honestly presented, and that this information and documents will become the property of Bethlehem and will not be returned to me. I understand that I may be subject to a range of disciplinary actions, including revocation of admissions, expulsion, or revocation of course credit, grades. and degree. should the information I have provided or certified be false or misleading as determined by Bethlehem College and Seminary, in its discretion. I agree to notify the school of any changes in the information provided while considering my application for admissions and, if accepted, at any time before I enroll..

I understand that Bethlehem Seminary is a Christian school that has particular beliefs, and that it is expressly affiliated with Bethlehem Baptist Church. I have read and understood, and I agree to be subject to requirements regarding church membership, the community declaration and the affirmation of faith.

I consent to any efforts that Bethlehem Seminary may, in its discretion, choose to undertake to verify or confirm any information I provided to Bethlehem during the application process, including contacting any references listed. I agree to cooperate with any verification efforts that Bethlehem may choose to undertake.

I understand that if I have any questions regarding the application or the application process, I can contact the Admissions Office directly at [email protected].

Bethlehem Seminary admits students of any race, color, or national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, and activities generally afforded or made available to all its students. Bethlehem Seminary does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational and admission policies, scholarship programs and its other school-administered programs.

Bethlehem College and Seminary is registered with the Minnesota Office of Higher Education pursuant to Minnesota Statutes sections 136A.61 to 136A.71. Registration is not an endorsement of the institution. Credits earned at the institution may or may not transfer to all other institutions.

Applicant's Signature *