Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary viewbook

MID-AMERICA

BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

live the word. light the world.

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live the word. light the world.

AT MID-AMERICA BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, you’re trained not just to answer God’s call; you’re trained to fulfill it. That’s because we embrace your uniqueness, as well as that of the context in which you’ll minister. We equip you to live and apply the Bible to your life and to those you’ll influence.

MAKE IT COUNT. You want your life to matter.

You want to live intentionally. You want to go beyond the expected and truly change lives for Christ. You For a half century, Mid-America has been carrying the torch for theological training that is both steadfastly biblical and relentlessly missional. “To all the world for Jesus’ sake,”

know you’re here for a specific purpose, and so is Mid-America.

LET US HELP YOU as we’ve done for so many others. With 90 percent of our graduates still in active ministry, we welcome you to come Live the Word and Light the World for a lifetime.

as our Alma Mater declares. “Lift high the Cross, His love proclaim; Mid-America bear His name.”

M i d-Amer ic A BA P T I S T T H E O L O G I C AL S E M I N ARY

high.lights.

VISION STATEMENT

To prepare students to take their place as effective Christian leaders in their chosen professions, serving with integrity, intelligence, and compassion.

DEGREES PURSUED

43%

40%

Bachelor degrees

1972

YEAR MID-AMERICA WAS FOUNDED

Master degrees Doctoral degrees

10:1 17%

GLOBAL STUDENT BODY 4

STUDENT/FACULTY RATIO Known for being accessible to students, our world-class professors take a genuine interest in you. Smaller class sizes allow you to engage with both peers and professors.

10 5 NATIONS

CONTINENTS

100%

PERCENTAGE OF PROFESSORS WITH EARNED DOCTORATES Preparing you to fulfill your mission means being taught by those with the most advanced degrees in their fields.

55 % 100%

...OR MORE! AMOUNT OF SCHOLARSHIP EACH STUDENT IS AWARDED TOWARDS TUITION

PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WHO AVOID FEDERAL STUDENT LOAN DEBT due to affordable tuition (see pages 18–19).

ON CAMPUS OR ONLINE On campus students Online students

INCREASE IN STUDENT ENROLLMENT from 2018 to 2019.

Mid-America is growing, reaching higher every year!

63% 37%

66%

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engaging. passion.

DEVELOP LEADERSHIP ABILITIES AS YOU GIVE OF YOURSELF TO HELP OTHERS. Mid-America connects the classroom to the community.

Cultivating an evangelistic lifestyle is the basis on which our I chose Mid-America because it has a great staff and a passion for missions and seeing people come to know Jesus!

Jacob Simmons Jonesboro, Arkansas Master of Divinity— Pastoral Ministry

school was founded. This passion influences our president, our faculty, our curriculum, and even our chapel programs. Your presence at Mid-America shows that you share this passion.

The Witness One:Seven program exists to provide

witness one:seven J o h n 1:7

students with hands-on opportunities to live out their faith through community engagement. You’ll discover a variety of

+ 48 166,616 opportunities to fulfill your mission and cultivate a lifelong passion for service.

NUMBER OF WITNESS ONE:SEVEN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES

NUMBER OF PROFESSIONS OF FAITH WITNESSED BY MID-AMERICA STUDENTS SINCE OUR BEGINNING IN 1972

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world.view.

WORLDVIEW INFLUENCES EVERY EDUCATION, whether we realize it or not. Our worldview informs our thoughts, conforms our actions, and transforms our very being. If the worldview at the foundation of your education is biblical, you can be assured your faith will not fail you as you begin

MID-AMERICA’S THREE FOCAL POINTS BIBLE

DISCIPLESHIP MISSIONS + EVANGELISM

fulfilling your mission. Mid-America grounds your education in Scripture, so your future is grounded in it, too.

SINCE OUR BEGINNING IN 1972, Mid-America has boldly built our institution and our degree programs on the timeless, inerrant, and authoritative Word of God. We believe a biblical worldview is the overarching grid through which all knowledge should be organized, interpreted, and valued.

THE BIBLE IS THE FIRST AND FOREMOST of three focal points for which Mid-America is known. We are also distinctive because of our emphasis on MISSIONS AND EVANGELISM (see pages 6–7) and on DISCIPLESHIP. You’ll see these three areas of concentration in all that we do. It’s our DNA, and it becomes the heartbeat of our students and alumni.

At Mid-America, we unapologetically teach with a Christian worldview, letting the Word light the world.

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WORLDVIEW = BIBLICAL At Mid-America, the Bible isn’t another course.

We teach every subject through the lens of a Christian worldview.

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a message from our president.

Today, people are hungry to make a difference. The question is what kind of difference will they make? Lasting change results only from the eternal principles of the Bible, the Word of God. All of life must be lived in conformity to the will of God for each individual’s journey. Considering Mid-America as your school of choice shows you are already interested in making a difference. Being a part of the Mid-America family will begin a lifelong journey of learning the Word of God so that you live out the principles of Scripture in the world. Come join us, and we will make an eternity’s worth of difference together for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.

MICHAEL SPRADLIN, PHD PRESIDENT, MID-AMERICA

a message from our dean.

I am grateful for your interest in Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary. Why might MidAmerica be the place for you? Do you desire to learn God’s Word from professors who affirm the inerrancy and sufficiency of the Bible? Do you want to be trained in a place where the Bible is the foundation of our theology and practice? Would you benefit from learning in an environment where believers are equipped with biblical principles and burn with passion for Jesus? Do you desire to push back the darkness of this world? If your answer to any of these questions is “yes,” I ask you to prayerfully consider Mid-America. We will train you to Live the Word. We will train you to Light the World.

LEE BRAND JR., PHD

DEAN OF MID-AMERICA BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

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transforming. futures.

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masters degrees.

MASTER OF DIVINITY (90 HOURS)

The Master of Divinity (MDIV) program seeks to guide students to understand, develop, and utilize the essential skills for ministry in the effective performance of pastoral leadership roles, support staff roles, and missionary roles, including preaching, teaching, worship leadership, pastoral leadership, pastoral ministry, personal counseling, and evangelism. Further, the MDIV helps the student to prepare for the academic rigors of a Doctor of Ministry or Doctor of Philosophy. Master of Divinity degrees are available in four different tracks: ■■ Pastoral Ministry ■■ Christian Education ■■ Missiology and Intercultural Studies ■■ Biblical Counseling

ACCELERATED MASTER OF DIVINITY

Students who earn a Bachelor of Arts in Christian Studies or Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Counseling may be eligible to earn a Master of Divinity degree with only 60 additional hours. For more information, please visit mabts.edu/ acceleratedMDIV.

MASTER OF ARTS (60 HOURS)

The Master of Arts (MA) program seeks to guide students to develop the ability to understand and interpret the Christian faith in the light of its biblical, theological, and historical dimensions. Students learn to utilize insights gained from these disciplines for the effective practice of Christian education, knowledge of theology, and worship in the church, the community, and the world.

Master of Arts degrees are available in five different tracks: ■■ Christian Education ■■ Theology ■■ Worship ■■ Missiology ■■ Biblical Counseling

UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES

Looking to earn an Associate or Bachelor’s degree in preparation for your Master’s? Providing the same excellent academics and training as our graduate degrees, we offer through The College at Mid-America: ■■Bachelor of Arts ■■ Christian Studies ■■ Biblical Counseling ■■Bachelor of Science ■■ Organizational Leadership ■■ Business Administration ■■Associate ■■ Christian Education ■■ Divinity Learn more at: COLLEGEATMIDAMERICA.COM

100% PERCENTAGE OF MID-AMERICA DEGREES FULLY ACCREDITED SACSCOC Accreditation

online degrees and courses.

With our Master’s programs, you can take one course or an entire degree—100% online and 100% accredited. You get access to a world-class education—anytime, anywhere—you’re also connected

with Mid-America faculty who are committed to being involved in students’ lives. Plus, you’re networked into the student community, a family you take with you as you explore your future.

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doctoral degrees.

DOCTOR OF MINISTRY

The Doctor of Ministry (DMIN) degree has in mind the crucial goal of equipping you to practice ministry at a high level of competency. One reason this program is so beneficial is because effective ministers have designed the courses and also teach them. Weeklong seminars three times a year mean that you don’t have to relocate to Memphis to continue your education, and our modified cohort system means that you’ll have the opportunity to benefit from the experiences of other classmates who have a passion for ministry. Six DMIN specializations are offered: ■■ Biblical Counseling ■■ Christian Education ■■ Church Revitalization ■■ Expository Preaching ■■ Missions ■■ Pastoral Ministry

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DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree is designed to equip students for creative scholarship, independent research, graduate-level teaching, and specialized leadership. The PhD program consists of graduate seminars, comprehensive written examinations, directed reading and research, teaching under faculty supervision, the writing of a dissertation, and an oral examination covering the dissertation and related fields.

The PhD degree may be granted in the following eight fields: ■■ Old Testament ■■ New Testament ■■ Church History ■■ Missiology and Intercultural Studies ■■ Theology ■■ Practical Theology ■■ Biblical Counseling ■■ Education

MOVE GROUPS

MOVE is an acronym for Mentored Online Virtual Education. MOVE groups are small collections of online-only Mid-America students who meet in person with a mentor to discuss their courses and share their witnessing opportunities.

These bimonthly meetings allow the mentor to assist students to contextualize their learning into effective ministry in their local area. MOVE groups are currently concentrated in the Northeast but are not limited to that area. We have MOVE groups in Ohio, Georgia, and as far away as Kenya! God is at work around the world giving us the wonderful opportunity to train those He calls for effective service.

For details on all Mid-America degrees and our online catalog, vist:

mabts.edu

I chose Mid-America because I’d heard great things about the Seminary and staff. I felt led to attend to learn more about the Bible and to become more equipped for ministry.

Laveil Rucker Southaven, Mississippi Master of Divinity—Pastoral Ministry

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world.class.

A WORLD-CLASS EDUCATION AT MID-AMERICA...IT’S NOT JUST ACADEMIC. When you put the Mid-America name on a seminary, a quality education from a worldclass faculty is a given. Mid-America faculty go beyond teaching you; they invest in you. With open-door policies and a shared cafeteria, our faculty are accessible and eager to help you fulfill your mission. What also sets us apart are the value-added benefits that you’ll find only at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary.

YOU’LL ROUND OUT YOUR FULLY-ACCREDITED CLASSROOM EDUCATION with Witness One:Seven, a community engagement program that gives you real-world experience and cultivates leadership (see pages 6–7). Also, you’ll enjoy learning from some of the greatest Christian minds who come to speak at Mid-America Chapel. Whether it’s sharing lunch with professors who are committed to being involved in your life, or hanging out with students on campus who are serious about the Gospel, you’ll learn much outside the classroom just being around the Mid-America community. The Mid-America education has no walls, only ever broadening horizons. Come see how living the Word leads to lighting the world.

combined faculty experience

817 357 826 57

YEARS AS FOLLOWERS OF JESUS

90%

YEARS OF HIGHER EDUCATION TEACHING EXPERIENCE

BOOKS, ARTICLES, PUBLICATIONS, AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO PUBLISHED WORKS

COUNTRIES SERVED IN MINISTRY; EVERY CONTINENT EXCEPT ANTARCTICA

OF FACULTY FORMERLY OR PRESENTLY SERVE AS PASTORS

At Mid-America, the professors regularly draw from the deep well of experience that students might serve most effectively in their specific ministerial and professional settings.

David Shackelford, PhD Chairman and Professor Department of New Testament and Greek

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God led me to Mid-America. I was choosing between three schools, and God did several miraculous things that led me to Mid-America. I am so excited to see what God is going to do!

Kim D. Williams-Conard Cordova, Tennessee Master of Arts—Biblical Counseling

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affordable.freedom.

WORLD-CLASS EDUCATION. DOWN-TO-EARTH TUITION. Why choose between a first-rate education and affordable tuition? At Mid-America, we believe school should be about what you learn, not how much you earn.

Due to our generous donors who pay 55% of the tuition cost, each Master-level student at Mid-America receives a scholarship package totaling $12,887 per year. That means full-time students pay only $10,400 per year for tuition and fees. The value gets

Value of Mid-America education

$23,267

Each student’s scholarship package

$12,887

Student responsibility per year

$10,400

even better at the doctoral level: PhD students pay only $7,090 per year, and DMIN students pay only $3,795 per year.

The idea is to make seminary so affordable that you graduate debt-free—unbound by the burden of heavy student debt—able to minister or serve wherever God directs.

We believe your education should be what’s lasting forever. Not debt.

YEARLY COST COMPARISON $25,000

$23,267 VALUE OF MID-AMERICA EDUCATION

$20,000

$17,508

U.S. AVERAGE TUITION AND FEES FOR MASTER OF DIVINITY (MDIV) According to Association of Theological Schools

$17,508

$15,000

$10,400 $10,000

$5,000

$10,400 MID-AMERICA MDIV TUITION AND FEES AFTER MID-AMERICA SCHOLARSHIP PACKAGE AVAILABLE TO EVERY STUDENT For details on Mid-America costs and scholarships, visit mabts.edu/tuition-fees

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alumni.network.

THE ALUMNI CONNECTION AT MID-AMERICA MEANS YOU’RE NEVER ALONE IN MINISTRY. YOU’RE MID-AMERICA FAMILY FOR LIFE. Seminary is just the start of your journey. When you graduate, the world will be waiting on you—and so will a vast global network of talented alumni with the skills and experience to help you fulfill God’s call on your life.

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Mid-America alumni are Southern Baptist Convention state directors, International Missions Board leaders, country pastors and urban church planters. Once you’re an alumnus, you’re plugged into a supportive and engaged network that offers work placements, mentoring, and the ability to launch your

90% PERCENTAGE OF MID-AMERICA GRADUATES STILL IN ACTIVE MINISTRY

ministerial career. There truly is nothing like it.

During each graduation, our professors take turns praying a blessing over each new graduate. This is a long-standing and cherished tradition at Mid-America.

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campus.community.

MAKE FOREVER FRIENDS AS YOU SHARE LIFE TOGETHER ONLINE OR ON CAMPUS. You’ll enjoy spending time in lecture halls, our 200,000-volume library, and the rest of our state-of-the-art campus. You’ll enjoy the safety and convenience of our apartmentstyle student housing (see pages 24–25), only a five-minute walk from the classrooms.

But it’s the people who make it family—starting with the

connecting. lives.

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Mid-America faculty. They go beyond teaching you; they are mentors and co-laborers— before and after graduation.

After class, hang out with friends in our newly renovated Student Center or work out in the gym and fitness center. Plus, throughout the year, you’ll meet friends at Student Life events— Game Night, Mid-America’s Got Talent, Fall Fest, and more—all designed to create a culture of fun, family, and

Convenient, safe, and secure, our beautiful campus is packed with amenities designed to enhance your learning and overall seminary experience. Learn more at mabts.edu/campus-life-news.

relationships that last a lifetime.

My father was a Mid-America student years ago. He always said what a great school it is and how kind everyone is. So I decided to try it for myself, and I’m glad that I did.

Faith Thompson Arlington, Tennessee Bachelor of Science—Business Administration

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welcome.home.

Welcome home to a gated community of award-winning one-, two-, and threebedroom apartments, complete with a multi-purpose clubhouse and playground for families. Students desiring more minimal accommodations may rent a single bedroom within a three-bedroom apartment. Each apartment is an easy fiveminute walk to classes, library, gym, and more. Plus, there’s always plenty of free parking if you choose to drive to campus.

With unmatched convenience and quality amenities, you’ll feel at home before ever moving in.

ONE BEDROOM

TWO BEDROOM

AMENITIES

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■■ Kitchen includes refrigerator, dishwasher, and disposal ■■ Laundry room with full-size washer & dryer ■■ Walk-in closets in each bedroom ■■ Outdoor deck with storage room

THREE BEDROOM

Colors and furnishings in diagrams are examples only.

Learn more at mabts.edu/student-housing

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Memphis.community.

Life in Memphis has a special flavor you’re going to love—and barbeque is just the beginning! Memphis is the home of the Blues and an active, diverse, world-famous music scene. It’s the home of Elvis and Graceland and the site of historic Civil Rights Movement landmarks. There is no shortage of entertainment in the city, which is home to professional basketball and baseball teams, and the University of Memphis Tigers. Plus, as America’s distribution center—the crossroads of America—the

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Bluff City is home to Fortune 500 companies and world-class research, making it an ideal place to get an education. And, of course, there’s Memphis-style ribs!

You’ll also interact with the community through Mid-America’s Witness One:Seven, a community engagement program that gives you real-world ministry experience and cultivates leadership. It turns Mid-America into a classroom without walls.

Life at Mid-America offers you more than the “seminary experience.” It’s more than just “student life.” It’s a taste of all the good things you can enjoy as you gain an outstanding education—inside and outside the classroom.

75+ MEMPHIS ATTRACTIONS

RESTAURANTS NEAR CAMPUS 20+ MUSEUMS

NBA, MBL, AND NCAA SPORTS TEAMS MEMPHIS ZOO FEDEX FORUM BEALE STREET 3 MAJOR PERFORMING ARTS CENTERS

higher. adventures.

Less than five miles from Mid-America’s gorgeous campus is a community with limitless adventure, entertainment, and shopping. Enjoy countless restaurants, five movie theatres, multiple national grocery store chains, elite gym and fitness centers, golfing, shopping, Ikea, and the Mid-South’s largest indoor mall. Shelby Farms Park, the largest urban park in the United States, offers kayaking, paddle boating, trails, BMX track, zip lining, horseback riding, picnicking, frisbee golf, fishing, laser tag, paintball, restaurants, and much more. At Mid-America, you get a quality education with unparalleled life experiences on campus and right down the street.

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apply.succeed.

THE FIRST STEPS TOWARD THE FUTURE YOU ENVISION ARE VISITING AND APPLYING TO MID-AMERICA. By the time you finish your experience at Mid-America, you’ll be well prepared to accomplish your goals and reach your highest potential. The journey begins with two simple steps: visit and apply. Students tell us that visiting our campus feels like coming home. It’s just the right size, and everything—from the fellow students to the faculty and staff to the worship in Chapel—feels like a place where you belong.

OUR STUDENTS AREN’T JUST ADMITTED, THEY’RE ADOPTED. Mid-America is a family. You’re not just another application.

Another number. Another face in the crowd. Once you join the Mid-America family, you’re part of a lifelong community of forever friends.

We’re here for you every step of the way—from discovery about the Seminary, to applying, to selecting programs of study, to graduation and beyond. Let us welcome you to the Mid-America family. We’re by your side. Living the Word. Lighting the world.

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preview your future. plan your visit.

PREVIEW DAY

Mid-America hosts in-person and virtual Preview Days in March and October. You’ll join in on a class, tour our campus and student housing, attend chapel, and while enjoying lunch, hear from students and faculty.

More info and registration at:

pursue your future. apply online today.

Take the first step toward becoming part of the Mid-America family. Apply online now!

APPLY.MABTS.EDU

MABTS.EDU/PREVIEWDAY

PERSONALIZED VISIT

If you can’t make it to one of our Preview Days, we also offer special personalized campus visits.

For more information on scheduling a visit, contact the Admissions office at 901.751.3060 or admissions@mabts.edu, or go to: VISIT.MABTS.EDU

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APPLY TODAY apply.mabts.edu 2095 Appling Road | Memphis, Tennessee 38016 admissions@mabts.edu 800.968.4508

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