Philosophy

of Baptist College of Ministry

Training Leaders

Who Train Leaders

The fourth chapter of Ephesians provides a succinct expression of the proper philosophy of church ministry. Christians are to “walk worthy” of their calling, and the leadership of the local church is to equip them to do it. Certainly, pastors and evangelists must be specially trained for leadership and for the proclamation of the Truth, but the mandate of Ephesians 4 is that every believer be prepared for and dedicated to the work of the ministry. Every believer is a minister and therefore every believer must be properly trained and equipped for the ministry.

The church leader of Ephesians 4 is not described as a ministry professional who is prepared to perform well before others.  Rather, he is a minister who matures the saints and equips other ministry leaders in the church. He is passionate about effectively communicating the truth he has learned to others so that they will in turn be able to “teach others also” (II Timothy 2:2). Baptist College of Ministry and Theological Seminary exists to train men and women to be godly leaders who are able to equip the next generation of leaders.

Our Mission

Equipping Leaders Through the local church

Though other institutions have trained many effective leaders in God's churches, it is properly and primarily the responsibility of the local church - “the pillar and ground of the truth” - to provide such training. We believe that God is using Baptist College of Ministry and Theological Seminary, as an arm of Falls Baptist Church, to prepare and propel the next generation of God's choice servants into the harvest fields of the world.

The mission of Baptist College of Ministry is to provide a Christ-focused, faith-based, local church, liberal arts education, discipling young men and women who are in union with the enthroned Christ to wholly surrender their lives to Him and to experience the fullness of Holy Spirit power in order to reach a lost world for Christ.

Christ-Focused

Christ is not only our Eternal Life and Savior, He is our love, our hope, our way, and our goal. When our focus is on Him, the rest of our life and theology falls into place. Imbalance comes when our focus drifts.

Faith-based

All the doctrine and precision in the world can never replace the need for faith—to believe and depend upon the divine realities of God and His Word. Without faith, it is impossible to please Him—and we want to!

Local Church

The local church is God's plan for discipleship in this age. True ministry training should be in the true place of ministry. To learn ministry without the local church is like learning to swim without water—it's all theory.

Mentorship Model

Our students are mentored by faculty and staff who are experienced in local-church ministry. All faculty currently serve in church ministry and give our students regular feedback in their ministry effectiveness.

Core Values

Pursuing Excellence for others.

The Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 2:2 commanded, "And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." That's why, from admission to commencement, Baptist College of Ministry is committed to teaching our students how to pass down what God has done in their lives to the next generation.

This passion to equip our students to train leaders demands a higher level of excellence from our students. We pursue mastery, not for the sake of ministry performance before others, but for the purpose of effectively transferring truth to the next generation of leaders. With this ultimate mission in mind, we've distilled our ministry training down to four core values.

Devotion

I will hear God's voice and obey.

A life that pleases God begins with hearing and obeying God. Learn not only how to walk with God, but how to spend significant time with God on a daily, consistent basis. A powerful time in the closet always precedes a power time in the pulpit.

Declaration

I will pass on to others what I have learned.

No lesson is to be kept to ourselves. That's why we teach our students not only how to learn, but how to effectively communicate what they've learned to others. If the lessons we have learned are never transferred to others, our mission is a failure.

Discipline

I will order my life as an example to follow.

It is pointless to preach a message that our lives do not demonstrate. That's why we teach our students the value of good character and self-discipline, so that their message is never contradicted by our life. Leaders must set the example, not only by their words, but by their actions.

Discipleship

I will lead others to spiritual victory.

It's one thing to declare the truth to others; it's another thing to be determined for their victory. That's why we place a high value on leading others to victory, not only in our church ministries, but also among our peers within the student body and dormitories.