Author Archive

Tuesday, April 27, 2010 // Posted in Learning Tips and Upgrades

MDiv and MML Program Description Modifications

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The accreditation site visit team representing the Higher Learning Commission of North Central Association of Colleges and Schools suggested at the end of their visit in March 2010 that the Master of Divinity and Master of Ministry Leadership program descriptions needed to be clearer and more distinct in describing the target student of each program.

Based on this guidance and feedback received from the Academic Council and faculty, the program statements of the MDiv and MML are being revised to the following:

MASTER OF DIVINITY (3 YEAR PROGRAM)

The Master of Divinity (MDiv) is a professional degree designed for men and women with a bachelor’s degree who serve or desire to serve in such roles as ordained pastor, career missionary, and chaplain. Students develop competencies in Biblical studies, church history, theology, pastoral care, counseling, and preaching/teaching. The curriculum may be completed in three years, although many students take longer due to family, church, and job responsibilities.

MASTER OF MINISTY IN LEADERSHIP (2 YEAR PROGRAM)

The Master of Ministry Leadership (MML) is a professional degree designed for men and women with a bachelor’s degree who serve on a church staff or in other ministry positions and desire to focus on the leadership skills of ministry. The curriculum may be completed in two years, although many students take longer due to family, church, and job responsibilities.  

If you would like to discuss either of these modifications with a Learning Consultant, please email student.advisor@rsconnect.org.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010 // Posted in Learning Tips and Upgrades

Course Improvements, 2010-T3

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Improvements are made to courses each term based on the feedback we receive from both learners and professors. Below are the improvements made recently to courses that will be offered during the May 2010 Term (2010-T3):

Building an Effective Ministry Team (M6405)

  • Dropped required textbook Leading the Team-Based Church: How Pastors and Church Staffs Can Grow Together into a Powerful Fellowship of Leaders by George Cladis (Jossey-Bass, 1999)
  • Added required textbook Staff your Church for Growth: Building Team Ministry in the 21st Century, Author: Gary L. McIntosh (Baker, 2000)
  • Divided “Assessing a Team’s Health Report” assignment into 2 parts
  • View pre-term syllabus copy

Personal Counseling Skills (F6404)

  • Adjusted reading assignments to be more focused
  • Added annotated bibliography assignment requiring students to gather web resources for the top counseling issues on their field of ministry
  • Modified role play exercises to give the exercises more structure and clarity
  • View pre-term syllabus copy

Created To Learn (D5405)

  • Added additional materials and video teaching segments to Unit 3
  • Added 2 major assignments that will be more effective in applying the course material to local church ministry: “Writing Instructional Objectives” and “Educational Program Assessment”
  • View pre-term syllabus copy

Church History I (D6451)/Church History (D3351)

  • Modified the two major assignments to help students strengthen the skill of evaluating ministry programs and issues in light of church history and theology.
  • Assignment 1: Write a “Theological Controversy Paper” and draw contemporary lessons on one of 3 topics: Monarchianism, Nestorianism, or Pelagianism.
  • Assignment 2: Complete a church program assessment based on church history and theology on one of the following: evangelism/missions program, recovery ministry program, or discipleship program.
  • View pre-term syllabus copy of D6451
  • View pre-term syllabus copy of D3351

The Theology & Purpose of Ministry (M5401/M1301)

The Theology & Purpose of Discipleship (D5401)

  • Added Growing True Disciples by George Barna to the optional reading list
  • Divided “Theological Paper on Discipleship” assignment into 3 parts.
  • View pre-term syllabus copy

Thursday, February 4, 2010 // Posted in Learning Tips and Upgrades

Kindle Location #’s To Be Added

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Starting with the March 2010 Term, course forum post instructions and reading questions that reference a specific course textbook page number will also show the Kindle location number as well (assuming the course textbook is also available for the Kindle).

The Kindle location number will be provided using this format:

K-1022

A growing number of Rockbridge Seminary students now use the Amazon Kindle and order their required textbooks in a Kindle format. Their feedback helped the seminary realize the need for adding the Kindle location number to assignments where a specific page number is referenced.

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Friday, January 15, 2010 // Posted in Learning Tips and Upgrades

Library Expansion 2010

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When the Rockbridge Seminary Library was launched three years ago, the two premium databases for religious and theological journals were provided for students:

ATLA Religion Database™ with ATLASerials™ combines the premier index to journal articles, book reviews, and collections of essays in all fields of religion with ATLA’s online collection of major religion and theology journals. (Full text for more than 266,000 electronic articles & book reviews)

Religion & Philosophy Collection™ is a comprehensive database covering topics such as world religions, major denominations, biblical studies, religious history, epistemology, political philosophy, philosophy of language, moral philosophy and the history of philosophy. (Nearly 300 full-text journals)

In just the past month, more databases and e-encyclopedias have been added, significantly increasing the number of learning resources available to Rockbridge Seminary students:

Academic Search™ Premier contains indexing and abstracts for over 8,450 journals, with full text for more than 4,600 of those titles. PDF backfiles to 1975 or further are available for well over one hundred journals, and searchable cited references are provided for more than 1,000 titles.

New Testament Abstracts Online is a product of a partnership between ATLA and Boston College. The database is an indispensable research and bibliographic aid for scholars, librarians, clergy and students of the New Testament and its historical milieu. The database contains more than 42,000 article abstracts, 1,200 review abstracts, 15,600 book abstracts, and 50 software abstracts.

Old Testament Abstracts Online is a product of a partnership between ATLA and the Catholic Biblical Association. The database features indexing and abstracts for journal articles, monographs, multi-author works, and software related to Old Testament studies. Abstracts from over 450 journals are included. All abstracts are in English, regardless of the language of the original work. Topics covered include antiquities, archaeology, biblical theology, philology and much more. Coverage in the database dates back to 1978.

Christian Periodical Index® provides indexing for evangelical Christian journals providing both article and review indexing. Current indexing includes over 130 titles and over 250 journals are in the database. Currently, the database has indexing back to 1976. Its equivalent product, the paper version, has indexing back to 1956. An ongoing project of retrospective indexing will continue to add indexing back to the earliest years of the index. The index contains over 136,170 articles and over 92,000 reviews.

World History Collection™ offers a global look at history with content from Africa, Asia, North and South America, Europe and the Middle East. World History Collection contains cover-to-cover full text for 150 titles, including many peer-reviewed journals. Full text dates as far back as 1964. These hand-selected information sources cover a wide range of historical topics including anthropology, art, culture, economics, government, heritage, military, politics, regional issues, and more.

Humanities International Complete™ provides full text of hundreds of journals, books and other published sources from around the world. Produced by Whitston Publishing (an imprint of EBSCO Publishing), this database includes all data from Humanities International Index™ (more than 2,200 journals and 2.71 million records) plus unique full-text content, much of which is not found in other databases. The database includes full text for more than 1030 journals. Humanities International Complete™ is an invaluable resource for students, researchers, and educators interested in all aspects of the humanities, with worldwide content pertaining to literary, scholarly and creative thought.

The PsycINFO® database, American Psychological Association’s (APA) renowned resource for abstracts of scholarly journal articles, book chapters, books, and dissertations, is the largest resource devoted to peer-reviewed literature in behavioral science and mental health. It contains over 2.6 million citations and summaries dating as far back as the 1600s. Ninety-nine percent of the covered material is peer-reviewed. The database also includes information about the psychological aspects of related fields such as medicine, psychiatry, nursing, sociology, education, pharmacology, technology, linguistics, anthropology, business, law, and others.

Catholic Periodical and Literature Index (CPLI) Online is the product of a partnership between ATLA and the Catholic Library Association. The database covers all aspects of the Catholic faith and lifestyle, and includes over 436,000 index citations of articles and reviews published in Roman Catholic periodicals, Papal documents, church promulgations, and books about the Catholic faith that are authored by Catholics and/or produced by Catholic publishers.

Countries and Their Cultures Encyclopedia What are the cultural similarities within a country that sets it apart from others? A team of anthropologists and social scientists have taken a close look at more than 200 countries to document the myriad ways in which culture — every bit as much as geographic borders — defines and separates the nations of the world. Using a standard entry format for easy comparison, each country’s shared values, behaviors and cultural variations are surveyed — from foods and rituals to pastimes and arts. This 4-vol. set is lavishly illustrated with more than 1,000 photographs and more than 200 maps.

Encyclopedia of Counseling This ultimate resource is designed for laypeople who are interested in learning about the science and practice of counseling. It is also a useful source for undergraduate and graduate students and professionals from other specialties to learn about counseling in all its forms and manifestations. The Encyclopedia of Counseling provides a comprehensive overview of the theories, models, techniques and challenges involved in professional counseling. With approximately 600 entries, this definitive resource covers all of the major theories, approaches and contemporary issues in counseling. The four volumes of this Encyclopedia are flexibly designed so they can be use together as a set or separately by volume, depending on the need of the user.

Encyclopedia of Educational Psychology With more than 275 contributions, the Encyclopedia of Educational Psychology opens up the broad discipline of educational psychology to a wide and general audience. Written by experts in each area, the entries in this far-reaching resource provide an overview and an explanation of the major topics in the field of human development. While the Encyclopedia includes some technical topics related to educational psychology, for the most part, it focuses on those topics that evoke the interest of the everyday reader.

Encyclopedia of Sociology Winner of the 1993 Dartmouth Medal, this classic reference has been updated to reflect many changes in society and in the field of sociology in recent years. Articles covering core issues such as race, poverty, violence, economics, pregnancy and abortion have been updated and expanded, and completely new articles have been written on topics such as the Internet, privacy and epidemiology.

Visit the Rockbridge Seminary Library to find out more. Theological Librarian Jim Mancuso is available to assist you or answer any questions you may have about these new library resources.

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Friday, January 8, 2010 // Posted in Meet A Rockbridge Seminary Online Student

Meet Rock’r Prof Hopelyn Brown

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Dr. Hopelyn M. Brown earned the Bachelor of Social Work degree at Oral Roberts University, the Master of Business Administration and Doctor of Strategic Leadership degrees at Regent University. She teaches “Developing the Focused Life.”
 
My Hometown: Born in Bull Bay, St. Andrew, Jamaica; currently live in Maple Ridge, BC (Vancouver Area) Canada.
My Family: Married to Audley, parent to 3 grown boys (16, 22, 24)
My Church: Christian Life Assembly, Maple Ridge, BC.
My Ministry: Life Purpose Coaching/Training – Coaching and instructing Christian women in leadership. CBWN – Christian Business Women Network – Helping Christian business women to connect and network within their communities.
One word that describes me: Faithful
In my spare time: Read, go for walks, spontaneous adventure drives, play scrabble with family
My favourite Bible verse: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
My spiritual hero: Deborah
My vision: Transforming Lives into purposeful living
What I like most about Rockbridge Seminary: The learner-directed approach and its interactive community of learners

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Friday, December 18, 2009 // Posted in Learning Tips and Upgrades

2010 Teaching Faculty

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Rockbridge Seminary
2010 Teaching Faculty

Martin T. Akins is Pastor of First Baptist Church, Bedford, Texas. Dr. Akins earned the Bachelor of Arts degree at Howard Payne University, the Master of Divinity and the Doctor of Philosophy degrees at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Jack M. Allen is Lead Planter of Austin Hope Church, Austin, Texas. Dr. Allen earned the Bachelor of Journalism degree at The University of Texas, the Master of Divinity and Doctor of Philosophy degrees at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Randy L. Bennett* is Director of Missions for Kern County Southern Baptist Association of churches. Dr. Bennett earned the Bachelor of Arts degree at California Baptist University, the Master of Divinity and the Doctor of Ministry degrees at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary.

Rhonda Boggs is Director of Global Outreach at Immanuel Baptist Church in Highland, California. Dr. Boggs earned the Bachelor of Arts and the Master of Science in Counseling Psychology degrees at California Baptist University. She also earned the Master of Arts in Christian Education and the Doctor of Ministry degrees at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary.

Jeffrey A. Bradley, Sr. is Cofounder of Life ReNewed Ministries in Buckner, Kentucky. Dr. Bradley earned the Bachelor of Arts degree at Ouachita Baptist University, the Master of Religious Education degree at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and the Doctor of Education at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Curtis W. Brannan is Retired Navy Chaplain and Chaplain/Biblical Studies Teacher at Grace Classical Academy in Springfield, Missouri. Dr. Brannan earned the Bachelor of Arts degree at Missouri State University, the Master of Divinity degree at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and the Doctor of Ministry degree at Talbot Theological Seminary.

Katie F. Brazelton is Founder of Life Purpose Coaching Centers International, based in Rancho Santa Margarita, California. Dr. Brazelton earned the Bachelor of Arts degree at California State University, the Master of Arts degree at California Lutheran College, the Master of Divinity degree at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, and the Doctor of Philosophy degree at United States International University.

David B. Brown is Worship Pastor with Tri-Village Christian Church near Columbus, Ohio. Dr. Brown earned the Bachelor of Arts degree at Johnson Bible College, the Master of Arts degree at Hope International University, and the Doctorate of Worship Studies at The Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies.

Jeffrey D. Brown* is Assistant Professor of Christian Ministries at Hannibal LaGrange College in Hannibal, Missouri. Dr. Brown earned the Bachelor of Arts degree at Hannibal LaGrange College, the Master of Divinity and the Doctor of Philosophy degrees at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Hopelyn M. Brown is a certified Life Purpose Coach and Founder of the Hopelyn International Network, Maple Ridge/British Columbia, Canada. Dr. Brown earned the Bachelor of Social Work degree at Oral Roberts University, the Master of Business Administration and Doctor of Strategic Leadership degrees at Regent University.

Ingrid Buch-Wagler is Professor of Conflict Management at Trinity College and Theological Seminary. Dr. Buch-Wagler earned the Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees at University of British Columbia, the Doctor of Philosophy degree at Trinity College and Seminary, and the Doctor of Philosophy (ABD) at University of Washington.

Todd S. Buck is Pastor of First Baptist Church, Clewiston, Florida. Dr. Buck earned the Bachelor of Arts degree at Missouri Baptist University, the Master of Divinity and Doctor of Philosophy degrees at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary.

Randy Carney is Pastor of Unity Free Will Baptist Church in West Frankfort, Illinois. Dr. Carney earned the Bachelor of Science degree at Southern Illinois University, the Master of Divinity degree at Memphis Theological Seminary, and the Doctor of Ministry degree at Luther Rice Seminary.

Kevin D. Chenoweth is Pastor of Group Life at Harvest Bible Chapel in Naperville, Illinois. Dr. Chenoweth earned the Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees at John Brown University, the Master of Arts in Religious Education degree at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and the Doctor of Education Ministry degree at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Benjamin Cocar is Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministries at Luther Rice University in Lithonia, Georgia. Dr. Cocar earned the Bachelor of Theology degree at Bucharest Baptist Theological Seminary, the Master of Divinity degree at Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary, the Doctor of Theology degree at Trinity Theological Seminary, and the Doctor of Ministry degree at Grace Theological Seminary.

Robert A. Condly is Founding Pastor of Sanctuary Church of the Lake Country, Hartland, Wisconsin. Dr. Condly earned the Bachelor of Arts at Oral Roberts University, the Master of Arts at Fuller Theological Seminary, and the Doctor of Philosophy at Marquette University.

Mark W. Cook is Founder of Compass Partners in Fort Worth, Texas. Dr. Cook earned the Bachelor of Arts degree at Hardin-Simmons University, the Master of Arts in Religious Education and the Doctor of Philosophy degrees at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Edward M. Eastman, Jr. is Senior Pastor of Greenwoods Community Church in Ashley Falls, Massachusetts. Dr. Eastman earned the Bachelor of Science degree at Philadelphia Biblical University, the Master of Theology degree at Dallas Theological Seminary, and the Doctor of Ministry degree at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

Daryl R. Eldridge is President and Cofounder of Rockbridge Seminary. Dr. Eldridge earned the Bachelor of Arts degree at Drury University, the Master of Arts in Religious Education and the Doctor of Philosophy degrees at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Dean N. Finley* is Professor (Religion) at Missouri State University and Professor (Philosophy) at Ozark Technical Community College. Dr. Finley earned the Bachelor of Arts in Education degree at Missouri State University, the Master of Religious Education, the Master of Divinity, and the Doctor of Philosophy degrees at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Gary L. French is Founder and Executive Director for Life ReNewed Ministries. He is also a therapist at Ten Broeck Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. Dr. French earned the Associate of Arts degree from Clarke Memorial College, the Bachelor of Arts in Theology degree from William Carey College, the Master of Christian Education and the Doctor of Education degrees from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

F. William Gullick is Senior Pastor of Martha Lake First Baptist Church in Lynnwood, Washington. Dr. Gullick earned the Bachelor of Arts degree at Blue Mountain College, the Master of Divinity degree at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary, and the Doctor of Ministry at Bakke Graduate University.

Beverly C. Jessup is Clinical Director, Pastoral Care at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Dr. Jessup earned the Bachelor of Arts degree at Asbury College and the Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Myron C. Kauk is Professor of Biblical Studies and Theology at Trinity College and Theological Seminary. Dr. Kauk earned the Bachelor of Arts degree at University of the Pacific, the Master of Divinity and Master of Theology degrees at Talbot Seminary, and the Doctor of Philosophy degree at Westminster Theological Seminary.

Kenneth W. Kelly is Senior Pastor of Chapin Baptist Church in Chapin, South Carolina. Dr. Kelly earned the Bachelor of Science degree at Clemson University, the Master of Divinity and Doctor of Philosophy degrees at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Thomas E. Lovorn is Senior Pastor of God’s Storehouse Baptist Church, Richmond, Virginia. Dr. Lovorn earned the Bachelor of Arts degree at Mississippi College, the Master of Divinity degree at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and the Doctor of Theology at Luther Rice Seminary.

Dave McFadden is Pastor of First Baptist Church in Portales, New Mexico. Dr. McFadden earned the Bachelor of Arts degree at New Mexico State University, the Master of Divinity and the Doctor of Ministry degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Kerry R. Mackey is Pastor at Hope Crossing Community Church in San Juan Capistrano, California. He earned the Bachelor of Science degree at Stephen F. Austin State University and the Master of Arts degree at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Randy C. Millwood* is Missionary/Team Strategist for Leadership Development and Support/Small Groups/Spiritual Formation for the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware. Dr. Millwood earned the Bachelor of Science degree at Cumberland College, the Master of Religious Education and Doctor of Education degrees at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

David M. Miracle is Senior Pastor of Northridge Park Baptist Church in San Antonio, Texas. Dr. Miracle earned the Bachelor of Science degree at Texas Tech University, the Master of Arts in Religious Education and the Doctor of Education Ministry degrees at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Daniel J. Morgan is Director, Nehemiah Project for Church Planting at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Associate Professor of Missions. Dr. Morgan earned the Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Washington, the Master of Divinity and Doctor of Philosophy degrees at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

John W. Neesley is Senior Pastor of Lazybrook Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. Dr. Neesley earned the Bachelor of Arts degree at Louisiana State University, the Master of Divinity degree at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and the Doctor of Philosophy degree at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

Lendell L. Nolan is Pastor of Ministry at Grace Community Church in Roswell, New Mexico. Dr. Nolan earned the Bachelor of Arts degree at Southwest Baptist University, the Master of Divinity and the Doctor of Philosophy degrees at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

T. Michael O’Neal is Senior Pastor and Church Planter, Peace Community Church in Nashville, Tennessee. Dr. O’Neal earned the Bachelor of Arts degree at Union University, the Master of Divinity and Doctor of Philosophy degrees at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. 

Rodney Mark Nickens is Assistant Professor of Church History at Carolina Evangelical Divinity School, Greensboro, North Carolina. Dr. Nickens earned the Bachelor of Arts degree at Wingate University, the Master of Divinity and Doctor of Philosophy degrees at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Randal V. Outland is Pastor of Spilman Memorial Baptist Church in Kinston, North Carolina. Dr. Outland earned the Bachelor of Arts degree at North Carolina State University, the Master of Divinity degree at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and the Doctor of Ministry degree at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Craig Price is Associate Professor of New Testament and Greek at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Dr. Price earned the Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees at University of Florida, the Master of Divinity and the Doctor of Philosophy degrees at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Charles R. Redding is Associate Pastor for Preschool, Children and Families/Administration at Lamar Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas. Dr. Redding earned the Bachelor of Science degree at University of North Alabama, the Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Counseling, the Master of Arts in Christian Education, and the Doctor of Philosophy degrees at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Kevin Riggs is Senior Pastor of Franklin Community Church in Franklin, Tennessee. Dr. Riggs earned the Bachelor of Arts degree at Free Will Baptist Bible College, the Master of Arts degree at Trevecca Nazarene University, and the Doctor of Philosophy degree at Oxford Graduate School.

Gary P. Rohrmayer is the National Director of Church Planting for the Baptist General Conference. He earned the Bachelor of Arts degree at Moody Bible Institute and the Master of Arts degree at Moody Graduate School.

Hunter B. Sherman is Senior Pastor of Bellview Baptist Church in Springfield, Missouri. Dr. Sherman earned the Bachelor of Arts degree at California State University at Long Beach, the Master of Divinity degree at Talbot Theological Seminary, and the Doctor of Philosophy degree at the California Graduate School of Theology.

Benjamin S. Sigman is Teaching/Executive Pastor of Timberlake Church in Redmond, Washington. Dr. Sigman earned the Bachelor of Arts degree at University of Washington, and the Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees at Fuller Theological Seminary.

J. Sam Simmons is Vice President for Learning Design and Student Services and Cofounder of Rockbridge Seminary. Dr. Simmons earned the Bachelor of Arts degree at University of Alabama at Birmingham, the Master of Divinity and Doctor of Philosophy degrees at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary.

Mark E. Simpson is Dean of Innovative Learning at Trinity College and Theological Seminary. Dr. Simpson earned the Bachelor of Arts degree at Spring Arbor College, the Master of Arts in Christian Education at Denver Seminary, the Master of Arts in Education degree at DePaul University, and the Doctor of Philosophy degree at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.

Alan Stoddard is Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church, Ruidoso, New Mexico. Dr. Stoddard earned the Graduate Diploma in Theology, the Master of Divinity at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and the Doctor of Ministry degree at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

William M. Victor is Regional Collegiate Ministry Coordinator for the Missouri Baptist Convention. Dr. Victor earned the Bachelor of Arts degree at Saint Louis University, the Master of Divinity in Biblical Languages and the Doctor of Philosophy degrees at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Gary W. Waller is Vice President for Learning Management and Academic Services and Cofounder of Rockbridge Seminary. Dr. Waller earned the Bachelor of Science degree at Baylor University, the Master of Religious Education and the Doctor of Philosophy degrees at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a second Doctor of Philosophy degree at University of North Texas.

Kenneth D. Williams is Pastor of West Cobb Baptist Church in Marietta, Georgia. Dr. Williams earned the Bachelor of Music Education degree at Florida State University, the Master of Arts degree at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and the Doctor of Philosophy degree at Regent University.

Darryl H. Wilson* is Director of the Sunday School Department for the Kentucky Baptist Convention. Dr. Wilson earned the Bachelor of Arts degree at Belmont University, the Master of Divinity in Christian Education and the Doctor of Education degrees at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

*Department Team Leader

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Monday, November 23, 2009 // Posted in Learning Tips and Upgrades

Capstone Course Changes

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Effective January 2010, the Capstone Course will change in three major ways, guided by feedback received from students:

1. Students must complete their E-Portfolio (minus Capstone documents) and request a review PRIOR to registering. See “Portfolio Guidelines & Tips” for instructions on how to build your E-Portfolio and request a review.

2. The Capstone Course will become a one-term course. All students will pay Capstone tuition based ONLY on ONE term (the MDiv, MML52, MML39 and DML39 have additional credit hours attached to the Capstone Course based on non-course project work documented in the E-Portfolio but these additional credit hours will no longer be figured into the Capstone Course tuition rate).

3. The Capstone Course will include learning exercises that help a student develop life and ministry focus BEYOND seminary, including forum discussions and required textbook reading similar to other Rockbridge courses.

Preview the new Capstone Course syllabus

Friday, October 30, 2009 // Posted in Meet A Rockbridge Seminary Online Student

Meet Rock’r PJ Holmertz

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Name: PJ HolmertzRock'r PJ Holmertz (West Des Moines, Iowa)
Hometown: West Des Moines Iowa
Academic Program: MDiv
My family: Drop dead gorgeous, supportive and part-time proof reader wife Emily, the blond tornado of talk – Sarah (3 yrs), our jolly bump on the carpet – Aiden (10 months)
My church: Valley Church – West Des Moines Iowa, not a perfect church but as close as they come
My ministry: My job description lists me as a Ministry Associate of Care and Counseling. I help to facilitate congregational care through our Stephen Ministry, Marriage Matters and midsized group care structure. I also do the bulk of our premarital counseling. Along with this I am working with the men’s ministry and African ministry. There are plenty of other things that come to us as assigned.
One word that describes me: Disciple
In my spare time: Seriously, spare time?
Favorite Bible verse: Luke 1:37 “For nothing is impossible with God.”
Spiritual hero: Martin Luther
Vision: To encourage and equip the body of Christ for effective ministry internally and externally.
Why I applied to Rockbridge Seminary: After achieving my undergraduate degree in Bible Theology I knew that I wanted to work towards my Masters degree. I also knew that I wanted to begin developing my skills in the context of the local church. I was able to find a ministry position that was a dream come true but I wasn’t able to find a seminary nearby that I could attend to attain my Masters degree. When I found Rockbridge I knew that it would fit my needs perfectly and it would give me practical training along with a solid biblical foundation for my ministry.
What I like most about Rockbridge Seminary: I have found that every course at Rockbridge has been immediately applicable to my ministry. In college I often found myself learning great theory but forgetting it as soon as the class was over because I didn’t have opportunities to use that information. At Rockbridge the information I have learned has stayed with me because I am acting on that information as I learn it. I can not only look back at a particular course but at the effects that that course had on my ministry at that time. With every course I become a more effective minister of the gospel.

Friday, October 9, 2009 // Posted in Learning Tips and Upgrades

Assignment Upgrades-Christian Worldview and Theology

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Based on feedback from students, major assignments in the course Christian Worldview and Theology were upgraded to the following:

Personal Worldview Statement
The purpose of this assignment is to help you expand your Christian worldview to address the most popular arguments being used by contemporary atheist writers:

  • Christianity is a divisive and oppressive force (Dawkins)
  • Christianity is not a rational enterprise (Harris)
  • Christianity is an illusion of an illusion (Hitchens)
  • Christianity poisons everything (Hitchens)
  • Christianity is violent, irrational, intolerant, allied to racism and tribalism and bigotry, invested in ignorance and hostile to free inquiry, contemptuous of women and coercive toward children. (Hitchens)

To complete this assignment, pick one of the points above and write a 750-1000 word “Personal Worldview Statement” that addresses it from a Christian worldview perspective.

Worldview Interviews
The purpose of this assignment is to help you gain a better understanding of the worldviews of unchurched persons.

To complete this assignment, complete a 2000-3000 word paper that analyzes five interviews with unchurched individuals based on Mark Bertrand’s four starting points of Christian thought (Rethinking Worldview, chapter 2). Here are the guidelines for your interviews and paper:

  1. Develop an assessment tool of up to eight questions that will help you engage an unchurched person in conversation about Bertrand’s four pillars.
  2. Administer your worldview assessment tool to no less than 5 individuals whom you know as unchurched.
  3. Organize your paper using the following sections: “My Interview Questions and Approach,” “The Interviews,” “What I Learned about Worldviews,” and “Outreach Lessons for the Church.”

Christian Worldview and Theology is a required course in Rockbridge Seminary’s Master of Divinity program and an elective for the Master of Ministry Leadership program. The course will be offered next during the October 2009 Term starting October 27.

Download course syllabus

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Friday, October 2, 2009 // Posted in Meet A Rockbridge Seminary Online Student

Meet Rock’r Prof Randy Millwood

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Name: Randy MillwoodRandy Millwood (Rock'r Prof from Owings Mills, Maryland)
Hometown: Owings Mills, MD (From ATL, GA, originally – long, circular route to find ‘home’ in the Mid-Atlantic)
What I teach at Rockbridge Seminary: Students! [Seriously, I work with our 'fellowship' department courses, and lead the small groups course]
My family: Adele (my administrative assistant, ministry partner, high school sweetheart, best friend and wife of 33+ years); 2 adult sons (Josh and Caleb) – both married to our ‘daughters-in-life’ (Josh to Elena and Caleb to Abigail). Caleb and Abigail are the parents of our first grandchild (a boy named Axel) and Josh and Elena are expecting our 2nd (a girl to be named KayLee… at least for now). We also cater to the needs of one old, spoiled Corgi.
My church: Horizon Church… a 7 year old congregation reaching, largely, 20 and 30-somethings in the burbs of Baltimore.
My ministry: In addition to working with RS, I am a coach/friend to leaders of churches in the ‘Baptist’ tradition, affiliated with the Baptist Convention of Maryland & Delaware. I work with those pastors/staffers in areas such as the nurture and care of their own souls, the development of ‘team’ strategies/equipping those teams, and continuing education. I also come alongside of their churches to encourage and offer assistance with relational spiritual formation designs and small group (off-campus) ministries. In my Church, Adele/I have been serving as small group leaders.
One word that describes me: oxymoron
In my spare time: I watch/follow major league baseball, count the days from taking down Christmas decorations until I can put them back up again, love a good wooden roller coaster, and dance around the house to virtually all forms of music. I am learning ways to use Twitter these days, and am a plodder when it comes to reading… but I plod along!
Favorite Bible verse: That is very dynamic, but right now I’m spending lots of time around the implications of John 14:26 — “But when the Father sends the Advocate (counselor) as my representative — that is, the Holy Spirit, HE will teach you everything and HE will remind you of everything I have told you.”
Spiritual hero: Barnabas (hands down)
Vision: I want to help… to help pastoral leaders find rhythm that recognizes the Voice of God, and courage to follow Him… to help churches think more organically and missionally rather than always ‘counting’ and ‘gathering’… I want to help.
Why I teach for Rockbridge Seminary: The RS strategy builds indigenous leaders for local churches… it provides a way for people who submit life to God in Christ to rise up through a local churches discipling strategies to own the vision of that Church – to equip their friends, neighbors, work associates and family members. I like that! The strategy is also built around solid adult learning pathways (the focus of my own personal study has been in adult learning and so few schools equip men/women for ministry informed by such). Third, mentorship and practice are weaved into every course… that means holistic growth rather than one sided growth. Finally, the peer learning community, born out of common reading and dynamic dialog, meets the Holy Spirit in His role as ‘Teacher’. Fantastic! Who wouldn’t want to be part of something like that?!
What I like most about Rockbridge Seminary: I am constantly surprised with the depth of relationships that are formed in these online courses and the power of lessons discovered (rather than ‘told’) through the dialogs. Students from all over the world wade out into confessional living and challenging learning dialogs and then carry those practices into their congregations. This cannot help but impact the health of those local churches. Anything that is so ‘Bride-building’ is a good way to invest life.

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What People Are Saying...

“...the Rockbridge style of learning is far superior to the other seminary experiences we have had.”

Angela, Pastoral Staff, California