Bethel Seminary of the East Teaching Centers

The Teaching Centers

Bethel Seminary of the East offers classes at four locations in the Northeastern United States: Dresher, Pa.; Auburn, Mass.; Flushing, N.Y.; and metropolitan Washington, D.C. In each area, classes are held at churches. These multiple locations are intended to make seminary education accessible to students and enable them to remain in their local churches and communities. The use of existing church facilities also enables the seminary to invest its resources in the development of people rather than in buildings. Bethel Seminary of the East is grateful to these churches for the use of their facilities.

Visiting the Centers

The seminary welcomes inquiries by mail, phone, email, or personal visit. Interested students are encouraged to attend the Community Day of Learning or to arrange a visit at the center they wish to attend. Seminary faculty, staff, and students are available to discuss how the seminary may be able to meet a prospective student’s leadership development needs.

Each center hosts the Community Day of Learning for students, their mentors, and prospective students on the first day of class each quarter. The Community Day of Learning is designed to acquaint prospective students with the programs offered by Bethel Seminary of the East, to provide an opportunity to meet professors and students, and to attend classes.

Prospective students are also welcome to visit a center on any class day. Contact the appropriate center office to arrange your visit. The director will be glad to meet with interested persons to answer questions and provide orientation. Prospective students are invited to dine with students or faculty and share in an informal time of getting acquainted, as well as to share in the more formal interaction of classes.

Philadelphia Center

Chelten Baptist Church
1605 North Limekiln Pike
Dresher, PA 19025

215.659.1000
215.641.4804 (fax)
Tyrone Perkins, Philadelphia Center Director

The Philadelphia Center is located in the northern Philadelphia suburb of Dresher on the campus of the Chelten Baptist Church on North Limekiln Pike (Route 152). Classes are held primarily on Tuesdays; some Saturday classes are also offered.

Directions to the Philadelphia Center

From PA Turnpike, Exit 339 Fort Washington:
The exit ramp ends at Pennsylvania Avenue. Turn right onto Commerce Drive. Continue straight past one stop sign and one traffic light. (Street name changes to Pinetown Road, then to Broad Street.) You will come to a “T” in the road. Turn right onto Limekiln Pike. After approximately one mile, turn right into the parking lot of Chelten Baptist Church.

From PA Turnpike, Exit 343 Willow Grove:
Follow Route 611 north. Turn left onto Blair Mill Road (PBC/Penn. Business Campus on far left corner). Continue the entire length of Blair Mill to Route 63 (Welsh Road). Turn right onto Welsh (Allegro Company on left side). At the first traffic light turn left onto Dreshertown Road. At the first traffic light turn right onto Limekiln Pike. After approximately one-half mile, turn left into the parking lot of Chelten Baptist Church.

From Philadelphia:
Take 309 north. Exit at Fort Washington (immediately after the PA Turnpike Fort Washington exit). Follow directions from Fort Washington (above).

From the North:
Take 309 south to Butler Pike exit and turn left. Turn right onto Meetinghouse Road (large sign for Temple University, Ambler campus). Follow road’s entire length. Turn right onto Limekiln Pike. After approximately one-half mile turn left into the parking lot of Chelten Baptist Church.

New England Center

Faith Baptist Church
22 Faith Avenue
Auburn, MA 01501-1806

508.272.7422
508.839.5657 (fax)
508.272.7422, Noel Sherry, Director

The New England Center is conveniently located in Auburn, Mass., at Faith Baptist Church. Classes are held primarily on Thursdays; some Saturday classes are also offered.

Directions to the New England Center

From East or West on MASS Pike (I-90):
Take Exit 10 (Auburn, Worcester). After going through the toll booth, take the exit ramp to the right (Route 12 South, Charlton). Turn left at the light onto Faith Avenue. The church is .2 miles on the right.

From Connecticut on I-395:
Take Exit 6B (Route 20 West, Charlton). Do NOT take exit 6A, 20 East, Auburn. Follow 20 West over the interstate. Take the first right onto Faith Avenue. Faith Baptist Church is about .4 miles on the left.

From West on Routes 12 or 20:
Follow Route 12 or 20 to where they merge. When they divide again at the light, follow Route 12 East. Travel approximately .7 miles to Friendly’s Restaurant on the right. Faith Avenue is the next right after Friendly’s.

From the North:
Take I-290 South to Exit 6B (Route 20 West, Charlton). Exit onto Route 20 and take an immediate right onto Faith Avenue. The church is .4 miles on the left.

Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Center

First Baptist Church of Glenarden
3600 Brightseat Road
Landover, MD 20785-2414

301.386.9415
301.386.6270 (fax)
301.386.6275, Esther Gordon, Director

The Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Center is located at First Baptist Church of Glenarden, 3600 Brightseat Road, Landover, Md. Classes are held on Thursdays and Fridays.

Directions to the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Center

From North/South:
Take I-495/95 Capital Beltway to Exit 17B, Landover. (Landover Mall will be on your right.) Bear right at the first stop light on Brightseat Road. (Landover Mall will still be on your right.) Proceed through three traffic lights. The church will be on the left approximately one-half mile past the third traffic light.

From Washington, D.C.:
Take Route 50 East (John Hanson Highway) to Route 410 (East West Highway). Follow the exit to the right; bear right at the end of the exit. Proceed to the traffic light, which will be Pennsy Drive; make a left. At the next traffic light make a right onto Ardwick Ardmore Road (Crestar Bank will be on your right). Go through three traffic lights and turn right at the next corner onto Brightseat Road. Go approximately 200 yards to the church on your right.

New York Center

First Baptist Church of Flushing
142-10 Sanford Avenue
Flushing, NY 11355

718.539.6822, ext. 218
718.939.9136 (fax)

Michael Herbert, Center Director
Iris Holder, Henry Kwan, Director Team

The New York Center is located at First Baptist Church in Flushing, N.Y. Classes are held on Mondays and Saturdays.

Directions to the New York Center

From New Jersey and Pennsylvania:
Take the George Washington Bridge ($4 toll). After you cross the bridge you will be on the Cross Bronx Expressway (I-95). Extra time may be needed since traffic is often slow on the Cross Bronx, even on weekends. Continue straight ahead about five miles on the Cross Bronx and take the exit for the Whitestone Bridge ($3.50 toll). As you leave the bridge, stay to the right. Continue 1.5 miles and take the Linden Place exit (near the New York Times building). Do not turn onto Linden Place, but continue straight ahead on the service road to the end. Turn left onto College Point Boulevard. Go about 3/4 mile and turn left onto Sanford Avenue. (Candlewood Inn is on the corner.) Go four blocks to Union Street. First Baptist Church is on the right. Entrances to the church parking lot are on Sanford Avenue and on Union Street.

From Long Island:
Take the Long Island Expressway and get off at exit 24 (Kissena Boulevard exit). Turn right onto Kissena Boulevard and go about 3/4 mile. Turn right onto Sanford Avenue. Go one block to Union Street. First Baptist Church is on the right. Entrances to the church parking lot are on Sanford Avenue and on Union Street.

From Manhattan:
Take the Queens Midtown Tunnel ($3.50 toll). After you leave the tunnel, you will be going east on the Long Island Expressway. Go 7.5 miles and get off at exit 24 (Kissena Boulevard exit). Turn left onto Kissena Boulevard and go about 3/4 mile. Turn right onto Sanford Avenue. Go one block to Union Street. First Baptist Church is on the right. Entrances to the church parking lot are on Sanford Avenue and on Union Street.

By Subway:
Take the #7 to Main St. Flushing (the last stop). Walk south on Main Street and bear left onto Kissena Boulevard. Walk two blocks and then turn left onto Union Street and walk one block. The church is on the right.

The Bethel Seminary Catalog is provided online as a convenience for those who desire course information in electronic form. The printed version of the Bethel Seminary catalog is the official version, and it will be treated as the document of record in all seminary business.