Bethel Seminary
Women and Men
Bethel Seminary affirms that both women and men are created in the image of God, that they are equally recipients of the redemptive grace of God, and that the Spirit of God is conferred upon men and women alike. It also observes that the listings of spiritual gifts in Scripture make no restrictions of gender regarding recipients of those gifts.
The seminary further recognizes that there are both women and men who sense a divine calling to professional ministry. Because the seminary is not a church, it does not ordain or make the decision of who shall be ordained. In the Baptist denomination of which Bethel Seminary is a ministry, such decisions and actions are functions of the local church. Students come to us from a variety of churches, some that ordain women and some that do not.
All academic programs at Bethel Seminary will continue, as in the past, to be open to all who meet the academic, moral, and spiritual requirements for admission. No person should be required to justify his or her presence in the seminary in terms of race, gender, or age. While within evangelical Christianity, within local churches, and on the Bethel Seminary faculty, differences of opinion exist regarding the relative roles of men and women, discussions of such topics should be conducted openly and sensitively; with Christian respect for the person and convictions of others; and with primary consideration given to the teachings of the Bible, our supreme authority in matters of faith and practice.
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.