Bethel Seminary San Diego: 30 Years Strong

Bethel Seminary San Diego enters its fourth decade celebrating a banner 30th anniversary year as Bethel's Southern California campus.

Volume 22 No 1 | Winter 2008-2009

Bethel Seminary San Diego blasts into its fourth decade of ministry celebrating a banner 30th anniversary year as Bethel’s Southern California campus. 2008 saw the seminary complete a wildly successful comprehensive resource campaign, break ground for a beautiful new facilities expansion, enroll a record-breaking number of students for the fall semester, and launch two brand-new degree programs.

Remembering back

Bethel Seminary St. Paul broadened its ministry in 1977 when it established a West Coast campus in San Diego, Calif. With space provided by College Avenue Baptist Church, Bethel Seminary San Diego opened its doors to 30 new seminarians.

The city’s broad ethnic diversity, thriving growth rates, large concentration of military personnel, and documented spiritual needs made San Diego a perfect choice for the expansion. Bountiful opportunities for intercultural ministry, as well as cross-cultural experiences in nearby Mexico, have provided rich experiences through which to equip men and women to make a powerful, transforming impact for Christ throughout the world.

Celebrating now

Bethel Seminary San Diego honored its 28th graduating class during a commencement ceremony on June 14, a day also highlighted by the groundbreaking for a 14,350-square-foot expansion featuring a 380-seat chapel and conference center, library addition, new classrooms, preaching lab, student lounge, and office space.

The $5.3 million project was made possible by the success of Bethel University’s largest-ever comprehensive resource campaign, Taking the Next Step, concluded in May 2008 with a whopping $109.3 million in gifts and pledges. “God is faithful,” noted San Diego campaign chairperson David Price. “Connecting the groundbreaking to graduation was a wonderful visual reminder of the purpose of the building and our vision for the future.” Giving impetus to that vision for the future is an additional $2.3 million in gifts and commitments to fund an endowment goal of $2 million for the seminary.

Looking forward

Bethel Seminary San Diego registered its highest enrollment in history this fall; 236 students are now pursuing Master of Arts in Applied Ministry, Master of Arts in Children’s and Family Ministry, Master of Arts in Christian Education, Master of Arts in Marital and Family Therapy, Master of Arts (Theological Studies), and Master of Divinity degree programs.

In all, the seminary has awarded more than 544 degrees over the course of its 30-year history. “Our goal is to engage in the academic and spiritual formation of culturally sensitive servant-leaders to do His work in this new millennium,” says Dean John Lillis. “Our resolve is to nurture a top-notch faculty and staff, employ creative thinking and innovative planning, and develop strategic alliances locally and globally. Our best years are still ahead of us!”

San Diego launches two new degrees

Among Bethel Seminary San Diego degree offerings are the new:

• Master of Arts in Applied Ministry for those who feel God’s call to specialized vocational ministry in the chaplaincy (both military and civilian), pastoral care, or global and contextual studies; and
• Master of Arts in Children’s and Family Ministry for those who share a passion for children and families, and who want to be better equipped to minister to them.
  

Call 800.238.4352 for more information.