Bethany Celebrates Opening Convocation

Bethany Theological Seminary celebrated the beginning of the 2024-25 academic year with its opening convocation, held in partnership with Earlham School of Religion (ESR), in Nicarry Chapel on Thursday, August 29, 2024.

The service was led by students and staff from Bethany and ESR. The message was brought by Dr. Paul Houston Blankenship-Lai, assistant professor of spirituality at ESR. 

Bethany continues its decade-long trend of strong enrollment, welcoming 28 new students this fall. The majority of Bethany students study at a distance — joining classrooms via Zoom and sometimes traveling to Richmond or other locations for one- and two-week intensive courses. This year’s new students come from a variety of Christian traditions and are well dispersed across the Seminary’s academic program. Three are seeking the Master of Divinity degree, three the Master of Arts, one the Master of Arts in Spiritual and Social Transformation, and seven will pursue the Master of Arts in Theopoetics and Writing. The remainder are enrolled in certificates or post-graduate diplomas, including nine who will study at Bethany’s Technology Center in Jos, Nigeria.

“We are very excited to welcome this exceptional group of students to Bethany. The faculty are looking forward to engaging with these students as they enrich classroom discussions, support and challenge one another, and find ways of putting their faith and education to good use in their own communities,” says President Jeff Carter. “We are delighted that they have chosen to join our educational community as they answer a call from God to ministry and service.”

The Seminary currently enrolls 110 students and provides all students with a pathway to earn a graduate degree without taking on additional student or consumer debt. Residential students can receive full-tuition scholarships, free housing, and opportunities to work with local nonprofit organizations as part of a special program called Bethany BOLD (Build, Organize, Love, and Dare). Bethany and ESR work in partnership, with students taking courses at both institutions.

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