Salt Lake School of Theology Part 1

Answering questions by Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson deals with 36 commonly asked questions by your LDS friends and neighbors.

It's a great resource for Christians want to share their faith with friends and loved ones. We should pick up your copy today at your favorite Christian bookstore viewpoint on Mormonism program that examines the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints from a biblical perspective viewpoint on Mormonism is sponsored by Mormonism research ministry since 1979 Mormonism research ministry has been dedicated to equipping the body of Christ with answers regarding the Christian faith in a manner that expresses gentleness and respect. And now, your host for today's viewpoint on Mormonism welcome to this addition of viewpoint on Mormonism on your host, Bill McKeever, founder and director Mormonism research ministry and with me today is Eric Johnson. My colleague at MRM, but we also have for you today our special guest pastor Matt Ahmadi that's built EM a DI Matt is the pastor of Crossroads Church in Sandy, Utah, and for those of you who are not familiar with Utah. Sandy is located about 20 minutes south of downtown Salt Lake City, but Matt will look into the show and have your having me know a lot of people who are in ministry see you taught rightfully as a mission field.

You were telling me before that you are a Utah native yes and so you were already expecting unique trials administering down Utah anything you want to pass on to any pastors outside of outside of the state that might be considering coming here. Yeah, that's a great question. If you're considering coming to Utah, and expect a slow, difficult ministry, but but very rewarding and and worth the time and the effort but this is not Texas. And I can come here and sign up on the road and have 100 people show up to a church plant on day one. There a lot of challenges. Obviously, Mormonism is still the predominant religion and pastors just need to know that coming in, what you said is exactly what I hear from a lot of pastors who have come to Utah succeeded in Utah because we have seen it. Unfortunately a lot of pastors come with very good intentions, and they found out that it's not like Texas where not Bible Belt here. It is a unique ministry opportunity, but one that is very needed.

That is for sure, but we wanted to have you on because you have some exciting news about what you and some other pastors here locally. Plan on doing in the months ahead, and we wanted to talk about that so we just jump into it. You and for other pastors here in the state of Utah. All with doctorate degrees have decided to begin a theological school want you tell us about what your plans are yet so myself. Lucas counterman at gospel grace and Jerry Jenkins had risen life have all gotten together of these brothers have PhD's in various theological disciplines to begin planning the establishment of theological training accredited Masters level theological training that could be offered right here in Salt Lake City. Now there's a lot to that in who were working with an and in the details that we can unpack, but the goal is beginning this August offers students and education towards a Masters degree that they can receive from professors who are pastoring churches right here in the solid Valley know what if you're not planning on going into the ministry properly just be something that an average quote unquote person might be an absolutely the school is for. It's really for everyone. It is for the person who is thinking I want to be in some kind of formal ministry. Maybe vocational ministry full-time and I want to deepen my theological understanding deepen my sending the Bible and how to teach the Bible absolutely this is going to be in rigorous academic education for those people. But the person the church. She says maybe I will get a degree and just continue to serve my church and am working my job but deepen my theological understanding by all means that for you it's for the person who wants to just audit some classes you know even not pursue the full degree but take courses in particular subjects to deepen their understanding be more effective and faithful and someone listening to our station in Boise Idaho yesterday interested in this jacket out of it yet so high. Should mediation to back up and say basaltic school of theology is working with Gateway seminary in California so we are technically under their umbrella and we are offering a Masters of theological essentials. That is a gateway degree Gateway seminary now were offering classes in person, but every single class we offer, even if it's an in person class will have a remote access component so some of the classes will be online only remote access only. We just have to do that for accreditation reasons, but even the ones we offer in person somebody in California, Idaho, Nevada can get in on the computer and log in and participate live in the class and in the lecture listening and even asking questions and engaging real-time.

If somebody wanted to go to any kind of the school of theology in Utah right now Where would they go nowhere. There is nowhere yet nothing in Utah right now as far as we know there's no Masters level theological training within 300 miles. Again, there are seminaries out there.

There are online I'm an online education is huge these days you can get a Masters degree in theology from seminary entirely on line. So why are we doing this we think one.

There is value in the face-to-face interaction and in person kind of dynamic that comes in in the classroom and between teachers and students but also you know that's a there's a there's a guy in my church who wants to get theological education.

While if he goes off to California or goes off to Kentucky.

How likely is it that he's gonna come back.

A lot of times that then it happened people even they don't come back and you know they end up serving somewhere else and praise God for their serving but we want to be able to offer theological training right here in the Valley where were presenting no biblical theology Old Testament theology and giving students that kind of teaching but also with the contextual element of the unique environment we have here and ministering to Mormons in the context rent, but also it keeps them here there in the church is serving here there ministering here.

They're living here their learning in their local church. The environment the culture while at the same time pursuing their theological education and we think that's valuable. So for those who live in Utah where will your physical building be where they can ago for class so right now the plan we are setting up rooms in risen life church and holiday and gospel grace church in downtown Salt Lake to be outfitted with the proper technology so that we can teach these classes and have the remote access components of the in person classes at least for the near future will be held at those two local churches and so even though Gateway seminary is a graduate school for the Southern Baptist convention here saying that you don't have to be a Southern Baptist to be able to go and even get a degree now school yet this mean really, anyone can enroll can take classes. This is for anyone who wants to pursue theological education as part of Gateway. The professors affirm the Baptist Faith and message have some other documents that the professor subscribe to Chicago statement on inerrancy Nashville statement and the abstract of principle so that the professors are agreeing to a common kind of core confession. But as far as the students. Anyone who wants to enroll can enroll now. I think there are people who are listening right now who are going all my goodness this is gonna be a great opportunity SL ST Diane US is your website on SL for Salt Lake ST for school of theology.US And what kind of degrees if they did want to get a degree. What are the galleries again that they can get.

Yes. So right now the main bread-and-butter degree that we will offer is a 36 credit hour Masters of theological essentials since a fully accredited Masters degree. It's not the full master of divinity, which is a 90 hour program. It's a 36 hour degree.

That will give students the kind of foundational courses like church history wanted to Old Testament wanted to new testimony to hermeneutics.

In addition to some other courses that we are including that will necessarily be part of the degree but add to the students experience and education.

The Masters of theological essentials. That's the main degree, 36 hour degree. Now let's say someone wanted to enroll, and they don't have an undergraduate degree because again, this is Masters this is a Masters program there still an opportunity for them so someone does not have an undergraduate degree. They can print pursue the diploma of theological essentials and that is an alternative option.

If someone is over 25 years old and enrolled in the program and maintains a 3.2 GPA for the first year they can apply for the Masters by exception and still receive a Masters degree. Now, in addition to the Masters degree were offering, but right now is called the Utah church ministry certificate Republican to change the name to the Intermountain church certificate or something as we don't want this just to be Utah focused but in addition to the degree working offer colloquiums one day seminars were working to bring in pastors from Utah professors from around the country. Guys like yourself who do apologetics and offer colloquiums on a particular topic and will offer nine of those during a students program if they complete six. They can be awarded. This additional certificate on top of the Masters of theological essentials while so your ear going to begin in August, 20, 21, the fall semester. Yes, we are moving right along.

We cut the pieces in place. In fact, if your website SL ST .us you can already apply the information is on there on how to apply. You can't register yet for the courses, but we are on track to offer Old Testament church history, and some of the practicum leadership courses beginning this August and somebody's saying okay will how much is this gonna guess yeah so the reality is that seminary education is not cheap.

So how much is it's going to cost depends so since we are affiliated with Gateway seminary which is one of the seminaries in the Southern Baptist convention if you belong to a a Southern Baptist church. You are given. Basically half cost on tuition which is about $275 per credit hour so a three credit hour class cost you about $1000 with fees and everything now. If you are not part of the seven Baptist Church you pay the full tuition which is about how you describe is about 475 per credit hour so there is a difference and that's because just because they're affiliate of the sum Baptist convention churches gift what's called the cooperative program and that's helps help subsidize the cost for SBC church members. Now if you're auditing the course. Though I think the course of 100 bucks to audit the course. That's an option to we been talking to Pastor Matt embody is the pastor of Crossroads Church in Sandy by the way Matt wanted to mention merger church located at a local here wants to attend. Yes, we are at hundred 66 E. in 106 S. 10,600 if your firm has estate so just east of State Street in Sandy and if you join his church are going to get half a very ago but anyway we been talking about this new opportunity for education in the Salt Lake area but if you just heard that part. Please listen to everything. There's there's also online courses that you can take as well and I think this is something that people here in the state of Utah could greatly benefit from, and I'm glad that you're putting this thing together and thank you brain for its its ultimate success on that.

That's for sure.

But anyway, working to continue our conversation with Matt in tomorrow's show. Thank you for listening you would like more information regarding this research ministry. We encourage you to visit our website at www.mrm.org you can request a free newsletter Mormonism research. We hope you will join us again as we look at another viewpoint is looking for Mormonism from a Christian perspective for you have questions about the history or doctrines of the LDS church, Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson are once again volunteering at the Utah lighthouse bookstore and would be glad to speak to you on Saturdays from 1 to 5 PM Utah lighthouse bookstore is located right there at 1358 SW. Temple St. in Salt Lake City. Be sure to come by any Saturday from 1 to 5 PM and say hi to Bill for Eric