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Welcome to the Founders Study Center, the online ministerial training center of Founders Ministries. Since May 2003 we have served those laboring in the gospel ministry by offering biblically sound, in-depth courses of study. Please take a few moments to learn more about the Study Center. |
 Dr. Ken Puls |
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"The online Founders Study Center is a welcome and exciting venture in solid theological education. In the Reformation, Huldrych Zwingli said that the Word of God was like the Rhine River – you could try to dam it up, but you could never stop it. May God's Word go forth in the surging power of the Holy Spirit through this new medium."
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The primary purpose of the Study Center is to provide resources for men in the field who are serving in the gospel ministry or pursuing the gospel ministry. We recognize that there are many who are not able to leave their places of ministry in order to pursue or continue ministerial training. Through the Study Center we hope to bring biblically sound, in-depth courses of study to those serving God faithfully in the local church and on the mission field.
Our desire is to serve the local church by providing:
The teaching offered by the Study Center reflects a commitment to the Doctrines of Grace and their experimental application to the local church, particularly in the areas of worship and witness. The Study Center takes as its theological framework the first recognized confession of faith that Southern Baptists produced, The Abstract of Principles. We desire to encourage the return to and promulgation of the biblical gospel that our Southern Baptist forefathers held dear.
The Study Center is designed for pastors, missionaries, students, and other church or ministry leaders who desire an opportunity to participate in a guided, in-depth study of truth, while remaining in their places of ministry and service to the local church.
Though our primary purpose is to train men for the pastoral ministry and encourage men who are in the pastoral ministry to continue their study and learning, our courses are open to all who are actively involved in the ministry of a local church, at home or on the mission field. We affirm the Danvers Statement concerning the role of men and women in ministry.
Taking a course through the Founders Study Center is a two-step process:
First you must enroll in the Study Center as a student. Fill out the enrollment form and send in the admissions fee (See “What Will It Cost?”). Once you have enrolled as a student you will have access to the Student Area. You will also be placed on our enrollment list so you can receive student announcements from the Study Center. You need to enroll in the Study Center in order to be eligible to take courses. For more information, please see the Founders Study Center Policies on Enrollment.
Once you have enrolled as student in the Study Center, you can then register for a course. For the Spring 2012 semester we are offering two 16-week courses: "Baptist Identity" and "Systematic Theology III; and one 10-week course: "A Biblical Call." See Important Dates so you do not miss early registration. If you register after the first week of class (February 11 for 16-week courses and March 24 for the 10-week course) you must pay an addition $15 late registration fee. Registration for Spring 2012 courses is now OPEN.
You may choose to take a course as directed studies (under the guidance of one of our mentors) or audit a course (work through material on your own).
If you are taking a course as directed studies, you will need to find a mentor to work with you through the course material (see below).
If you are registering to audit our free course this spring, please register here.
For more information, please see the Founders Study Center Policies on Course Registration.
It is our conviction that the proper place of training for the ministry is not online, but in the church. While the Internet is a great means of making resources available, it is no substitute for personal training and discipleship. Therefore this Study Center serves in conjunction with a mentoring program that allows students to work with respected, experienced pastors.
Each course offered through the Study Center will include a list of available mentors. You can find the list of available mentors under Current Course Mentors .
It is the student’s responsibility to make arrangements for a mentor for each course taken as directed-studies. (Students will work through course material on their own for courses they are auditing.)
A list of available openings for new students as well as contact information for each mentor is posted in the Student Area. Once you enroll as a student in the Study Center, you will be given access to the Student Area where the contact information is posted.
Students should contact one of the available mentors on the list and ask if he still has an opening for another student. Once an arrangement is made between student and mentor, the student should contact and inform the Study Center Director. Students who need assistance or have difficulty finding a mentor can also contact the Study Center Director for help.
For more information, please see the Founders Study Center Policies on Course Mentors.
Students will pay a fee for each course they take through the Study Center. New Students must also pay the admissions fee of $25 to enroll in the Study Center.
Courses and fees for Fall 2011 are as follows:
Systematic Theology III
16 sessions with audio lectures by Dr. Roger Nicole
Cost: $75
Please Note: We are offering this course free to those who wish to audit this spring.
Only students desiring to take the course as directed studies need pay the enrollment and course fees.
Students will have access to course material online from February 6, 2012 until June 22, 2012 (20 weeks to complete the course)Click here to enroll (for the Spring 2012 semester only) and register to audit this course for free!
Baptist Identity
16 sessions with audio lectures by Dr. Tom Nettles
Cost: $75
Students will have access to course material online from February 6, 2012 until June 22, 2012 (20 weeks to complete the course)Maintaining a Healthy Church
10 sessions with audio lectures by Dr. Mark Dever
Cost: $50
Please Note: This course is scheduled to begin March 19, 2012.
Students will have access to course material online from March 19, 2012 until June 22, 2012 (14 weeks to complete the course)Course fees are the same for directed studies and audit (except for our special free course audit this spring). A limited number of scholarships are available for students taking courses as directed studies. For more information, please see Founders Study Center Policies on Scholarships.
The following minimum system requirements are recommended for participation in the Study Center:
