The special mission of the Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary is to minister to men who aspire to the vocational Christian ministry.

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The MDiv and BDiv programs are designed to prepare men for full-time Christian ministry. These programs have been developed for pastors, church-planters, and missionaries. Students will be given the tools necessary to interpret and apply the Word of God to the people of God and to lost souls in need of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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The paragraphs below address the special procedures for the acceptance and care of such students.

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The Bible makes clear that some men are so gifted by God that they should labor vocationally as a pastor or minister of the Word of God (1 Cor. 9:14; Gal. 6:6; 1 Tim. 5:17). The primary purpose of the CBTS is to provide a thorough theological education for men who are presently in the pastorate and those who aspire to the vocational Christian ministry (2 Tim. 2:2).

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Admission as a Master of Divinity or Bachelor of Divinity student to CBTS requires first that the pastor or elders of the prospective student’s church recommend him as a legitimate aspirant to the vocational ministry. They may do so through a written letter detailing their assessment of his aspirations. A member of the Admissions Team must then approve the prospective student by means of an interview examining his fitness for enrollment at CBTS. For practical purposes this interview may be conducted over the phone.

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Admission entitles the student not only to take classes for credit at CBTS, but also includes the special pastoral help and oversight which such an aspirant to the Christian ministry requires. Of course, this status and the oversight it entails will only continue as both the elders of the student and the faculty of CBTS view the man’s aspirations as appropriate and legitimate. Ordinarily, only men who are at least 21 years of age, hold a Bachelor’s Degree, and are members in good standing of an evangelical church shall be eligible for acceptance to the Master of Divinity program. Those meeting these qualifications without a Bachelor’s Degree shall be eligible for acceptance to the Bachelor of Divinity program. The administration of CBTS reserves the right to waive any or all of these entrance requirements or to decline any application at its discretion.

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Accordingly, acceptance as a Master of Divinity or Bachelor of Divinity student does not require that a man’s gifts or graces be so mature or evident that his church is ready to free him from a secular vocation in order to study full time. It is our expectation that many men in their first years of study at CBTS will take classes on a part-time basis. One of the seminary’s purposes is to assist men who cannot study full time.

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A total of 98 credit hours is necessary to complete this curriculum, which students are expected to complete within 8 years.