As parents, you may have specific questions about our official school stance on certain theological issues. Although our desire is to major in the majors and not cause division in the Body of Christ by focusing on non-essentials, we have provided some additional information about how we might approach some of these current 'hot topics' in the classroom.
We felt that this was not an option for you as parents because we know you want your children to recieve a quality christian education, and there are many questions going through your mind concerning what school you might encourage them to enroll in. Please read through these statements and if you have any questions or concerns, please contact us.
We emphasize Holy living and a surrendered life at all times. We exhort all believers to keep short accounts with God so that the question of eternal security never needs to be a point of personal fear.
Christ will fulfill his promise to return to the earth. Not knowing the day or the hour we teach believers to watch and pray as Peter exhorts us to, knowing that the end is near. We are pre-millenial in our eschatology.
When we receive salvation through Jesus Christ, we enter into a personal relationship with God, marked by the indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit. To effectively serve the Lord and to live a holy life, we must receive His power and gifts through the baptism with and continual infilling of the Holy Spirit.
We believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit described in the New Testament are available to believers today and necessary for the health and growth of the church. Though we are charismatic and believe that the gift of tongues is available to believers today, we do not “force” this gift upon anyone, nor do we believe it is the only evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
We believe in the creation of the world in literal days, Adam and Eve, the fall of man, and the great flood as historic events and people. We do not teach the gap theory or day-age theory, except to make students aware of them as other interpretative theories. We would hold to some form of the young earth view, although not strictly Ussher's chronology (4004 B.C.).
We do not teach reformed theology, except as it relates to teachings in which various viewpoints are examined. We are definitely evangelical, but in terms of a general theological viewpoint, we would be considered Wesleyan.
At Bethany we have no theological problem with a woman speaking in a church, taking leadership of a meeting, speaking the word of the Lord or using her gifts in the same way that a man would. We have female professors who teach male students and find this totally appropriate. Philip had four daughters who prophesied; in the last days Joel said the Spirit would be poured out on both sons and daughters to do the works of the Kingdom; Priscilla was a key speaker of the Word of God in Acts; Deborah was judge of Israel and many other examples illustrate God’s apparent endorsement of women teaching and leading groups with
men and women in them. Two-thirds of missionaries today and in all of missions history have been women. We support women in ministry and joyfully send them in service to Jesus in all parts of the world.
We are not Christian feminists if what is meant by that is the idea that women need to be liberated from their oppressed lives and be free to do whatever a man can do. We believe that God made man and women equally and that they are both of equal worth to God. In no way is woman inferior to man morally or in her abilities.
In God’s plan for order and human happiness he did create man for a certain work and woman for a certain work. We believe that marriage is a God ordained and God desired institution between one man and one woman, and we celebrate two believers joining themselves in marriage. We also believe the first commandment God gave stands and it is His desire that we be fruitful and multiply through bearing children. We mention this because our culture is quickly following the European mentality that children are often seen as an inconvenience and a hindrance to material prosperity and ‘freedom’ for adults to do as they please with their time.
We do not support open theism. Open theism is a doctrinal position that has gained momentum over the past 5 years in the evangelical church. Naturally as a result of this it can be expected in various classroom discussions in which that the topic will arise. We recognize the sovereignty of God from an Armenian perspective. Though we have such a conviction we would in no way ostracize a student who was grappling with doctrines of Calvinism or Open Theism. Open theism has a leg or two to stand on, which is why it has gained some recognition and those issues must be discussed. On the other hand, it is a precarious stool that has only two legs which is why we stand where we do.
We love the contributions made by this movement as they relate to our sensitivity to those outside of the church and their perceptions of the church. At the same time there seems to be a tendancy in this movement towards relativism on a variety of issues with which we are not comfortable, nor do we promote. God’s moral code is clear and we are to live by that standard and boldly preach that others align themselves with God’s standards as well.
