Official 2007-2009 Catalog (copryrighted)

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Accreditation - 3
Bible Colleges - 6
Classroom vs. Home Office - 6
Comparison of the Cost of Other Schools - 25
Conduct Standards - 9
Curriculum Description - 13-16
Definitions of Degrees - 20
Degrees That We Offer - 21
Discounts and Deals - 27-28
Doctrinal Statement - 9
Explanation About Accreditation - 4
Explanation of Our Degree Program - 21
Founder / Chancellor - 11
Grading System and Transferring Credits - 17
Graduation Ceremonies - 23
Head Christian or Heart Christian? - 24
Honorary Doctorial Degree Program - 22-23
How Long Does It Take? - 7
How To Get Started - 30
How To Start Your Own Accredited Bible School - 30
Ministerial Resources Available (i.e. Credentials and Tax-Exemption, Etc.) 29-30
Notice of Non-Discrimination Policy - 11
Official Transcripts - 29
Our Legitimate Standing - 3
Our Nominal Prices - 26
Our School Colors - 10
Pay As You Go - 26
Progressive Levels of Degrees - 20
Required Papers for Earned Degrees - 17-20
Robes in the Bible and Academic Dress Today - 23
Student Pre-Requisites - 11
The Meaning of Our Logo - 10
The Function and Process of Education - 5
The Ideal Bible Course - 13
Undergraduate and Graduate - 6
Use Your Title - 24
Which courses earn which Degrees? - 7
Who Are Our Students? - 12
Why Get A Degree? - 8
You Must Work - 7

Dear Prospective Student,

Greetings in the Name of Jesus and welcome to The Spirit of Truth Institute. Thank you for your interest in our school.

This catalog is now in your hands by Divine Providence and could be the KEY to greater opportunities in your life.

If God has placed a desire in your heart for a Christian Education and/or Ministerial Training, then we encourage you to carefully read and prayerfully examine this catalog. The most important things in your life are your soul’s salvation, your choice of a life companion, and then your career.

Relating directly to that is selecting the school that best suits you in preparation for a fruitful Christian life and/or an effective ministry.

This book is your NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION. It may take some time to read it, but we think you will find it both interesting and informative; and we assure you that everything in it is absolutely true. Then as you pray for God’s will to be revealed, if He should prompt you to become a student of The Spirit of Truth Institute, we will be happy to receive you.

OUR LEGITIMATE STANDING

The Spirit of Truth Institute is formally organized with a Board of Directors and Articles of Organization, Constitution, and By-Laws. We are affiliated with the Full Gospel of Christ Fellowship, Inc. for Tax-Exempt purposes and thus recognized by the I.R.S. as a non-profit 501(c) 3 organization. Our Group Exemption Number (G.E.N.) is 3317 and our Employers Identification Number (E.I.N.) is 54-1669162.

In accordance with Rom.13:1-7, (sanctioning Human Government), The Spirit of Truth Institute has been properly registered with The Council of Higher Education of the Commonwealth of Virginia who, because our offerings are entirely religious, has granted us an excluded status to carry on our activities of granting religious degrees. Thus, The Spirit of Truth Institute is officially recognized at the state level also, with the right to confer religious degrees. We perform our work with the full knowledge of this official agency. Anyone who wishes to check this out may write to:

The Council of Higher Education
James Monroe Building, 101 North Fourteenth Street
Richmond, VA. 23219

OUR ACCREDITATION

The Spirit of Truth Institute is fully accredited by THE AMERICAN ACCREDITING ASSOCIATION OF THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTIONS of Rocky Mount, N.C. Anyone wishing to contact them may call the President, Dr. Cecil Johnson, Monday through Friday between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon at (919) 977-2741. Please do not call at other times because they have over 50 other schools in many states and some foreign countries, and are very busy. We wish to make it perfectly clear that our Accrediting Association, A.A.A.T.I., is in no way connected with either EAES or COPA.

EXPLANATION ABOUT ACCREDITATION

Over the years, the word "accreditation" as used by those involved in higher education has acquired various interpretations, but essentially it indicates that some outside responsible body of educators have examined a school and found it to be doctrinally, academically, and financially reliable, and has certified that it meets their ethical standards. The purpose is to simply assure the public that the school is a reputable establishment.

What ordination is to a minister, accreditation is to a school. Therefore, most faculty and degree students feel that accreditation is very important, although it is not legally required. It's a voluntary process. For instance, Kenneth Hagen’s RHEMA BIBLE TRAINING CENTER is not accredited and offers no academic degrees. It is a good school, but rather costly.

On the other hand, there are some who discount a Christian school and reject their Accrediting Association too, unless it is linked up with the U.S.A. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, launching a campaign to impose their opinion upon the rest of the academic world. But, common understanding and every day usage determine the definition of any word. So, to be accredited, still means that an impartial group of professional scholars has investigated an institution and has approved of its standards of operation.

There is no such thing as Federal or State accreditation of a Bible school, for civil government has no authority to regulate religious training or what certificates we issue for it. This is an issue of separation of church and state, as Jesus said, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God's”. Mark 12:17.

Civil authorities must never officially endorse or disapprove directly or indirectly the beliefs and practices of churches or their Bible Schools. A casual survey of Church history shows that such linkage with Caesar eventually leads to infringement upon conscience, bondage, and corruption. Therefore, to be accredited by any agency, which in turn is supervised by the U.S.A. Department of H.E.W., would to some degree be a compromise of the separation principle and constitute "friendship with the world” condemned as "adultery” by James 4:4.

In a Spiritual sense, the highest accreditation any school could have would be the blessings of Divine Providence. Our best accreditation is the successful lives and ministries of our satisfied students. Isn't graduate performance what it's really all about?

LAY WORKERS AND EXPERIENCED MINISTERS

The Spirit of Truth Institute is deeply committed to providing both quality Bible college programs for lay Christian workers, and seminary training for experienced ministers.

Our early courses are for Christians who wish to learn how to integrate Biblical principles into their daily lives, homes, and businesses. --- those who want to be a better witness for the Lord, and to effectively participate in their local Church, community, and country.

In a sense, every Christian is a minister, in that we are all to serve one another for the Lord’s sake; and in a way, a preacher is just an over-grown Christian.

Our latter courses are for ministerial students, who already have a basic working knowledge of the Bible, but seek to develop more proficient ministerial skills.

THE FUNCTION AND PROCESS OF EDUCATION

The ability to think is the gift of the Creator, and the desire to know is divinely implanted.

Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” So, a proper recognition and respect for God is the first step of education. A wise man can render a reason for all he does, but a fool is smug in his thoughtlessness. A wise man will increase in wisdom, but a fool is closed-minded.

Education is a progression from Knowledge to Understanding to Wisdom, like the process from eating to digestion to physical energy.

Learning is essential for deciding what things are least and most important, and for making intelligent choices in your everyday life. Much of your present lifestyle has been shaped by everything you’ve learned since birth.

Education is the important act of passing along the accumulated knowledge from preceding generations to the next one, without which we would be plunged back into the fears and superstitions of the dark ages of pre-history. Getting a degree just proves that you did your part in conveying the torch of truth to tomorrow’s youth.

Ideas rule the world of men, and new ideas have changed the course of history. Our generation has been dubbed, “The Information Age.” But, today’s scientific technology may be outdated tomorrow.

Therefore, the Church must rise to the occasion and meet the demands of a high-tech and rapidly changing society. The Spirit of Truth Institute views Christian education as a necessity and ministerial training as urgency.

The public knows of the need for training for their secular occupations, so why should anyone suppose that evangelists and pastors need no special training? An untrained person is usually considered an amateur. Ignorance is not stupidity; it’s merely a lack of information, so don’t let a lack of education hold you back. All other things being equal, a smarter Christian can do better than an ignorant one.

The Spirit of Truth Institute holds the old, but ever fresh Holy Bible as the Manufacturer’s Hand Book and the Universal Answer Book. The Word of God never changes, but our means of communication does. All Christians need a good solid foundation upon which to build their faith and life:

• Basic Biblical studies are for foundation.
• Systematic Theological studies are for indoctrination.
• Ministerial studies are for practical application.

Taking our courses not only involves the acquisition of Divine data, but the cultivation of mental discipline and promotion of spiritual growth. Our object is to not only spiritually illuminate men and women, but to motivate them in a life of usefulness for the glory of God.

In the Christian, natural and spiritual knowledge is integrated, as they both come from the same Source. The better our understanding, the better we can take advantage of our opportunities in life.

Our training courses will increase your effectiveness in any ministerial project you undertake. Some of our graduates are already teaching classes in local churches, and others go directly into the field of Christian Education. The best teachers teach because they love to teach, and the best students study because they love to learn.

I believe that the spiritual truths we learn on earth will be retained in our Heavenly Life, and will be built upon for eternity. If you have dreams and aspirations, your personal Christian education must not be postponed.

BIBLE COLLEGES

A college is an educational institution that offers courses of study beyond the high school level.

There are over a thousand home study Bible Institutes in the U.S.A. today, and many are just offices that mail out Bible Courses to thousands of students. Sometimes major Bible schools change to become correspondence schools, while some correspondence schools start having local classes.

Spiraling costs are a common complaint, as a residential school can cost over $20,000 per year, which is financially infeasible. When a school gets too expensive, time consuming, and strenuous its enrollment usually begins to shrink.

Like churches there are different kinds of Schools, but types do emerge. We acknowledge many good schools around the world, but I don’t believe you will ever regret your decision to complete your education with The Spirit of Truth Institute.

UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE

Most folks know that “freshman”, “sophomore”, “Junior”, “Senior”, and “Graduates” are the ranks of students of higher education.

Community colleges offer undergraduate programs that lead to a Diploma, Associate, and Bachelor degree. Universities offer graduate programs that lead to a Master and Doctorial degree.

A university is usually bigger than a college and is often made up of several colleges on a single campus. If a college is not a subdivision of a university, it sometimes grows and become a university, so that today “College” and “University” is used somewhat interexchangeably.

A religious school that offers masters and doctorial degrees is called a seminary. So seminaries are the universities of religious education. But, they can also offer undergraduate studies.

The Spirit of Truth Institute is both a Bible College offering undergraduate’s studies and a Theological Seminary providing graduate programs, so that we offer degrees on all levels.

CLASSROOM VS HOME OFFICE

Considerable time can be used up getting to and from a classroom, and more time can be consumed assembling, hearing comments about the weather, the latest gossip, non-applying announcements, and other sidelines. Then, the teacher might be sick and not show up.

Traditional theological education can tend to isolate students in a cloistered environment that detaches them from involvement in vital Gospel work among sinners. Thus, graduates become groomed as “keepers of the aquarium”, rather than “fishers of men”.

Would you rather repose in an artificial cubicle a few years and get a traditional degree, or pursue a relevant active ministry, and get a non-traditional degree from The Spirit of Truth Institute at the same time for about ten percent of the cost?

Learning is no longer limited to the old fashioned four walls, because God has raised up a number of worthy educational resources such as The Spirit of Truth Institute. You can receive a legitimate degree without stepping foot on a college campus or into a university classroom. It’s possible to earn your accredited Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctorial degree right in the comfort of your own home. What difference does it make WHERE you read a book? The key to retaining information is repetition. But a classroom lecture is usually said and gone; whereas The Spirit of Truth Institute study books can be reviewed as often as you wish.

YOU MUST WORK

In developing the body, they say, “No pain, no gain.” In developing Christian character, we say, “No cross, no crown.” And in the development of the mind, we say, “No work, no honor.”

The Spirit of Truth Institute has prepared excellent study courses, but you receive no benefit until you start studying them. Babies must be fed, but adults can feed themselves. Immature youths may need the classroom structure and a teacher to push them. But to participate in the programs of The Spirit of Truth Institute, one must have a reasonably stable lifestyle and a sense of responsibility and priority. Education by mail requires individual motivation and personal incentive. You must have a God-given drive and diligence. The very word “study” implies an ongoing commitment, application, and persistence to complete a course. But in the end, it will develop your mental abilities, and promote your Spiritual refinement.

Many things compete for the time you need to study God’s Word. If you’re a busy breadwinner, you may have precious little time for study, so you may have to sacrifice something. But in the same way that we must make room for Christ in our lives, and take time to pray, you will have to prearrange a place and create a time to study. It may require a firm determination to eliminate some T.V., etc. But God will help you develop your own techniques for avoiding distractions and overcoming interruptions.

However, we recommend that students do NOT rush through their courses too fast. You have no deadlines, so work on your studies at a relaxed and enjoyable pace. You don’t want your degrees too close together.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?

It takes a year just to get in some colleges. Then its degrees are locked into a time-served system. It can take up to six years to receive a Doctorial degree from some universities. But hanging around a campus five or six years doesn't necessarily make a person more successful than someone else who completes his or her studies in a fraction of the time. Total time elapsed is not the main ingredient of learning.

For instance, Jesus completely trained the Apostles for tremendous miracle ministries in less than 3 1/2 years. This is because our spiritual walk is not controlled by the calendar or subject to the clock. The operation of the Holy Spirit supersedes both time and space.

Therefore, The Spirit of Truth Institute does not follow a set semester schedule. We operate continuously year round. Whenever you're ready for us, we are ready for you. The Lord is doing a quick work in these last days. Rom. 9:28 So, The Spirit of Truth Institute has an intensive and accelerated program of study. Our courses are so time-tailored that you could complete them in a relatively short span.

You study on your own schedule, and proceed at your own pace, but please don't HURRY, because there should be a reasonable interval between your degree levels.

As soon as we receive your application and fee, we will mail your courses to you, and you can begin to study. As soon as you complete the course, prescribed papers, and pay the proper fee, you immediately receive your degree all in record time. Then you may attend a periodically scheduled Graduation Ceremony at CHRIST WORSHIP CENTER in Richmond, Virginia, if you are able to come.

WHY GET A DEGREE?

There are some good reasons to pursue a solid Christian education and the degrees that go with it. It’s good to learn something worthy, do something worthwhile, and earn something worth having.

Taking the Bible Courses of The Spirit of Truth Institute may not make you better than others, but it will make you better than you were. We should continue to grow personally and professionally throughout our lives. Most servants of God could use a little more confidence, and a degree can improve your self-esteem and image. And greater acceptance can be encouraging.

It seems every enterprise today is a challenge. Every market is competitive and demands excellence. When it comes to any kind of claim today, the public yells, “Prove it!” A degree is not to just win respect from your peer, but to help persuade the suspicious, convince the skeptical, and overcome the gainsayers. Religious degrees are becoming more important to ministers, because the people to whom we minister have their own degrees, and we need to meet and relate to them on their own educational level. Never before has a college degree meant so much to so many people.

A “Doctor’s” degree is like an overgrown preacher’s card. It can open “Doors” for you to proclaim the message of the Master, which might otherwise remain shut. A “Doctor’s” degree is like an oversized letter of recommendation. It’s a bid for believability, to reassure folks of your principles, ethics, and reliability. It’s not to puff up your ego, but to add a ring of authenticity to your sermon ideas.

A “Doctor’s” degree is like a microphone to boost your voice for Jesus to a world lost in religious confusion. It’s not to make you popular with the world, but to lend credibility to your teaching and preaching. It’s not for any personal vainglory, but just to extend the influence of your ministry of God’s Holy Word.

It can broaden your opportunities for service, and promote your work for the Lord. If a pulpit committee was looking over two pastoral candidates, and most things on their resumes were fairly equal, but one had a Doctor of Theology degree from The Spirit of Truth Institute, and the other didn’t, it would probably tip the scales in favor of the one who had done his homework, and land him the position.

Or, if a Church member invited his boss to your Church, and the visitor inquired about your training, how would it be if your church member had to explain that you had little or no formal education. Thus, a degree could enhance your value to your Church, and promote its reputation in the community.

As a secular degree usually means increased income in the business world, so a religious degree could spiritually benefit you and result in a brighter future for your whole family. Perhaps we should rather ask why anyone would not want a degree, if it can so maximize your potential. Can you be your best for Christ without one?

DOCTRINAL STATEMENT OF THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH INSTITUTE

1. We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God and the authoritative rule of all doctrine and practice for the Church today.

2. We believe there is only one true living God --- Father, Son, and Holy Ghost--- Three in One and One in Three. He is Omniscient, Omnipotent, and Omnipresent.

3. We believe the Lord Jesus Christ was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, is the Divine Son of God, lived a sinless life, worked all manner of miracles, was striped for our healing, and crucified for our sins. He was bodily resurrected from the dead, ascended to heaven, is sitting at the right hand of God, and shall return to rule in the kingdom of God. He is the only Savior of all mankind.

4. All of mankind are sinners by nature and subject to eternal judgment. Man is a free moral agent to choose salvation by repentance from sin, and turning to God with faith in Christ. We may know that we are saved and must endure to the end.

New converts are commanded to be baptized in water by immersion in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

We are to pray daily, study the Word often and fellowship in the Church regularly. We are to love others, be humble, and obey God.

5. We believe in the Baptism into the Holy Ghost as a distinct endowment of power from on high for witnessing and service. All the gifts of the Spirit are available today.

6. We believe Christ is the Foundation and Head of the church, which is made up of every born again believer on earth.

Christ is coming soon to reward His Saints and punish the wicked.

7. We believe in an endless Heaven for the redeemed and an everlasting Hell for the damned. There are angels and demons.

CONDUCT STANDARDS

The Spirit of Truth Institute is for sincere Christians who are dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ. We subscribe to the highest Christian standards, and we expect our students to also reflect high moral and spiritual standards of life. We endeavor to provide leadership by example.

We will not even consider accepting a homosexual into our School, or knowingly admit anyone practicing sexual activity outside marriage (adultery, fornication, and all uncleanliness). It should be obvious that alcohol, tobacco, and any other form of substance abuse are beneath Scriptural standards for the Saints of God. Students must be free from gambling, profanity, excessive anger, and such like. We expect our students to manifest Christ in their attitude, deportment, and dress.

We urge students to find a good local Church to fellowship and worship God regularly, unless they are a Pastor in their own Church. The Bible teaches us to so live as to never cast a reproach upon the Name of the Lord Jesus, or His Church. Our degrees are an honor to you, but we want you to likewise be an honor to our School.

The administration of The Spirit of Truth Institute reserves the right to reject any student that we have good reason to believe is failing to live up to these standards. However, after genuine repentance and a period of counseling and restoration a student may be reinstated.

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