- Jan 1, 2006
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I recently took a little vacation to Knoxville, Tennessee to visit some old friends. I'd recently got back in touch with a great friend of mine, Dave, a preacher, who'd been telling me a fair deal about the East Tennessee School of Preaching after I brought the subject up with him. I told him about the sermons I'd been writing and the growing interest to preach the Gospel, and he was very happy to sit and talk with me about it.
The way this place is set up is a little different than I would've expected, but I still very much love the idea. ETSP was established in 1971 and has been under the oversight of the elders of the Karns Church of Christ since that time. The Church provides the facilities of the school, or, basically the school is IN the Church. In addition to providing the facilities the congregation gives more than $55,000 annually to support the school.
Anyone heard of James L. Meadows? He's nationally known as a highly respected evangelist, lecturer and author - he's been the Director of ETSP since 1996.
ETSP has an extensive 2-year study program. 30 hours are spent in class each week, with at least an equal amount of outside work. The two-year program, with its 240 quarter hours, is equivalent to a regular 4-year program at a liberal arts college. Every book of the Bible is studied during the two years at ETSP.
Now get this...
ETSP charges no tuition. ETSP receives no government funds. ETSP is approved by the Veterans' Administration. Student housing is available at a modest cost. Congregations and individuals are often willing to help with the training of sound, balanced gospel preachers, and the school will provide assistance in how to raise necessary funds. It's college-accredited.
I talked to Dave about it, who went to school there himself back in the day. He said he was sponsored by local congregations and family, who send a monthly payment of whatever cost to you so that you can pay for your living expenses and things of that nature. Of course you're expected to live pretty meagerly, not taking advantage of your sponsors, but they don't expect you to starve either.
So Dave and I are meeting up once a week and really getting into Bible study. He said it'd be best that we do, considering they expect you to have general Bible knowledge. Don't want to be a first-grader entering a 6th-grade class, you know? Not saying that I don't know the Bible, but considering I haven't finished it yet, I'm devoting the rest of this year into doing so, and deeply studying all the while. He mentioned that this happened for him the same way, he had a preacher friend who graduated from the school showing him the ropes and getting him ready - plus he went on to say that he and his wife would be two of my sponsors.
Prayer pays off. God opens doors. I'm extremely thankful!
The way this place is set up is a little different than I would've expected, but I still very much love the idea. ETSP was established in 1971 and has been under the oversight of the elders of the Karns Church of Christ since that time. The Church provides the facilities of the school, or, basically the school is IN the Church. In addition to providing the facilities the congregation gives more than $55,000 annually to support the school.
Anyone heard of James L. Meadows? He's nationally known as a highly respected evangelist, lecturer and author - he's been the Director of ETSP since 1996.
ETSP has an extensive 2-year study program. 30 hours are spent in class each week, with at least an equal amount of outside work. The two-year program, with its 240 quarter hours, is equivalent to a regular 4-year program at a liberal arts college. Every book of the Bible is studied during the two years at ETSP.
Now get this...
ETSP charges no tuition. ETSP receives no government funds. ETSP is approved by the Veterans' Administration. Student housing is available at a modest cost. Congregations and individuals are often willing to help with the training of sound, balanced gospel preachers, and the school will provide assistance in how to raise necessary funds. It's college-accredited.
I talked to Dave about it, who went to school there himself back in the day. He said he was sponsored by local congregations and family, who send a monthly payment of whatever cost to you so that you can pay for your living expenses and things of that nature. Of course you're expected to live pretty meagerly, not taking advantage of your sponsors, but they don't expect you to starve either.
So Dave and I are meeting up once a week and really getting into Bible study. He said it'd be best that we do, considering they expect you to have general Bible knowledge. Don't want to be a first-grader entering a 6th-grade class, you know? Not saying that I don't know the Bible, but considering I haven't finished it yet, I'm devoting the rest of this year into doing so, and deeply studying all the while. He mentioned that this happened for him the same way, he had a preacher friend who graduated from the school showing him the ropes and getting him ready - plus he went on to say that he and his wife would be two of my sponsors.
Prayer pays off. God opens doors. I'm extremely thankful!
