Frequently Asked Questions

The Antioch School of Church Planting and Leadership Development is a church-based theological education institution that trains next-generation church leaders and planters in the New Testament patterns of church life. It's an extension of BILD International and offers accredited certificate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs taught by active practitioners rather than traditional academics.

Church-based theological education means training happens within your actual ministry context, not in a classroom disconnected from it. Rather than leaving your church to study theology and returning later to apply it, your coursework, mentoring, and assessment are integrated into your current ministry—so learning and doing ministry happen at the same time. You will be driven to learn what you need in order to solve the problems you face within your church. You can immediately apply what you study.

The Antioch School differs from a traditional seminary in three main ways: it's church-based (you stay rooted in your ministry context rather than leaving to attend), it's competency-based (you're assessed through a portfolio of real work rather than credit hours and tests), and it's practitioner-led (your instructors are active church leaders and church planters, not career academics).

The Antioch School grew out of BILD International's decades of work in church-based theological education. Jeff Reed began developing the model in the 1970s through a mentoring relationship at Ontario Bible Church, BILD International was formalized in 1986, and the Antioch School itself was established in 2006 to grant accredited academic credentials for this church-based approach.

The name connects the school to the New Testament church at Antioch, the hub from which Paul and his teams planted churches throughout the Roman world, and the place where believers were first called Christians. The name reflects the school's commitment to the "Antioch tradition" — the Pauline pattern of evangelizing cities, establishing churches, and entrusting them to trained, faithful leaders.

"The Way of Christ and His Apostles" refers to the comprehensive New Testament pattern for church life—how believers gathered, faithfully applied biblical teaching, and organized their households and communities—as opposed to a purely individual or belief-only understanding of Christianity. It's the historical and theological foundation the Antioch School's model of church and leadership training is built on.

The Antioch School's curriculum is shaped by Scripture and the patterns of the early New Testament church, not by a specific denomination or institutional tradition. Its programs and network include leaders and churches from a wide range of denominational backgrounds who share a commitment to church-based, practitioner-led theological education.

The Antioch School offers four levels of programs: Certificates (Certificate of Ministry and Certificate of Theology), Bachelor's degrees (Bachelor of Ministry and Bachelor of Theology), Master's degrees (Master of Ministry and Master of Theology), and Doctoral degrees (Doctor of Ministry in Global Church-Based Theological Education, and Doctor of Ministry in Theology in Culture).

The Ministry track (B.Min., M.Min.) equips you, through a serious study of the New Testament, to align your ministry philosophy and strategies with the teachings of Christ and the apostles. It is generally recommended as the starting point for most students. The Theology track (B.Th., M.Th.) involves advanced theological study of the entire scriptures and its application within cultures of today. It is a bigger commitment and builds on the foundation of the Ministry track.

The Master of Ministry currently requires 38 credits, including three Leadership Series courses, and can typically be completed in around two years.

The Master of Theology requires 76 credits—roughly double the Master of Ministry—plus additional prerequisites for students without a ministry background, reflecting its more academically rigorous scope.

Yes. The Certificate of Ministry and Certificate of Theology (offered at both undergraduate and graduate assessment levels) let you test the model with a lower time and financial commitment. Credit earned in a certificate program can typically be applied in full toward a later degree, as long as it matches that degree's requirements.

Yes. Antioch School programs are designed to build on each other—a bachelor's degree leads directly into a master's program, and a master's can lead into doctoral study, without starting over at each stage.

The Antioch School offers two doctorates: the D.Min. in Global Church-Based Theological Education (for leaders developing or leading church-based training initiatives) and the D.Min. in Theology in Culture (for leaders engaging culture theologically and contextualizing the gospel). Both are practice-focused professional doctorates, not academic/research Ph.D.s, and are designed for experienced ministry leaders.

Timelines vary by program level and your pace, since the model is competency-based rather than tied to a fixed semester schedule. As a general reference, the Master of Ministry is designed to be completed in around two years; other programs vary based on credit load and how quickly you complete portfolio assessments alongside your ministry responsibilities.

Applying involves three steps: first, talk with an admissions advisor to confirm the right program and format for you; second, complete the online application at apply.bild.org; third, once accepted, enroll and get matched with a cohort (or begin self-directed/mentor-led study) and gain access to the BILD Cloud portfolio platform.

While not required, it is recommended. Prospective students are encouraged to speak with an admissions advisor before submitting a formal application to make sure the program, degree level, and study format are the right fit—and to get direct answers about cost, prior credit, and format options.

Online Antioch School cohorts typically start in the spring and fall of each year. If you're interested in a cohort at a degree level that isn't currently running (such as bachelor's-level online cohorts), mentioning that during your advisor conversation helps the school gauge demand.

Yes. If you have colleagues or friends also interested in applying, mention this during your admissions conversation. Bringing a small group together can sometimes help support a new cohort option, and coordinating applications together can smooth the onboarding process.

There's no single universal prerequisite—admissions decisions are evaluated individually based on your ministry background, prior education, and the specific program you're applying to. Many students are already active in ministry (as pastors, elders, or lay leaders), while others are just beginning to explore a call to ministry or church planting.

After you submit your application at apply.bild.org, the admissions team reviews it and follows up about acceptance. Once accepted, you'll enroll in your chosen program and format, gain access to the BILD Cloud portfolio platform, and if you're joining a cohort—your facilitator will reach out to orient you before your first session.

Based on current admissions guidance, tuition runs around $450 per month, varying by the specific degree program and credit load.

No. The Antioch School's church-based, competency-based model falls outside the traditional accreditation categories tied to federal financial aid (Title IV) eligibility. This is a deliberate trade-off of the school's distinctive model—and it also means no federal student loan debt for graduates.

Common funding sources include direct monthly payments, support from a student's local church or elders, individual benefactors (family, mentors, or congregation members), and flexible, case-by-case payment plan adjustments offered by the school. Reducing your monthly payment is possible but will generally extend your timeline to completion.

Yes, and it's common. Many students bring the decision to pursue training to their church's elders or leadership, since a more equipped leader directly benefits the church. Some churches cover the full cost, others contribute a portion, and some churches fund and train several leaders together as a cohort.

In most cases, yes. Traditional seminaries can cost tens of thousands of dollars, often financed through federal or private student loans. The Antioch School's church-based model, priced around $450/month depending on the program, is structured to be substantially more affordable, without the same debt burden.

There are four main study formats: self-directed study (independent, self-paced, submitted to an online portfolio for assessment), conversation partners (informal peer discussion within your own church), a local mentor or church-led cohort (a trained mentor in your church evaluates your work and may lead a group), and an online Zoom-based cohort (live, real-time discussion with a facilitator and other students).

A Zoom cohort is a small group of students who meet live, on a regular schedule, for real-time, Socratic-style discussion facilitated by an experienced practitioner — not pre-recorded lectures or asynchronous discussion boards. Students are expected to prepare in advance and actively participate in dialogue, building real relationships with their cohort along the way.

Currently, online cohorts run at the certificate and master's level. A bachelor's-level online cohort isn't currently available.

Competency-based education measures whether you can actually demonstrate the knowledge and skills a program is designed to build, rather than measuring how many credit hours or classes you've completed. At the Antioch School, this happens through an ongoing portfolio of biblical/theological papers, ministry projects, and reflective writing, assessed by a mentor or program administrator.

You submit work—papers, ministry projects, reflective writing—through an online portfolio system (BILD Cloud). A trained local mentor or program administrator assesses whether it demonstrates the required competency. If it doesn't yet, you can revise and resubmit rather than simply receiving a failing grade.

Yes. This is a core design feature of the Antioch School model. Full-time pastors, associate pastors, bivocational leaders, and working professionals all complete Antioch School programs while remaining in their current ministry and job. The tradeoff is pace: heavier ministry responsibilities generally mean a longer timeline to finish.

Yes. Because assessment runs through the BILD Cloud online portfolio system, reliable internet access is required even for students in the self-directed study format.

Yes. The Antioch School is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), which the U.S. Department of Education lists as a recognized accrediting agency, and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) also recognizes. It received its initial DEAC accreditation in 2010 and NC-SARA recognition in 2016.

Possibly. Students returning after 10, 15, or more years away may have prior coursework count toward current program requirements, even if it was completed under an earlier version of the curriculum or with a different facilitator. Bring details of what you completed to your admissions conversation so it can be evaluated directly.

Programs are periodically updated—for example, the Master of Ministry's credit requirements and required course count have changed over time, and study formats like online cohorts have been added. Returning students should expect some differences from what they remember, even in a program with the same name.

Antioch School instructors are active practitioners—pastors, church planters, and ministry leaders currently serving churches and networks—rather than career academics. Faculty include senior pastors, associate deans, and leaders of church-planting and leadership-development networks across multiple countries, several holding advanced degrees (including doctorates) from respected institutions.

Practitioner-led instruction means discussions connect immediately to real challenges instructors face in their own ministries, not hypothetical case studies. It doesn't mean less academic rigor—many faculty hold advanced degrees—but rigor and active ministry practice are combined in the same person rather than split between separate roles.

No. Faculty serve in ministry contexts around the world, including India, China, and other countries, in addition to the U.S. This reflects the school's connection to a global network of practitioners, not just a single regional network.

Yes. A church can form its own cohort, with a trained local mentor (often an existing pastor or elder) evaluating the group's work and guiding discussion. Because online cohorts need enough students to reach a viable group size, a group of interested leaders from one church can sometimes help support a new cohort forming sooner.

Yes. Antioch School training is designed to be genuinely church-based—when a church uses the model to train its leaders, members of that church's own team can serve as mentors and cohort facilitators, keeping the training directly connected to the church's specific context and convictions.

For many churches, yes. Training in-house avoids the ministry gap created when a leader is away for two to four years, keeps training aligned with your church's theological convictions, and lets your team learn together—building shared vocabulary and unity rather than each person absorbing different, disconnected influences.

One church network leader has described the model as helping churches "encourage their people to do practical ministry assignments that reflect the theology they're learning" and "unite churches around the core essentials of the faith." Reach out to admissions for additional references and examples relevant to your context.

Call us at 515.292.9694, email info@antiochschool.edu, or use our contact page.