ABOUT WEST FLORIDA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

Welcome

Welcome to West Florida Theological Seminary where our purpose is to glorify God by helping equip Christians for ministry. West Florida Theological Seminary is a non-denominational, independent, evangelical seminary offering a quality Christian Education. We stand unequivocally committed to the Bible as God’s inerrant, infallible, and authoritative written revelation. Our classes are taking place at the educational facility of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church 916 Booker St. Cantonment, FL 32533. West Florida Theological Seminary is recognized by the Department of Education in the state of Florida under section 1005.06(1)(f) as a religious institution (College and Seminary) authorized to grant bachelor, master, and doctorate level degrees. We currently hold no national or regional accreditation however, the seminary plans to move forward with the process of achieving that status. For this reason we will maintain an academically competitive and rigorous standard. We want to achieve a healthy relationship between ministry preparation and academic rigor. At this time we are able to keep our tuition very affordable and we intend to pass that benefit on to you.

Doctrinal Statement

Students attending West Florida Theological Seminary need to agree with the following statements.

God: There is one triune God eternally existent in the persons of Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. The three are equal in essence but distinct in person and function.
Jesus: Jesus is the second person of the trinity and God manifest in the flesh. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, and He is true God and true man, having two distinct natures (human and Divine) co-joined in one Person.
The Spiritual Condition of the Human Race: Man was created in the image of God free from sin but he transgressed through sin and lost his spiritual life. This condition has been passed on to the entire human race so that all are born spiritually dead and depraved, in need of salvation.
The Work of Christ: Jesus died as a representative and substitutionary atonement for the sin of the entire human race. He rose victoriously and physically from the grave conquering death for all. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father serving as Head of the church, our High Priest, and Advocate.
Salvation: Salvation is offered by the grace of God to the entire human race on the one condition of faith alone. There is no action or work of any kind that will merit favor from God. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
The Physical Return of Christ: There is a future personal and physical return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Authority and Inerrancy of Scripture: The Bible is inspired by God and inerrant in its original. God's inspiration and inerrancy extends equally and fully to the entire Bible both Old and New Testament. The Bible alone is the final authority in faith and life.

Our Philosophy of Education

At West Florida Theological Seminary we value biblical education over indoctrination. We view God's Word alone as the final authority for faith and practice. For this reason, we ensure that the teaching of all 66 books of the Bible are foundational in each degree. Since God is the source of all truth, we believe that any knowledge to be gained depends on God regardless of the subject matter. The Bible is the ultimate criterion of truth even when studying the sciences and liberal arts. Moreover, at West Florida Theological Seminary, we take an integrated approach to the education process ensuring that, biblical exposition, biblical worldview, theology, and apologetics are included in each degree. We want our graduates to know what the Bible says, why they believe it, and be adequately equipped to teach and defend it.

Educational Goals

Below are the general educational goals of West Florida Theological Seminary. They will increase and expand with each advanced degree (See individual degree and class syllabus for degree specific goals).

Intellectual and spiritual growth
Develop a servant-hearted leadership
Develop the ability to think critically and logically
Employ a consistent literal-grammatical-historical hermeneutic for interpreting all of the Bible
Understand the essential doctrines of orthodox Christianity
Ability to articulate and defend the essential doctrines of the Christian Faith
A thorough understanding of the nature, structure, and narrative of the Bible
A basic understanding of context, purpose, argument, and theology of all 66 books in the Bible
Identify basic biblical orthodoxy and orthopraxy and make proper application for the current reader
Understanding of Biblical, Systematic, and Historical Theology
A basic understanding of the differences between Dispensational and Covenant Theology
Communicate God's Word effectively through preaching or teaching
Ability to evangelize culturally and cross-culturally
Develop a complete Biblical Worldview with the ability to apply it to every area of life
The ability to analyze, compare, and contrast worldviews that are antithetical to the Christian Worldview
Be aware of the major contemporary social, cultural, and theological issues challenging Christianity today
Develop the tools and skills necessary for further research and study to cultivate a lifelong biblical learning process
Enhanced ministerial skills such as preaching, teaching, counseling, leadership, administration, education, evangelism, or spiritual formation