Asbury Theological Seminary Reviews

"Before graduating from ATS in 1983, the Lord led me to set a goal to work on a Doctor of Ministry one day. Thirteen years later in 1996, God opened the door for me to enter the Doctor of Ministry program at Asbury. I remained a full time pastor. I spent two to three weeks on campus each year with some courses being done partly online. I entered with one idea in mind to focus on, but God had a better idea. His Spirit led me to focus on Church Health from the perspective of the Bible and current literature. Being a professional doctorate of practice, I developed a preaching program on Biblical principles of church health proclaimed in a narrative form which we measured. We found that God used the sermon series to serve as a wake up call for the church. Several years after graduating in 2001, I wrote a book based on both my experience as a pastor and my doctoral research, Church History for the Twenty-First Century: A Biblical Approach. My professors and dissertation mentor were great. Given that there are not any seminary funds for a D.Min., I sought God for wisdom and provision. In many different ways and through many different individuals and churches who had special funds for those in seminary, God provided the funding for my education. I did find a grant from the UMC for people over a certain age who were going back to school that was helpful. One morning a church member drove up to the parsonage and handed me a check for a rather large amount of money. He said that he didn't know why, but the Lord had led him to write that check for me. I thanked him and PTL it was the amount that I needed for the next course. I'm not sure if the program still requires a dissertation, but it is wrong if they don't. I say that because I am now pursuing a PhD in Theology at the South African Theological Seminary. They required applicants to have written a dissertation or thesis which they require for their M.Div. and M.Th. programs. If I had not written a dissertation in my Doctor of Ministry, I would have needed to have earned a M.Th. and written a thesis. I thank God for both my M.Div. and D.Min. from Asbury Theological Seminary. It provided me with an excellent foundation for Christian living and Ministry spiritually and theologically. Academically, it provided me with the needed foundation to pursue a PhD at age 63 from a fully accredited evangelical seminary that has been fully online since 1996. It is Bible Based, Christ Centered, Spirit Led and Mission Focused. My PhD research is designed to discovery the proximity of Wesley's theology of Sanctification with the theology of Theosis of the Greek Fathers who influenced Wesley.Read Less"

"Asbury Theological Seminary is a bit geographically isolated for us city people who graduated from Universities, but provides a wonderful theological education with a very strong focus on spiritual formation which is seen in both the classroom and in the Chapel. I greatly appreciated the practical ministry ideas that professors in my courses would share. I learned more about pastoral ministry from my preaching professor with what he said in class and in the extra books that he encouraged us to read. At that time, the intro to pastoral ministry course greatly needed to be separated into two courses as it is now. I think having a required course on the spiritual life of the minister like we did back then was an idea that needs to be considered once again. I am very happy to see that basic Church History is no longer one 4 hour course, but now 2 three hour courses which focus on the global early church and the global modern church which was not done back then. I'm also glad to see a stronger Patristics department and I'm glad to have taken their one course when I was there. I hope having a stronger Patristics department has led to a focus on the influence that the Greek Church Fathers had on Wesley's theology and particularly his theology of sanctification. I was glad that ATS required NT Greek then, but was surprised they had a competency test even when one had taken 2 years of NT Greek in college. I am glad to see now the additional requirement of Hebrew. I was blessed to have attended ATS during the closing years of President Stanger's presidency. He was an outstanding president for that day. I believe Dr. Tennent is an outstanding President for this day with his global vision for the Church and his missionary heart. If I may be so bold, I would say he is the President Stanger for the 21st century at ATS. The cost of the seminary in the 1980s was not that bad, but now people are graduating with incredible debt. Our life as a community back then was awesome particularly as single students eating meals together. I do wonder if the increase in technology and changes in the buildings still has the sense of community that we had back then. I'm glad that I listened to my retired UMC pastor friend and attended ATS. He was a graduate of both Duke and Yale Schools of Divinity. He considered Duke Divinity School to be resting on its past reputation and did not even mention Yale. His perception was that ATS had matured a lot over the years and was the place to go. I'm very glad that I went and would encourage others to go there now.Read Less"

"I went to Asbury to learn about God and the Bible, as one would expect. I wanted to grow my relationship with God. The program, however, is little about God or the Bible. Most of the textbooks are lacking, at best. Far-left propaganda replaces Bible teaching in many cases. No neutrality, much like any secular university. Classwork is mostly group busy work that you won't learn anything from at all. Please also be aware that there online systems are terrible. It is nearly impossible simply to submit a financial aid application, as there is always an error. The help desk is a joke. Their refund policy is terrible, as well. They are just ripping people off in the name of Christ. If you're not in a certain group of favored people, expect to be very lonely and unsupported, especially in times of trouble. Some of the instructors cannot even understand the simplest statements, even in research papers. They have a form of godliness, but there is little to be seen of the deep roots in God that Wesley established. I would suggest that anyone who cares about his or her relationship with God, education, and ministry pray very, very hard for guidance before attempting to attend Asbury. Let me save you thousands and thousands of dollars by giving you your Asbury education in a few words: Bible is mostly parables, evolution is real, political correctness overrules Bible doctrine in most cases, give to the poor, and condescendingly minister to those from various backgrounds (they don't say that, but that's how it feels). You don't need to go to seminary to hear such as that. There are some good instructors and some level of decent teachings at Asbury, as well, from time to time. This review is just an FYI.Read Less"

"Asbury Theological Seminary (ATS) strives to create a welcoming atmosphere and do everything they can to help their students develop their unique vision and purpose. The one-day New Student Orientation included breakfast, lunch, and dinner, which took the edge off of facing the unknown. Their holistic approach to students' success has been the boon I needed for this grad school adventure. Being a nontraditional, returning student who is also working full-time, I appreciate the broad spectrum support from the ATS staff. From physical fitness to mentoring and spiritual formation, to counseling services and academic assistance, I am confident ATS will launch me into the next season of life as ready as I can be for my counseling career.Read Less"

"I am currently in a master degree program - Master of Divinity to be specific. Asbury Theological Seminary is a place where the curriculum are structured to help engaged minds and hearts for productivity. To flesh that out a bit, it is a place of academic and spiritual formation. The Seminary prides in her diversity which reflects a global perspective. Asbury Alumni all over the world are favorably disposed toward social justice, good-neighbourliness, socio-economic equality and the likes."

"I had been attending another seminary and lost my financial backing. They were not in the Dept. of Education program. I was kind of stuck and someone recommended Asbury to me. They have been nothing but warm, inviting, and encouraging. I love the fact that they take time to actually fellowship and have services. The professors take time to know you and encourage you. God is definitely present on campus"

"Asbury is a place you can call home. The professors are more like friends and your friends are as highly intellectual as your professors. Overall, an excellent place to receive higher education, both academically and spiritually."

"I enjoy going to this school. I feel like I am part of a community. Class Sizes are small and instructors are highly experienced and trained."

"Wilmore is a great town and Asbury Seminary and University (across the street) are the hub of our small town. We have quick access to Lexington and all the things you'd look for in a bigger city. The faculty and staff are incredible with their personable interactions and genuine care for students."

"Asbury Theological Seminary is dedicated to academic excellence as well as the spiritual formation of its students. This dual focus results in holistic leaders who are well equipped to handle the professional rigors of their chosen field and committed to a life of personal and social holiness."

"Asbury provides a well-balanced theological education."

"Asbury is a solid value for the money. There's not a ton of faculty turnover, so the professors tend to be fairly invested in Asbury (and the students). Online options increase the value. No school is perfect, but Asbury does a pretty good job overall at navigating the the tension between full-time students and people who are already in a career and furthering their education."

"I am having a wonderful experience studying at Asbury Theological Seminary. Going to intensives on campus helps with the isolation that an online student can experience when studying from home. Faculty, staff, and students are welcoming and helpful. Online classes are rigorous and require a great deal of reading, writing, group work, and practical experience. Professors and support staff have helped me to navigate through a delay in my studies due to illness and death in my family."

"Pros are the experience with the professors and students. The professors are down-to-earth people who have a passion for teaching and the students are exuberant in their zeal for learning. However, transportation does not exist since it is a commuter school and job placement is a concern as well."

"I feel that the pro of this graduate program is the flexibility of the schedule and the con is how expensive the program is."

"Along with a talented and knowledgeable faculty, Asbury has two of the top New Testament scholars in the world (Keener and Witherington). The staff is helpful with the details of campus life from the initial transition to finding the aid and resources one needs. The dorms are new and well thought out and there are new family units that help to foster community. The area is safe, though a bit isolated. I am glad to be a part of Asbury."

"I am really enjoying the diversity of the students and instructors at Asbury. Overall I am very pleased with my experiences here. I do wish there was more communication from the Financial Aid department."

"Pros -small town, great community, small classes, lots of personal attention, low cost, authentic Christian community, fantastic ethos Cons-still not as competitive of other major Seminaries like Duke, SMU, or Fuller -- needs better customer service"

"Asbury Seminary is an excellent school for a theological education. The unique Wesleyan perspective at an independent school allows for a variety of opinions regarding theological topics and allows for training for service in multiple denominations. When it comes to Master's-Level Students intending to pursue a PhD, Asbury falls short. They do not have a career services or further education department. The PhD program they offer themselves is too new to be of any significant value in the academic world. I would highly recommend Asbury for an MDiv or other MA degree for those intending on working within non-academic ministry, if the student can get financial aid to pay for the degree. For those intending on teaching at a university or seminary, I would hesitantly recommend Asbury for an MA/MDiv with the warning that students will need to find assistance elsewhere when pursuing a PhD.Read Less"

"Asbury Theological Seminary is a conservative Christian institution dedicated to equipping men and women to take the whole Gospel to the whole world using their unique gifts and abilities. Each student is challenged to let course materials and God's Word transform them as much as they are tasked with being vessels through which it transforms the world. Also, if you are looking for a topnotch online or distance education program, Asbury's Extended Learning Campus is a fully ATS accredited program designed to equip men and women for ministry as they are daily engaged in the ministry of the church.Read Less"