The most obvious reason for pursuing a Bachelor of Theology (BTh) degree is when a young person feels a strong calling to full-time ministry. Wanting to prepare themselves as thoroughly as possible for this calling, they may consider studying for a BTh degree. We always advise young people called to full-time ministry to ensure their “ceiling” is as high as possible because they don’t know what God has planned for them. Many of ATS’ lecturers began their ministry without any expectation that one day they would be responsible for the spiritual and academic training of future leaders.
However, there are other reasons for school leavers to consider studying for a BTh degree, and I would like to focus on these reasons. I want to include fathers, mothers, and grandparents in my audience. Making the decision about tertiary studies and choosing which degree to pursue, is a very stressful time for a family. The cost of tertiary education is substantial, and parents are understandably eager to ensure their children are well-prepared for the future. To these young people, parents and grandparents, I would like to offer a different perspective for consideration.
Developing Cognitive Ability and Critical Thinking
The brain of a young person is still developing at the age they leave school. This means that entering tertiary education directly after school is beneficial, as brain development is stimulated and the formation of new neural pathways is accelerated, not to mention the development of self-discipline and the capacity for concentration. To use a metaphor, it’s like ensuring the engine of a car is optimised for whatever road may lie ahead, and now is the best time to do that.
The Future of Work is Uncertain
It’s true that many of the jobs we know today may not exist in 10 or 20 years’ time. Twenty years ago, a BCom in Accounting was one of the flagship academic programmes at the University of Johannesburg. Today, with a variety of software options available, “laypeople” can easily do their own accounting and file their taxes online. On the flip side, new jobs we haven’t yet imagined, will be created in the next decade. This uncertainty about the future of work makes it difficult for parents and school leavers to navigate their options regarding the future.
We often hear the saying that it is a waste of time to study something you won’t use in your work. However, if we don’t know what the future workplace will look like, then this “wisdom” no longer holds.
An example from history that challenges this statement: Prof. Sadie1 identified tertiary education as one of the major factors that lifted the Afrikaner community out of the deep poverty of 1939. The Afrikaner’s economic empowerment relied heavily on the philosophy of “liberation through education.” He noted that in their urgency for education, they sometimes made the mistake of focusing more on “soft” academic options, such as a general BA degree, while avoiding subjects like mathematics and the natural sciences. (There was also a bias against technical and vocational training.) Despite these shortcomings, he argued that the Afrikaners’ pursuit of education had greatly benefited them economically.
This example illustrates my metaphor: the discipline of tertiary education increases “engine capacity”. ATS often receives requests from alumni who have relocated to other countries to forward their student transcripts for new jobs they’ve applied for. In some instances, it was for positions like project managers at engineering companies. Companies understand the value of workers with a tertiary education, and when planning for an uncertain work future, you want a “strong engine.”
Working with People Will Always Matter
Regardless of what the future workplace will look like, it is safe to assume that people skills will remain important. The development of people – and leadership skills is – a key component of the BTh curriculum. Relationship knowledge and skills—such as marriage, child and family wellness, leadership, public speaking, working in a cross-cultural context, working with youth, community projects, and counselling—are all part of the degree. As one alumnus, now working in the Department of Labour noted, “I constantly use what I learned at ATS in my work.”
If you want to be equipped for human relationships, leadership, crisis management, and support, a BTh degree is one of the best options available. Not only is the curriculum dense in these areas, but it also provides a Biblical and Christ-centred perspective, bringing a whole different set of principles and ethics into play that are essential when working with people.
Preparation for the Future
Preparation for the future is closely linked to one’s eschatology (the understanding of the last things or end times). ATS has invested many years of research, discussions, and study to understand what eschatology entails (for more information, refer to this blog post). We know that Jesus described it not as ruin and destruction, but as the birth pains of a new world. However, Jesus also warned that these will be challenging times, as the battle between light and darkness intensifies before His second coming. Paul warns in Ephesians that his readers might easily be seduced by another “Jesus,” a different spirit, and a different gospel. The truth of the Bible and Jesus Christ, God’s holy Son, will come under tremendous attack, and deception will reach unprecedented levels.
The BTh degree will prepare you for these challenges. Courses in the Old Testament, New Testament, hermeneutics (how to interpret and understand the Bible), ethics (in a world that has lost its moral and ethical compass), and dogmatics (a system of principles laid out by the Bible to address current issues) will help students become mature Christians who can navigate the world until the end. This may be the strongest motivation to seriously consider studying for a BTh.
Marketplace Ministry
In Big Change, we explain our belief that “ordinary people” who live by the Spirit have the potential to change a nation. We believe that every Christian is called, not necessarily to full-time ministry, but definitely to be a minister in the marketplace. A marketplace minister sees their workplace and its people as their personal ministry. Marketplace ministry goes beyond trusting God to help overcome work challenges or avoiding negative influences; it involves applying Biblical principles to your work, being led by the Holy Spirit, and conducting business by the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit. It includes praying for colleagues and clients, trusting the Lord for supernatural intervention in their lives.
A marketplace minister, for example, could be like Paul, who worked as a tentmaker in Corinth, providing employment for others (an entrepreneur) while also ministering in the marketplace. We read of his great success in marketplace ministry.
Some young people may be able to pursue a BTh (through distance learning) while simultaneously learning a vocational skill. We have students who study with ATS while working as teachers’ assistants. We encourage this because it gives students practical experience and helps them become integrated into a community, to avoid being isolated. Other practical skills to consider include web/graphic design, computer repair, childcare, handyman services (like painting or tile laying), crafts, farming, hairstylist, sports coaching, or entrepreneurship (ATS’ curriculum include 3 years of entrepreneurial training). Think of Paul: he was a craftsman, a preacher, and a theologian. Peter said of Paul’s reasoning and writing that it was hard to understand, and to this day, we know that his theology is rich—yet he was also able to speak in plain language to ordinary people.
To conclude
I want to challenge our school leavers to firstly know with holy certainty that when you are born again, you are also called by God. “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). This calling was pre-planned by God before you were even born. You are not an accident or a mishap. You can also be very excited because His plans are wonderful (though not necessarily easy ;)).
Secondly, I want you to start thinking differently about your future. A calling does not only mean going into full-time ministry. More often than not, it is a “marketplace ministry.” The marketplace ministry is not a second-grade ministry; on the contrary, it is where God can meet people who don’t go to church, on a 24/7 basis. The marketplace ministry might also be the best suited to take the Light where the darkness is.
Thirdly, our world is changing rapidly, and maybe we should think more creatively and multi-dimensionally about work — for example, being a tentmaker, entrepreneur, preacher, and theologian all in one. Let us seek and remain open to the Holy Spirit’s leading, for He knows the future our Father has planned for us — even before we were born.
Student Advice Options
- Don’t have a Senior Certificate with endorsement? Read how you can still apply for a Bachelor of Theology.
- Interest in other options? Learn more about ATS’ other qualifications.
- Contact ATS to get personal advice on what qualification you may qualify for.
- J.L. Sadie (2002). The fall and rise of the Afrikaner in the South African economy.
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Thanks