BY JOSEPH MENSLAGE
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Dr. Glenn Mollette and Newburgh Theological Seminary, Newburgh, Indiana, celebrated their 20th anniversary June 15. About 500 people from all over the United States and various countries gathered for the school’s commencement service in Evansville, Indiana.
One hundred and three graduates received various degrees from associate to doctoral level.
President Mollette founded the school in June 2003. Initially the school was only an idea of offering online theological/ministry training. The first couple of years were very slow with only a few enrollments. The school began to accelerate in 2007 with enrollments coming in from across the United States and other countries. Since 2003 the school has enrolled over 11000 students. Alumni are now in all 50 states and 40 countries.
In 2005 Mollette and Carole Bartley married, and later that summer, she left her 17-year affiliation with a Cincinnati law firm to work alongside her husband. Over 40 academic advisors, administrators, support staff, graders and adjunct faculty now make up the school’s team.
“I believed there was a need for theological/ministry training that could be completed at home,” said Mollette. “Our program consists of men and women from 25 to 93 years of age. We have a very diverse student body.”
He added, “Our program is Christ-centered, flexible and affordable. Most of our students complete the various programs in two years or less but sometimes extend their program another year or two if their life circumstances change. The students do the programs at their pace and on their schedules.”
Newburgh Seminary/College offers degrees in Biblical studies, Ministry, Pastoral Leadership, Organizational Leadership, Christian counseling, Church Growth, Preaching, Master of Divinity, Theology, Creative Writing and many more.
Mollette is a native of Martin County in Eastern Kentucky. He initially moved to Indiana to serve a church that exploded in growth and went through a couple of expansions. He began preaching when he was 16 and has served as senior pastor of numerous churches in Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana. He also spent one year as an assistant to the president at Georgetown College in Kentucky. He taught classes for Boyce Bible School in Louisville and worked part-time for a couple of other theological institutions before beginning Newburgh Theological Seminary/Newburgh College of the Bible.
To this date Mollette holds the distinction of being the youngest person elected by acclamation as president of the Kentucky Baptist Convention in 1991. In 1989 he was elected as president of the Kentucky Baptists Pastors Conference.
In recent years Mollette has written numerous books, including “Church Growth 101” and “Minister’s Guidebook, Insights from a Fellow Minister,” that have been utilized by pastors and church leaders around the world. He can also be heard each weekday on XM 131 satellite radio. His weekly column Uncommon Sense appears in over 600 newspapers, blogs and websites nationwide.
You can learn more about Newburgh Theological Seminary and Newburgh College of the Bible at www.newburghseminary.com.
Joseph Menslage is the publisher of Katy Christian Magazine, Houston, Texas—email joseph@houstonchristianmagazine.com.