MBTS, Spurgeon College, partner with Cedarville University for MBA
By Michaela Classen, MBTS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Beginning in May 2025, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (MBTS) and Spurgeon College students will be able to complement their theological education with advanced business training through a new partnership with Cedarville University.
Through the partnership, students at Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College can earn credits toward Cedarville’s Master of Business Administration, further preparing students for administrative ministry roles and marketplace leadership.
“I am grateful to announce this new partnership between Cedarville University and Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College,” said President Jason Allen. “We have so much in common with Cedarville University, and I am excited that some of our students will now be able to pursue their MBA through them. In our ever-changing cultural context, being adequately equipped to be a light for Christ in the workforce is no small matter. This new partnership allows our students to do just that.”
Cedarville University President Thomas White shared, “When two rivers converge, their impact multiplies, creating a stronger current that reaches farther and deeper. In the same way, when two like-minded institutions come together, the effect is not merely additive but exponential. This partnership between Cedarville and Midwestern Seminary allows us to strengthen our shared mission—preparing students for Kingdom impact by equipping them with both theological and business acumen.”
White continued, “I look forward to seeing how God uses this collaboration to expand opportunities for students and to further His work in the world.”
Located in Cedarville, Ohio, Cedarville University is a Baptist institution with a mission “for the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ.” The university’s Plaster School of Business offers a fully online MBA with a biblical foundation, which Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College students will be able to pursue through the partnership beginning this summer.
Jason Duesing, provost and senior vice president of academic administration at Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College, shared the practical advantages of a Christ-centered business education for students preparing to serve the Church.
“Receiving a high-quality professional master’s degree like an MBA from a respected Christian institution like Cedarville University only enhances opportunities for ministry service for those aiming to serve in church administration or executive leadership, and for those seeking to serve in the marketplace with a Kingdom focus.”
The partnership affords unique advantages for the seminary and college level.
Midwestern Seminary students pursuing a Master of Divinity, Master of Arts, or Master of Theological Studies will have the opportunity to receive preferred admission to Cedarville’s online MBA program while enrolled at the seminary. Select M.Div. courses will satisfy elective requirements for the MBA, maximizing the flexibility and efficiency of both programs.
Spurgeon College students will have access to an accelerated pathway to an MBA. During their senior year, students will have the opportunity to enroll in up to two online MBA courses at Cedarville, which can apply as transfer credits toward the Bachelor of Arts in Business Leadership at Spurgeon College. In addition, Spurgeon College graduates with completed MBA credits at Cedarville will be eligible to complete Cedarville’s MBA with a tuition discount.
SWBTS to provide new resources to students through Logos partnership
By Michelle Workman, SWBTS
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS) leaders announced today that the institution has entered into a partnership with Logos Bible Software, the “premiere” Bible study software, to continue to better equip students with resources available and necessary for ministry today.
“I am excited about this new partnership with Logos as we integrate the premier Bible software into our programs at Southwestern,” Provost Madison Grace said of this next step of equipping students with the resources available.
“This is just a part of the process of researching Scripture in the 21st century,” said Trey Moss, associate vice president for academic administration, pointing out that this software is often used by pastors and professors and can help students be effective in their studies as well. “We want to make sure students have access and that it’s integrated into their study here at Southwestern.”
Fall registration opened Monday, April 14, and students who register for Southwestern’s core courses — listed in full here and including classes such as Systematic Theology, Biblical Hermeneutics, and Old and New Testament — will pay $75 per course, applied automatically upon enrollment, for a subscription that will include the course’s textbooks in Logos, the Logos Academic Basics Library, including a 50% academic discount on select Logos resources, and a Logos premium subscription which includes a significant library of additional books and resources for study and additional benefits from Logos.
Once registered, students will be notified when their subscription and textbooks are available, approximately six weeks before the start of the semester. Content will be accessed through Canvas, where they will be prompted to sign into an existing account or create an account using a personal email address.
Texas Baptist College students who register for courses that are cross-listed with the participating master’s courses will also take advantage of this new opportunity.
Moss said this resource will take away the task of finding the textbooks, directly linking the textbooks to the course experience in Canvas. The program also integrates the textbooks with biblical texts, allowing students to directly select and read biblical references found in the textbook.
“These kinds of programs, I think, really amplify what they’re able to do in the time that they have to study God’s Word,” Moss said. “And these are the kinds of resources that are a part of today’s ministry.”
After completing the course, students will have the textbooks indefinitely and will retain the Logos Premium subscription for the remainder of the academic year, ending in August. Students can continue receiving it beyond that time by enrolling in more qualifying courses or by purchasing a monthly or annual subscription of Logos.
Students who register but then drop the course before the add/drop date will be fully refunded but will not have access to the textbooks or subscription. Those who drop during the 50% refund period in the first six weeks of the semester will be refunded 50% of the cost, retain the textbooks, but will not have access to the subscription.
Southwestern will hold a live training session for students in the fall that will be recorded and shared with students following the event. Training is also available for users in Logos.
