New Bible College gives students missional placements at the Salvos

The Great Commission Institute leadership team (from left): Michael Hosking (business director), Sean Nolan (founder and director) and Mark Soper (director).

From next year, Christians from any denomination will have an opportunity to study at a Bible college embedded within the mission of The Salvation Army.

The Great Commission Institute, founded by Sean Nolan from Shire Salvos Menai, is offering a one-year Diploma in Theology for people wanting to study in person or online, full-time or part-time.

Partnering with Shire Salvos, The Salvation Army’s Eva Burrows College and the University of Divinity, the institute says it will deliver the diploma with two key emphases: being centred on the Bible and led by the Holy Spirit. 

“There are currently two dominant ways to educate for ministry one that focuses on being ‘Bible-centred’, the second on being ‘Spirit-led’,” says the Great Commission Institute Director, Sean Nolan.

“The uniqueness of this program is that it combines these two – mixing high-quality biblical and theological knowledge with training that equips people to apply this knowledge in a real-world setting.”

Shire Salvos Mission Leader Mark Soper, who also serves as Director of the new institute, says students who enrol in the Diploma of Theology will be embedded within Salvation Army missional communities across Shire Salvos and potentially further afield.

“Putting theological knowledge into practice, alongside experienced missional practitioners, will allow the word of God to become truly alive, just as Jesus intended it to be,” Mark said.

‘Knowledge on fire’ was a phrase coined by US evangelist Billy Graham, who said that Bible College would become a lifeless experience if detached from real-life evangelism and discipleship.

The Great Commission Institute and its Diploma of Theology is offering a life-changing experience for people wishing to deepen their experience of following Jesus.

If you’re interested in finding out more, head to greatcommissioninstitute.org.au

The Great Commission Institute wants to bring God’s word alive in people’s lives.

- Article written by Lauren Martin