Accomplished professionals and active retirees train at RETI

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) professors at the Raleigh Executive Training Institute (RETI) trained accomplished professionals and active retirees this spring.

Participants ranged in age from early 30s to 80s. The aim of the institute launched in January 2015 is to make theological education more accessible to people living in Raleigh and surrounding communities.

Chuck Lawless, professor of evangelism and missions and vice president for graduate studies and ministry centers, taught the first class on Introduction to Great Commission Studies. “The RETI students have been some of my favorite students,” he said. “It’s a joy to work with laypersons who simply want to learn to be better equipped leaders in their churches.”  

Sixteen students took Introduction to Great Commission Studies and 14 took New Testament with Chuck Quarles. Twelve of these students were in both classes and forty percent of the students were women.

RETI is staffed by Southeastern faculty teaching through seven core courses leading to an accredited masters-level certificate in Biblical Studies and Theology. The Certificate of Biblical Studies and Theology features foundational courses that are short and manageable to accommodate a busy schedule.

Rex Craig, product manager with Cisco, took both Introduction to Great Commission Studies and New Testament. “These first two courses have been life-changing experiences,” Craig said. “I was both surprised and humbled to realize how much I didn’t know about missions, evangelism, and the New Testament — subjects I thought I knew well.”

Each class meets six times, all on Thursday evenings from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Prior to weekly class, students watch three, twenty-minute lectures. Thursday evenings feature face-to-face lectures and discussion.

Chuck Moseley, senior executive consultant to Department of Energy Nuclear Weapons Complex and Commercial Nuclear Power Industry, recommends the courses to his friends.

“After thirty years of structured Bible Study I thought I was fairly cognizant of the Bible, particularly the New Testament however the first two courses made me realize how much I did not know,” Moseley said. “I was challenged to do my best and thoroughly enjoyed both courses.”

Classes do not meet over the summer or during the holiday season, and a two-week break is scheduled between classes to keep the pace of study manageable throughout the entire program. All classes are offered near North Hills at Crenshaw Consulting Engineers in Raleigh at a location with on-site parking convenient to offices and homes in the Triangle.

Dale Tincher, CEO, Consultwebs.com, Inc, liked the format of the courses. “The courses are perfectly designed for someone like me who still owns and manages a business, yet wishes to learn more about God and His Word,” Tincher said. “The program allows me to learn in a structured format what I have been trying to learn in bits and pieces over the years.”

Lucy Dancer took both courses and became more aware of spreading the gospel. “I had a passion for missions before starting the class and ended with a much greater burden for the world and a yearning to be a part of God’s magnificent plan.”

“The course on the New Testament has given me confidence to speak to others about why I know the Bible is the inerrant Word of God, how and why the books in the Bible were chosen, and to be more discerning when the world calls into question things about the Bible,” she said. “Dr. Quarles taught us how to interpret the parables of Jesus and how to critically compare the Gospels against one another.”

In fall 2015, Allan Moseley will teach Old Testament and Ken Keathley will teach Christian Theology.

To learn more about Southeastern’s Raleigh Executive Training Institute and how to register for fall 2015, please visit: sebts.edu/reti or contact Daniel Palmer at [email protected] or 919.761.2352.