Should You Consider

the Great Commission School?

The book of Amos speaks of a time when there would be a "famine of hearing the words of the Lord" (Amos 8:11). Our own day is such a time. Despite the many Bible schools, seminaries, Bible-believing churches and media ministries in America and abroad, the level of actual biblical literacy among the rank-and-file of modern Christians is at an unexplainably low ebb. What’s worse, Christians are often unaware of their own ignorance of the Bible, having been taught many ideas from modern culture and psychology in the guise of biblical teachings. Thus Christians often espouse viewpoints and give counsel which they believe to be biblical, but which, unbeknown to them, actually misrepresent the truths of scripture.

Even though Jesus commissioned His church to go and multiply disciples by "teaching them to observe all things" that He commanded (Matt. 28:19-20), this teaching function has not been carried out as faithfully as some other aspects of the Christian mission have been. For example, there are many tribes and nations (including our own) where the Gospel of Christ has been preached for decades or centuries, but where the work of making disciples has scarcely begun.

This, at least, is our perception, and we think that few who are acquainted with the facts will wish to deny it. "Church growth" experts have been reporting for years that the church in many parts of the world is experiencing numerical growth at a rate faster than ever before in history. They tell us the great lack in these places is the dearth of qualified teachers to disciple the converts before the cults and heretical doctrines get to them.

Great Commission School is a center for short-term discipleship training and biblical studies, allowing a resident student body to study intensively through the entire Bible in about nine months. Hundreds of adult Christians from many nations have received uncompromising discipleship training and a college-level Bible education at the Great Commission School since its founding in 1983

The primary purpose of the school is to make disciples … Teaching them to observe all things that the scriptures teach, with an emphasis on the teachings of Jesus himself (John 8:31). We are desiring to release to the church and the world more people with the character of Ezra, who "had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach…" (Ezra 7:10). One of our major goals is the development of the ability in the students to search, study and understand the meaning of scripture for themselves – not with the intention merely of filling their heads with academic knowledge (valuable as that may be), but that they might also live it before the Lord and the world. Another major goal is to train effective Bible teachers for the next generation of disciples of Jesus.

The Great Commission School is independent and non-denominational, enjoying working relations with churches of various denominations and with other Christian organizations like Youth With A Mission (YWAM). A number of teachers from a variety of backgrounds provide our students with a well-rounded learning experience.

This course is the most condensed program of in-depth biblical studies known to us, and is well respected for the quality and content of the instruction. Taught at a university level, the program requires a whole-hearted commitment to learning God’s word on the part of the participant. As preparation for any kind of ministry, or simply to learn how to "walk and please God," a solid grasp of the scriptures is essential. However, not everybody can afford to invest four years and tens of thousands of dollars to attend a conventional Bible college. This course covers the entire Bible, cover-to-cover, in only nine months, providing a comparable biblical education to that of a longer Bible college, since we concentrate on scripture alone, several hours per day.

The Old and New Testaments are studied simultaneously over a nine month period, requiring up to six hours per day in structured lectures and associated discussions, as well as time spent in self-study out of class.

It should be noted that, while the majority of the teaching is done live by staff or visiting lecturers, videotapes of classroom lectures from previous years are also occasionally used to cover the teaching of some books. The teaching is highly informative and effective, whether live or on video.

Students live in shared accommodations in men’s and women’s dormatories.* Three meals per day

are provided. Godliness of character and conduct are emphasized and expected. Students are required to rise no later than 6:00 AM, and scheduled lectures run all morning long and include a few evenings as well. Afternoons are spent in self-study and practical ministries. The overall experience is that of a rather intensive Christian community, requiring that participants exhibit a high degree of self-discipline in study and of proficiency in interpersonal relations. Since we do not charge tuition, we require that applicants who are accepted to the program bring a total dedication to the task of biblical study.

One goal of the Great Commission School is to equip students with the ability to think and study the scriptures for themselves. We do not expect to make expert theologians out of them in nine months, but to send them out with an excellent general familiarity with the Bible and a grasp of the various theological and ethical issues which they may spend the rest of their lives searching out.

Since we have no denominational affiliation, we have no interest in turning out indoctrinated rubber stamps of any one teacher or camp. For example, students will hear from teachers Calvinistic and Arminian, dispensational and non-dispensational, charismatic and not-so-charismatic. The leadership of the school has traditionally inclined toward a conservative, mildly charismatic, anabaptistic, non-dispensational orientation, but our interest is not in indoctrination, but in educating Christians to think biblically for themselves. Pastors should be informed of this prior to sending students our way (pastors themselves have sometimes taken the course during sabbaticals).

* Married students who cannot live in dormitories may have to be accommodated in alternative housing off-campus. They can either provide this housing for themselves independently or pay a slightly higher room and board fee for family housing we provide.

About half of the lectures are given by the school's founder and director, Steve Gregg. In addition, other staff teachers, pastors and visiting teachers are heavily used. Many of the local pastors in McMinnville have participated in doing a share of the teaching. The principal bases for our choice of teachers are: a consistently godly Christian life, strong mastery of the material, and an anointing from God to communicate effectively. Through the many years of our operation, we have developed a pool of gifted teachers who have the ability to present their academic grasp of biblical truth with balance, clarity and power. At the end of each year, the students rate the teachers and those who receive high marks are used year after year.

There is a non-refundable $35 registration fee. This covers, among other things, the cost of printing the many handouts the students receive. Students reside in our dormitories* and pay $250 per month to cover food, lodging and utilities (four months of which must be prepaid at the beginning of the school). There are no additional charges. For those who can afford it, we do suggest a $1000 voluntary donation for participation in the nine-month course. This helps us to maintain the facilities and cover other ministry needs, such as honorariums for visiting lecturers. The ability or non-ability to make this donation does not affect one's acceptance into the program.

The students are required to invest 10 to 12 hours a week in some assigned practical service, like cooking, cleaning, grounds maintenance, tract assembly, office work, local outreach, etc. This is not a means of "paying" for the course, but a part of the training program, as are occasional outreaches and attendance of the church of one's choice.

Obtain an application packet by writing to the address below. We should receive your application a full month prior to the commencement of the program you are hoping to attend. The fall term usually begins

the first week in September. Upon acceptance you will be notified of the starting date.

GREAT COMMISSION SCHOOL

P.O. BOX 1274

McMinnville, Oregon 97128, USA

phone: (503) 472-2798 fax: (503) 435-1374