A busy wife, mother, and employee signs up for Free Will Baptist Bible College's online program and keeps a promise made 30 years earlier.

I Went Back to College

by Jena Simpson

It was August 1981, and I was just out of high school when I stepped onto the Free Will Baptist Bible College campus as a freshman. I met my husband at FWBBC later that fall, and we were married before our sophomore year. After completing another year and a half of studies, our first child was born. I put college on hold to be a mom and help supplement family finances by working at a Nashville bank while my husband finished his degree.

We began attending and working in nearby New Hope Free Will Baptist Church after our August 1982 wedding. My husband and I served seven years as children’s church leaders and youth pastor. As the busyness of life took hold, thoughts of going back to college faded from mind. I continued to work outside the home until our second son was born in 1988.

When the senior pastor of New Hope resigned in 1990, the church promoted us to the pastoral position. While in the pastorate, we decided to homeschool, and I taught our boys at home for 10 years. For most of those years, I also cared for other children in our home to supplement our income. I continued various church ministries, serving as librarian, Wednesday night children’s teacher, women’s Bible study leader, and one of the church pianists.

A New Opportunity

Time passed quickly, and suddenly our boys were teenagers graduating from high school. The nest was empty, and change was coming. In 2005, FWBBC offered me a part-time position in the Lifetime Learning and Teacher Education Departments. Since my job as a homeschool mom was complete, I decided to accept the position. I had no idea the college planned to add an online degree. It was exciting to be part of this program from the ground up.

As I talked with potential online students, helping them navigate admission and enrollment procedures, my own desire to complete a degree surfaced again, and I saw an opportunity that would work for me. I realized the online program would help me obtain a degree and let me experience the program from the student’s point of view.

I felt this knowledge would be invaluable in assisting potential online students. Everything came together in a rush. My husband had begun traveling extensively for Free Will Baptist International Missions at the time, and I could pour myself into my studies.
For me, the online program was an ideal degree path while working full time and continuing my current ministries. It provided an opportunity to finish what I started in 1981. As an online student, I learned many principles, facts, and truths that are valuable to my local church teaching ministry, plus it was a time of great personal growth.

The Surprise

When my husband and I married, we promised my parents that I would finish college. When our two children came along, I thought I would be unable to fulfill that promise. But when I began taking online classes, I decided not to tell my parents. I thought it would be neat to surprise them with an invitation to graduation. However, in late fall before graduation, I felt it was time to tell Mom and Dad, since they were talking of possibly taking a trip in the spring, and many of our friends already knew I had gone back to college.

I told Mom not to plan anything the first weekend in May, that I needed them to be available because something was in the works. Their 50th wedding anniversary was Christmas Eve 2010, so I decided to tell them on their anniversary. They were both surprised and pleased that I had made a commitment to finish what I started 30 years earlier. I’m still amazed that I was able to keep the secret for a year.

Rewarded Effort

On May 6, 2011, I was privileged to be part of the first online graduating class at Free Will Baptist Bible College. We had five online graduates, with three participating in the commencement ceremony. It was great to meet my classmates in person. We had shared several classes, communicated through emails, and spoken on the phone a few times, but it was quite special to share graduation activities with them and meet their families. I wish the others’ schedules had permitted them to be there with us.

I’m delighted that I chose to take online classes and finish the Associate of Science in Ministry degree. It was hard work, requiring a lot of time and effort. But when I heard my name called on graduation day and walked across the stage in Memorial Auditorium to receive my degree from President Matt Pinson, I knew it was worth every sacrifice. Looking back on the past three decades, I would gladly pursue online studies again, since I was unable to finish a traditional degree with my husband in the mid-1980s.

My favorite aspect of the program was that I could do it from home. I did take a couple of classes on campus, and while I thoroughly enjoyed them, the online environment was much more convenient for me.

The Online Program

So take it from one who just finished an online degree, FWBBC’s online program is geared for adult students balancing busy lives with ministry. Many online students serve as pastors, youth pastors, or lay leaders and are raising a family. The program is competitively priced and affordable. Scholarships are available; federal financial aid and veteran’s benefits are accepted. The online program is an ideal way to obtain a college degree from the convenience of home.

For me, the online environment was a positive experience, providing exchanges with professors and fellow students through threaded emails. This interactive program allows students to discuss not only academic subjects, but also share personal concerns and ideas for ministry. Students are challenged to apply what is learned in the virtual classroom to current ministry settings.

I learned first-hand that students are not just numbers—they are part of the family. Students in the online program receive one-on-one help with the application and enrollment procedures. The process has been streamlined to be as convenient as possible for students. With three sessions each semester, students can choose when to begin.

The adult-friendly program fits well into an already busy schedule. An online orientation prepares each student for online classes with training for computer program set-up and application. For more information, contact the Online Program at online@fwbbc.edu or visit the website www.fwbbc.edu.

About the Writer: Jena Simpson serves as Teacher Education associate and assistant to the director of Adult Studies at Free Will Baptist Bible College. She is a member of New Hope FWB Church where she teaches a children’s Bible class and directs the Wednesday night program.