Semester in Scotland is a ministry of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland run in conjunction with Geneva College, the RPCNA College in America. Students take the programme as part of their university degree, obtaining 16 credit hours if they successfully complete all of their courses.
The classes offered are: Church Ministry; Scottish Reformation and Covenanting History; The Christian Ministry; Women’s Ministry to Women; The Life and Work of Paul; Evangelism; Systematic Theology; and Humanities in England and Scotland. The format is simple with the students given set reading in their subjects. They then receive seminar instruction on each subject. Seminars are led by Rev. Andrew Quigley, Rev Kenneth Stewart, Rev Stephen McCollum, Dr. Thomas Donachie, Mr Jimmy Fisher, and Miss Beth Bogue. On Wednesday afternoons the students are taken on cultural trips by members of the Scottish RP Church which contribute greatly to their semester experience. They are also encouraged to play a full role in the life of the Airdrie RP Congregation as part of their Christian Ministry class.
To date Geneva College’s Semester in Scotland has had 46 students come on the program. These students have come with a variety of majors from Christian Ministry and Biblical Studies to Math Education, Pre-Med., History, Advertising, etc. They have come from a wide variety of evangelical church backgrounds. They have gone on to careers as missionaries, teachers, pastors, doctors, businessmen, and homemakers.
The purpose of the program is to give students an opportunity to:
– experience another culture whilst participating in the life of the church,
– gain an understanding of what it takes to minister in a church growth situation,
– spend time with and be discipled by an experienced pastor,
– gain a knowledge of Scottish Reformation and Covenanting history and consider the lessons to be learnt for today.
The new semester (autumn/winter 2017) begins this week, with two students arriving from two different American colleges. Check out the student blog at www.semesterinscotland.wordpress.com
Beth Bogue, Airdrie RPCS
