As of Fall 2020, Christian ministries and biblical and theological studies will be joined into one major called Bible, theology, and ministry. This new and more comprehensive program will have three concentration options called Christian ministries; Bible, theology, and biblical languages; and bible and theology.

Department Chair of Christian ministries David Keehn explained over email that there were a few key reasons for the change. It will provide more ministry training for those in the Bible concentration, adding more ministry classes and an internship requirement. Finally, there will be an option to take not take Greek or Hebrew classes in the Bible and Theology concentration. The current Bible program requires 12 units of Greek or Hebrew.

“Combining the two majors makes this new major one of the larger majors at Biola,” Keehn said. “[It allows] greater collaboration amongst faculty [and] ministry training for Bible majors to mirror the Bible minor [C]hristian ministry majors receive.”

In an email to current Christian ministry and biblical and theological studies majors, administrative assistant Cristina Malais said that students will have the option of changing to the new catalog system, but it will likely only benefit freshmen and sophomores.