Baptist Theological College of Southern Africa (BTC) was established in 1951, following a decision of the Baptist Union of Southern Africa's 1950 Assembly, to prepare pastors for Baptist churches. It has been based at 260 Oak Avenue, Randburg, Johannesburg, since 1993. While rooted in Baptist heritage, BTC now welcomes students from all Christian denominations who accept its Statement of Faith. It specialises in biblical and theological education for Christian ministry, offering programmes from Higher Certificate to Master's level via contact and distance/online study. BTC is registered with South Africa's Department of Education/DHET as a Private Higher Education Institution (Certificate No. 2000/HE08/004) and is incorporated as a Section 21 non-profit company (Registration No. 2003/019542/08); its individual qualifications are registered with SAQA on the NQF.
Qualifications & Programmes
- Higher Certificate in Theology (HCTh) – NQF Level 5, SAQA #100719, 10 online video-lecture courses (e.g. Bible Overview, Christian Doctrine, Christian Leadership, World Mission, Youth Ministry, Understanding the Bible, Gospel Communication, Mission Sending, Bible Read, South African Church History); self-paced/flexible, aimed at lay preachers and church leaders
- Higher Certificate of Ministry (HCMin) – NQF Level 5, SAQA #100718, distance/facilitated online, 10 courses over two semesters (compulsory: Bible Literacy, Bible Overview, Introduction to Homiletics, Overview of Pastoral Care, Introduction to Christian Doctrine, Contemporary Ecclesiology, Personal Spiritual Development, Introduction to Spiritual Discipline, Church Ministry; electives: Cross-Cultural Engagement, Bible Read, Youth and Family Ministry), 1 year or self-paced
- Bachelor of Biblical Studies (BBib) – NQF Level 7, SAQA #111229, 3-year degree (contact or distance), 360 minimum credits; core areas include the Synoptic Gospels and Acts, hermeneutics, missiology (Year 1); the Pauline Writings, church history, biblical languages (Year 2); the Johannine and General Writings, eschatology, ministry specialisation (Year 3); electives in apologetics, youth ministry, children's ministry, world religions; includes mandatory Biblical and Church Residency components
- Bachelor of Theology Honours (BTh Hons) – NQF Level 8, 1-year postgraduate programme (contact or distance); compulsory courses include Biblical Theology, Christian Theological Ethics/Contemporary Theologies, Specialized Research, Church Residency 4; electives include Biblical Hebrew 3, Biblical Greek 3, Mission Skills 1 & 2, Pastoral Care, Church Ministry and Management, Youth Ministry (age group/social context), History of African Christianity, African Realities; entry requires an NQF 7 theology degree
- Master of Theology (MTh) – NQF Level 9, SAQA #59871, minimum 2-year distance-learning research degree; Year 1 covers research ethics and proposal development, Year 2 involves dissertation writing, oral defence and a journal article; entry requires a BTh Honours (or equivalent) with at least 65% in the Specialised Research Paper
- Short Courses / Seminars – occasional short courses and seminars hosted at BTC, facilitated at local churches, or presented by visiting network leaders; specific topics/schedule not published on the site at time of research