We are not alone in this work - Baptist Bible Tribune

have a very thankful attitude toward the Baptist
Bible Fellowship. Every student is blessed by
the sacrifice of the pastors and churches, and
we must always remember that.
And most of all, we must constantly
evaluate what we are doing to prepare them
for ministry in the 21st century. Being a pastor
in very tough economic climates has been
challenging, but God has blessed, and I have
been privileged to see growth every year in
my 25 years of pastoral ministry. But it takes
constant evaluation, constant oversight, and
aggressive reaching into our community. With
the same mindset, we need to understand the
college-age students of our day and seek to
reach them and find those that fit who we are
and what we are doing.
Tribune: Education comes in many forms
other than the classroom. What do you want to
expose our students to, and how do you plan to
do that?
Milioni: Let’s make sure everyone
understands what our purpose is — ministry
training. That is why I am here, that is what I
know, and that is our focus. The tough thing
about ministry is that so much of it is learned
in real life, and not just in a classroom setting.
So, ministry students are going to learn from
some seasoned, successful, and wise people
who have been out there and have a lot to
share. I am very excited about some things we
are working on and hope to have some details
in place by the time school starts.
We will also work to engage the students
in ministry right here in Springfield and in
ministries around the world. I remember
hearing chapel speakers say, “If you aren’t
doing it here, you won’t do it there.” They were
right — ministry training happens here right
now alongside the coursework. So we will be
working with local churches to involve students
in ministry right now.
Tribune: It is not realistic nor necessarily
wise to mass merchandize BBC across a general
spectrum — BBC has a specific agenda, but
it’s not just for theological eggheads or firebreathing
evangelists. Who would be a good
prospective student for the college these days?
Milioni: A good prospective student for BBC
is one who senses God’s leading to use his or
her life in any kind of ministry. We are not for
everybody and should not try to mass market
ourselves. BBC was created and is designed to
teach ministry. So we of course have a major for
pastors and missionaries and worship leaders,
but even those in our business or education
programs are going to use their lives to make
a difference for Christ. We have students right
out of high school who want this, and we also
have students who are a little older whom God
has brought here to learn ministry.
Barb and I were like that when we came.
I was a police officer, but when I was 22 years
old we moved to BBC. Ministry was what God
put on our hearts, but we didn’t know all that
meant. So we came, worked hard, studied hard,
and followed God’s leading year after year.
BBC has programs that can help anyone in
any context of life. We have online programs,
and we have master’s options for those who
may already have undergraduate degrees. If
someone has any interest at all, we would love
to talk to them about what BBC has to offer.
Tribune: In your dream of dreams, what does
a BBC graduate look like in terms of worldview,
commitment, and competence?
Milioni: Great question, I would like to
think that a BBC graduate today is similar to
those in the past. We are known for our great
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September 2012 | Baptist Bible Tribune | 9