The Online Bible Institute was founded as the ‘Jesus Moment Bible Institute and Seminary’ (JMBIS) in January of 2014. Our mission is to offer college level Bible, Theology and Ministry courses to equip the saints. We offer these courses freely to anyone who has a desire to pursue a deeper knowledge of the Bible and the Kingdom of God.
While you may take courses at your own pace, our courses are designed to take twelve(12) weeks to complete. If there are more than twelve lessons in the course you need to divide the total number of lessons by twelve(12) to figure out how many lessons you should be completing each week. You may take more than one course at a time and you can also complete them at a much faster pace if you desire. If you are able you can complete up to twenty(20) courses in the course of one year. This would be a significant work load so we recommend that you take no more than ten(10) courses per year which would allow you to earn a Bachelors degree in four(4) years.
There are so many Bible Institutes already in existence, why start JMBIS?
We feel called to train and equip people to engage in ministry. We wanted to have a curriculum that we could offer to help people in their ministry goals and to offer the ability to earn college level degrees for free. In effect, everyone who attends JMBIS is on a scholarship made possible by our local church.
Is the Jesus Moment Bible Institute accredited?
The Jesus Moment Bible Institute and Seminary(JMBIS) is authorized by the Commission for Independent Education of the Florida Department of Education to grant degrees. All legitimate degrees are granted under the authority of a local regulatory body, in this case the Commission for Independent Education. In the United Sates, accreditation is a private function managed by non-governmental agencies. Click here for more information on Accreditation.
Will my JMBIS credits transfer to other schools?
All credit transfers are at the discretion of the receiving school. Please check with the school to which you wish to transfer before enrolling in a Jesus Moment Bible Institute and Seminary course.
Could I just send you some money and have you send me a degree?
No. JMBIS is not a degree-mill. All of our courses are offered for free. Our desire is to equip the saints for ministry. We provide courses which we believe will be helpful to anyone actively involved in ministry. Earning a degree is a by-product of taking our courses and applying them in actual ministry situations wherever you are located. Our institute is in no way a short-cut to earn a degree. We believe it is a valuable tool that God is calling us to offer for free to anyone who wishes to pursue a higher education in order to achieve their ministry goals.
Is JMBIS affiliated with any denomination?
Our church is a member of the Association of Vineyard Churches, however, we are autonomous in all of our own corporate affairs. The Jesus Moment Bible Institute and Seminary is a ministry of our local church and is not connected to the larger Vineyard movement. JMBIS serves as a non-denominational institution.
Do I need to be a Christian to take courses at JMBIS?
Our courses are open to everyone from any belief system. We do require that everyone operates under the Golden Rule of Matthew 7:12 and that all students, faculty, and staff treat one another with respect as we diligently seek the truth together.
How long will it take to complete my degree?
Students beginning with no transfer credits should take approximately 2 years for an Associates Degree and 4 years for a Bachelor’s Degree. If you already have an Associates degree or have accumulated credits at other institutions which might be applicable to your JMBIS studies, this could lessen the time required. Since our courses are self-paced you can also speed up the process by taking the courses at a faster pace. Our courses are designed to take twelve(12) weeks to complete. If there are more than twelve lessons in the course you need to divide the total number of lessons by twelve(12) to figure out how many lessons you should be completing each week. You may take more than one course at a time and you can also complete them at a much faster pace if you desire. If you are able you can complete up to twenty(20) courses in the course of one year. This would be a significant work load so we recommend that you take no more than ten(10) courses per year which would allow you to earn a Bachelors degree in four(4) years.
Is it really free?
Yes. We offer all our courses for free. Our desire is to train and equip people for ministry in the Kingdom of God. To that end we offer all of our courses for free.
Do I need to purchase textbooks?
For most of our courses the only textbook you will need is the Bible. There are a few courses where you may need a textbook but these can usually be found online for very little cost.
Do I need to send you transcripts?
We do not require transcripts for you to get started taking courses. Before we can award you with a College level degree we will need to have a copy of your high school diploma or GED. Even if you currently do not have a high school degree or equivalent, you can go ahead and start taking courses now. At some point between now and when you qualify for a College level degree you will have to complete high school or earn your GED. If you do not or can not complete your High School degree or equivalency, we will award you Bible Institute Certificates instead of College Degrees.
