From a secular organizational standpoint, there are many things that could be said for, and against the institution, but on the whole its management is reasonably competent. I had various experiences with the staff, but I would say the majority are professional and nice people to interact with. So I would give 4 stars from a secular perspective. However, regarding the biblical/theological/missionary aspect, I should be grieved to report that the school fundamentally misunderstands both the gospel and the great commission. I hope to enlarge this review at some point for the benefit of others but to succinctly state this, the basic truths such as who is the LORD, what is sin, how can a sinner be saved, the need of the new birth, how can a person know if he has been truly converted, etc. are not only lacking in emphasis, but when they are touched on at all, are handled carelessly and are full of many soul-destroying errors. There is much emphasis on a kind of "Christian experience" which one cannot find taught in the Scriptures, and the students are generally assumed to be converted because they have some kind of zeal for missions. Much of the teaching on missions, evangelism, the bible, etc. is very misguided because the foundation of the house is built on sand. Much is said about the Holy Spirit, but His primary work applying the redemption purchased by Christ is scarcely mentioned. I was a student in 2019 who was very zealous for "evangelism" and "missions", reading the Bible, etc. and only several years later discovered that I was headed to a lost eternity unless I came to a saving knowledge of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. For a very short summary of what I believe to be a biblical understanding of the following, refer to: How a sinner may be saved - https://www.fpchurch.org.uk/spiritual-help/how-may-a-sinner-be-saved/ True conversion - https://www.fpchurch.org.uk/spiritual-help/how-may-someone-know-if-they-are-truly-saved/ Great Commission - https://www.fpchurch.org.uk/2023/01/the-great-commission/ If you only read one thing, I especially recommend the Westminster Shorter Catechism, which I sincerely believe (and I don't say this with any malice or sarcasm at all) contains more truth in it than everything I was taught at BGU. Here is a place where you can read it for free, it provides a summary of what the Bible teaches and is full of Scripture proofs. https://relight.app/resource/WSC If you get one book, I highly recommend this one, which is a very helpful guide through the foundational truths of the Bible that are so important to where our souls will spend eternity, the great commission, and everything else https://www.reformationscotland.org/product/bible-truth-explored/ I wish I could have said more positive about my time at Bethany, but I sincerely hope what I wrote will be helpful to anyone considering attending. My encouragement would be, rather than attending, and "building a house of missions on sand" take the time to read what I've shared above and seek out the soundest church you can find where the minister preaches law and gospel and where the worship is organized, not according to what we enjoy or what feels good to us, but according to what the Saviour has appointed. If you have no interest in reading what I've linked but feel eager to head to the school anyway and become a missionary, I would tenderly warn you that this attitude will hurt your own soul and the souls of others more than you know. read more

I have known Bethany Global University for about three years now and I have worked as a volunteer with campus events from time to time. It saddens me that the school has gotten (albeit a small number) of very low reviews. I hope that with my review, I can bring to light some of the misunderstandings. First off, let's get it right on the table. This college is NOT for everyone (but isn't closed off to anyone). It is a Christian school which follows Christian ideals and beliefs. The teaching and living will be Christ-centered and you will be stretched and challenged during your college experience. If that is not your cup of tea, then you will not like this school. This college is also considered a missions college. It has one goal in mind - to prepare students for the mission field to share the Gospel of Jesus with people all around the world. If you do not want to do that with your life, this college is NOT for you. The classes and experiences prep you to be a missionary and a Christian leader for Jesus globally or locally in your world. Sure, is that a narrow focus? Yes, but that is what they were designed and created to do. You cannot hate a business for doing what they want to do with the resources they have. Should I mandate that a vegan butchery sell real meat? No, I just should go to a butcher that sells real meat if that is what I truly want. What is unique and cool about this school is that it is a working college, meaning that you work to pay for your tuition. There are a number of jobs on campus from working in a coffee shop, helping out at a daycare, working in the campus kitchen, or assisting with campus events. I like that model because that means that you leave college with a degree in hand with little to no debt whatsoever. How many colleges can claim that? Another cool aspect of this college is that you get to go overseas for 1 1/2 years to do mission work at a designated ministry site in places like Thailand, France, Kenya, Georgia, or right here in the Twin Cities. That way, you get a taste of what it is like to be a missionary in a foreign environment and use the skills and knowledge you just obtained to help you thrive (as well as having dedicated staff right along with you helping each step of the way). When it comes to living on campus, the college prescribes to living in a way that the Bible says one should. That will ruffle some people's feathers but once again it is a Christian college and they have every right to do it. All of us struggle with that since the ideals that the Bible set are lofty but the campus makes sure to have staff and faculty who are able to live life with the students and provide guidance and support when needed. Many times though the student doesn't ask, instead trying to live life on their own strength. I think that is why some people get burned here; they never speak up or ask for help. Seriously, I personally know many of the staff onsite and they want to help students flourish and thrive, both in their relationship with God but also in their every day relationships and life. Finally, the staff on campus are amazing. Real, down to earth people who want to share the love of Jesus with others and want to raise and build up strong Christ followers and believers. The staff care so much for each student, I have heard so many stories from students who have been impacted in so many ways by the faculty on campus. It isn't just about the grades or the school's mission, the staff care very deeply about each student and what they are going through each day of their lives. And to make sure I am not making this review too weighty, the school does do a lot of fun and exciting activities as well. I recently helped lead a group of students to climb Hallet Peak in Estes Park, Colorado; what an awesome experience! There are also numerous parties, camp outs, and other social events to make this time in your life amazing. *A word of advice before I go. If someone thinks differently than you, instead of pushing away or writing that person off, talk to that person and get to know why they believe what they believe. Many times, we make assumptions that are wrong and only hurt ourselves in the process. This is a good life skill that can/should be done across the board in every interaction we have with people. It isn't just for religion either; it can be for politics, sports, way of life, etc. Open-mindedness DOESN'T mean you have to agree and prescribe to everything but it does mean that you are willing to have a conversation and listen in a non-judgmental way. read more

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I'm updating my review- I've now graduated and have interned as a ministry intern with Bethany international, and now I have no ties with them. Overall, my experience at Bethany was great. I learned, grew, and had the opportunity to serve in such a unique and life forming way! There were things that definitely irked me, but what organization is perfect? One big irk- the program often feels like an extended discipleship program, not necessarily a biblical higher education program. Compared to my husband's education at Bethlehem College, the education here is not as in depth. Much of it is spiritual, which is not a bad thing, just a thing that can work for you or not work for you! I appreciate the leadership here (while I was a student at least, I'm not sure of any new leaders). My experience as a ministry intern was great! I grew so much in prayer ministry and got to live with some really good friends and grow in my love for minneapolis. As for claims of sexism, as a woman I'm not sure what they are referring to. It is quite a homogenous school in terms of race, which hopefully will change gradually with time. I also think they've gotten much better over the years with handling mental health situations with more delicacy and grace. I docked one star because no experience or organization is perfect. There are things any student will discover that will make them disappointed, because that's the nature of humans. However, I do believe they are doing their best with stewarding their students and seeking to bring God's kingdom on this earth. I'm thankful for them! read more

Bethany Global isn't for everyone, but if God calls you here he'll get you here. Its very different from how I was raised, but there's so much freedom in Christ. You have to be willing to work hard, to push through even when you don't understand. This is a place that has been set aside for growth. The community here is amazing, and the staff is continually implementing changes for the better as we students give feedback. It's changed a lot even in just a few years. It's hard, yes. It takes a lot of intentionality. But it's so, so worth it. read more

I attended BGU for the 2023-2024 school year. Although the community there is very close and I enjoyed being on campus for the short time I did, there were many things that us as students were not aware of before being on campus. Most of us were told that it would be a tuition paid model and that we would graduate debt free, later to find out that that was no longer true. The dorms were very poorly kept up with, many students were constantly sick from mold and the school could not afford real maintenance. When it comes to the spiritual aspect of the school, while I agreed with and enjoyed most of the teachings, there was little to no room for questions. They basically told us that if we didn't agree with what they were teaching, we needed to change our beliefs. This made a lot of students feel as though we could not ask questions. The school was definitely not all bad and I am grateful for the time I had at BGU but these are just some things that I wish I had known before attending Bethany. read more

I truly couldn't have picked a better university to attend. I came during the spring semester last year so I spent last summer making up for the fall semester that I missed along with my 30 some other classmates, and it was the best decision I ever made! The summer semester spent with the other spring students is so intimate, you quickly become a small family. This is the safest place I've ever been. Not just physically, but emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. This university has brought so much healing to my life and mind through countless prayer ministry appointments, God-fearing mentors and leaders, and the way the university has taught me to pursue the Lord. As for the staff, I truly can't say enough good things. They care genuinely and deeply about you as an individual, and will bend over backwards to ensure you get the prayer, wisdom, and/or encouragement you need! They meet you where you're at and don't expect you to be at any certain place. They call students to a high standard, but they do so without judgment or condemnation. The curriculum is also phenomenal. I've encountered the Lord through my homework, classes, and professors! It is Biblically sound, and has taught me things about the Lord and the Word that I never in a million years expected to know. It also helps that tuition is paid for with the help of PT which is our on campus job, but that's only a small plus compared to the wonderful staff, curriculum, chapels, and events. This is truly a God-fearing university whose number one goal is to see the Great Commission fulfilled. They do this by training and equipping students to lifelong missions to take the church to where it's not and helping others do the same. Their heart's cry is to see a lost world found and not one person left without the opportunity to hear of the Good News. BGU has succeeded in creating a safe and healthy environment for students to come together and edify one another all while being equipped to help fulfill the Great Commission simultaneously. BGU isn't for everyone, but it accepts everyone and longs to see them do great things for the Lord. I can't wait to continue my time at BGU! Being here is truly the sweetest and most healing season of my life so far. read more

My family members have attended this and all dropped out right away. After digging deeper into the horrible way woman were treated on campus and how they invaded students privacy i shortly got involved and am still looking into pursuing legal action against the school. read more

I loved attending BCOM! It was an oasis in a desert world. I read the negative reviews from 2 others but am dumbfounded as to why they wrote what they did. I am a woman and experienced only positive treatment on the campus. Thus, what Dylan B. is stating seems to me to be a lie. It sounds to me like he just has some sort of beef and is therefore trying to dissuade others from attending this unique college. Also, whoever "R.S." is left negative comments which also sounds like a lie to me. In fact, I had a choice to fulfill my 3rd year in an internship wherever I wished, or to simply continue my studies at the college and graduate. I, for one, was thrilled to be able to go on internship by my own choice -- but I wasn't forced to have to do it. Anyway, the very fact that this is a college which trains people to go into the mission field, I don't know what R.S. expected. Why would this person attend this school not desiring to complete a year in an internship? It boggles my mind! read more

This school is actually the worst. For many reasons. Mostly because of the disciplinary staff and the way they handle the discipleship. They do not disciple. They have very little grace with messing up. And then when they do kick you out they ask you to pay the entire semester worth of money even if you were there only a couple months. So they're out for the money.. please do not send your kids here. many of my friends have attended the school and eventually drop out. This is not a safe place to question your faith or study theology. This school is very legalistic at times. They want you to swallow what they have to say and if you question it or bring up different ideas they consider you leading people away. And that's not a university that's not how it should be. It's a place to learn right it's a place to question. For example I was interested in what universalism had to say. I didn't believe it and I wasn't fully convinced I just was wondering about it and asking for more information and they wrote me up for it. there's also 200 girls to about 60 guys as a ratio. Which is incredibly dangerous for most people coming out of high school. And most of these girls are afraid of men for some reason and then the boys get accused of sexual harassment. Instead of really being biblical and and going up to the the accused and working it out. Cuz most things are usually just a misunderstanding. The grace of Jesus is not at the school. And the saddest part is most of these students are really great kids and I'm afraid that at the end of their time here they will be brainwashed and will lose their real hope in humanity and hope in missions. Cuz being a missionary is a calling and it's important and it's supposed to have this purity have this this discipleship in this the striving to bring the gospel. Not a place of legalism you can't save souls and legalism. They're also thieves. A sad representation of Christ indeed.a sad representation of Christ indeed. read more

My wife is attending BGU and we both live on campus. We came to MN from TX this past January and are glad we found out about this school. Our long-term​ goal is to become missionaries overseas and this school is just what we were looking for since it has a 16-month​ overseas internship built into the program. The school has friendly staff and students and we have felt welcome since we got here. I think that the school is good for those that want to get a better idea of global missions as well as attain an accredited​ degree. It is not the same as going to a typical university with that kind of experience, but if you are interested in seeing if more long-term​ missions is what you want to do then I'd say Bethany Global University would be a good fit for you. read more

I attended college here from 2009-20011 and was deferred to go on Internship the following year. I knew this, but was told they would reconsider their decision if I went to counseling and had prayer sessions. I did this; upon which I was told I must have misunderstood and I was still deferred. If I had known that I wouldn't have gotten that second chance after all, why would I have bothered coming back that second year? I didn't even bother getting my associate's after that; I just wanted to be done with the college by that point. Some of the faculty are really nice, and I have known people who have gone through the whole program and graduated and it worked out for them, but I can't recommend it anymore. I'd say take it with a grain of salt--maybe a large one. It's very charismatic in belief too; so if that's not your viewpoint, you may clash frequently also, as I did. read more