FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JUNE 7, 2019

MID-AMERICA LAUNCHES GLOBAL INITIATIVE AT SBC

Mid-America Global to aid Arkansas prisoners, Romanian

seminary students, online learning mentors and more

BIRMINGHAM, AL – Mid-America announces the launch of Mid-America Global, a new international initiative that includes a partnership in Romania, college degrees for Arkansas prison inmates, and in-person mentoring sessions for online students.

Mid-America will announce the plan June 11 from 11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m. at the Southern Baptist Convention’s Sheraton Hotel, Forum Building, rooms G/H/I, during its Alumni & Friends Luncheon. Media are invited to attend.

“We are pleased to announce a new phase for our institution, Mid-America Global, which continues our heartbeat for the Bible, missions and evangelism,” says Mid-America President Dr. Michael Spradlin. “Mid-America Global is a strategic plan to increase student enrollment through unique opportunities in five focus areas,” he said.

The focus areas are the following:

• Excellence in online learning
  Updated video content, formatting, and additional features for its undergraduate and graduate degrees which can be completed 100 percent online.
• International Partnerships
  Leadership of Emanuel University in Oradea, Romania, chose Mid-America because of its heart for evangelism. Mid-America will teach Ph.D. seminars to faculty which will allow Emanuel to be fully-accredited in their country and proceed with offering seminary courses and M.Div. degrees.
• Mission: Northeast
  Mid-America’s Northeast focus will ensure a high-quality education, collaborative learning online and MOVE Groups.
• MOVE Groups
  Groups of students who take online-only classes will meet in person with a mentor to discuss courses and share witnessing opportunities. The bimonthly meetings, called Mentored Online Virtual Education Groups (MOVE Groups), allow the mentor to assist students to contextualize their learning into effective ministry in their local area.
• Arkansas Prison Initiative
  Mid-America will train inmates of the Varner Unit in the Arkansas Department of Corrections to serve as field ministers to other inmates with a four-year Bachelor of Arts in Christian Studies. Gov. Asa Hutchinson, members of the Arkansas Department of Corrections, representatives from the Arkansas Baptist State Convention and others are working with Mid-America on the program.

For more information see www.mabts.edu/global.