Bethel School of Ministry

What Bethel School of Ministry does

Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry (BSSM) is a non-credit, non-profit ministry training school associated with Bethel Church in Redding, California. Founded in 1998/1999, the school delivers a three-year program (First, Second, and Third Year tracks) focused on spiritual formation, Kingdom theology, prophetic ministry, healing prayer, and leadership development, awarding a Certificate of Completion rather than an accredited degree. The core curriculum is delivered through two parallel channels: a nine-month, full-time on-campus immersion in Redding (tuition $5,750/year) and an online school accessible globally in English ($5,250/year, part- or full-time), Spanish ($1,200/year via BSSM Español), and Portuguese ($1,098.75/year via BSSM Português). Live weekly Revival Groups of roughly 60-70 students, Bethel Church worship integration on campus, optional Immersion Weeks for online students, and required mission trips (80-100 options) form the experiential spine of the program, with First Year cohorts reaching up to 1,300 students.

The underlying technology stack is a standard online learning management system: live video streaming with recorded session playback, virtual Revival Group rooms with multi-time-zone scheduling, and the dashboard.bssm.net / bethel.ws/bssmapplynow application portals. The platform is differentiated less by technical sophistication than by content localization, language-specific directors (Gerardo Ramos for Spanish, Paula Romez for Portuguese), and culturally adapted payment plans (monthly, semester, annual) designed to make tuition accessible across lower-income markets.

Revenue is generated almost entirely from student tuition across the four pricing tiers, supplemented by a small $10-$29 application fee per applicant. The customer base is highly distributed across 100+ nations with no single anchor client; primary segments are individuals 18+ seeking ministry training and international students (40%+ of enrollment). BSSM does not qualify for state financial aid due to lack of California accreditation and offers limited internal scholarships and family discounts. Articulation agreements with Simpson University, Valor Christian College, International Seminary of Theology and Leadership (ISTL), and Oral Roberts University allow credit transfer of 6-25 credits toward accredited degrees, mitigating the non-accredited credential's career limitation.

Name

Bethel School of Ministry

Legal name

Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry

Website

https://bssm.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry is a non-profit, non-accredited ministry training school affiliated with Bethel Church in Redding, California, offering a three-year program on-campus and online in English, Spanish, and Portuguese to roughly 17,000+ alumni across 100+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious / Christian Ministry Education

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Ministerial Training Institutes (Clergy Formation) (EDAHAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Seminaries (Graduate Theology & Ministry) (EDAHAKAA), Bible Colleges (Undergraduate Ministry & Biblical Studies) (EDAHAKAB), Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)

Keywords

• Ministry training school
• Christian theological education
• Supernatural ministry training
• Online ministry courses
• Spiritual formation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Redding, CA

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. On-Campus Tuition: Full-time immersive program in Redding, CA. One-year tuition covers all classes, books, and retreat. Does not cover housing, food, or mission trips. $5,750 per academic year plus $29 non-refundable application fee.
2. BSSM Online Tuition (English): Online school available part-time (11-12 hrs/week) or full-time (20-22 hrs/week). Rolling enrollment with Fall and Winter start dates. $5,250 per year.
3. BSSM Español Tuition: Spanish-language online program. Full year $1,200, semester payments $400 each, or monthly $88.75. $10 application fee, $105 enrollment deposit. Positioned $4,000 below English on-campus to make revival accessible globally.
4. BSSM Português Tuition: Portuguese-language online program. Annual payment $1,098.75, or monthly approximately $80. $10 enrollment fee, $150 enrollment deposit. Designed for accessibility across Portuguese-speaking nations.
5. Mission Trips: Required for on-campus students (March/April). Students choose from approximately 80-100 trip options, both domestically and globally. Cost not included in tuition.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

BSSM delivers a multi-year, faith-based ministry training program centered on identity in Christ, revival culture, supernatural ministry, and activation of spiritual gifts. The curriculum is offered on-campus in Redding, California and fully online in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, structured as First, Second, and Third Year tracks with live worship, teaching sessions, small-group Revival Groups, and practical activation. Students complete the program to receive a Certificate of Completion rather than an accredited degree.

Product overview

Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry (BSSM) is a ministry training school with multiple delivery formats: on-campus in Redding, California, and online in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. The core offering is a three-year program (First, Second, and Third Year) focused on spiritual formation, revival culture, and supernatural ministry training. On-campus tuition is $5,750/year while online programs are $5,250/year (English), $1,200/year (Spanish), or $1,098.75/year (Portuguese). Programs include live teaching sessions, revival groups (small cohort communities), worship experiences, and practical activation. Students graduate with a Certificate of Completion and may transfer credits to partner universities including Simpson University, Valor Christian College, International Seminary of Theology and Leadership, and Oral Roberts University.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BSSM Online: Full-time and part-time online school program bringing the BSSM experience to students worldwide
• BSSM Español
• BSSM Português

Products and services

• BSSM On-Campus School Full-time on-campus ministry training program in Redding, California spanning 9 months (September–May), integrating live worship, teaching sessions, Revival Groups, Bethel Church services, and a required mission trip. Tuition is $5,750 per year plus a $29 application fee; designed for adult students seeking immersive Christian ministry training.
• BSSM Online (English) Fully online English-language ministry training program offering part-time (11–12 hrs/week) or full-time (20–22 hrs/week) options with rolling enrollment in Fall (September) and Winter (January) cohorts. Features live sessions, Revival Groups, masterclasses, and on-demand recordings, plus an optional Immersion Week in Redding. Tuition is $5,250 per year.
• BSSM Español 100% online Spanish-language ministry training program requiring 10–11 hours per week, with live sessions, Revival Groups, worship, and practical activation. Tuition is $1,200 per year, $400 per semester, or $88.75/month.
• BSSM Português 100% online Portuguese-language ministry training program requiring 10–11 hours per week, featuring live sessions, Revival Groups, worship, and practical activation. Tuition is $1,098.75 per year or approximately $80/month.

Quantifiable outcome

• 17,000+ alumni sent around the world to 100+ nations
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Simpson UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA school of the Christian and Missionary Alliance. Has agreed to give 13 units of transfer credit to students who graduate First Year and 12 units to those who graduate Second Year. Often extends financial grants to BSSM graduates. Located in Redding, CA.
• Valor Christian CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocated in central Ohio, Valor Christian College offers two- to three-year degrees in pastoral leadership, missions, youth and children's ministries, and more. BSSM First Year graduates receive 6 credits; Second Year graduates receive an additional 9 credits.
• International Seminary of Theology and Leadership (ISTL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovative training center for theology in leadership with campuses in Germany and Switzerland. Offers up to 25 ECTS transfer credits. Four Bachelor of Arts programs accredited with European Council for Theological Education (ECTS).
• Oral Roberts University (ORU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocated in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Over 50 years empowering world-transforming leaders. Offers more than 76 undergraduate majors, 12 master's programs, and 2 doctoral degrees. BSSM students may transfer up to 12 credits within transfer guidelines.
• Bethel ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBSSM is associated with Bethel Church in Redding, California. On-campus students join Bethel services, events, and community throughout their time. School built on the culture and presence of Bethel Church. Senior leaders serve as BSSM instructors.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Christ For The Nations Institute (CFNI): CFNI is a charismatic/Spirit-emphasizing ministry training school in Dallas, Texas, offering both on-campus and online programs in supernatural ministry, missions, and worship. It is the closest direct peer to BSSM in doctrinal emphasis, target audience, and delivery model.
• Youth With A Mission (YWAM): YWAM is a global evangelical missions training movement with Discipleship Training Schools (DTS) operating in 100+ countries. It competes for the same young adult audience seeking short-term immersive ministry/missions formation.
• RHEMA Bible Training College: RHEMA is a Kenneth Hagin Ministries faith school in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, training students in charismatic theology, healing, and ministry. It overlaps heavily with BSSM on doctrinal content, target student profile, and self-pay tuition model.
• IHOP University (IHOPU): IHOPU is the educational arm of the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, offering residential ministry training with strong emphasis on prayer, worship, and end-times prophecy. It targets a similar revival-minded audience with comparable full-time immersive structure.

Broad incumbents

• Liberty University Online: Liberty Online is the largest accredited online Christian university offering theology, divinity, and ministry degrees. It overlaps with BSSM Online on remote theological education but operates at vastly larger scale with federal aid eligibility.
• Moody Bible Institute: Moody is an accredited, evangelical Bible college and seminary in Chicago with on-campus and online ministry training. It competes for prospective ministry students but with a more traditional/reformed doctrinal stance versus BSSM's charismatic emphasis.
• Oral Roberts University: ORU is an accredited charismatic university in Tulsa offering undergraduate, graduate, and online theology programs. It is both a BSSM articulation partner and a broader incumbent in Spirit-emphasizing higher education with a far larger accredited footprint.
• Regent University School of Divinity: Regent is an accredited charismatic university in Virginia Beach offering on-campus and online divinity degrees. It targets a similar Spirit-emphasis audience as BSSM but as a degree-granting institution with federal aid access.

Emerging players

• Alpha International: Alpha runs a globally distributed, low-cost Christian discipleship course offered in 100+ languages and 170+ countries. It competes for the same accessible, multi-language ministry formation niche but at a shorter course format than BSSM.
• School of Supernatural Ministry (SSM): SSM, affiliated with Bethel Music and Jesus Culture, operates ministry training schools in multiple US cities and online. It mirrors BSSM's revival culture and supernatural gift activation framework but at smaller scale.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/bssmredding
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bethel-school-of-ministry

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bethel School of Ministry