About Me
Hi! I'm Hope Hoge and I am a student in the Biblical Women's Institute here at Southeastern. I am 24 years old and I have been married to the most Godly man I know for almost 2 years now! I am from Alabama where I finished college with a degree in Elementary Education. I was a kindergarten teacher for one year until we moved here to North Carolina last August! I now work as a nanny for the sweetest 2-year-old little boy and most adorable 4-month-old little girl! We are covenant members at Imago Dei Church. My husband is here getting an M.Div in International Church Planting and we hope to be serving on the field by May of 2015! While we are in the process of getting to that goal, we enjoy leading a local outreach ministry here in Wake Forest. We love the Lord and we are trying to be obedient to Him, which is what brought us here to SEBTS!
When my husband and I moved to North Carolina, I was planning to take seminary classes at night while working during the day. Yet after doing our budget and realizing that I would be working until 6pm through the week I was not sure how I could work, take classes, take care of my home, make time for my husband, friends, etc. I found out shortly after moving here that in order to go overseas, as the spouse, I had to take 4 seminary classes or obtain a certificate through the Biblical Women's Institute (BWI). After doing some research I found that the BWI just announced a new International Missions Program that offered a Certificate in Women's Studies with International Missions, which requires 8 half-semester classes. After visiting with the ladies in the Women's Life Office I found out more about the Biblical Women’s Institute (BWI), which offers non-degree certificates to women in the community. The certificates can be completed through night and weekend classes for ladies at an affordable price. I thought this had to be too good to be true! I was completely wrong!!
I decided to try out the free class that Dr. Akin and his wife teach, Biblical Foundations for the Minister's Wife. (For more information on this class, please click here.) I am not sure what I was expecting, but I left the first night of class with a complete overview of Theology. I was overwhelmed with new and exciting information that I had never taken the time to learn or study. Dr. Akin did not cut the ladies any slack. He taught the class just like he was teaching a seminary class, which was very encouraging to me. I came home explaining to my husband things like "How our Bible came to us and the necessity of theology." Immediately, I realized that these classes were a true gift from God! There were other guest speakers throughout Dr. Akin and his wife’s class who spoke on topics such as orphan care, human-trafficking, hospitality, counseling women, marriage, raising children, the Great Commission, evangelism, and much more.
Since then, I have taken Old Testament I and II, which has helped me so much in my daily quiet time. For example, I enjoy reading the Old Testament, but I sometimes struggle wondering how to apply it to my life and how it relates to Jesus. One of my professors challenged our class to read Psalms as if we had never read it before and walked us through the steps of reading as if we are trying to find how each passage of scripture points to Jesus. This has been a great application to me for my Bible reading.
When I finish my degree, my husband and I will be selling all of our belongings and packing what we need to serve overseas for 3 years. The Biblical Women's Institute has played an important role in my life to help make this possible. If I were to give advice to someone who was thinking of pursuing a certificate through this program, I would definitely say go for it! If you have children or a busy schedule like me, but you are interested in learning more about the Bible and being challenged in your faith then this is definitely a great option for you. The classes are offered in half-semester terms, so you can take one class for three months and another class for the next three months. Weekend classes are also available. For weekend classes, most of the work is done at home, but you still get the opportunity to meet with your professor on campus two Saturdays for 8 hours to hear the lectures, do hands-on learning, and have a time to ask questions.
The classes are very informative and cover a lot of information, but usually require a smaller workload than a full semester seminary course. I am so thankful for the BWI, which allows me to save money, work, and obtain a higher education that will prepare me for the mission field and facilitate spiritual growth in my life and in my walk with the Lord. I have been blessed to be able to learn, prepare for the mission field, meet some amazing ladies, and be a part of a truly wonderful program that was designed for women just like me. I have learned so much already in my short time taking classes.
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