Summary
Bible Study Fellowship ("BSF") conducts Bible study classes in the United States, with branch offices located in Australia, England, and Africa. BSF is a lay Christian organization, not affiliated with any church or group of individuals or underwritten in any way. Classes are held in churches, which invite BSF to use their facilities for community outreach. BSF was founded in 1959. BSF is organized as an international interdenominational California nonprofit organization. Contributions to BSF are fully deductible to the extent allowed by the law. BSF is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA).
Contact Information: [ Back to top ]
| Mailing Address: | 19001 Huebner Rd
San Antonio, TX
78258-4019 |
| Website: | www.bsfinternational.org |
| Phone: | (210) 492-4676, (877) 273-3228 |
| Email: | You need to enable javascript to see the email |
Organization Details [ Back to top ]
EIN: 941514010
| CEO/President: |
Susie Rowan |
Tax Deductible: |
Yes |
| Chairman: |
Dr. Walt Kaiser |
Fiscal Year End: |
August 31 |
| Board Size: |
11 |
Financial info from: |
Audit |
| Founder: |
A. Wetherall Johnson |
Member of ECFA: |
Yes |
| Year Founded: |
1959 |
Member of ECFA since: |
1981 |
Bible Study Fellowship ("BSF") conducts Bible study classes in the United States, with branch offices located in Australia, England, and Africa. BSF is a lay Christian organization, not affiliated with any church or group of individuals or underwritten in any way. Classes are held in churches, which invite BSF to use their facilities for community outreach. BSF was founded in 1959.
BSF is organized as an international interdenominational California nonprofit organization. Contributions to BSF are fully deductible to the extent allowed by the law.
BSF is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA).
BSF uses the following to communicate its vision:
The vision of BSF International is classes teaching the Bible to produce in all participants a vibrant relationship with God and, in as many as are called, a passion to commit without reservation to lead in the cause of Christ in the world.
Program Accomplishments [ Back to top ]
Need Program Accomoplishments info
Statement of Faith [ Back to top ]
BSF uses the following to communicate its doctrine:
The Bible Study Fellowship Bylaws, Article VI, contain the following doctrinal basis:
We, the entire Leadership of Bible Study Fellowship, including the Board of Directors, commit ourselves without reservation to the statement of belief as herein set forth:
We believe that the sixty-six books of Holy Scripture as originally given are in their entirety the Word of God verbally inspired and wholly without error in all that they declare and, therefore, are the supreme and final authority of faith and life.
We believe in one Triune God--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We believe in the Virgin Birth and the Deity of Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, who is also Son of Man, with two distinct natures in one Person forever.
We believe the vicarious substitutionary death of Jesus Christ on the cross made atonement for the sin of the world, efficient for all who repent and believe.
We believe in the bodily resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ which ensures the resurrection of all believers who have received God's gift of eternal life.
We believe also in a resurrection of judgment in regard to unbelievers who reject the gospel.
We believe in the imminent, visible, and bodily return of Christ to this earth to set up His kingdom and to judge the world in righteousness.
We believe that man was originally created in the image of God, that he fell into sin through the first Adam, and that he is responsible for all sin committed after reaching the age of accountability. Sin causes him to be separated from God and lost eternally.
We believe that salvation from everlasting punishment and entrance into a state of fellowship with God are secured only by a personal belief that Christ bore our sins in His own body on the cross and by a definite receiving of Christ, through the Person of the Holy Spirit, into one's inner being. This is to receive eternal life and to be sealed unto the Day of Redemption.
We believe that the Holy Spirit thus indwells all who receive Jesus Christ as both Savior and Lord.
We believe that the Holy Spirit is responsible for the quickening from death into life and for the continuing of the work of sanctification in the believer.
We believe that the church is the body of Christ, a spiritual organism of born again believers who are called to be identified with Christ in baptism and to remember His death in the Lord's Supper.
We believe that all believers are called to be in the world but separate from it.
We believe that Christians are called to witness for Christ, to preach the gospel to all nations, and to study the Bible personally through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit until each one is matured into the preordained purpose of God for him.
BSF incorporated on October 2, 1961.
The organization is a continuation of the unincorporated association which existed under the name of Bible Study Fellowship from February 21, 1959 to October 2, 1961. The change was made upon advice of their attorney to secure perpetuity of existence, limited liability and to operate more effectively in other jurisdictions.
The predecessor organization was held exempt under the Internal Revenue Code.
The organization was formed for the purpose of providing classes for the study of the Bible. Originally the Director would distribute written questions and suggestions to class members for study at their homes. They then would meet in class study groups for discussion of the lessons under the supervision of the Executive Director and assistants.
All of the receipts are derived from voluntary contributions by persons attending the Bible Study Fellowship classes conducted by the corporation and by gifts received from interested friends.
The basic means of support is an offering plate at the door at the end of class supplemented by unsolicited gifts sent to headquarters.
Research Analysis
Transparency Grade [ Back to top ]
| Transparency Grade of : A |
| Criteria category | Grade | Other Comments |
| Timeliness: | 100 | |
| Financial Information: | 100 | |
| Foundational Clarity: | 100 | 10/28/2011 2:44:26 PM: Descriptive information was abundant and thorough. |
| Level of Cooperation: | | |
Click here to compare ministries on transparency and other stats
Click here to learn more about how ministries are graded
MinistryWatch.com 5 Star Financial Efficiency Ratings [ Back to top ]
| Ranking Category | Rating | Overall Rank | Christian Growth Sector |
|---|
| Overall Efficiency Rating |  | 69 of 347 | 4 of 37 |
| Fund Acquisition Decision |  | 1 of 347 | 1 of 37 |
| Resource Allocation Decision | | 46 of 347 | 4 of 37 |
| Asset Utilization Decision | | 261 of 347 | 26 of 37 |
Learn how the ratings are calculated for this ministry
Learn how ratings are calculated in general --
or here for a longer explanation
Click here to compare ministries
2006 MinistryWatch.com Shining Light top ministry list
Prior MinistryWatch.com Shining Light ‘Top 30’ Exemplary Ministry. Previously listed from 2005 - 2007.
MinistryWatch.com desires to see overall giving to Biblical Christian values increase and as such we developed this format to highlight those ministries which are exemplary. The list is a sampling of the “best ministries” and outstanding examples when we consider Philippians 4:8 and weigh and take account of those ministries that are excellent and worthy of praise.
These ministries are called ‘Shining Lights’ because they are indeed models of letting their Christian light shine before men so that the Gospel may be proclaimed and God be glorified. Consequently, we are shining a figurative light on them so that donors may be aware of their good works and other ministries may learn from their examples.
While identifying the best ministries is challenging given the selfless work that so many do for the cause of Christ, MinistryWatch.com believes that the list of 30 excellent ministries will be helpful to many. Each of the ministries has the following important features in common:
- Legitimate nonprofit ministry and purpose.
- Have shown a willingness to treat donors fairly via a Transparency Grade of “A”.
- Are unashamed of being identified as an evangelical Christian ministry.
- MinistryWatch.com researchers knows of no significant issues that would be of concern to donors.
A high MinistryWatch.com Financial Efficiency Rating was not a requirement for inclusion on this list although most do have good ratings. Many factors were reviewed and strengths in other areas can offset weakness in financial efficiency when determining whether a ministry should be of interest to donors seeking to be good stewards of their giving. Only you can decide for yourself with confidence if a ministry shares your values and with your giving plan.
This is just another step in our mission of encouraging Christians to give more of their talents and resources to Kingdom-building efforts. In short, we wish to help spread the Gospel of Christ by helping Christians give more and more effectively to the works of the Lord. If the Lord uses our list as part of that process, we will have been a blessing to both those ministries who have been ‘good and faithful servants’ with the Lord’s resources and to Christian donors who are seeking to be good stewards of their giving.
===================================
MinistryWatch.com’s Take
Learning, Sharing, and Good Company
Bible Study Fellowship International (BSF) is a Christian ministry, which exists for the purpose of teaching interactive Bible classes for women, men, young people, and children. The goal of these classes is to help participants develop a vibrant relationship with God, and to train those who are called for a lifetime of leadership in ministry.
BSF classes meet on a weekly basis, and are structured to facilitate discussion and sharing among all participants. Students are not “spoon-fed” the Bible, but are encouraged to ask and answer questions about the text. During a BSF meeting, all students have the opportunity to relate what they have learned during the week. As the name implies, BSF is designed to be a source of Bible instruction, mutual sharing and edification, and good Christian fellowship.
How BSF Works
BSF does more than just facilitate discussions. A BSF class includes lectures by the Bible study leader (a trained lay-person) as well as lesson notes, printed at BSF headquarters and distributed to regular class participants at no charge. A BSF class, therefore, is a four-fold training program, consisting of: (1) questions for personal Bible study, (2) lively discussion groups (where participants share insights from their personal studies), (3) lectures with applications delivered by the leader, and (4) Printed notes on the passage just studied. BSF leaders are selected from among class participants. Those who are selected for leadership receive additional training in a separate weekly meeting. Eventually, such persons may become teaching leaders of another BSF class. BSF is, then, a lay Christian ministry, which trains other lay-persons for Christian leadership.
The main responsibility of a teaching leader in BSF is to guide a class through the seven-year study course. This seven-year study is comprised of the following courses: "Genesis," "Matthew," "The Life of Moses," "Romans," "John," "History of Israel and the Minor Prophets," and "The Acts of the Apostles." The goals of this study course include: (a) introducing people to Jesus Christ through his self-revelation in Scripture, (b) helping individuals develop the habit of daily Bible study, (c) helping people to relate their Bible study to daily life, and (d) equipping and motivating “individuals to contribute more effectively to the life and work of their churches.” Throughout the course, class members are given opportunities to take graduate seminars designed to help them put what they have learned to good use.
Who Can Participate?
BSF classes are held in local churches, which have invited BSF to use their facilities. BSF conducts the following classes:
- Daytime classes for women and their preschool children. These classes are far and away the most popular and well-attended Bible studies.
- Evening classes for women. These classes are next in popularity to the daytime women’s classes.
- Evening classes for men. Both the men’s and women’s evening classes offer concurrent programs for the children (ages 6-11) of adult class members.
- Evening classes for singles, men and women (ages 18-35). These classes have yet to really catch on, with relatively few study groups meeting in the U. S. and abroad.
BSF is an interdenominational Christian lay ministry, and classes are open to people of all walks of life, cultures, and church backgrounds (Protestant, Catholic, and unchurched). BSF host churches represent most major, and some minor, church denominations.
BSF around the World
BSF is the result of the vision and work of the ministry’s founder and first General Director, Audrey Wetherell Johnson. Miss Johnson began teaching Bible studies for women in the early 1950s, and worked with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Crusade later in the decade before starting BSF. Miss Johnson retired in 1979, and was succeeded in her role as executive director by Rosemary Jensen. Mrs. Jensen had been a missionary in Tanzania, and a board member of BSF. Under her leadership, BSF relocated its headquarters to the current location in San Antonio, Texas, where the ministry has developed a campus consisting of a complex of buildings on acreage given to BSF. Under Mrs. Jensen’s leadership, BSF developed its leadership training programs, and began to place individuals in countries throughout the world for the purpose of teaching BSF classes. Today, BSF classes are held in almost every state in the U. S., as well as in Latin America, Africa, Australia, and Europe.
Mrs. Jensen left her post as Executive Director of BSF in 2000 in order to assume leadership of this ministry.
Why BSF?
While BSF does not explicitly defend the call for its ministry, the following common presumptions seem to support its ministry: (1) Lay people need more in-depth exposure to the Scriptures than they, in general, receive from pulpit ministries alone. (2) Properly trained laypersons, given a good curriculum, are qualified to teach the Bible to others. This type of ministry is not the solely the domain of the seminary-educated. (3) The type of environment created in a BSF study group helps people to feel comfortable and to get involved in ways not possible in a more formal classroom atmosphere. (4) By taking an eclectic approach to ministry situations, BSF can draw in people who normally would not participate in an evangelical-type Bible study.
BSF’s method is not without potential pitfalls (see “Critics Might Say” below); but overall, it seems that BSF has developed a strategy of ministry that is simple and effective. BSF trains leaders and produces materials in order to help all kinds of people get involved in serious, interactive, Bible study. The profusion of BSF study groups in the U. S. and abroad testifies to the ministry’s popularity.