Baltic Methodist Theological Seminary Development Plan 2024-2028

INTRODUCTION

The Baltic Methodist Theological Seminary (BMTS) is a private higher education institution offering applied higher education.

The goal of the BMTS is to prepare Christian workers, clergy, and leaders for churches, as well as Christian and charitable organizations, by providing theological higher education rooted in the Wesleyan/Methodist tradition and addressing the needs of the church and society. The Seminary also aims to support spiritual formation during the educational process and to organize continuing education for EMC workers.

The previous development plan concluded in 2023. Representatives of the EMC, students, and Seminary staff have been invited to participate in the preparation of the new development plan.

Mission

To provide theological higher education and offer continuing education that supports the spiritual formation of learners and prepares them for serving both the church and society.

Vision

To be an educational and competence centre that offers students a life-changing learning experience through an engaging educational process, meeting the needs of both the church and society. In addition to providing contemporary theological higher education, it aims to create opportunities for continuing education, being recognized both nationally and internationally.

Core Values

Our core values are based on a Christian worldview and a Methodist Quadrilateral, which includes: Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience. From these, our core values are:

The Bible and a personal relationship with God

Christian worldview and Methodist theology

academic and practical focus

learner-centredness, inclusion and professionalism

ecumenism, internationalism, community-centeredness and integration.

AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT

1. STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

The BMTS fosters a strategic and inclusive leadership culture that, based on the needs of the church, employees, students, alumni, and other stakeholders, creates a professional, innovative, and mutually respectful work environment.

Goal	Activities	Indicators
Continued integration of the EMC and the Seminary	Regular meetings between EMC and BMTS leadership	Meetings have taken place at least once per quarter
Continued integration of the EMC and the Seminary	The seminary, in cooperation with the EMC superintendent, offers regular continuing education training for pastors	Two training sessions have been held annually
Effective implementation of the development plan	Familiarizing employees and faculty with the goals of the development plan	All employees and faculty are familiar with the goals of the development plan
	Regular monitoring of the implementation of the development plan	At least once a year, a discussion on the implementation of the development plan is held with the Rector’s Council and heads of structural units
	Develop an implementation plan based on the development plan, involving the school’s owner, leadership, faculty, and students	The implementation plan is completed by the end of 2024
Improvement of the Seminary’s work and communication environment	Annual retreat that serves both as training and as a means to boost employee motivation	At least one retreat is held every year
	Compilation of a comprehensive guide for employees, summarizing the Seminary’s foundational and internal regulations	The comprehensive guide is completed by the end of 2025
	Regular development discussions with employees	Development discussions have been conducted with all employees at least once a year
	Regular employee satisfaction surveys	At least one satisfaction survey is conducted annually
Systematic establishment and maintenance of partnership relationships	Mapping existing partnerships	Existing partnerships are mapped by the end of 2024
	Maintaining regular contact with existing partners	A Rector’s newsletter is sent to all partners once a quarter
	Establishing new partnerships	At least two new partnerships are established annually
	Developing collaboration with the alumni organization	Regular communication
Minimizing potential risks	Regular updating and implementation of risk analysis	At least once a year, a risk analysis discussion is held at the Rector’s Council level

2. RESOURCES

The Seminary has a motivated and competent staff and faculty; systematic, purposeful and sustainable management of infrastructure and financial resources; effective and purposeful internal and external communication.

Goal	Activities	Indicators
Ensuring Competitive Salary and Working Conditions	Conduct a salary analysis for the Seminary staff and faculty and set targets for the next 4 years	Salary analysis is completed by the end of 2024
	Regular review of the salary growth plan	The Seminary board reviews the salary growth plan at least once a year and makes adjustments if necessary
	Formulate the BMTS motivation package (e.g., flexible work schedules, health days, personal development opportunities)	The motivation package is formulated by the first quarter of 2025
Ensuring Sustainable Funding for the Seminary	Establish a financial development team to find additional funding sources	The development team is assembled and operational by the first quarter of 2025
	Create and develop a domestic capital fund to reduce dependence on external donations	The financial development team begins work on fund creation by the second quarter of 2025
	Increase revenue (e.g., renting translation equipment, organizing continuing education, publishing activities)	Revenue growth of at least 20% annually
	Apply for research funding	The number of active research projects in line with RDCA goals
Improving Educational, Work, and Infrastructure Resources	Conduct an inventory of teaching resources and map out the needs and development for the next 4 years (ICT, rooms, work tools, etc.)	The teaching infrastructure inventory is completed by the fourth quarter of 2024
	Develop the Seminary library's development strategy (e-library, collaboration with Asbury Theological Seminary)	The Seminary library's development strategy is completed by the end of the first quarter of 2025
	Improve the quality of education within the framework of the KVARA measures	Active participation in the KVARA working group and implementation of at least 2 actions annually
Improving the Seminary’s Domestic and International Visibility and Image	Increase the proportion of Estonian-speaking students through targeted advertising campaigns	By the 2028/2029 academic year, the proportion of Estonian-speaking students is one-third
	Develop a recruitment strategy for international students	The recruitment strategy is completed by the end of 2025
	Strengthen the Seminary’s communal and international image based on a PR strategy	Qualitative indicators based on the PR strategy

3. QUALITY CULTURE

At the BMTS, quality leadership, teaching, research activities, and community service are clearly agreed upon. Continuous quality improvements are carried out based on regular feedback.

Goal	Activities	Indicators
Improving Quality Culture	Formation of a code of good practice document based on existing quality standards, which relies on the employee handbook, code of ethics, student handbook, virtual learning etiquette, academic regulations, internal rules, etc.	The code of good practice document is completed by the second quarter of 2025. The document is translated into three languages and introduced to students, employees, and faculty. The code of good practice document is available on the website and is edited annually.
	Development of a system for recording and responding to quality culture violations.	The system is developed and implemented by the end of 2025.
	Enhancing leadership, teaching, research activities, and community service, and regularly analyzing their impact through an evaluation strategy, linking feedback results to improvement actions.	Feedback surveys are conducted systematically and regularly, and their results are connected to development discussions.

4. ACADEMIC ETHICS

The BMTS strives for high quality and value-based teaching and research through adherence to the principles of academic ethics.

Goal	Activities	Indicators
Adherence to Academic Ethics Principles	Update the code of ethics to include input from both Seminary staff and students	The Seminary's updated code of ethics is developed by the third quarter of 2025
	Establish an ethics committee consisting of the Rector, faculty representatives, and student representatives. The committee's goal is to ensure the principles of academic ethics in the Seminary's daily activities and resolve complaints related to ethics	The ethics committee is established by the third quarter of 2025
	Introduce the principles of academic ethics to students	The topic of academic ethics is integrated into relevant courses such as Introduction to Studies, Christian Ethics, and Foundations of Scientific Research
	Create a system to prevent and address ethical issues	An anonymous channel for reporting unethical situations is created by the end of 2024

5. INTERNATIONALISATION

Ensure cultural openness at the BMTS and promote the development of teaching and research activities through international cooperation.

Goal	Activities	Indicators
Supporting Academic Mobility	Participation in the Erasmus+ network	The Seminary is an active member of Erasmus+
	Hiring an Erasmus+ coordinator	An Erasmus+ coordinator is hired by the third quarter of 2024
	Supporting student international mobility	At least 2 student exchanges per year are organized starting from 2025
	Supporting faculty international mobility	The number of mobile faculty members aligns with RDCA goals annually
	Hosting foreign faculty and students	At least 2 hosting events per year
Developing International Collaboration Projects	Initiating collaboration projects with GMC (on the topic of e-academy development) and Mt Bethel Church (visiting lecturers)	Collaboration agreements are signed during 2025
Developing International Collaboration Projects	Preparing new collaboration projects	At least 1 new international collaboration project is prepared annually
Increasing the Number of International Students	Based on the recruitment strategy, popularize the opportunity for theological higher education at the BMTS among churches in neighboring countries	The proportion of international students increases by at least 10% annually
Increasing the Number of International Students	Collaboration with the Study in Estonia organization	Active cooperation with the Study in Estonia organization

6. FACULTY

At the BMTS, the faculty members are professionally competent, support the development of learners, and are engaged in continuous self-improvement to ensure high-quality education.

Goal	Activities	Indicators
Improving Faculty Qualifications	Development of pedagogical competence for faculty members	At least 2 professional development training sessions per year organized under the KVARA measure
	Development of faculty competence in applied theology	A research seminar is organized for faculty members once per quarter
	Supporting and facilitating faculty professional development and continuing education	All faculty members with employment contracts have participated in at least one professional training, seminar, or conference during the year
	Regular performance reviews	Performance review are conducted with all faculty members at least once a year
	Increasing the proportion of faculty with doctoral degrees	The proportion of faculty with doctoral degrees meets RDCA goals
	Improving the feedback system	The feedback system aligns with the quality culture described

7. CURRICULUM

The BMTS has a curriculum with specific learning outcomes that are based on the expectations of the church and the needs of society, ensuring a learning approach that meets higher education standards and aligns with the trends of the field.

Goal	Activities	Indicators
Updating the curriculum based on the needs of the church and society, supporting creativity, entrepreneurship, and the development of other general competencies	Approval of the updated curriculum	The updated curriculum is approved by the board of trustees by fall 2024
	Continuous development of the curriculum	The alignment of the curriculum with the needs of the church and society is regularly assessed
Development and offering of micro-credentials	Development of new micro-credentials	First micro-credentials are created and approved by fall 2025
Development and offering of micro-credentials	Promoting micro-credentials to specific target groups	The number of participants in micro-credentials
Development of practical outcomes in curricula	Develop cooperation with church institutions and NGOs related to teaching, to create practical outcomes	The number of collaboration projects created
Providing Master's Degree Opportunities	Development and registration of a Master's program	The Master's program is created and approved by the Ministry of Education by the 2026/2027 academic year

8. LEARNING AND TEACHING

The BMTS has a systematic and learner-centered learning process that supports the learner's lifelong learning, spiritual development and creativity and prepares people with social skills, who are competitive, self-directed, who value cooperation and possess professional knowledge.

Goal	Activities	Indicators
Learner-centered approach	Interactive teaching methods (balance between lectures and interactive learning in the classroom)	The ratio of interactive sessions compared to lectures
	Teaching methodology training for faculty under the KVARA measure	All faculty have completed at least 1 training per year
	Effective use of the e-library, including technical capabilities and teaching methodologies	E-library usage statistics
Offering internship opportunities that support holistic development	Offering opportunities for spiritual service (e.g., Omega initiative) in the context of church visits and collaborative ministry	All students have participated in activities that support spiritual formation
	Offering internship opportunities outside Estonia through the Erasmus+ program	At least 1 internship opportunity utilized per year
Collaboration with other theological schools	Offering and participating in open courses; faculty exchange; organizing joint KVARA professional development trainings, and using library resources	The number of collaborative projects and student/faculty participation in them
Evaluating the opportunities and impact of artificial intelligence	Analyzing the integration of artificial intelligence in the educational process and assessing the associated risks. Training faculty to address this topic	Faculty are informed about this topic

9. STUDENT ASSESSMENT

The BMTS has a transparent, learning-supportive, and learning outcome-based objective assessment system with diverse assessment methods.

Goal	Activities	Indicators
A transparent, learning-supportive, and learning outcome-based objective assessment system with diverse assess-ment methods	Review and update assessment criteria using analytics and learning analysis	Updated assessment criteria that are aligned with learning outcomes
	Organizing training for faculty on the implementation of assessment methods and criteria	Number of faculty participating in the training and their satisfaction with the training
	Collecting student feedback on assessment methods	Survey results indicating student satisfaction with the assessment system
	Diversifying assessment methods to accommodate different learning styles (e.g., projects, presentations, written exams, peer assessments)	Frequency and diversity of the use of various assessment methods

10. LEARNING SUPPORT SYSTEMS

The BMTS has support system that takes into account the diverse needs of the student body and supports individual development and academic progress.

Goal	Activities	Indicators
Enhancing the library	Development of the e-library system	Number of loans, users satisfaction
Enhancing the library	Consideration and decision-making regarding a self-study system	A decision on whether to proceed with this project is made by 2025
Enhancing classrooms for hybrid learning	Development of classroom 204 (translation equipment, video streaming, multimedia technology for video conferences)	The development is completed by the end of 2025
Translation	The school aims to improve the quality of multilingual education by organizing training and courses for translators	At least 1 specialized training per year
Translation	Exploring the possibilities of machine translation in the context of simultaneous translation	A relevant study is completed by the end of 2024
Personal counseling	The school ensures academic counseling for all students through mentors	All students have a mentor
	Dropout prevention, development, and implementation of a strategy within the mentoring program	Dropout rate (%)
	Identifying and accommodating special needs	All students with special needs are accommodated where possible
	Continuous monitoring and development of support service effectiveness	The effectiveness of support services is assessed at least once a year
Digital tools and user support	Information technology solutions that meet the needs of the studients and ensure smooth and efficient work for staff	Information technology solutions are provided
Digital tools and user support	The school ensures educational technology support for the development of e-learning, community competence, e-courses, digital hygiene, and data protection	All users have access to support
Publishing	The school develops student-friendly multilingual e-publications (e-books, e-courses) and publishing capabilities, along with the necessary ICT tools and software to create and use e-materials in teaching	Number of resources created annually
Publishing	Publishing literature related to the church and the Seminary	Number of units published annually

11. RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND CREATIVE ACTIVITY

The BMTS strategy for research, development, and creative activities for the years 2024-2028 can be found in the corresponding document (Research, Development and Creative Activities (RDCA) Objective and Strategy).

12. SERVICE TO SOCIETY

The BMTS has a positive impact on society through community service, the promotion of lifelong learning, and the popularization of practical theology in society.

Goal	Activities	Indicators
Popularizing Practical Theology	Developing and offering online discussions, courses, and materials on practical theology	Number of registrations for online courses, number of distributed materials
	Popularizing research conducted by the Seminary faculty	At least 2 popular science publications per year
	Participation in the working groups of the Estonian Council of Churches	Active participation in the fields of sociology of religion and educational work
Supporting Lifelong Learning	Organizing open lectures, workshops, and lifelong learning courses in MOOC1 format	Number of participants in lectures and workshops
	Creating and distributing informational materials on the benefits of lifelong learning	Feedback on lifelong learning programs and increased awareness
	Offering open Estonian language courses	At least one course per year
Supporting Mental Health in the Community	Organizing training on mental health topics	Number of trainings
Supporting Mental Health in the Community	Organizing pastoral care activities	Number of pastoral care contacts