As a bi-vocational Pastor with only a High School diploma, I found the home based classes were perfect for my busy schedule. The amount of detail in each class and the fact that it is ALL KJV based, helped me better understand the assignments. I strongly encourage anyone that would like a deeper understanding of the Bible to take these classes, whether you want a degree or just the knowledge.

Chad Cole
Class of 2015

Andersonville is unaccredited, but highly credible. The school is exactly what I was looking for. I have studied at several accredited schools and my experience with Andersonville was equal, and in many ways, superior to all of them, for a variety of reasons, not least of which is price/value ratio. I appreciated the availability of staff, the constant quest to improve the school, the doctrinal stance on Truth and the fidelity of Scripture, and the variety of professors I encountered (externally) throughout earning my doctoral degree. I have pastored or worked as a missionary evangelist for almost 50 years and have three other degrees, in addition to the one from Andersonville. I think I am in a good position to know whether or not what I received from Andersonville was legitimate and helpful. It is. Although I am retired, I now teach two days a week at a classical academy and my Andersonville degree is not only accepted, but respected.

Jeff Payne

Andersonville Theological Seminary is an Awesome place to be educated. They will work with you financially as well as educationally. I started with this educational system when my Mom pass away and did not complete my courses and they reach out to me to give me that chance to complete. They also gave me spiritual guidance as I was working on completing my doctoral degree and as a full-time truck driver for UPS FREIGHT. We started during the pandemic “NEW FAITH COVENANT MINISTRIES INC.” We are about 80 members strong, and more are receiving Christ as their savior. We praise God for the leadership you all provide to all of those who attend this great organization.

Rev. Dr. James DeWitt Johnson

Testimonial I am grateful for the opportunity to share my experience with Andersonville Theological Seminary and how God used it to shape my ministry journey.
There are seasons in life when God leads us into the wilderness—not to abandon us, but to reshape us. My journey with Andersonville began in one of those wilderness seasons.
After graduating in 2017 from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary with a Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry, I found myself in a difficult season. I had just left a church, had nowhere to preach, and was unsure about what the future held. It was one of the loneliest moments of my ministry.
I had looked at Andersonville a few times before, but I was hesitant. I had read on message boards and the like that it wasn’t rigorous enough, that it was unaccredited, and that the degree wouldn’t be worth much. But in that moment of my life, I wasn’t looking for prestige. I simply needed something that I could afford and that would keep me grounded in the Word while I was without a church.
During that time, God placed me in a church in Southern Mississippi that had once been large but had declined as the community around it changed. Yet it was exactly the church I needed. They loved my family. They supported us. They gave me the space to breathe, to heal, and to work. Looking back, I know without a doubt that God sent me exactly where I needed to be.
When my materials arrived, I started strong and expected to finish quickly. Then life hit hard. Financial struggles left me on the brink of homelessness. My mother’s battle with Alzheimer’s grew worse, and eventually she passed away. To say the least, my Doctor of Ministry studies slipped quietly onto the back burner and to be honest, I didn’t have the desire to pick them back up. I even emailed Dr. Hayes and the kind folks at Andersonville, asking them not to give up on me. I told them I would finish someday. They responded with grace, patience, and understanding—exactly what I needed during that season.
Then, one summer day in 2024, my wife asked me a simple question: “Why don’t you get in there and finish your degree?” She told me she believed I was ready for the next step in ministry. She reminded me of Jesus’ teaching about being faithful in the little things and challenged me to finish what God had already placed in front of me. She told me she didn’t think I would step into the next level of ministry until I finished my degree with Andersonville. She was right. And even though I’m usually the one giving that kind of counsel, God used her words to light a fire in me. I got back to work. I pushed through. And in November 2024, I graduated from Andersonville Theological Seminary with a Doctor of Ministry in Pastoral Leadership.
Something else happened along the way. All of my old concerns about Andersonville—its accreditation, the rumors that it was a diploma mill, the claims that it was too easy or doctrinally weak—fell away completely. My experience simply did not match those criticisms. The courses challenged me deeply. They stretched me academically and ministerially. They led me through rich biblical studies and introduced me to concepts I had never considered before. More importantly, they helped me think more deeply about Scripture, pastoral ministry, leadership, and the work God had called me to do.
Today, my Andersonville diploma hangs proudly on my wall between my bachelor’s degree from William Carey University and my master’s degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. I am just as proud—if not more proud—of that Doctor of Ministry than anything else I’ve accomplished professionally. Not because it was easy, but because of what it took to finish. That diploma represents more to me than an academic accomplishment. It represents perseverance. It represents a difficult season of life that I almost allowed to keep me from finishing what I had started. And, most of all, it reminds me of God’s faithfulness.
Every degree I’ve earned has helped prepare me in some way, but I can honestly say that my Andersonville education prepared me more for pastoral ministry—and now for associational leadership—than anything else I’ve studied anywhere else.
I received my diploma in November 2024. Three months later, in February 2025, I was named Associational Missions Strategist for the Covington–Jefferson Davis Baptist Association in central Mississippi. Today, I work with 30 churches across two counties, helping them share the gospel, strengthen their ministries, and reach their communities. I love my calling. And I truly don’t believe I would be where I am today without my experience at Andersonville.
My wife was right. God was waiting on me to finish what He had already placed in my hands before He opened the next door. That has become one of the lessons I carry with me in ministry: sometimes what feels like a delay is actually preparation for what God is going to do next.
And now, I find myself praying about the possibility of pursuing a Th.D. from Andersonville and exploring how God might make that financially possible. So, I don’t know yet what that next chapter will look like. But after everything God has already brought me through, I’ve learned to trust Him with the next step. I know He is faithful.

James Layton

I earned the Batchelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate of Biblical Exposition now known as the Doctor Of Christian Education in Biblical Exposition. I am teaching at church, and am a Chaplain for The Scottish American Military Society thru their Auxiliary for which I am the coordinator. My church conference also has me training for the Certified Lay Leader Ministry (only one course to finish) and asked me to teach when I finish. They also have me enrolled in the International Leadership Institute for which I will become a trainer when all courses are completed. . I have also completed the training and am a commissioned Stephen Minister. My degrees have afforded me many opportunities to serve.

Annette Sullivan

Greetings. After nearly 30 years of service in many different capacities, and having published 17 books, the Lord had me follow the steps of Bilbo Baggins and go on an unexpected journey. I began formal seminary studies in 2015 through a different program and finished the master’s level when the administrator of the program suddenly went to be with the Lord. His widow referred me to Andersonville Theological Seminary where her husband got his doctorate. Having looked around at a few other possibilities, it became clear that upon acceptance Andersonville would be the place for me to take the last leg of this journey. Thankfully they accepted me and I began the courses. I found them challenging and informative, covering important topics that will help equip ministers for their assignment from the Lord. The staff was very supportive throughout this endeavor. The very reasonable tuition, the remote learning, the student-led pace, and the access to needed resources made it possible to complete this journey. In a few areas where i expressed my views, as long as I supported my position scripturally, I was given the freedom to do so. The course material specifically said to do so, and that is why I felt comfortable respectfully doing so. I didn’t think I could afford to attend the graduation, but my wife insisted, and I am so glad I did. The quartet’s singing and the beautiful ceremony will be cherished memories. I can confidently recommend Andersonville to others, and I have. I continue to pray for the staff who were such a blessing, and for their students.

Rick LoPresti