All faculty members must hold credentials higher than the Diploma in Pastoral Ministry offered by SANBC.  Each is expected to continue his/her academic pursuits to higher standards and credentials where possible.  Since the beginning of SANBC, over 70% of the faculty members have been assisted to pursue further studies. This has been possible with the help of the EURASIA Region and Field scholarship programmes.  MA studies for cohorts of faculty members and advanced students, in cooperation with NTC-Manchester and the EURASIA Region, are ongoing. All faculty members are encouraged to determine the areas of disciplinary preference, in order to guide their further study.  

Faculty members may only begin teaching courses for SANBC upon completion of the Level 1 Professional Development Seminar (PDS1), which instructs in basic teaching methods and curriculum delivery.  All faculty members must continue to attend PDS’s as they are provided. A new level of Professional Development Seminar is developed and delivered to the faculty each 3 years. Typical content includes (beyond basic teaching methods and curriculum delivery):  qualities necessary in the Christ-like teacher, development of learning environments, curriculum design and evaluation, lesson planning, and creativity in classroom management and effective communication skills in course delivery. These PDS’s provide quality assurance for the standard of teaching provided across the India and South Asia Fields.  

These Professional Development Seminars are designed through the office of the EURASIA Regional Education Coordinator, and conducted in collaboration with outside resource personnel and SANBC education coordinators.   In addition to PDS’s, the faculty engages in continuous appraisal and upgrading of courses through a programme of ‘teacher cluster meetings’.