Frequently Asked Questios (FAQ) about the International Evangelical Bible School, the Diploma of Biblical Studies and tuition-free online education.
About IFEBS
Who or what is IFEBS?
IFEBS is a free online Bible School by “Stichting Bijbels en Theologisch Onderwijs Yarah”, the Netherlands.
The Yarah Foundation and its predecessor “Bijbel Aktueel” have been in existence since 1992. We have been providing Bible training online and offline since 1992. Our online ministry (on the internet) started in 1996. From 1992 up to 1999 we also operated a BBS (bulletin board system). We have always adopted and used new technology. The foundation has always been way ahead of many other organizations when it comes to the application of modern technology.
The Yarah Foundation started with a Bible Study group with around 15 members in 1992.The group grew into two groups and a congregation. These activities have unfortunately been discontinued due to health reasons and the loss (health, emigration, passing away) of a number of leaders.
Today, we are focussing on offering online courses trough IFEBS and Bijbel College.
Is IFEBS accredited?
In short: no, we are not. But why not?
Accreditation is only required for degree granting institutions. The International Evangelical Bible School (IFEBS) is not a degree granting institution. Because of that, there is no need to be accredited. This is not a principle but mainly a financial choice. If it would be legally possible to become an accredited, degree granting, institute for free or a very low fee we would most certainly work towards this.
Degree-granting institutes in Europe
We are based in Europe, the Netherlands. Most Bible colleges, in Europe, are not government funded but private institutions. This also applies to Bible schools and seminaries associated with various denominations such as Baptist seminaries or Pentecostal Bible schools. To become an accredited degree-granting institute in Europe, in the Netherlands especially, we would have to meet many conditions and demands in terms of “educational program” (we cannot since we only teach the Bible and Theology), a campus (we don’t have a campus since we’re offering the courses online exclusively!), accreditation fees, etc. That would be very expensive and also pretty much impossible for a (free) online bible school. We would need to start charging students tuition if we want to be accredited.
If you want to study for a degree at an accredited degree-granting institute we suggest you have a look at the resources page, you will find a list of institutes offering degrees at this page. See the section “Affordable and free online training”.
Is it really free? What’s the catch?
Diploma of Biblical Studies
All course materials are free, no tuition, no registration fees, no catch. You only pay a small donation, if you require to recieve so, for the diploma.
If you pay the small graduation fee you will recieve a diploma (PDF-format) by email. If you do not want or need to recieve the Diploma, there are no fees.
Free Awards
If you pass an exam you will receive an email with the results and a link to download a free award. This means you can receive an award for Bible Study & Tools, Introduction to the Bible, Old Testament Studies, New Testament Studies, Christian Theology and Church Growth & Mission.
We offer this as an additional, completely free, certification in case you cannot afford the Graduation Fee for the Diploma of Biblical Studies or do not wish to take the full online course. The awards are in PDF format, can be downloaded and saved to your device and of course you can print them.
How can IFEBS be free?
We use free coursematerials. We use open source, free, software. We have automated almost everything so minimal staff is required. The webhosting is (partly) sponsored. So the costs are very low. We also receive(d) some small donations for our ministry from students. Because of all this, we can offer this free bible school.
If you wish to donate to support our Bible School ministry, you can do so trough Paypal.
About the Diploma of Biblical Studies
What prior education do I need?
There are no requirements for prior education. Our courses are open to anyone.
How long does it take me to finish the coursework?
We estimate the duration of the course to be at least one year, but more likely somewhere between one and two years, depending on how much time you can spend on studying. If you can study full-time it would take somewhere between three to six months. However, there’s no set time-limit.
Can I transfer credit?
No. The courses for the Diploma of Biblical Studies are not for credit.
Can I take the exams without studying the course work?
Yes. Many people have studied the Bible, theology and other topics provided in our core program before at other online bible schools, trough sites like Udemy, at school, college or university, at church or read a lot about theology out of interest.
You can take the exams without doing the coursework however, you can only (re)take the exams a few times! We do advise you read trough the coursework. The courses offered here aren’t intended to ‘get a diploma’ but to obtain knowledge about the Bible and Theology from various sources and, above all, from the Bible.
How many times can I retake an exam?
The exams can be taken 3 times. If you do not pass the exams we cannot reset the score and will not allow you to take them again.
What average score do I need to pass an exam?
You will need an average score of 70% to pass an exam.
Can I just study the coursework without taking exams?
Yes, you can! You don’t have to take the exams. If you want to read the coursework for personal enrichment or out of interest in (certain) subjects, feel free to do so.
Career Prospects
I want to become a pastor, will the Diploma of Biblical Studies be suitable?
If you have a passion and goal to help people lead more spiritual and rewarding lives this program might be very useful and suitable for you.
But if you want to become a pastor we cannot guarantee this program is suitable. This all depends on the demands your (local) church will have for a pastor or church leaders. Since we are not an accredited degree granting institute, they might not accept the Diploma of Biblical Studies we, and other institutes, offer. Please discuss this with the leadership of your church or denomination. We suggest to show them this website and the coursework. This allows them to get a well-informed idea about this training.
Please do be aware that the Diploma of Biblical Studies does not prepare you for public speaking or pastoral care.
For a training including these topics we suggest you visit an institute like Biblical Training or the Christian Leaders Institute. They offer several programs that might be more suitable, depending on the demands of your denomination or local leadership. If you live in the Netherlands or Belgium, the Evangelisch College might be a good option.
Technical questions and issues
What computer or phone do I need?
You will need a browser capable of reading PDF-files on your computer, tablet or phone. The Operating System can be Android, iPhone, Windows, Linux or Chrome OS. We suggest to use a desktop, laptop or tablet. Most browsers support PDF-file format.
I lost my password! Can you change it?
You can reset your password trough this link.
I changed my email address, can you change it?
Please login to your account and change the email address.
The results of the exams aren’t emailed to me
If you use Gmail, Yahoo or Microsoft’s online mail services there’s a change the email ended up in your spambox. Please check you spambox and whitelist our email address contact@ifebs.org. If it hasn’t ended up in the spambox, please contact us at contact@ifebs.org so we can generate a new award for you to send it by email.
Can you reset my exams?
You can take the exams three (3) times. If after that you haven’t passed the exams we will not reset them. We’re really sorry about this. No exceptions will be made unless you can prove to us there was a technical issue (include screenshots and as much as detailed, technical, information as you can, preferrable logging of your system).