Assessing competence is based upon the IMPACT, not simply the inputs, of biblical education. Pastoral competence is the ability to apply a set of related knowledge, skills and abilities required in real-life ministry scenarios. While academic credits are based on the number of hours per week that a student is expected to study, the competencies for pastoral ministry developed by Re-Forma© provide a standardized measurement for assessing the integration of sound doctrinal information with pastoral formation.

A centralized organizational structure seeks to provide a uniform education to a large number of students, where decentralized structures seek to empower individual teachers to adapt the lessons within the curriculum according to their student’s ministry context. Centralized systems are usually more efficient and easier to manage. However, decentralized systems are usually more responsive to the needs of individual students and communities. The Berean Institute is designed to equip pastoral disciple-makers, who will then be entrusted with the responsibility to equip more pastoral disciple-makers, who will themselves be entrusted to equip others.

The Berean Institute curriculum is designed for pastors and church leaders with different levels of biblical understanding to be able to work together. Within each course module, three different tracks of learning are available for a student to follow, allowing them to study scriptural truths according to their current level of understanding. Multicultural pastoral training programs seldom seem effective when using a "one size fits all" curriculum approach.

As Dr. Jesse Jaison states, “Educational sectors tend to focus more on internal maintenance and academic technicalities than on creative collaborations and outcome-oriented ministry formation in serving the needs of the church…the core mandate of theological (biblical) education is to think outside the box of conventionality and serve toward the sustainability and growth of the church.”

Theologian D.A. Carson stated, “It is possible to become so expert in secondary opinions, that one never ponders the text of the Bible itself.” Berean Institute utilizes the Scriptures themselves as the primary source of study through chronological reading of the Scriptures to understand the larger biblical story and principles for Christ-like lives. Inductive Bible study is employed to uncover foundational “building block” truths and to determine authorial intent and progressive revelation. Integrative and systematic study of the Scriptures is then used to summarize doctrinal truth.

In the gospels, Jesus asks many more questions than He answers, and when people asked Jesus a question, He often responded with a question. The asking of questions - deep questions - personal questions - is how abiding relationships are developed and often the motivation for searching Scripture inductively. As the primary educational methodology, the Berean Institute utilizes varied kinds of questions to facilitate dialogue between facilitators and students, as well as dialogue among students.

The focus of the Berean Institute is to move beyond providing only theological INFORMATION, and toward the development and assessment of well-rounded pastoral FORMATION. The value of experienced, relationally-centered pastoral facilitators, is their ability to provide case studies based upon their personal ministries and also share lessons learned from past experiences in the application of biblical truths.

Enabling students to complete their studies online allows for flexibility with their studies in a timeframe that fits with their life and ministry. Competency-based biblical education can be accomplished much faster than traditional credit-based degree programs. Face-to-face follow-up training and observation can also be pre-scheduled around the learner's availability.

A Biblio-Centric study of the Bible involves studying the historical context of the words used in both the Bible as well as the mother-tongue of the translation. It involves studying history of imagery, illustrations and metaphors in the original texts. All resources utilized with the Berean Institute align with the evangelical belief, as expressed by the World Evangelical Alliance and the Lausanne Covenant.