AV Beat - QH School of Theology

If you’re looking for resource material on Christian theology, one of your first stops might be the World Wide Web. And while you’re surfing for references on theology or angelology, you’ll more than likely find yourself perusing a site that is hosted right here in the Antelope Valley.

One of the premier domains in the world for this subject matter is theology.edu, which belongs to the Quartz Hill Community Church and their school, the Quartz Hill School of Theology.

Operating out of a small, modest building just outside Lancaster city limits, the church and a few of its members have quietly carved out a niche on the internet. It all started in 1996. The site now consists of over 1000 pages, most of it text, that amounts to approximately 100 MB. The main man behind the project is deacon and school professor Robin Nettelhorst.

“Much of our content is very esoteric,” pointed out Nettelhorst. “We were one of the first sites to publish material on some very unique subjects, and we’ve become well known for that.” That has much to do with their ability to draw visitors from around the world. An example is their resource material on Ugaritic.

The ancient language of Ugaritic is only known in the form of writings found in the lost city of Ugarit in Syria. For scholars of the Old Testament, it is crucial. It is specific and unique content like this that draws visitors from as far away as Africa, Iran, Russia, and the Middle East. “We’ve been online for such a long time,” said Nettelhorst, “that we really come out on top in a lot of internet searches for these topics.”

Nettelhorst started the site in 1996, but didn’t buy the domain theology.edu until 1998. That highly desirable domain name is a big part of the site’s success. But, while a great domain name is one way of getting visitors, excellent content is the only way to bring them back. And Nettelhorst’s site has no shortage of that.

Currently, the site is drawing over 2000 hits a day, and generating several hundred dollars a month in revenue for the school through Google advertisements.

The church also conducts a ministry and a publishing house. The Quartz Hill Publishing House specializes in Christian-related texts. They recently published Dr. Jim West’s newest book, a commentary on Jeremiah. West is based in Tennessee, but he also contributes content to the school’s website. The School of Theology has other things that keep the group busy as well, such as being one of the sponsors of the annual Antelope Valley Christian Writer’s Conference.

Nettelhorst can’t do it alone, of course. Church member Eric Miller provides much of the programming expertise which facilitates updating and management of the site. Rick Curtis, a computer instructor at AV College, provides the server that supports the site.

As for the school, their primary mission is education. “We offer a 2-year Associates and 4-year Bachelors degrees in Theology,” explained Nettelhorst, “and a 3-year program for a Master of Divinity.”