In 1999, WJ de Kock created an approach to doing theology to equip leaders in a church plant in Cape Town, South Africa. Since that time, the course, now known as the Openseminary, has been used to develop a Master of Philosophy degree for the Cape Town Baptist Seminary (an affiliate institution of the University of Pretoria), a Master of Arts in Church Practice at Tabor College Victoria in Australia and the Openseminary Masters of Theological Studies at Palmer Theological Seminary. The course was first accredited under the South African Qualifications Framework (2001) and in Australia initially under the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (2006) and subsequently (2011) under the Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency.

The Openseminary approach is currently used in the design and delivery of the Master of Practical Theology, Master of Divinity, and the PhD in Professional Practice at Palmer Theological Seminary and College of Eastern University in Philadelphia.