According to STLToday.com, MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson last fall became one of 100 students in the distance education program at the Concordia Seminary in Clayton, Missouri. Classes include "Lutheran Distinctions," "Preaching I & II," "Introduction to Worship" and "Scripture and Faith."

The popularity of online seminary programs is growing among mid-career students, like Ellefson, who would otherwise find it difficult to pursue full-time theological education.

Classes begin each Monday, though homework is posted a few days earlier in case eager students want to get a jump on their classmates. On Tuesday nights, Ellefson and eight other students wired in from around the country sit in on a two-hour live session with a professor teaching from a Concordia classroom. Once a week, he meets with The Rev. Jon Bjorgaard, pastor of Shepherd of the Desert, to discuss that week's work. Finally, late in the week, he uploads his homework for the professor to grade.