Master of Arts in Christian Ministry
Dr. Carl Leth, Coordinator
Have you sensed a call to ministry, but you don't know what kind of ministry? Have you been thinking that God wants
you to serve him, but you don't know how to serve? If so, then Olivet's M.A. in Christian Ministry may be your route to
fulfilling God's call. Olivet's new M.A. in Christian Ministry interweaves an academic and practical education for ministry,
even if you have little or no undergraduate study in Bible, theology, or ministry. You will start at the beginning, but then
proceed at a graduate pace, because this M.A. program assumes that you are academically and personally mature.
Or maybe God has called you to His service, and you know exactly which kind. Perhaps you even have a good start on
your formal education in ministry. Then you should know that this M.A. offers you options for more advanced study. So,
whether you are a beginner or already well along in your ministerial education, you may find that Olivet's M.A. in
Christian Ministry will help you answer God's call to you to serve him.
The Program and its Objectives
Olivet's M.A. in Christian Ministry will educate you in four areas:
- Biblical knowledge
- Theological knowledge
- Practical applications in ministry
- Personal spiritual growth and formation as a minister.
You will discover that
ministry extends to every area of life. God's ministers include pastors, preachers, and missionaries, but God has many
other kinds of ministers as well, some even working in "regular" jobs while planting churches, evangelizing, and bringing
Christian values to the workplace.
What can you do after you graduate with an M.A. in Christian Ministry? There are many forms of ministry, some
requiring or leading to ordination and some not requiring ordination. Some churches have staff positions for non-
ordained people, and the same is true for ministries in para-church organizations. For example, Olivet's M.A. in
Christian Ministry would be an excellent degree for a journalist, perhaps working in Christian radio or TV, or perhaps for
someone working in a secular setting and who wishes a deeper ministerial and theological understanding. The M.A. in
Christian Ministry would also be an ideal program for a clergy spouse who may or may not seek ordination but wishes to
participate in the ministry of the congregation.
The M.A. in Christian Ministry is a superb route into ordained pastoral ministry. Olivet's professors in Christian Ministry
have extensive and successful records in ordained ministry as pastors, missionaries, evangelists, and preachers. You
should note, however, that this degree meets many, but not all, of the requirements for ordination in the Church of the
Nazarene. Each district provides opportunities through continuing education at the district level to complete its ordination
requirements.
Based on Olivet's more than forty-year history of graduate theological education, we expect many of the graduates of
this M.A. program to go directly into ministry; it is also possible to continue your education at a seminary and obtain an
M.Div. degree. This option would likely appeal to those proceeding to an ordained ministry or who wish to study at the
doctoral level in ministry. Olivet has an agreement with Nazarene Theological Seminary which will allow you to get the
best Olivet has to offer and then proceed to the Seminary to get the best they have to offer, and end up with two
degrees, both an M.A. and an M.Div.
The M.A. in Christian Ministry is a semi-residential program in the sense that you must live close enough to come to
ONU's campus regularly. If you are already in full-time ministry and/or live at some distance from the campus, you
should consider Olivet's M.Min. degree, which is designed for the professional development and enhancement of those
currently in full-time ministry who cannot come regularly to Olivet's campus.
The M.A. in Christian Ministry requires 36 credit hours. A full-time student can complete the program in one year, August
to August. This is possible because, as a semi-residential program, the curriculum mixes intensive short-term classes
with half-semester courses as well as with traditional full-semester courses.
If you have questions about any aspect of the M.A. in Christian Ministry, including planning during your undergraduate
years, please contact the graduate religion office by phone at 815-928-5670 or by email at onugradreligion@olivet.edu.