Master of Ministry

Stephen T. Franklin, Ph.D., Coordinator

The Master of Ministry program is designed to resource serving ministers for effective leadership in missional congregations by equip- ping them and developing in them theological and practical competencies with a missional focus in the practice of ministry. The program focuses on integrating the best available resources of scholarship, ministry specialists, and contemporary ministry models with the practice of ministry. As students follow one of two tracks, General and Youth Ministry, they design a study plan to meet specific learning objectives and to give focus to a culminating project:

30 hours

Required:

CMIN 631 — Life Management and Personal Renewal

635 — Leadership in Christian Ministry: Committed to Serve, Prepared to Lead

690 — Master of Ministry Project

THEO 607 — Theology of Ministry

Plus:

General Track

Six elective courses selected by the student as part of a designed plan of study in ministry, in consultation with the student's adviser and approved by the M.Min. coordinator. While the student may, with the permission of the adviser or Program Coordinator, take any graduate course in the School of Theology and Christian Ministry, providing that the student meets the prerequisites, the entire set of courses should be a coherent plan of study for the ministry. The following courses are specifically designed for M.Min. students and, therefore, taught in a modular format. All the following courses carry 3 semester hours of credit.

CMIN 643 — Issues in Ministry

652 — Principles of Management

653 — Discipling

654 — Counseling

655 — Family Dynamics and Intervention

657 — Faith in Action Through Social Work

658 — Organizational Behavior

THEO 647 — Biblical and Theological Studies

648 — Theology and Ministry

OR Youth Ministry Track

Six elective courses. Two of the six may be chosen, after consulting with the student's adviser, from any graduate level course offered by the School of Theology and Christian Ministry for which the student meets the prerequisites. The courses listed above as electives in the General Track are, however, particularly appropriate as electives for students in the youth ministry track. In addition, at least four of the six electives must be chosen, after consulting with the student's adviser, from the following courses.

YMIN 612 — Foundations of Youth Ministry

614 — Postmodernity, Youth Ministry and the Emerging Church

620 — Youth Ministry and the Wilderness as Renewal

630 — Developmental Theories and Adolescents

645 — Family Systems and Implications for Local Church Ministry

650 — Spiritual Development of Students

Times and Format of Courses in the M.Min. Program

Courses are offered three times per year, in May, August, and January, on Olivet's Bourbonnais campus. The university may, on an "on-demand basis," offer additional courses at other off-campus sites. Courses are normally taught in an intensive modular format, beginning on Monday and concluding at noon on Friday. Coursework is assigned in preparation for, and following, the classroom session. To complete the work before and after the module, the student must have computer access to the internet. Assigned work following the session must be completed and submitted to the instructor for grading 30 days following the completion of the class session. Students with extenuating circumstances may request an extension, not to exceed four weeks, from the instructor.

Time Limits

A student is allowed six years from beginning the first graduate course to complete the entire M.Min. program. Coursework beyond six years is evaluated by the Program Coordinator, the Director of Graduate Studies, or the Dean of the School of Theology & Christian Ministry. Students granted permission for more than six years may be expected to meet current program requirements, and that may mean retaking one or more courses.

Scholarships

District superintendent scholarships are available to serving ministers in the Church of the Nazarene in the Olivet educational region. Application for these scholarships should be made directly to the pastor's officiating district superintendent. Churches are encouraged to consider a matching-funds plan to assist serving ministers in their continuing education.

Certificate in Ministerial Studies

Students who do not wish to take courses for academic credit toward the degree may take the courses as continuing education leading to a Certificate in Ministerial Studies. The certificate may be earned by completing any five courses offered in the Master of Ministry program (with adjusted coursework expectations). Tuition for certificate participation would be at a reduced rate.