Master of Arts in Church Ministries

The Master of Arts in Church Ministries is a two-year program, consisting of 54 semester hours and offering options for concentration in three areas of ministry: Discipleship and Christian Formation, Missions, and Ministry Leadership. The program for the degree of Master of Arts in Christian Ministries is structured so that each student receives a balanced exposure to biblical, historical, and theological studies through the required courses and develops skills and competence in one of three areas.

The Counseling Program presents the theory, method and practice of counseling from a Pentecostal perspective. The Program emphasizes distinctives of counseling for pastors, church staff members and professional counselors who choose professional counseling as a ministerial experience.  The degree concentration requires courses in Bible, doctrine, historical theology, missions, Church of God history and Pentecostal Foundations, all of which form the substantive core required to integrate and formation of our faith spirituality and counseling skills.

1. The Integration of Pentecostal theology, counseling theory, and practice is critical to the design of this degree.
2. Master of Arts in Counseling is a 54 hour program with 18 hours of Counseling at the present time.
3. Those who choose the licensure track must take additional hours which will assure that over one-half of the courses are in counseling.  (Some times called the 71 hour track) Most states require after graduation (1) additional counseling courses, (2) additional supervised experience and (3) a state exam for licensure.
4. Many ministers choose the 54 hour track because of their experiences as a minister.  They realize the need to develop counseling skills as an important aspect of applied ministry. They take the Master of Divinity with a concentration in counseling in order to develop these specialized skills with our counseling courses.
5. Our M.A. (54 hour track) in counseling was approved this past year in California (by the California State Licensing Board) with the guidance and work of Dr. Oliver McMahan.

Goals of the Program

1. The goals of the Master of Arts in Church Ministries are to help students:
2. To develop the ability to recognize their specialized ministry within the larger context of the mission of the Church;
3. To master the theological disciplines needed to inform their specialized ministry;
4. To develop, in ministry and under supervision, those skills which enable them to function with theological integrity and professional competence;
5. To acquire the ability to communicate their faith so as to elicit commitment and growth; from others;
6. To learn how to work effectively and harmoniously with other professionals and lay persons in a specific ministry; and
7. To become able to effectively evaluate their own performance.

Concentrations

The program leading to the degree of Master of Arts in Church Ministries is designed to prepare persons for competent leadership in the following specialized areas of Church ministry. Students should consult regularly (at least twice per year) with the director of their M.A. concentration.

Discipleship and Christian Formation
Director: Dr. Cheryl Johns
This concentration is for those who plan to do Christian Education work in the local church, or to work in day schools, youth camps, administrative positions, etc.

World Missions
Director: Dr. Richard Waldrop
This concentration is for those who plan to do any type of cross-cultural, missionary work, for those who are already involved in missions schools around the world and for nationals who are planning to teach in missions schools.

Ministry Leadership
Director: Dr. Ron Cason
This concentration is for those who have ten or more years in pastoral experience and do not choose to do the Master of Divinity.