8.0     Certificate Programs

8.1     Certificate in Pastoral Ministry

8.2     Certificate in Congregational Renewal and Leadership

8.0 Certificate Programs

8.1 Certificate in Pastoral Ministry

The Certificate in Pastoral Ministry is a Master’s-level program designed for non-degree seeking students. To earn the certificate a student must complete 24 credit hours matching specified credit totals in each of the eight subjects of the curriculum. Students in the program may take courses either for academic credit or not for credit.

8.1.1 Purpose Statement

Some ministerial situations do not demand an academic degree but require that certain skills be demonstrated to qualify for the position or for commissioning. Additionally, a certificate can help an individual transition into a new career area, gain confidence and background in a particular skill or pursue a new area of interest. Certificate programs are intended to meet these diverse needs.

8.1.2 Program Learning Goals

• • Students will gain a beginning level of skills and knowledge in the fields of Interpreting the Scripture for the Church, Interpreting the Past for the Church, Interpreting the Faith for the Church, and Interpreting the Behavior For the Church that are needed for effective ministry in the Christian community.
  • Students will gain a beginning level of skills and knowledge in the fields of Leading the Church in Worship (including preaching), Leading the Church Through Care, Leading the Church Through Formation, and Leading the Church Into Mission that are needed for effective ministry in the Christian community.

8.1.3 Certificate in Pastoral Ministry, taken FOR CREDIT

Students who have earned a minimum of one full-time year’s credits toward a bachelor’s degree from an institution accredited by an organization recognized by the Department of Education (or international equivalent) may take courses for academic credit. In this case they must complete all the work and fulfill all the requirements of a particular course that are expected of degree seeking students. Credit hours earned in this way may transfer into a degree program at a later time if the student so chooses.

8.1.4 Certificate in Pastoral Ministry, taken NOT FOR CREDIT

Students who take the courses without credit must fulfill the following requirements to have satisfactory completion of the courses recorded in order to earn the certificate without credit:

• • View all online lectures
  • Read 70% of the course material
  • Participate in the online discussion through an average of at least 2 posts per week

Courses completed according to these norms are not granted academic credit, and thus are not transferable to other programs.

8.2 Certificate in Congregational Renewal and Leadership

The Certificate in Congregational Renewal and Leadership is a 10-hour post-Master of Divinity program designed for non-degree seeking students. Certificate Students complete a Doctor of Ministry admissions application and upon acceptance take the first five courses in the D.Min. program as part of a cohort. Students in the certificate program may apply to transfer into the D.Min. program. Likewise, students in the D.Min. program may choose to receive the certificate if they decide not to complete all of the requirements for the D.Min. degree.

All courses in the Certificate and D.Min. programs are 2 credit hour courses. The course requirements for the Certificate are:

• DMIN 811 Building the Capacity of the Reflective Practitioner
• DMIN 812 Building Cultural Frameworks for Contemporary Contexts
• DMIN 813 Building Congregational/Ministerial Frameworks for Contemporary Contexts
• DMIN 814 Building Theological Frameworks for Contemporary Contexts
• DMIN 815 Building Capacity for Transformational Ministries

The admissions standards as well as expectations and policies concerning academic performance for the Certificate in Congregational Renewal and Leadership are the same as those for the D.Min. program.