Master of Divinity, Concentration in Community Transformation and Chaplaincy

Aims and Outcomes

Congregational ministry is central to the PBA M.Div., yet many congregations in various Christian traditions cannot support a full-time pastor. Many students have a call to serve these congregations but cannot do so without another career sufficient to fund their congregational ministry. This concentration is meant to open doors to full-time employment sufficient to support pastoral ministry in smaller congregations that are unable to employ a full-time pastor. After receiving this concentration, many later seek to serve in hospital, hospice, or other paid chaplaincy ministries, or in non-profit, community work. For additional information, see the Master of Divinity (M.Div.)  degree in the Graduate and Pharmacy Catalog.

Structure and Delivery

PBA’s MDiv was created from scratch with twenty-first century ministry in view. After consulting with innovative pastors and scholars and reflecting on the gaps in seminary education, it was decided to move beyond the isolated silos of traditional seminary approaches in delivery method and curriculum. The structure of the MDiv with a Community Transformation and Chaplaincy Concentration thus contains six unique features:

Cohort community: Because we learn best in a thriving community, students benefit from a cohort model, with daytime classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays or evening synchronous online classes;

Efficient learning: Because master-level education should build upon a solid foundation, the curriculum features advanced courses while avoiding the repetition of undergraduate introductory courses;

Integrated thinking: Because real-life ministry requires integrated thinking, students study the Bible, Theology, and Practical Theology in paired courses across disciplines;

Flipped classroom: Because learning is best experienced in safe spaces of trial and error, students learn the biblical languages through an engaging flipped classroom approach;

Leadership development: Because practitioners need intentional practice, students develop their leadership skills in three apprenticeships, serving under a ministry leader and gaining over 450 hours of hands-on experience;

Relevant education: Because we believe academic theology belongs to the church, students are able to meet in January for a weeklong intensive course with senior scholars and community pastors/leaders who model the integration of academic study and practical ministry.

Program Length

See further the Master of Divinity (M.Div.)  degree in the Graduate and Pharmacy Catalog.

Admission

The admission requirements and process may be found in the relevant Admissions  section of the Graduate and Pharmacy Catalog.

Degree Requirements

All students studying for the MDiv, Community Transformation and Chaplaincy Concentration (75 credit hours) will complete an integrated core (36 credit hours), ministry-training courses (15 credit hours), biblical languages (12 credit hours), and Community Transformation and Chaplaincy concentration courses (12 credit hours).

Students with a bachelor’s degree in ministry-related field are given the opportunity to move straight to graduate coursework. Students without a bachelor’s degree in a ministry-related field will complete prerequisite coursework (developed on a case-by-case basis) in the areas of Spiritual Formation, Bible, History of Christianity, Systematic Theology, and THL 5000 - Introduction to Theological Research . For additional information, including any required prerequisites, see further the Master of Divinity (M.Div.)  degree in the Graduate and Pharmacy Catalog.

Below are the specific degree requirements for the MDiv, Community Transformation and Chaplaincy Concentration: