Christian Ministry, B.A.

Program Coordinator: Michael G. VanZant, Ph.D.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Bachelor of Arts in Christian Ministry program offers students a well-rounded curriculum that equips them with the skills necessary to become competent and informed ministry leaders in today's culture of diverse worldviews—ministers who are able to fulfill the call to servant leadership in various ministry contexts within today's church and world with integrity. The Bachelor of Arts in Christian Ministry can be earned as a standalone degree or in combination with a concentration for students seeking ordination in the Church of the Nazarene and who need a certificate verifying graduation from a validated course of study. In order to receive this certificate, students must complete both the Bachelor of Arts in Christian Ministry program curriculum and ordination concentration in their entirety.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of the Bachelor of Arts in Christian Ministry program, graduates should be able to:

• understand the biblical, theological, and historical foundations for the practice of ministry;
• apply classical disciplines to the tasks of pastoral ministry and other forms of service;
• enhance skills for the practice of ministry in leadership, communication, pastoral care, counseling, and education;
• serve as lead pastors, associate pastors, youth pastors, children's pastors, and church planters;
• strengthen the art of proclamation, including interpretation of scripture, application to human need, and communication for evangelism, Christian nurture, and moral challenge;
• identify the purpose and goals of ministry and develop the disciplines of planning, implementing, and assessing progress toward those goals.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Admission requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in Christian Ministry program include the following:

• submission of official transcripts of all previous college or university courses completed to date;
• completion of at least 56 transferable credit hours from a regionally-accredited institution(s) of higher learning with a grade of "C-" or better for each course;
• an overall GPA of 2.00 or higher (on a 4.00 scale) for all previous college or university coursework completed to date (an applicant with a GPA less than 2.00 may apply for probationary admittance);
• completion of an online application and Registration Agreement Form.

Students must complete and receive a minimum final grade of "C-" for each the following MVNU courses or equivalent transfer courses before progressing into the remainder of the Christian Ministry program: BIBL1003 (Old Testament History and Literature), BIBL1013 (New Testament History and Literature), and COMM1023 (Public Speaking).

Applicants from foreign countries and U.S. territories must also provide recent evidence of proficiency in English by: 1) scoring 80 or above on the Internet-based TOEFL with subscores in writing, reading, speaking and listening of at least 20; 2) scoring 550 or above on the written TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) with subscores in writing and reading of at least 50; or 3) scoring 6.0 or above on the IELTS (International English Language Testing System). All tests of English proficiency must have been taken in the last two years to be considered for acceptance.

College-level courses from regionally-accredited institutions will be evaluated for transfer credit; credit is granted only if applicable grades were obtained. Equivalence of course content and transfer credit is determined by the Program Coordinator.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

The student must complete a minimum of 120 credit hours (with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00) including:

1. Successful completion of the GPS General Education Core (39 hours):
   • 15 credit hours in Arts and Humanities (Minimum of 3 credit hours in an English composition course with a research writing component; minimum of 3 credit hours in Bible/Theology)
   • 15 credit hours in Natural and Social Sciences, and Mathematics (Minimum of 3 credit hours in Mathematics; minimum of 3 credit hours in Social Science; and minimum of 3 credit hours in Natural Science with laboratory)
   • 9 credit hours in Liberal Arts electives
2. Completion of at least 30 credit hours of upper division course work (3000 level or higher);
3. Successful completion of the 37-credit hour Bachelor of Arts in Christian Ministry curriculum with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50. A student who receives a grade below "C-" in any Christian Ministry course will be required to repeat that course until a grade of "C-" or better is earned. All repeated coursework to replace grades of D+, D, F, W, or X is at the student's expense.