Master of Divinity

Program Features

Rigorous and respected Biblical training
Faculty who are scholars and experienced ministers
Flexible delivery – online, hybrid, and polycom courses
Online interaction with professors and other students
Deepen your relationship with God by growing in calling, character, competence, and confidence

“IT IS NOT WHAT A MAN DOES THAT DETERMINES WHETHER HIS WORK IS SACRED OR SECULAR, IT IS WHY HE DOES IT.” – A.W. TOZER

Program Learning Outcomes

OUTCOME #1: By graduation, the seminarian demonstrates a growing spiritual transformation and maturity, moral character, personal disciplines, and vision for ministry necessary for building up a local church and the broader Body of Christ.

Corresponding Observable Measurements:

Graduate has the ability to articulate personal faith in Jesus Christ and describe his journey towards maturity in Christ (MDiv 1.1)
Graduate has the ability to articulate a call to ministry (MDiv 1.2)
Graduate practices integrity in personal relationships, including reliability, trustworthiness, and ability to observe appropriate confidentiality (MDiv 1.3)
Graduate exhibits biblical virtues of character, such as those leadership characteristics listed in I Timothy 3:1-7 and I Peter 5:1-11, and other key characteristics including but not limited to truthfulness, courage, patience, compassion, perseverance, and sexual fidelity (MDiv 1.4)
Graduate understands, articulates, and practices selective spiritual disciplines that impact and enhance one’s faith and walk with God (MDiv 1.5)
Graduate can articulate principles of spiritual transformation from various faith traditions within Christianity and understand their values and limitations (MDiv 1.6)
Graduate exhibits spiritual gift(s) in a manner that is effective and appropriate (MDiv 1.7)
Graduate gives appropriate attention to personal, emotional, and physical wellness (MDiv 1.8)
Graduate has the ability to articulate verbally and in writing a personal philosophy of ministry (MDiv 1.9)
Graduate has developed an expectation for the supernatural seeking to experience God at work in life and ministry (MDiv 1.10)

OUTCOME #2: By graduation, the seminarian demonstrates a commitment to the authority of the Scriptures for personal living, preaching, and teaching so that the local church and the broader Body of Christ can be equipped to fulfill its worldwide mission of evangelism, discipleship, and social order.

Corresponding Observable Measurements:

Graduate studies Scripture regularly and applies it to personal life (MDiv 2.1)
Graduate can articulate the nature and function of biblical authority for believers (MDiv 2.2)
Graduate demonstrates a general knowledge of the Old and New Testaments, including a synthetic development of the 66 books of the Bible (MDiv 2.3)
Graduate interprets Scripture in accordance with acceptable principles of biblical interpretation and humble dependence on the Holy Spirit to enlighten the mind (MDiv 2.4)
Graduate uses tools to help understand Scripture in its original languages demonstrating appropriate information literacy (MDiv 2.5)
Graduate can systematically teach Scripture to the congregation or those whom he or she is shepherding (MDiv 2.6)
Graduate demonstrates a passion for evangelism, discipleship, and the mission of God rooted in one’s knowledge of Scripture (MDiv 2.7)
Graduate has sensitivity to peace, social justice, and global humanitarian concerns reflecting a biblical world view rooted in Scripture (MDiv 2.8)

OUTCOME #3: By graduation, the seminarian demonstrates competence in leading a local congregation or para-church ministry and the broader Body of Christ through one’s preaching and teaching, evangelism, service related ministries, pastoral care, and/or administrative tasks of ministry.

Corresponding Observable Measurements:

Graduate has the ability to prepare a message (i.e., sermon) in accordance with accepted principles of biblical exegesis and effective communication (MDiv 3.1)
Graduate can deliver a message (i.e., sermon) effectively understanding and reaching the target audience (MDiv 3.2)
Graduate can clearly present the gospel and leads others to a saving faith in Jesus Christ (MDiv 3.3)
Graduate can effectively lead a worship service that is culturally appropriate to the target audience and can administer the ordinances of the Church (MDiv 3.4)
Graduate exercises effective pastoral care through skills of healing the sick, sustaining the poor and grieving, guiding those who are seeking and those who are in crisis, and reconciling the estranged and the sinner (MDiv 3.5)
Graduate has skills to creatively plan, execute, and evaluate adult biblical teaching in a congregational context (MDiv 3.6)
Graduate can effectively recruit, train, direct, and delegate to leaders, and can manage meetings of various sizes so that corporate decisions can be accomplished and team members can actively participate (MDiv 3.7)
Graduate can develop, structure, and oversee a congregational program of biblical education that is age appropriate (MDiv 3.8)
Graduate can articulate the believer’s position “in Christ” and uses that truth to encourage and comfort believers (MDiv 3.9)
Graduate articulates a leadership vision for the ministry or organization appropriate with the position in which service is provided (MDiv 3.10)
Graduate exhibits qualities of leadership and servanthood (MDiv 3.11)

OUTCOME #4: By graduation, the seminarian demonstrates an integrated understanding of the Bible, Christian theology, Christian heritage, church polity, and cultural settings and behaviors enabling one to make disciples in the congregation or in an appropriate ministry setting.

Corresponding Observable Measurements:

Graduate expresses a coherent understanding of the content of biblical literature; and biblical, historic, and systematic theology (MDiv 4.1)
Graduate articulates a coherent understanding of the traditions in Christian thought, current trends in Christian belief systems and practices, and culturally appropriate apologetic arguments (MDiv 4.2)
Graduate is passionate and can articulate the “mission of God;” this truth impacts his or her perspective on the ethne’ of the world and their spiritual needs (MDiv 4.3)
Graduate has a general understanding of the historic development of the Christian church, its structures, doctrines, cultures, and practices (MDiv 4.4)
Graduate has a basic understanding of church polity, ideally from the perspective of the student’s declared denominational home (MDiv 4.5)
Graduate employs practical reason in a fashion informed by the witness of the biblical text (MDiv 4.6)
Graduate demonstrates basic ethnographic and cultural awareness in order to exegete one’s cultural setting for ministry (MDiv 4.7)
Graduate understands the power of prayer and dependence on the Holy Spirit resulting in systematically worshipping God, interceding for people, and requesting specific results from God (MDiv 4.8)
Graduate is regularly engaged in a discipleship relationship with someone (MDiv 4.9)

Program Learning Format