鈥淢inistry鈥� can take many forms and happen in many contexts: preaching and pastoral care in a church, yes, but also serving firefighters, pursuing restorative justice, leading music and offering spiritual direction 鈥� just as examples. Eastern Mennonite Seminary鈥檚 new (MACL) degree provides leadership training for that ever-broadening spectrum of roles and contexts.
The new curriculum with its emphasis on 鈥�Christian Leadership鈥� is a 鈥渞e-visioning鈥� of the previous 鈥淢aster of Arts in Church Leadership鈥� degree, said Professor .
While the traditional gold standard for congregational ministry remains a masters in divinity, 鈥渢here are different ways of ministering and interacting with different contexts,鈥� said , director of seminary admissions and an ordained Mennonite pastor. 鈥淭rends across denominational lines are for specialty study, smaller and more nimble programs in addition to traditional, on-campus seminary studies.鈥�
Flexibility is key. Students can incorporate other electives and disciplines 鈥� such as the听听offered by the听听鈥� into their own individualized curriculum.
鈥淢issional leaders have different focuses, and the new MACL鈥檚 core curriculum of formation, Bible, history and theology requirements leave ample room for students to creatively tailor the program to suit their interests and goals,鈥� said Heisey.
A blend of online and on-site courses allow for residential flexibility for students, but Heisey said that personal formation and building and maintaining a 鈥渟ense of community鈥� are still central. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an exciting challenge for us to maintain our charism and at the same time recognize where people are coming from.鈥�
The new degree 鈥� just like other seminary programming 鈥� requires students to reflect on their own inner selves and how they engage with the theological story. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not a degree factory. Instead, we ask student to bring all of who you are, to inform their coursework,鈥� said Horning.
That acknowledgement of a uniquely shaped individual is what ultimately makes the new MACL so attractive, Horning said, because students 鈥渁re not being asked to fit into a pre-existing mold so much as think about the world鈥檚 needs and where their gifts can make an impact.鈥�
This sounds wonderful! Thanks to those who planned for this holistic and visionary initiative!