Welch College recently announced important changes to its Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in theology and ministry, according to Dr. Kevin Hester, dean of the School of Theology at Welch.
“Since 2016, Welch College has offered a world-class M.A. degree in theology and ministry,” Hester said. “The goal of the program has always been to offer ministers and laity a rigorous theological education that would further prepare them to faithfully serve their local church. Program graduates, both ministers and laity, have consistently affirmed the value of the program for their ministry and spiritual life. The program has also prepared a number of graduates for further academic study, including local church pastors, who have pursued advanced programs at highly respected institutions in the U.S. and the U.K.” Hester announced two important changes for the program.
Fully Online Format
First, the faculty has approved a fully online format. The program’s leaders had spoken with a significant number of potential students for whom attending a week-long intensive was an insurmountable obstacle.
In the new format, weekly Zoom classes will make the program accessible to a larger number of students while still maintaining the heightened interaction and mentoring relationships students have come to value. Recent graduate Derek Altom said, “I enjoy conversations with my professors who are not only experts in their fields, but are also like friends.”
Provost Matthew McAffee said, “We’re excited about making the Master of Arts in theology and ministry more widely available to those who are unable to meet on-campus requirements. One of the primary goals of this program has always been to make a way for current ministers to enhance their ministry preparation through graduate education. A fully online option further realizes this aim.”
The new format allows students to continue to serve in current ministry and vocational roles without having to come to campus for intensives. Local students may still attend the weekly lectures in person, but physical attendance is not required.
This move has already opened doors for students now able to study while continuing in active church ministry. Current student Jerry Nunes said, “As a pastor in New York, Welch’s change to a fully online program was key to my ability to sign up for the M.A. program. Without sacrificing the quality of a rigorous theological and pastoral education, the move to a fully online format has allowed people like me to receive an excellent ministry formation while juggling the different roles I have in bi-vocational ministry.”
Youth pastor Brick Crowder echoed this sentiment when he said, “I’m so thankful that the MATM is fully online through Welch College. This makes pursuing a master’s degree a reality for me while also being a full-time student pastor.”
New Ministry Track
A second change to the program is the addition of a new program track. In addition to the thesis track, which required every student to write a master’s thesis, the M.A. now features a ministry track, which will require an additional ministry course without writing a thesis.
“The thesis track continues to be available to students who desire advanced research through a thesis guided by the faculty,” program coordinator Dr. Jesse Owens said. “But the addition of the ministry track gives students the flexibility to determine the course of study that best suits their role in ministry and their academic interests.”
“I’m so excited about the addition of the ministry track,” Hester said. “Not only does the addition of courses in leadership and Baptist ecclesiology supplement the curriculum, but it gives some of our advanced ministerial students a flavor of some of the courses available in Welch College’s residential Master of Divinity program.”
Questions about Welch College’s Master of Arts in theology and ministry may be addressed to Dr. Jesse Owens, program coordinator at MATM@welch.edu. The revised MATM Catalog including the ministry track and the thesis track is available at https://welch.edu/academics/graduate-programs/ma-masters-arts-degree-theology-ministry/.
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