BJU Seminary Launches Four New Programs for Fall 2020
BJU Seminary is excited to announce the addition of four new academic programs that will launch in the fall of 2020. These programs will provide students with even more flexibility in pursuing a degree that is suited for their specific ministry goals and relevant to their current life situation. Like all the courses BJU Seminary offers, these new programs have been designed to be adaptable and will be offered in a variety of formats including in residence, online, module, or evening flex classes.
Graduate Certificate in Teaching Bible
The graduate certificate in Teaching Bible is a 12-credit degree that emphasizes practical preparation for ministry in the Word. The program is designed for school Bible teachers, Sunday school teachers, individuals in youth or camp ministry, and those who serve in occasional pulpit ministry. Classes like Biblical Hermeneutics and Application of Scripture provide students with the tools necessary to be an effective expositor of God’s Word in a variety of settings. The brevity of the program makes it accessible for anyone in any stage of life who wishes to deepen their understanding of the Bible and grow in their ability to communicate truth.
Graduate Certificate in Chaplaincy
The Graduate Certificate in Chaplaincy provides continuing education for those who serve or hope to serve as chaplains in the military, emergency services, and medical areas of public life. Students take 15 credits of master’s level coursework that will prepare them for the specialized ministry that is needed in public service. Course content includes training in addictions, post-traumatic stress syndrome, marriage issues, conflict management, communication, and ethics and legal issues that chaplains are likely to encounter. All courses taken in this program can be applied to a Master of Divinity with a concentration in Military Chaplaincy.
Masters in apologetics
The new Masters in Apologetics program provides students with a thorough knowledge of Scripture within a presuppositional framework, thus enabling effective communication of the truth. Surrounded by a culture marked by uncertainty and an endless variety of opinions and speculation, the church needs men and women who are trained to respond effectively to worldviews like Islam, naturalism, and postmodern secularism. This 32-credit degree prepares for a variety of ministry settings including youth and college ministry, secondary education, and evangelism training.
Commenting on the addition of the degree, program coordinator Dr. Eric Newton says, “Our world is grappling with so many questions right now that it’s hard to know where to start. And that’s actually the point. Frail, fallen human beings were created to know God. Without knowing Him we cannot understand ourselves or our world. Only God’s Word can set us free from sin and teach us timeless wisdom and root us in eternal hope. That’s why we as God’s redeemed people need to be ready to explain redemptive truth persuasively and graciously. People are concerned and confused, and by God’s grace we can prepare ourselves to help. The MA in Apologetics aims to ground students in solid theology and equip to skillfully commend and defend the faith.”
Doctor of ministry Concentrations
The DMin program, tailored especially for those who are already serving in the ministry, now offers two new concentrations: Biblical Counseling and Pastoral Ministry.
The DMin in Biblical Counseling offers our most advanced ministry training for those who specialize in counseling. This program is suited for pastors, teachers, and professional counselors who wish to advance even further in their ability to apply the truth of God’s Word to the specific life circumstances of those they are ministering to. Classes like Counseling Contemporary Issues address the current cultural, psychological, legal, and medical challenges confronted by biblical counselors in today’s society, while classes like Advanced Family & Marriage Counseling and Biblical Ministry to the Addicted target specific areas faced by all ministers of the Word. And all of this is done within a framework that is grounded upon the sufficiency of Scripture in the process of sanctification. While a specific degree is not required to participate in this program, the DMin in Biblical Counseling does extend seamlessly from the Master of Divinity with a concentration in Biblical Counseling.
The DMin in Pastoral Ministry is a comprehensive degree designed to strengthen the minister’s competency in serving the church. The program offers a wide variety of courses that cover topics ranging from Theology & Development of Leadership to Church Growth & Shepherding. Students will receive practical instruction from highly qualified, experienced faculty who have themselves ministered in the church—most of them as pastors—for many years.