Department of Christian Ministry and Formation

Course Offerings: Biblical Language, Biblical Literature, Christian Education, Church History, Intercultural Studies, Philosophy, Practical Theology, Theology.

Majors offered by the Christian Ministry and Formation Department include:

Ministry: prepares students for ordained or career-based ministry in a variety of contexts.

Children and Family Ministry: focused specifically on ministry to children and their families.

Youth and Family Ministry: focused specifically on ministry to youth and their families.

Intercultural Studies: equips students for ministry across a variety of cultural settings, including foreign missions, urban ministry, and compassionate outreach.

Bible and Theology: provides the foundation for graduate study or effective lay ministry.

For students interested in double majoring within the Department of Christian Ministry and Formation, one of the two majors must be Intercultural Studies.

Minors preparing students in other majors for service in their local church include: Christian Education, Children and Family Ministry, Bible and Theology, Ministry, Youth and Family Ministry, and Intercultural Studies. Should a student choose a minor, classes selected must be unique classes separate from the student’s major area of study. Academic advisors can help students with class selection.

Educational requirements for ordination in the Church of the Nazarene can be met through the Ministry major, the Youth and Family Ministry major, the Intercultural Studies major (with ordination concentration), and the Children and Family Ministry major (with appropriate electives). Students interested in being ordained in another denomination should consult with the department chair to design a program that fulfills the education requirements of their church.

The following represent a sampling of occupations that relate directly to majors within the Department of Christian Ministry and Formation: pastor, missionary, chaplain, evangelist, associate pastor (various assignments), youth pastor, children’s pastor, university professor, Christian publications editor or staff, para-church organization director or staff, compassionate ministries center director or staff, and denominational leader. A student’s choice of academic major does not, however, lock him or her into a limited range of jobs, since it is not the academic area alone that prepares one for employment and service to the Church, but the total range of one’s skills, experience, lifestyle patterns, and sense of calling matched with accumulated knowledge, depth of insight, and faithful witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Students who complete an academic program at the university remain subject to appropriate church governing structures for final approval and qualification (licensure, certification, ordination, etc.) for ministry assignments.

Faculty

SCOTT B. DERMER, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Church History, Chair, Department of Christian Ministry and Formation

CHRISTINA L. BOHN, Ph.D. Candidate, Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies

RENEE DUTTER MILLER, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of New Testament

JONATHAN M. PLATTER, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Christian Theology