Purpose of the M.A.P.M. Degree Program

As part of its overall mission to educate persons for service in the Christian Church, Erskine Seminary offers the Master of Arts in Practical Ministry (M.A.P.M.) degree. The purpose of this degree is to educate persons for specialized leadership in the ministry of the Church, to the end that God may be glorified. The M.A.P.M. degree equips persons for competent leadership roles in the local congregation or some other setting and also serves to prepare lay persons for the hands-on practice of ministry. The program is particularly well suited for persons desiring to serve the Church through parish or diaconal ministries, youth ministry, lay Bible teaching, missions, or evangelism. The M.A.P.M. is not a substitute for the professional degree, Master of Divinity, which is the usual requirement for persons preparing for ordained pastoral leadership in congregations.

Goals

1. Graduates will understand the Bible’s message in light of its own literary, historical, and theological settings.
2. Graduates will be prepared to articulate the relation between the Bible and the contemporary contexts in which ministry takes place.
3. Graduates will be prepared to utilize the Church’s historical and theological heritage as an important resource in their personal spiritual development and ministry.
4. Graduates will write and speak using theological language that is clear, well-considered, disciplined, and meaningful for those to whom they minister.
5. Graduates will be prepared to serve the Church with Christian character and integrity in their personal and professional lives.
6. Graduates will be prepared to view their ministries in light of the Church’s mission to worship, follow, bear witness to, and serve Jesus Christ.
7. Graduates will be prepared to communicate the Bible’s message so as to make clear that its meaning is relevant for today.
8. Graduates will be prepared to foster a sense of community among those they serve in Christian ministry.
9. Graduates will demonstrate ministry skills specific to their areas of service.
10. Graduates will be prepared to evaluate effectiveness in ministry and to implement appropriate changes.

Residency and Graduation Requirements

A student must complete 48 semester hours of course work to qualify for the M.A.P.M. degree. No more than 24 semester hours (1/2 of the degree) may be transferred in from another institution, and no more than 24 hours may be taken at Erskine Seminary’s extension centers. At least 24 semester hours must be earned in residence (that is, at the Due West campus, by directed study, or through transfer credit taken in residence at another institution). No thesis or dissertation is required for this degree, although there is a requirement for hands-on supervision of practical ministry and a ministry project as part of the requirements for Supervised Field Experience. The program is designed to be completed in two years of full-time study, although students may spread their program over a longer period by studying part-time, not to exceed four years maximum.

Relation to Other Degrees

Normally, students who pursue the M.A.P.M. will not combine this degree with any other program. However, students who have previously completed a degree at Erskine and desire to pursue further education in the area of practical ministry may earn the M.A.P.M. by completing an additional 24 hours. Thus, M.Div. followed by M.A.P.M. would mean taking 114 hours total. M.A.E.M., M.A.C.M., or M.C.M. followed by M.A.P.M. would mean taking 84 hours total.

Some foundational courses for the M.A.P.M. are shared courses provided by our M.Div. curriculum or courses used in conjunction with other two-year programs. In return, the M.A.P.M. provides a few electives in areas such as Youth Ministry and Missions/Evangelism that also enrich the M.Div. curriculum and provide students a greater range of options for elective courses.

Curriculum

The 48 semester hours required for the M.A.P.M. degree include 12 hours in Bible, 12 hours in theology, and nine hours in ministry. In addition to the 33 hours of required foundational courses, students may choose 15 hours of electives, either to broaden their education or to concentrate in some area of practical ministry. The required courses are as follows:

Bible Department
OT 501 Old Testament I
OT 502 Old Testament II
NT 601 New Testament I
NT 602 New Testament II

Theology Department
CH 551 Survey of Church History
ST 551 Survey of Sytematic Theology
HT 560 Reformed Spirituality (or CE 551 Spiritual Formation, listed just below)
Ethics Elective

Ministry Department
CE 551 Spiritual Formation (or HT 560 Reformed Spirituality, listed just above)
PM 705 Supervised Ministry
ONE of the following: WP 551 Christian Worship, WP 601 Worship/Preaching I,
or CE 505 Christian Education

All M.A.P.M. students, full-time and part-time, must demonstrate competence in the English Bible during their first year of seminary. The normal way to demonstrate the competence is to pass the Bible Challenge Exam. M.A.P.M. students who choose not to take the Bible Challenge Exam must take BI 501 Bible Survey (or BI 501Z) as an elective course in order to meet the Bible requirement. They will receive two hours of elective credit for this course.

The M.A.P.M. degree must normally be completed within four years from the time the student enrolls in the program. Students should note that most elective courses are offered only every other year. Thus, careful attention should be given to the selection and sequence of courses due to the biennial scheduling of these courses. All general seminary requirements for graduation must be met, including completion of the Professional Assessment program. Additionally, the student must complete successfully the Supervised Field Ministry requirement with a ministry/field assignment that is consistent with the focus of the student’s ministry electives.

Students should pay close attention to the schedules for each year and the projected long-term schedule (posted on the website and the bulletin board in Bowie Hall), to make sure they know when their required courses will be offered. In particular, students note that a few M.A.P.M. required courses are offered only in Greenville, and only every other year.

A Suggested Schedule for the Master of Arts in Practical Ministry Degree

Junior Class First Year

Senior Class Second Year