The mission of the School of Church Ministries is to equip individuals for theologically-grounded and skillfully-practiced discipleship in associate ministry roles in local churches and church-related institutions. In keeping with the mission statement of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the School of Church Ministries is committed to the following objectives:

• to prepare God-called individuals to serve in the fields of discipleship, family ministry, and worship leadership in local churches, in Christian schools, and in denominational agencies at home and abroad.
• to develop leaders who understand and appreciate the programs of the agencies of the Southern Baptist Convention and who are able to evaluate such programs biblically and theologically.
• to contribute to the fields of discipleship, family ministry, and worship leadership through faculty and student participation and through academic research and publication in these fields.

Ministry Studies

Students in the School of Church Ministries receive a specialized education in specific areas of local church pastoral ministry. Students are trained through classroom courses, library research, applied ministry, and clinical practice in local churches and colleges. This school provides educational preparation for a variety of ministry positions including:

• Ministers who are equipped for service and leadership in churches, leading discipleship ministries that build up the whole family in their spiritual growth
• Ministers who are trained and equipped to lead worship & creative ministries in local churches
• Ministers of children’s ministry, youth ministry, and adult ministry who are equipped to serve as ministers in churches and denominational organizations
• Youth ministers who are equipped to lead local church youth ministries
• Campus ministers who are equipped to lead programs on college campuses
• Teachers in colleges and seminaries who are equipped to teach in the field of Christian education and/or leadership
• Denominational leaders on the association, state, or national convention level, including the fields of religious journalism, education, or age level specialization in Southern Baptist agencies
• Other specialized ministries, including recreation, family life education, administration, missions education, and Christian schooling

Transfer of Credit

Students may receive transfer credit from accredited graduate schools or seminaries. The Associate Dean for masters Studies of the School of Church Ministries evaluates official transcripts and determines the number of hours that may be applied toward the degree.

Courses accepted for transfer credit must be of similar content and difficulty as a corresponding course at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. No grade below “C–” from American institutions or “B–” from international institutions will be accepted for transfer credit.

Women’s Leadership

The School of Church Ministries offers a ministry core in Women’s Leadership intended to prepare women to lead with excellence in the local church and in church agencies. The program allows qualified female students to achieve an unusual level of specialized preparation in women’s leadership within Southern Seminary’s Master of Divinity or Master’s degrees. Additionally, there are options in each of these women’s leadership degrees to have a minor concentration in biblical counseling.