M.A. in Intercultural Leadership

Master of Arts in Theological Studies — Intercultural Leadership

The Master of Arts in Theological Studies for Intercultural Leadership (MATSIL) is a graduate degree designed to provide training for persons whose career goals require knowledge and skills for living and working in intercultural settings.

Admission to this program is restricted to only those who are under appointment by the International Mission Board, the North American Mission Board, or other approved Great Commission groups, and are serving on the field currently. Admission is contingent upon appointment status as well as the approval of the missions agency. Students in this program must communicate with the department chair for Evangelism and Missions in the Billy Graham School.

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How Southern can prepare you for the mission field

IMB president Paul Chitwood knows missions. Even more, he knows that theological training is non-negotiable for men and women called to the mission field. And from his M.Div. (’95) and Ph.D. (’01) from the school, he knows Southern Seminary can prepare you for a life of missions work better than anyone.

Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to…

  • Demonstrate a growing, Christ-like character and a sense of God’s calling to ministry.
  • Understand the Christian worldview and have a global vision for fulfilling the Great Commission.
  • Demonstrate significant knowledge of the Bible, interpret Scripture’s original meaning, and apply Scripture to contemporary situations.
  • Integrate systematic and historical theology into a larger biblical framework.
  • Demonstrate a focused knowledge of intercultural leadership within the context of Christian missions.

Program Requirements

Remedial/Pre-requisite Courses
31980 Written Communication (if required)* (2)
Biblical and Theological Studies 27
20200 Introduction to the Old Testament I 3
20220 Introduction to the Old Testament II 3
22100 Biblical Hermeneutics 3
22200 Introduction to the New Testament I 3
22220 Introduction to the New Testament II 3
26200 Southern Baptist Heritage and Mission 3
27060 Systematic Theology I 3
27070 Systematic Theology II 3
27080 Systematic Theology III 3
Great Commission Studies 21
30960 Intercultural Communication 3
32100 Personal Evangelism 3
32960 Introduction to Missiology 3
32980 World Religions and Christian Mission1 3
33410 Language Learning for Missionaries2 3
33420 Cultural Acquisition for Missionaries2 3
33830 Intercultural Church Planting3 3
Total Master of Arts in Theological Studies — Intercultural Leadership 48
Written Communication (if required) +2

*See Written Communication Requirement here.

1Macedonia Project appointees may substitute 32985 (History and Religion of Islam) for 32980(World Religions and Christian Mission).

2For Macedonia Project appointees, 33410 should be taken during the concluding semester of formal language study, when reaching required proficiency in the field language, and 33420 should be taken during the second semester of the appointee’s first year on the field.

3This course is typically taken at IMB orientation.

Next Steps

Be equipped to bridge cultural gaps with the good news of Christ.

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Southern Seminary hosts a Preview Day each Spring and Fall – attendees are automatically entered to win a $1000 scholarship.

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