Master of Divinity Program

Prepare for a Call to Service in the Church

Objectives

The Church needs servant leaders who have breadth and depth of knowledge, character, and training. The Master of Divinity program at Providence will equip you for vocational Christian service. Through core courses you will take a broad introduction to biblical, historical, systematic, and pastoral theology and Christian ethics; gain deeper spiritual and moral integrity; and receive training in the practice of ministry.

The Master of Divinity is the normal degree prerequisite for ordained pastoral ministry in the church. It is also the degree that serves as a prerequisite for doctoral-level theological education. The Honours M.Div. is particularly designed for this purpose. The purpose of the Master of Divinity program at Providence is to provide a strong biblical-theological foundation and a love for the Word of God, to foster a love for the church and a commitment to enhancing its well-being, to develop your people-helping skills, to develop and sharpen your particular spiritual gifts, and to provide you with a foundational grasp of all aspects of training necessary to pastoral ministry, including:

1. the development of a sound biblical theology and philosophy of pastoral ministry,
2. the ability to preach excellent sermons which are well grounded theologically and exegetically and effectively delivered,
3. the development of a philosophy of church-based education and an awareness of educational programs which have been effective in Christian churches,
4. an ability to communicate Christian truth effectively, both to believers and unbelievers, and to train others to share their faith,
5. an understanding of the nature and aspects of pastoral ministry,
6. a well formulated Christian worldview, an understanding of the culture within which they minister, and a methodology for contextualization of Christian truth in diverse settings,
7. basic skills in pastoral counselling,
8. an understanding of the nature and practice of effective church administration,
9. computer skills for efficient and effective church ministry.

Breadth or Depth

The foundation of Providence's pastoral preparation is the development of strong biblical-theological and people-helping skills. At the same time, we recognize that the Holy Spirit gives different gifts to God’s people, and that service to the body of Christ involves the development and sharpening of many spiritual abilities. In recognition of this diversity of interests, Providence offers two Master of Divinity programs, each of which provides students with an opportunity to shape their education beyond the core curriculum to serve their own needs and giftedness. The core curriculum insures a foundational grasp of all aspects of training necessary to pastoral ministry. Then, the choice of a track permits either the specialization in a particular discipline or a broad exposure to the various aspects of ministerial leadership and concern, both academic and practical.

Nature of the Program

The Master of Divinity program is the only program at Providence Seminary that is endorsed by the faculty to lead to ordination.

Professional The Professional M.Div. program allows you to diversify your electives. There are four Professional tracks: Biblical Languages, English Bible, Pentecostal Studies, and Pastoral Counselling. If you intend to prepare for a preaching/teaching ministry are strongly encouraged to follow the Biblical Languages or Pentecostal track. If you see yourself primarily in the role of administration and/or Christian Education (adult, children's, or youth ministry) you can take the English Bible track. If you want to minister in the areas of visitation, counselling, or chaplaincy you can take the Pastoral Counselling track. The professional Master of Divinity program has been successful in training ministers for the Church. Graduates are functioning as pastors in various capacities in churches of many denominations around the globe.

Honours The Honours M.Div. program requires you to write a scholarly thesis in an area of your choice under supervision of a faculty mentor. Students are closely guided in the choice of electives. The Honours program has been successful in preparing graduates for further academic studies in Bible and Theology as well as for pastoral ministry. The Master of Divinity is the standard degree prerequisite for entrance into doctoral programs approved by the Association of Theological Schools.

Click here for current tuition and fees.

 Please see our Catalogue for more information and course descriptions

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