Certificate in Pastoral Ministry

Can I afford this program?
We’ve lowered the price to $75 per course. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, Phillips now provides tuition aid scholarships that cover most of the course costs. You will need to either purchase or borrow books for your course.

Am I too old?
We have participants of all ages. Nearly 40 percent of our students are over the age of 51.

Do I have time?
Our students are balancing work, school, and personal lives. If you’re unsure, contact our director about auditing a course.

Do I have to complete the certificate program?
No. If you just want to take one course to deepen your understanding of a topic, you can. Our courses are open to all who have a desire to learn.

Do I need a bachelor’s degree?
Ours is a certificate program and does not have a minimum degree requirement. This is part of our commitment to educate the whole church.

Is Phillips too liberal?
The seminary identifies as progressive and welcomes students and faculty from many walks of life. We believe respectful conversations in these courses will lead to a deeper understanding of faith that will better prepare our students for ministry in a changing world.

Unless a prerequisite is listed, each course can be taken in any order. Students who take one class at a time may finish the program in about three and a half years.

Center for Ministry and Lay Training courses are organized as follows:

1.     Biblical Knowledge (three courses)

1A.   Biblical Knowledge:  Overview of the Bible

1B.   Biblical Knowledge:  Intro to the Old Testament (prerequisite: Overview of the Bible)

1C.   Biblical Knowledge:  Intro to the New Testament (prerequisite:  Overview of the Bible)

2.    Church Administration and Planning (three courses)

2A.  Church Administration & Planning: Admin & Planning  (prerequisite: Pastoral Leadership)

2B.  Church Administration & Planning:  Pastoral Leadership

2C.  Church Administration & Planning: Utilizing Conflict

3.    Communication

4.    Cross Cultural and Anti-Racism Experience

Cross Cultural:  World Religions

(Please note that Anti-Racism training is to be obtained in one’s home region)

5.    Ecumenism

6.    Education and Leader Development

7.    Ethics

8.    Evangelism

9.    Mission of the Church in the World

10.  Pastoral Care

11.  Proclamation of the Word (prerequisite:  Overview of the Bible and either Introduction to the Old or New Testament)

12.  Spiritual Development

13.  Stewardship

14.  Theology

15.  Understanding of Heritage (two courses)

15A.   Understanding of Heritage A:  Church History

15B.  Understanding of Heritage B:  Disciples History & Polity

16.  Worship

19/20 Session 4: January 6-March 1

UCC History and Polity

Overview of the Bible

Pastoral Care

Christian Education and Leadership

19/20 Session 5: March 2-April 26

Proclamation of the Word

Stewardship

Introduction to the New Testament

Disciples History and Polity

19/20 Session 6: April 27-June 21

World Religion

Ecumenism

Evangelism

20/21 Session 1: June 22-August 16

Christian Ethics

Church Administration

Disciples History and Polity

20/21 Session 2: August 17-October 11

Theology

Spiritual Development

Communication

20/21 Session 3: October 12-December 6

Mission of the Church

Conflict Utilization

Disciples History and Polity

Center for Ministry and Lay Training registration is available at the link below. The link will take you to a secure, external registration site. Please send any inquiries to Leslie LeSieur, director of the program. CLICK TO REGISTER

Payment is due at the time of registration. Credit cards are the only current accepted form of payment.

What is the tuition cost?

Thanks to generous support from our donors and Board of Trustees, Center for Ministry and Lay Training courses are available for $75 per course beginning July 1, 2018, a reduction from the standard $350 amount. We are pleased that these tuition aid scholarships will make it possible to open ministry training to more people.

Whether you are interested in obtaining the Certificate in Pastoral Ministry or are a lay leader within a congregation looking to gain relevant training and insight into the Bible, theology, church history, or pastoral care, you can be a part of the Center for Ministry and Lay Training.

• Books are an additional cost. Students are responsible for ordering their own text books, which are readily available from online booksellers or can be borrowed from a library.