Master of Divinity: Spiritual Formation Specialization

As a professional graduate degree in ministry, the Master of Divinity is designed to prepare students for ordained ministry in contexts both inside and outside the local church. Students specializing in Spiritual Formation tend to be particularly interested in their personal growth in Christ, as well as their ability to lead others toward personal and spiritual growth in a Wesleyan theological context. This extensive program is designed to prepare students for a wide variety of vocational ministry opportunities including pastoral leadership, associate ministries, missions, and chaplaincy.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. The graduate understands and is able to explain Wesleyan-Holiness theology as it relates to Scripture, Christian tradition, reason, and experience in the practice of ministry. (RH)
2. The graduate identifies characteristics of the cultural context of ministry and assesses them through an appropriate theological perspective, compares existing cultures with alternative cultural expressions, and develops personal and corporate practices consistent with the reign of God. (CC)
3. The graduate practices the means of grace (spiritual disciplines) that lead to emotional and spiritual health, personal Christian theological virtue, and responsible social engagement. (PSF)
4. The graduate integrates Christian theological themes in the understanding and practice of ministry and leadership. (MPL)
5. The graduate assesses spiritual journeys, individual and communities, for the purpose of creating a spiritual formation plan that will stimulate growth in acts of piety and mercy, (i.e., inward and outward holiness). (RH)
6. The graduate practices the role of being a spiritual director, by utilizing spiritual formation practices, to a local group in their ministry context. (CC)
7. The graduate understands and develops spiritual formation practices, under the supervision of a mentor, that foster personal and spiritual growth. (PSF)
8. The graduate integrates the various ways spiritual formation may be part of the ministries of a local church in teaching, worship, preaching, and mission. (MPL)