Church Executive SEPT / OCT 2019 DIGITAL ISSUE | Page 22

course loads and non-instructional duties such as advising and online
office hours.
Finally, we must remember that there is a real person behind every
assignment submitted, every discussion board post, every email, and
every financial transaction.
Ennist: For us, “student-friendly” means more than managing
time constraints. Students need learning that increases their capacity
to be effective in ministry, which requires engagement with peers
and instructors, while experiencing and applying what they learn in
live situations.
We’re also concerned about their time away from ministry, so we offer
courses in multiple formats.
In the upcoming academic year, we’re introducing a new schedule
for master’s courses, which makes earning a degree from anywhere
less costly, with less time away, while maintaining the program
goals’ integrity.
Regardless of the modality, it’s important that courses promote
lively discussion facilitated by professional instructors with expertise
teaching in the online environment. We have provided extensive
training, and most of our instructors have at least 10 years of experience
teaching online.
To further engagement, our seminary recently introduced the
Live Interactive Virtual Education (LIVE) classroom, which allows
distance students to join on-campus classes with other students and
the instructor in real-time, online. This cultivates a deeper sense of
community and learning.
Heille: Ministerial education is by its nature both personal and
communal, even when pursued across geographical distance. As
members of our cohort negotiate a covenant during their first semester
of hybrid study, peer learners articulate their core values and vision as a
learning community. Students and teachers get to know each other well
and as colleagues, support each other, offer insight, and call one another
to accountability.
Manion: Our MSCM programs offer the flexibility to watch videos,
participate in discussion boards, and complete assignments when
convenient for participants — early morning, during the day, or late at
night. We also use micro-learning, so busy leaders can consume content
in smaller, bite-sized pieces if they choose.
Online learning allows us to create an international community of
learners who can meet without the time and expense associated with
travel. With a simple click on your phone, we create relationships that last
long after class is over. The cohort that gets to know professors in person,
learns in a classroom setting, and breaks bread together for the one-week
residency at the beginning of the program becomes an international
community sharing experiences and insights as they learn together.
Another benefit of online learning is that lectures and video conferences
are recorded and stored. Students can revisit content and perhaps even
share it with their employees or co-ministers, expanding the learning
arena and exploring how to apply lessons in their local church setting.
Of course, cost is also a consideration for many full-time pastors. In
what ways can a busy church leader make distance learning more
financially manageable?
Posey: First, shorter, specialized graduate degrees typically translate
into fewer dollars spent to finish an advanced degree. Many institutions
have 36- to 45-credit-hour graduate degrees that will transfer into the
longer M.Div.
Second, a shorter graduate degree allows the pastor to take fewer classes
in the same amount of time that he would budget for a longer program.
So, the pastor can pay for each course before moving on to the next. Many
institutions offer cash payment plans.
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CHURCH EXECUTIVE | SEPT / OCT 2019
Third, pastors should avail themselves of institutional aid offered
by their church and the school they’re attending. Many churches have
designated funds for professional development. Many schools have need-
and academic-based programs that award institutional aid.
Finally, pastors may also take advantage of federal financial aid. While
the ability to offer federal financial aid varies from one institution to
another, it is an available option at many institutions.
Ennist: Certainly, the flexibility of distance education opens some
doors in the area of affordability; full-time pastors and church leaders can
earn a degree from wherever they live, and also continue to work.
We’ve also found that churches and denominations are supportive of
professional development for people serving the church and often have
resources to help defray costs.
I would remind church leaders that education is about more than a
degree; it’s about renewing and growing their capacity for ministry. With
that in mind, I encourage church leaders to seek out a program that both
ignites their passion for ministry and allows them to study at a pace that
fits their lifestyle and commitments, whether that’s through a shorter
degree path, full- or part-time study.
Heille: Some D.Min. students are blessed to receive financial support
from their sponsoring institutions, and a few have the personal means
to pay for advanced education. A majority apply for financial aid, and a
few make the consequential decision of taking on debt.
As a school, we offer as much financial aid as possible and counsel
students as to how they can fund their education. As ministers in the
Church, we all are mendicants, seeking the support of others for the
sake of the Gospel.
Education is costly at many levels. The commitment to our D.Min.
degree requires the discipline of eight to 10 hours per week of study. A
network of understanding and support needs to be found at home, in
ministry, and with the cohort. Of course, the minister receives payback
as his or her vocation is renewed.
Ultimately and most importantly, the transformative learning of the
minister’s D.Min. experience is fruitful to the lives of our students and
communities being served.
Manion: Learning how to be a stronger church leader is an
investment, not an expense. The right program and education can be a
game-changer in a pastor’s effectiveness, satisfaction and longevity in
ministry, benefiting your church, your employees, and your flock.
If cost is prohibitive, look for partners to join you. There are people
in your church committed to your leadership, as well as foundations
committed to supporting church leaders; they’ll provide additional
financial support. For example, as a sign of commitment to building
good stewards of God’s gifts, Villanova University’s School of Business
offers a 25-percent scholarship for our MSCM for anyone who works for
a church.
A wise pastor once told me, “If God places the order, God will pay for
the order. Our job is to get the order right.”
Manor: On one hand, we work very hard to keep tuition as low
as possible.
On the other hand — because we want to partner with students
and their churches to share the financial burden — we have a “Church
Partnership Program” in which Knox matches up to one-third of a
church’s contribution on a qualified seminarian’s behalf. This has
been the most popular, effective means by which students are able to
complete a degree with little to no debt.
— Reporting by RaeAnn Slaybaugh