Master of Divinity

Program Description

The purpose of the Master of Divinity program is to prepare men and women for Christian ministry, whether in local church settings, chaplaincy expressions, or para-church contexts. The program equips them with the skills needed to function effectively in formal ministry.

The Master of Divinity program requires study and competence in four traditional, interrelated curricula areas: (1) Biblical Studies, encompassing the content and contexts of the Old and New Testament Scriptures, with the requirement of learning Hebrew and Greek, (2) Church History, where one learns from the accumulated wisdom and challenges of previous generations of fellow Christians, (3) Theology, the systematic study and articulation of the Christian faith; and (4) Christian Ministries, where one acquires needed skills and develops ministry competence.

Winebrenner has a partnership with United Theological Seminary in which M.Div. students in the United Methodist Church can complete a portion of their education at Winebrenner. Head here for full details.

Common Career Paths for MDiv Students

〉 Ordained ministry
〉 Vocational ministry
〉 Theological/Biblical foundation for leadership in Christian ministry contexts
〉 Teaching Bible or religious studies at the secondary school level
〉 Personal/theological enrichment in conjunction with Christian counseling
〉 Service in a para-church organization
〉 Spiritual direction ministry
〉 Chaplaincy

Course Requirements

The Master of Divinity is a 81-hour program and the normative degree to prepare persons for ordained ministry and general pastoral or religious leadership responsibilities. The program is designed for completion in three years of full-time study or in four or more years of part-time study.

Biblical Studies

> Hebrew Grammar
> Hebrew Exegesis
> Greek Grammar
> Greek Exegesis
> Studies in Paul
> Old Testament Foundations
> Old Testament Elective
> New Testament Foundations
> New Testament Elective
> Method and practice of Biblical Theology

(30 credit hours)

Christian Thought

A Survey of the History of Christianity
> Church History Elective
> World Religions
> Christianity in the Marketplace of Ideas
> Theology 1
> Theology 2
> Christian Ethics

(21 credit hours)

Personal and Ministry Formation

> The Ministerial Person
> Homiletics
> Christian Worship
> Supervised Ministry
> Missions/Evangelism Elective
> Counseling Elective
> Leadership Elective
> Spiritual Formation elective

(24 credit hours)