Prepare to Answer God’s Call on Your Life with Our M.A. in Christian Ministry Degree
Liberty University’s Master of Arts in Christian Ministry degree provides the training you need to lead your church, small groups, organization, and community with excellence and integrity, whether you are called to a pastoral role, the mission field, or a Christian nonprofit organization.
Christian Ministry is designed to meet the growing need for ministry leaders in churches across the country seeking specialized training in the area of Christian discipleship. Throughout our ministry degree, you will examine biblical leadership principles and strategies specific to small group settings, to train up disciples within the local church. You will also learn how to interpret Scripture and promote discipleship in addition to developing your sermon preparation, pastoral counseling, and leadership skills. Partner with us and become the Champion for Christ you always knew you could be.
Accreditation
Your seminary degree is approved by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) and has met rigorous accreditation standards. You can feel confident that your degree is both academically excellent and well-respected among churches, ministries, and nonprofit organizations.
Award-Winning Campus
At Liberty, you’ll find an affordable, high-quality education that equips students like you for the real world. Our commitment to excellence helped us rank among Niche.com’s Top 3 college campuses in America. Earning your degree from a nonprofit university with state-of-the-art resources like ours can help set you apart from your peers.
Why Choose Liberty’s Master’s Degree in Christian and Church Ministry?
At Liberty, we Train Champions for Christ. This means we are dedicated to providing you with the advanced training you need to impact the world for Christ – wherever He calls you. Our graduate divinity programs train you to defend the authority of Scripture with grace and compassion, as you learn from experienced faculty members who have served Christ all over the world. Throughout your Christian ministry master’s degree, professors who have served as pastors, youth leaders, and missionaries provide training and mentoring as they use their years of experience to help prepare you for success in ministry.
What Will You Learn in Our Master’s in Christian Ministry Degree Program?
Being fully prepared and knowledgeable in the areas of evangelism and discipleship is essential for an effective career in Christian ministry. In our M.A. in Christian Ministry degree program, you will study the Old and New Testaments, systematic theology, and best practices for interpreting Scripture in context.
Our Christian ministry degree explores leadership principles from a biblical and theological perspective as you dive into the Old and New Testaments. You will pay special attention to the way Christ led and study key Bible verses focusing on the biblical foundations of leadership.
To prepare you for ministry within the church, our training equips you with practical skills in areas like pastoral counseling, Christian leadership, sermon preparation, and discipleship. With internship opportunities in Lynchburg and abroad, you can gain experience working with organizations like Liberty’s Godparent Maternity Home, the International Mission Board, and Samaritan’s Purse.
View our Christian and church ministry Degree Completion Plan, and check out our featured courses below for more information about what you’ll be studying.
Featured Courses
DSMN 500 – Discipleship Ministries
Here’s what you’ll learn:
- General and specific steps for making disciples
- Systems, principles, and methods for creating a disciple making environment
- Methods for small and large scale discipleship
- How to create a discipleship plan for your local church
LEAD 510 – Biblical Foundations of Leadership
Here’s what you’ll learn:
- The biblical purpose and character of leadership
- Characteristics of effective leadership within the Bible
- Characteristics of Christ’s leadership throughout the New Testament
PACO 500 – Introduction to Pastoral Counseling
Here’s what you’ll learn:
- Short-term, solutions-based counseling methods
- How to incorporate biblical teaching with cognitive behavioral approaches
- How to create a welcoming yet professional counseling environment
RTCH 500 – Research, Writing, and Ministry Preparation
Here’s what you’ll learn:
- How to design and conduct theological research
- How to develop your academic writing skills
- How to prevent ministry burnout by balancing academic and family obligations
- How intentionally pursue spiritual formation
Highlights of Our M.A. in Christian Ministry Degree Program
- Liberty University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
- Our faculty members are well-respected authors, speakers, and researchers.
- We are committed to teaching you how to defend the authority of scripture.
- Our divinity degrees provide hands-on training and learning opportunities within local church settings as well as churches and organizations like the International Mission Board, Hume Lake, Samaritan’s Purse, and Second Baptist Houston.
- Monday-only classes give you the option of completing large portions of your master’s degree by attending classes one day a week.
- We offer many grants and scholarship opportunities to our residential students, including Keesee Scholarship.
Our Christian Ministry Master’s Degree Information
- Residential
- 36 total credit hours
- Transfer in up to 50% of your required credits
- This program falls under our John W. Rawlings School of Divinity
- View the Degree Completion Plan
- View our course catalog
Career Opportunities for Our Master’s in Church Ministry Program Graduates
- Christian ministry staff member
- Church administrator
- Community chaplain
- Missionary
- Pastoral ministry
Admission Requirements for Graduate Divinity Degrees
Every application is reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and all applicants must submit the following documents and meet the minimum requirements for admission:
- Admission application
- Official bachelor’s degree transcripts with a 2.0 GPA or higher
- Self-certification form for students in the final term of their bachelor’s degree
- John W. Rawlings School of Divinity questionnaire
- Pastoral recommender contact information
- Current Liberty undergraduate students seeking preliminary acceptance into a graduate program must complete a degree completion application through their ASIST account
