Contextual Education: Ministry in an Interconnected World
Wesley Theological Seminary is located in a unique context where multiple, global realities visibly converge. We live in a world where urban, rural, suburban, and international people and issues interconnect. Contextual education at Wesley seeks to prepare graduates to minister effectively in these culturally diverse settings.
The three components of the contextual education program are:
- Covenant Discipleship
- Placement in a contextual education setting
- Cross-cultural Immersion
M.Div. students can fulfill contextual education placement requirements by participating in one of these programs:
- Practice in Ministry and Mission Program (PMM)
- Student Pastor Program
- Urban Ministry Program
- Youth Ministry Program
- Emerging Ministries Program
Practice in Ministry and Mission Program (PMM)
Practice in Ministry and Mission provides the opportunity to integrate classroom learning with practical experience in a teaching congregation or other setting for ministry. Faithful discipleship, shared pastoral leadership, and accountability in ministry are fundamental principles in this experiential sequence of the curriculum. Placement plans are available to students who meet denominational requirements for supervised ministry. PMM placements are determined by May 1 for the following Fall semester.
Year One: Participation in a Covenant Discipleship Group on campus (see course description for MM-101 and -102)
These peer-led groups meet weekly throughout the year to focus on the basic disciplines of the Christian life: acts of compassion, justice, worship, and devotion. During the Fall semester, faculty will lead monthly two-hour colloquies; during the Spring semester, faculty will teach weekly two-hour seminars on ministry and mission in the local congregation.
Years Two and Three: Placement in an approved teaching congregation or other setting for ministry (e.g., campus ministry, social justice ministry) for two academic years (one year for M.A. students)
During your two-year placement, you will be involved in the life of a congregation or ministry setting for eight to ten hours each week, and will experience a broad range of Pastoral Learning Activities. Trained Learning Partners from the host placement will help you develop individual learning goals and an evaluation plan. You will meet weekly in a Covenant Discipleship Group with clergy and lay people from the host organization. You will also attend an on-campus colloquy led by a faculty member and a Colloquy Leader over the two academic years. If you are placed in a ministry setting, you will enroll in a Ministry and the Social Sciences course during the first semester of your placement.
The prerequisite for beginning a PMM placement is the completion of 30 hours of coursework, including Introduction to Hebrew Bible, Introduction to New Testament Gospels and Epistles, The Church in History: Early Church to Reformation and Reformation to Present, Covenant Discipleship and Introduction to Corporate Worship.
The Student Pastor Program is an option within the M.Div. program that integrates student pastorates into the educational design of the regular M.Div. curriculum. Qualified students are appointed by the United Methodist Conferences to serve as sole pastor to one or more teaching congregations. These appointments maximize the opportunity to relate academic studies to the practice of ministry. Some limited opportunities to serve as an assistant pastor in large churches are available and offer a full range of pastoral duties. The following features are designed into all SPP opportunities:
Coordination with Conference Cabinets: The Seminary works closely with Conference Cabinets to place student pastors. These Cabinets select the parishes, appoint the students, and help to locate mentor pastors to work with the student, the church, and the seminary. Housing and salary usually are included in the appointment. A working covenant describes the responsibilities between the Cabinet, the local church, the seminary, the mentor pastor and the student pastor.
Because of the necessary coordination with Cabinets, you must apply to Wesley no later than February; student pastorates begin July 1. Prior to July 1, United Methodist students must have begun the process for ordained ministry in their own conference, obtained certified candidacy, and attended Licensing School. Students in other denominations must have the qualifying ministerial credentials required by their denominations.
Orientation Sessions: The Wesley program begins with day-long orientation sessions, during August and October. During the October session, you will be accompanied by two Learning Partners from the setting you've chosen-an ordained mentor-pastor and a member of the selected congregation.
Course Work Completion: Due to the distance and responsibilities of many student pastorates, participants often take four years to complete the M.Div. program instead of the usual three. A course load of 22 hours per year supports that timeframe. You may take one- or two-week summer courses, but student pastors usually work full time in the local church during the summer. During the Fall and Spring semesters, you may take courses on three consecutive weekdays in order to minimize travel time. You may rent a dormitory commuter room for the two nights spent on campus each week. Assignments in many classes are adaptable to parish situations.
Colloquy Groups: Student pastors meet together in small reflective seminars throughout the first three years of seminary enrollment, earning one credit for each semester completed satisfactorily. These groups are led by faculty members and parish pastors, and provide informal guidance on integrating study with ministry, as well as information related to ministry with small membership congregations.
Covenant Discipleship Groups: Student pastors participate in a Covenant Discipleship Group on campus during their first year and form a Covenant Discipleship Group in the local congregation during their second year. Before graduation, you are required to participate in a cross-cultural immersion experience as outlined in the general requirements for the M.Div. degree.
Special Course: Student pastors in small or rural congregations may take a course in Rural or Small Congregation Ministry. Student pastors in an urban environment, with the counsel of their advisor, may select a course focusing on urban ministry.
The Emerging Ministries Program
The Emerging Ministries Program is designed to prepare Christian ministers to fulfill their vocation in a setting that ministers to the emerging generation. It provides supervised study, special courses, and placement in a congregation that has a commitment to exploring emerging worship and other emerging ministries. Students should declare their intent to participate in the Emerging Ministries Program prior to completing 30 credit hours.
Placement: The Practice in Ministry and Mission Office will work with Emerging Ministries students to secure placement in a setting that has emerging worship and ministries.
Electives: Emerging Ministries students are required to take 9 credit hours from a designated list of courses related to emerging worship, postmodern culture, missiology, and evangelism.
The Urban Ministry Program is designed to prepare Christian ministers to fulfill their vocations in an urban setting. Contextual education, offering the chance to apply learning in a real-life environment, is at the heart of the Urban Ministry Program. Wesley's location provides rich opportunities for experience in various settings in the mid-Atlantic region. The Urban Ministry Program provides supervised study, special courses, and placement in an urban congregation or other ministry setting. Students should declare their intent to participate in the Urban Ministry Program prior to completing 30 credit hours.
Required courses: CM-230 Introduction to Urban Ministry I and CM-231 Introduction to Urban Ministry II
Placement: The Practice in Ministry and Mission Office will work with Urban Ministry students to secure a placement in an urban setting.
Directed degree requirements: Urban Ministry students are required to take ES-251 Sociology of Religion to fulfill the Ministry and Social Sciences requirement and PC-111 to fulfill the Pastoral Care and Counseling requirement.
Urban Ministry Electives: Urban Ministry students are required to take 9 credit hours from a designated list of urban ministry courses.
The Youth Ministry Program is designed to prepare Christian ministers to fulfill their vocations in youth ministry. It provides supervised study, special courses, and placement in a congregation or other ministry setting with significant opportunities for youth ministry. Students should declare their intent to participate in the Youth Ministry Program prior to completing 30 credit hours.
Required course: CM-240 Youth Ministry: Foundations
Placement: The Practice in Ministry and Mission Office will work with Youth Ministry students to secure a placement with significant opportunities for youth ministry.
Youth Ministry Electives: Youth Ministry students are required to take 12 credit hours from a designated list of youth ministry courses.
Practice in Ministry and Mission Internship
An internship involves a full-time (40 hours per week) placement in a ministry setting. Students interested in an internship should contact the Practice in Ministry and Mission Office.
