Pastoral Ministries

The purpose of the Pastoral Ministries program is to prepare students for the pastorate or related Christian service. A sequence of courses is specifically designed for those planning on ministries in North America. In addition to the mission statement, general objectives, and requirements of the college, the objectives of the Pastoral Ministries program are to enable students to do the following:

*Utilize basic principles, skills and tools in the study of the Bible, including the use of one or more biblical languages.

*Communicate effectively in preaching and teaching.

*Lead the local church in evangelistic outreach.

*Understand and promote missions in the local church.

*Effectively counsel using basic biblical counseling skills.

*Administer and manage the total church program.

*Lead and equip the church toward maturity in Christ.

Note: Pastoral Ministries students may opt for either a year of Greek (10 credit hours) or a year of Hebrew (10 credit hours) under the General Education distribution section of Degree Core Requirements.  If the student does not take one of these languages as part of his or her General Education Distribution, the student is required to take BIB 2400 A Practical Approach to the Greek New Testament (3 credit hours) as part of the major.

The normal requirement for the General Education Distribution is to choose a minimum of 12 semester hours total, including one course from each of the three areas below.  In the Pastoral Ministries major a year of Greek (10 semester hours) or Hebrew (10) is recommended for the Humanities/Fine Arts area. With one of these languages, the General Education Distribution would include 16 semester hours (10 hours for the language, and another 3 hours in both Natural Science/Information Science and Social/Behavioral Science).

a.) Humanities/Fine Arts:
Recommended GRE 3110 and GRE 3111, or HEB 3110 and HEB 3111
b.) Natural Science/Information Science
c.) Social/Behavioral Science:
SOC 3740 Marriage and Family

Leadership Development & Christian Service Learning (11 semester hours)

Pastoral Ministries Major Courses (34-41 semester hours)  

Designated Electives (9 or 16 semester hours)

BIB 2400 Practical Approach to the
                 Greek New Testament (For non-language student)

A major in Pastoral Ministries with 10 semester hours of Greek or Hebrew counting toward the Humanities/Fine Arts area of the General Education Distribution requires students to take nine designated elective hours in approved Pastoral Ministries courses. Those who opt for BIB 2400 (three semester hours) in lieu of a year of language must “make up” the seven hours difference with designated electives along with the standard nine hours, for a total of 16 hours. Courses at CIU that meet this requirement include those listed below.

Practical Skill Development

Three semester credits of field experience serve as the minimum requirement for the professional majors.  Students are encouraged to develop their professional skill in either the marketplace, the ministry or in a mission context.  Consult with your program director for additional requirements.

Open Electives (5 with BIB 2400; 8 with a language)