Certificate in Ministry

This qualification is suitable for you if you wish to gain theological knowledge either for your own understanding or for preparing for ministry service.  The certificate can also be pursued by ministers who are currently serving in churches but wish to further enhance their ministry skills.

Pre requisites

Most institutes require you to have a bachelor degree in order to be enrolled in a certificate program. As far as the application is concerned you will usually need to submit a completed application form, educational transcripts, statement of purpose and an application fee.

The duration of the program largely varies depending on the institute and whether you are pursuing it on campus or as a distance learning student. It can be completed in a few months but may take up to one to two years.

As far as the structure of the course is concerned, it varies depending on the university you are enrolled in.  Generally universities require several compulsory courses to be completed along with the flexibility of specializing in specific subjects depending on the student’s interest.

There is variation in the name and types of courses you can study in different institutes. However In order to give you a general idea of the curriculum, below is a description of courses you can expect:

• Worship and Preaching:  This course provides an understanding of theology and historical roots of Christian worship and preaching. You will also learn about various Lord’s Day services like sacraments and be able to design services including weekly weddings, funerals and worship.


• Christian Education: This course provides training in various theories of learning and teaching and the organization of ministry of education in congregations.


• Leadership among Ministry Volunteers: Students are trained to become effective volunteer leaders and work as a team with other church staff who have different leadership styles.


• Baptist History: This course would provide a detailed understanding of Baptist history, beginning from seventh century to present day, including their major personalities, beliefs and issues and controversies.


• Introduction to Missions: Students will become better familiar with Christian mission in the light of cultural, historic and strategic perspectives. They will also learn how to get involved in mission.

The knowledge and skills acquired can be utilized in ministry service and you can work as a pastor, minister, priest, college chaplain etc. The employment growth of such workers according to Bureau of Labor Statistics is expected to go up from 10% to 20% during 2010 to 2020, with 79,900 projected job openings. As of 2012, the hourly and annual wages for these positions stood at $21.18 per hour and per year $44,060 respectively.

Alternatively, after acquiring the certificate you can advance your studies in the field of ministry and biblical studies by pursuing a degree program.