Learn the Skills You Need for a Successful Ministry with Our Master of Arts in Religion – Pastoral Ministry Degree
Pastoral Ministry involves caring for God’s people and walking with them in their Christian faith. Pastoring a church requires a variety of skills, and our Master of Arts in Religion – Pastoral Ministry degree will provide you with the foundational training you need to have a successful ministry. In your pastoral ministry classes, you will study pastoral counseling methods, spiritual warfare, influential factors in church growth, and the logistical aspects of serving as a pastor.
Our professors have real-world experience in pastoral ministry, and they are dedicated to helping you follow God’s call on your life. As a university, we want to help you reach your full potential as you work to further the kingdom of God. Partner with us, and let us help you become a Champion for Christ.
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 M.A.R. in Pastoral Ministry Degree?
Pursuing your master’s degree in pastoral ministry with us residentially provides the opportunity to learn from experienced pastors and theologians. Our professors have office hours each week, and they invite you to speak with them one on one about your classes or about where God is leading you in your ministry.
Our M.A.R. program offers you the opportunity to earn your degree from a school that is more than a Bible college. At Liberty, you can build a community that’s as unique as you are. As you earn your master’s degree in religion, you will have the opportunity to meet other graduate students studying a variety of subjects, allowing you to witness first-hand how God’s truth is being revealed through fields as different as biology and strategic communication.
While here, you can network with organizations like the International Mission Board (IMB), Summit Church, and Samaritan’s Purse. We also partner with a multitude of local churches and ministries so you can gain hands-on ministry experience while you complete your degree. Additionally, our new Monday-only program gives you the option to take the majority of the classes you need on Mondays, so you can remain involved in full-time ministry throughout the rest of the week.
What Will You Learn in Our Master’s of Religion – Pastoral Ministry Degree Program?
Throughout our M.A.R. in Pastoral Ministry degree program, you will conduct in-depth studies of the Old and New Testaments, giving you a foundational knowledge of the Bible. You will take classes designed to prepare you for successful ministry within the church and beyond, like courses in apologetics, evangelism, hermeneutics, and systematic theology.
If you choose to pursue our pastoral ministry specialization, you will study key factors in church growth, spiritual warfare, and pastoral counseling. You will also learn how to prevent burnout in your ministry and prepare to deal with logistics such as finances, time management, church boards, and stress.
View the Degree Completion Plan, and check out our featured courses below for more information!
Featured Courses
EVAN 500 – Spiritual Factors of Growing Churches
EVAN 670 – Strategic Prayer and Spiritual Warfare
LEAD 625 – Preventing Ministry Failure
PACO 500 – Introduction to Pastoral Counseling
Degree Information
Careers
Admission Requirements
Highlights of Our M.A.R. in Pastoral Ministry Degree
- In addition to their hands-on ministry experience, our faculty are theologians who are well-respected authors, speakers, and researchers.
- We are committed to defending the authority of scripture and conservative evangelical theology.
- Our master’s degree in pastoral ministry provides hands-on experience within the local church as well as opportunities to serve with churches and organizations like the Internation Mission Board, Hume Lake, Samaritan’s Purse, and Second Baptist Houston.
- Our Scriptorium houses the Rawlings Foundation rare books collection valued at over $1 million, a 111 ft.-long Torah scroll that dates to the 16thcentury, and a functioning replica of the Gutenberg Printing Press.
- Monday-only classes allow residential graduate students to complete large portions of their M.A. in Religion attending classes one day a week.
- We offer multiple scholarship opportunities to our residential students, including the full-tuition Keesee Scholarship.
Our Master’s of Religion in Pastoral Ministry Degree Information
- Residential
- 60 total credit hours
- Transfer in up to 50% of your required credits
- This program falls under the John W. Rawlings School of Divinity
- Download the M.A.R. in Pastoral Ministry Degree Completion Plan
- Review the course catalog
Career Opportunities for Graduates of Our Master’s in Religion – Pastoral Ministry Degree Program
- Associate pastor
- Church planter
- Evangelist
- Lay leader
- Missionary
- Youth pastor
Admission Requirements for Graduate Degrees in Religion
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
