North Park’s MACF is designed to equip men and women for leadership in formation ministries within congregations and communities. The degree focuses on Christian formation as understood through foundational subjects. This degree will qualify graduates for Ordination to Word and Service in the Evangelical Covenant Church. Those wishing to pursue ECC ordination will need to take HSTY 7300 History and Theology of the Covenant Church as an elective (see General Elective below). View the full list of degree outcomes in the Seminary catalog.
Overview:
48 academic hours
7 field education hours
Co-Curricular Requirements:
This degree can be completed in two years, although students may choose to extend the program based on their family needs and community involvement.
Please note: 17 credit hours are required in residence at the main campus.
Bible, 12 credit hours
- New Testament I: The Texts and Their World
- New Testament II: The Texts and Their Theology
- Old Testament I: Pentateuch and Interpretation
- Old Testament II: Prophets and Preaching Legacy
- OR
- Old Testament III: Wisdom and Israel’s Praise
History, 3 credit hours
Christian History I: The Early Church to the Early Reformation (1-16c)
Theology, 3 credit hours
Christian Theology
Spiritual Formation, 3 credit hours
The spiritual formation sequence seeks to integrate the ongoing spiritual and academic dimensions of the seminary experience in order to facilitate conscious growth in personal and corporate spiritual life.
- Journey: The Story of Our Lives
- Intercultural Spirituality: The Road Together
- Elective
Foundations in Christian Ministry, 9 credit hours
- Christian Education and Formation in the Church
- Ministry Identity and Practice
- Christian Worship
Denominational Elective, 3 credit hours
Cultural Diversity Elective, 3 credit hours
Christian Education and Formation and Ministry Electives, 9 credit hours
Students must take a combination of Christian education and formation (CEDF) and ministry (MNST) courses, with at least one three-credit course from each field.
General Electives, 3 credit hours
Students seeking ECC ordination are encouraged to take HSTY 7300 History and Theology of the Covenant Church (3 Credit Hours).
Field Education, 7 credits
You are required to complete 7 field education credits in addition to the 48 academic credit hours required for your degree:
- 1 credit earned by taking Vocational Excellence
- 4 credits earned by completing an internship
- 1 credit earned by completing the cultural competence module
- 1 credit earned through a theological reflection module
Graduation Requirements
The master of arts in Christian formation is awarded to students meeting the following requirements:
- Completion of a Bible exam and psychological evaluation; successful completion of the End of Studies evaluation.
- The completion of 48 semester hours of academic course work, plus 7 Field Education credit hours.
- A grade point average of 2.5 must be maintained. No grade under C- shall be counted toward the degree.
- Exemplification of a quality of life and commitment suitable for ministry.
- No outstanding incomplete grades later than week seven of the term in which they plan to graduate.
- Complete payment of all accounts and fees to the Seminary.
- Completion of the degree within seven years from the time of matriculation.
More information on these requirements is available in the North Park Theological Seminary catalog.