NEW YORK CITY – The General Theological Seminary is pleased to announce that it has received accreditation from The Association of Theological Schools (ATS) for the Seminary’s new Master of Arts in Ministry (M.A.M.). The M.A. in Ministry degree offers a tailored approach to theological education and formation through several flexible pathways and a variety of specializations. It is the first newly accredited degree program to be implemented at General in over 20 years. At its meeting on February 2, 2017, the Board of Trustees reaffirmed its support for the new degree program, which was formally approved last year.
“God calls women and men to diverse ministries,” says Academic Dean Dr. Michael DeLashmutt, “and the new M.A. in Ministry will prepare those with a desire to serve others to make a difference in the life of the Church and in the world.”
The M.A. in Ministry program is designed to respond to the vocational interests of a wide range of prospective students. The degree will benefit those with a calling in areas such as chaplaincy, faith-based leadership, pastoral care, worship and liturgy, children, youth and family ministries, community organizing, prison ministry, and mission and evangelism, as they learn from the expertise of General Seminary’s talented full-time, affiliate, and adjunct faculty. The resources available to General as a historic seminary in the heart of New York City, as well as the ability to draw even broader resources from the Church at large, allow the Seminary to adapt to the ever-changing interests of students.
For students who are discerning calls such as chaplaincy, Christian education, faith-based organizational leadership, or community organizing, the Seminary can also help identify opportunities for residencies or internships which will connect them with other leaders in their chosen field.
Depending on the area of specialization, students can earn the M.A. in Ministry in as little as one year of residential full-time study to as long as seven years through part-time study. Students pursuing Ordination in The Episcopal Church who already hold a first theological degree may be able to use the M.A. in Ministry to satisfy diocesan Anglican Year requirements. Using “shared credit,” students with an M.A. or an M.Div. from an ATS-accredited institution may be able to earn the M.A.M. in as quickly as one academic year. Anglican Year students may pursue the M.A. in Ministry through either The Wisdom Year or Anglican Studies pathways.
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Located in the heart of New York City, General Seminary was chartered by the General Convention of The Episcopal Church in 1817. The mission of The General Theological Seminary—to educate and form leaders for the church in a changing world—has been a central focus throughout its long history. General seeks to be and to become a community in which ongoing and deepening conversion to new life in Christ is a constant goal. Our purpose is to invite and call others to that life of conversion by our own understanding of the Christian faith—biblical, historical and theological—and our ability to reflect on that faith.
Media Contact:
Chad Rancourt
Director of Communications
The General Theological Seminary
440 West 21st Street
New York, NY 10014
gtscommoffice@gts.edu