Hero Image

BA Pastoral Care

Pastoral Care Program Objectives:

  • To provide comprehensive, theological, pre-seminary training for chaplaincy and pastoral care ministries.
  • To supervise pre-clinical pastoral education training for ministries requiring chaplaincy certification.
  • To furnish instruction and practical experience in pastoral and other spiritual caring ministries as outlined in the requirements for the Certification for Pastoral Care and required cognates. 

Admission to the Pastoral Care Program

In the first semester of their sophomore year, Pastoral Care majors are required to make formal application to the ministerial program to become a trainee.

Transfer students who have sophomore standing or beyond must apply during their second semester in residence.

In evaluating applications, the School of Religion faculty will consider the student’s:

  • Spiritual and theological commitment.
  • Moral character.
  • Integrity.
  • Emotional stability.
  • Grade point average.
  • Social and professional skills.

This determines the applicant’s fitness for the program and overall potential for success in ministry. Students will be notified of the faculty’s decision, and those whose applications are accepted will become ministerial trainees.

If at any time after being admitted to the program, trainees give evidence of failure to maintain commitment to the criteria of the ministerial program, including its expectations about spiritual commitment, moral character, or grade point average, they forfeit their standing as trainees and the privilege of being recognized as ministerial candidates in their senior year.

Those who have already been accepted as ministerial candidates and then manifest a lack of commitment to the aforementioned criteria of the program will have their candidacy rescinded.

Acceptance into the ministerial program as a trainee and approval as a candidate are both required for the completion of a Pastoral Care major.

Students who are not accepted into the program as trainees and/or candidates and those students whose trainee or candidate status is rescinded are not eligible to receive a theology or pastoral care major. However, they may apply to the School of Religion faculty to be allowed to complete a major in religious studies.
 

Required Courses

RELB 125 Life and Teachings of Jesus
RELB 245 Old Testament Studies I
RELB 246 Old Testament Studies II
RELB 425 Studies in Daniel (writing class) OR RELB 426 Studies in Revelation
RELB 435 New Testament Studies I
RELB 436 New Testament Studies II
RELP 354 Biblical Counseling
RELP 150 Intro to Ministry
RELT 138 Adventist Heritage
RELT 175 Christian Spirituality I
RELT 439 Prophetic Ministry of Ellen G White
RELT 484 Christian Theology I
RELT 485 Christian Theology II (writing class)

In order to graduate with a major in Pastoral Care, a student must also complete 20 hours for Certification in Biblical Languages, 19 hours for Certification in Pastoral Care, and cognate requirements as follows: 

Certification in Biblical Languages

RELL 181, 182 Biblical Hebrew I, II
RELL 191, 192 New Testament Greek I, II
RELL 221 Intro to Biblical Exegesis
RELL 330 Intermediate Hebrew
RELL 331 Intermediate Greek 

Certification in Pastoral Care

RELP 150 Introduction to Ministry
RELP 321 Introduction to Biblical Preaching
RELP 322 Intermediate Biblical Preaching
RELP 363 Personal Evangelism 
RELP 370 Interpersonal Ministry
RELP 450 Church Ministry I
RELP 452 Church Ministry II 
CPE Practicum

Required Cognate Courses:

HIST 363, or 364 Christian Church I, I (writing class)
HIST 365 , or 366 Christian Church II, II (writing class)
PSYC 377 Fundamentals of Counseling (writing class)
SOCI 249 Death and Dying
SOCW 225 Marriage and the Family
 
View suggested course sequence