Pastoral Ministry

B.A. in Biblical Studies – Pastoral Emphasis

The responsibility of leading a congregation as a pastor is a heavy one (James 3:1).  In order to serve in a pastoral role, a man must meet the qualifications for elders outlined in Scripture (I Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:6-9; I Peter 5:1-4).  Because of this, it is imperative that a man who leads the body of Christ be properly equipped to do so in character and skill.  With this in mind, MBC developed the pastoral concentration to train men to serve as pastors in the local church.  In addition to a thorough grounding in Scripture, the pastoral concentration offers training in preaching, biblical counseling, leadership, and biblical languages.  MBC specializes in preparing pastors for town-and-country church ministry.

In addition to the general objectives of the B.A. degree, students completing this concentration will be able to:

1. Competently study Scripture contextually, historically, culturally, and from the original languages.
2. Effectively preach and teach in an expository manner from any genre of literature in Scripture.
3. Serve a congregation and community in a rural, small town setting as a caring shepherd.

Leaders in the church must be able to understand the Word of God and communicate it faithfully, accurately, and effectively in the real world where the people they shepherd live.  Since biblical culture, language, and history differ from our own, good exegesis as well as valid and relevant application depend upon the student’s ability to bridge these gaps.  MBC meets this need by teaching courses in the disciplines of hermeneutics, homiletics, and biblical languages.  MBC also teaches Bible exposition courses on specific books of Scripture from the various literary genres.  Leaders also need to shepherd with purpose, awareness, and wisdom, which is why MBC includes courses on pastoral leadership, rural church ministry, peacemaking, and counseling.

See the MBC Catalog for more information such as core curriculum courses, concentration specific courses, and general education requirements.