2007-2008 Academic Catalog

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• George Fox Evangelical Seminary
• Seminary Programs
• Master of Divinity
• Master of Arts (Theological Studies)
• Master of Arts in Ministry Leadership
• Master of Arts in Spiritual Formation
• Doctor of Ministry in Leadership in the Emerging Culture
• Doctor of Ministry in Leadership and Spiritual Formation
• Certificate in Spiritual Formation and Discipleship
• Certificate for Partners In Ministry
• Seminary Course Descriptions

Master of Divinity

(MDiv degree)

Purpose

The Master of Divinity program is designed for men and women preparing to be Christian ministers, missionaries, chaplains, evangelists, or preparing to enter some other form of Christian service. The MDiv course is designed to enable the student to prepare for ordination (recording). However, each student looking forward to ordination in a particular denomination must secure recommendation from, and follow procedures already established in, that church for such recognition. The seminary assumes no responsibility of this nature.

Program Objectives

Educational Objectives

To enable students to:

• Interact with Christian Scripture, history, and theology; to interpret the truths critically; and to express them faithfully.
• Experience an ever-deepening sense of the reality of Christ through spiritual formation.
• Understand themselves and relate to others as created in God's image and called into community.
• Engage in the just transformation of societies through personal and social holiness motivated by love.

Professional Objectives

To enable students to:

• Lead the church under the lordship of Jesus Christ in its mission and ministries.
• Be equipped practically to preach, teach, exercise pastoral care, equip, and lead in the local church.

Admission Requirements

Applicants seeking admission to the MDiv program must hold a four-year baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university,† with a minimum GPA of 2.5. In addition, applicants must complete the following to be considered for admission to the program:

• George Fox Evangelical Seminary application form and application fee
• Submit one official transcript from each college/university attended
• Résumé
• Personal mission statement and statement of faith
• Three letters of reference (as specified in admissions materials)
• A group interview (by invitation only)

†Applicants who do not hold a four-year baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university may apply to the university but will be required to submit additional documentation to be considered for admission.

Transfer Credit

Transfer of up to 42 hours credit is allowed toward the MDiv program from accredited graduate schools and seminaries. Students must have earned a grade of B- or better for a course to be considered for transfer. Transferability of credits earned at this institution and transferred to another is at the discretion of the receiving institution. Consult the registrar's office for information on eligibility of transfer credit.

Residence Requirements

Of the 84 hours required for the MDiv program, a minimum of 42 hours must be taken in resident study at George Fox University. Reinstatement to the program after withdrawal requires Admissions Committee action and may subject the student to additional requirements for the degree.

Course Requirements

The Master of Divinity program is generally three years in length with 84 semester hours of course work required as a minimum for graduation. Of those hours, 21 are in biblical studies courses, 18 in Christian history and theology, 6 in spiritual formation and discipleship, 27 in pastoral studies, and 12 in a chosen area of concentration or electives.

Other Degree Requirements

Graduation Requirements

In order to graduate with the master of divinity degree students must:

• Satisfactorily complete a minimum of 84 semester hours with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above
• Be admitted to candidacy for the degree
• Be recommended by the seminary faculty for graduation from George Fox University

Curriculum Plan

‡A student may elect to do a thesis in either biblical studies or Christian history and theology. The student would request the option from his or her advisor. BIST/CHTH 571, 572, and 575 are the thesis option courses.

Chaplaincy

Clinical Pastoral Education

Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) brings seminary students into supervised ministry with people in crises. The heart of CPE is ministry with people and learning from that ministry through reflection, discussion, and evaluation with other students and a certified CPE supervisor. CPE training centers are usually located in hospitals and medical centers. George Fox Evangelical Seminary is a member of the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education. Therefore, any seminary student in the MDiv degree program may choose to do his or her internship in a CPE setting. Students pay regular seminary tuition for seminary credits awarded for CPE units. However, students may be eligible to be reimbursed for the cost of CPE units. Reimbursement is limited to 75 percent of the seminary tuition paid for the credits awarded for CPE experience. Students can apply for reimbursement by submitting receipts upon successful completion of the CPE program. Students who feel called to hospital chaplaincy would take the following recommended path at George Fox Evangelical Seminary:

Hospital Chaplaincy Path

1. Acceptance into the MDiv degree program (some hospitals are beginning to accept people with seminary MA degrees as chaplains, but the MDiv is preferred).
2. Completion of a unit of CPE training at an approved training site. A chaplaincy student would take PSTD 565 CPE training (6 hours). These are typically offered in two formats:
   1. Summer 11-week intensive = 1 unit (100 hours of structured group and training and 300 hours of clinical practice - stipend offered by some hospitals)
   2. Fall - spring extended program = .5 unit each semester (100 hours of structured group and training and some clinical practice - no stipend)
3. Ordination or a certificate of ministry from the person's denomination.
4. After completion of the MDiv, the individual would apply for a year of residency at an approved CPE training hospital. These are full-time paid positions for which the individual completes an additional 3 units of CPE. The seminary CPE director keeps a file of residency positions available. Application should be made one year before desired placement.
5. After fulfilling the requirements of the Association of Professional Chaplains, the individual would apply for certification. Students are encouraged to become student members of APC.
6. The seminary CPE director keeps a file of chaplaincy position openings.

MDiv Curriculum for Hospital Chaplaincy Students

1. All the normal curriculum requirements for the MDiv degree.
2. Internship requirement would be PSTD 565 CPE unit one (6 hours). The student would not take PSTD 575 Pastoral Internship.
3. Students may substitute CMIN 520 Communication in Christian Ministry for PSTD 510 Essentials of Preaching.
4. A student coming to the seminary with previous CPE units may be awarded up to a maximum of 9 credits.

Registering for PSTD 565 Clinical Pastoral Education
Students should apply for acceptance into an approved CPE center one year ahead of their desired internship date. In Oregon there are four centers: Legacy Health System, Oregon State Hospital, Providence/Portland Medical Center, and Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The ACPE directory with information concerning the centers, the contact persons, and application processes is available online at http://www.acpe.edu/. The student contacts the CPE coordinator at the preferred site, fills out an application, and pays the application fee. Once the student is accepted, he/she would register for PSTD 565. One unit of CPE is equal to 6 semester credits. CPE courses are graded Pass/No Pass. Upon completion of the training, the student submits the final supervision report to the seminary faculty director in order to record the course grade.

Military Chaplaincy

Those who feel called to military chaplaincy should contact the branch of service in which they desire to serve. The chaplain representative for the area will acquaint you with the scholarships, requirements, and steps toward accomplishing this objective. Those students who attend Military Chaplaincy School will receive 8 hours as substitute for PSTD 501 Pastoral Counseling, either PSTD 553 Contextualized Urban Ministry or PSTD 554 Global Mission of the Church, and PSTD 575 Pastoral Internship (2 hours).