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The Mission of the Graduate School of Theology
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Purpose and Philosophy

The Graduate School of Theology at Abilene Christian University offers a variety of degrees and programs designed to meet the complex needs of its students. Its goal is to be both academically rigorous and practical in equipping students for effective ministry.

The faculty view their work as integral to the university’s mission: to educate its students for Christian service and leadership throughout the world. In this regard, all programs attempt to instill in students the heart and nature of Christ, opportunities for service and spiritual growth, and educational and ministry opportunities both here and abroad.

The Graduate School of Theology is located in the College of Biblical Studies, and is vitally engaged in its goals and tasks. The stated mission of the college is to provide leadership preparation and resources for effective worldwide ministry in the cause of Christ. The mission of the Graduate School of Theology is to equip men and women for effective missional leadership for ministry in all its forms, and to provide strong academic foundations for theological inquiry.

It is within this framework that the Graduate School of Theology has set its purposes:

  • to prepare men and women for effective work in a variety of ministry settings.
  • to provide specific ministry skills in the areas of preaching, teaching, worship, missions, pastoral counseling, congregational ministry, youth and family ministry, church leadership, spiritual formation, and program development.
  • to provide adequate academic foundations to students in the various theological disciplines including textual studies, biblical languages, church history, and historical theology.
  • to provide an academic and interpersonal environment by which the theological disciplines can be integrated one with another as well as with the students’ ministry skills and their personal spiritual development.
  • to equip adequately those students who desire advanced academic work including doctoral studies in schools of religion, seminaries, or universities.

The Graduate School of Theology was granted associate membership in the Association of Theological Schools in June of 1996. This accreditation guarantees that programs and faculty are of the highest quality. Of course, along with the rest of the university, the Graduate School of Theology is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Our Philosophy of Ministry         

Since its founding in 1906, Abilene Christian University has striven to prepare students for Christian service. Now almost a century later, ACU continues in its mission to educate its students for Christian service and leadership throughout the world. Located within the College of Biblical Studies, the Graduate School of Theology (GST) builds on that tradition by offering specialized programs that train ministers for the challenges of the third millennium. Offering a variety of degrees (M.A.; M.A.C.M.; M.Div.; D.Min.), the GST aims to equip men and women for effective missional leadership for ministry in all its forms, and to provide strong academic foundations for theological inquiry. By equipping students with the requisite skills, knowledge, and experience, the GST aspires to produce graduates with trained minds and transformed hearts.

An heir of the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement, the GST honors its historic ties with the Churches of Christ and promotes unity among believers seeking God's will. The GST affirms its belief in the authority of scripture for the faith and practice of the church. Committed to the proclamation of the gospel, the GST affirms its belief in God the Creator, who graciously redeems humanity; in Jesus Christ, God's Son, who died for the sins of all and was raised; and in the Holy Spirit, who empowers God's people for service. Equipped by God with a variety of gifts, the church proclaims the gospel, nurtures its members, and aids those in need. Although all are called to serve, not all have the same gift. For those preparing to serve as leaders in ministry, the GST offers focused training and mentoring. As God's people, the church embodies the message of the gospel, and awaits the consummation of God's promises at the return of Christ.

1.  The Ministry of Proclamation.

As people who have been changed by the saving message of Christ, Christian servants declare the good news of Jesus Christ and invite others to “be reconciled to God.” Effective proclamation in the contemporary context requires a thorough knowledge of the gospel message, the conviction that the gospel is God's reconciling power, the skills for effective communication of the Christian witness, and the ability to contextualize the message in a variety of cultural settings.

God’s servants also provide a needed resource as the church seeks to understand its heritage and live out its faith in the midst of changing circumstances. Christian ministers are called to teach the Christian faith and to pass on its heritage. This knowledge requires not only information about the church’s tradition, but also theological reflection about the issues that face the church, reflection on the relationship of Christian theology to all knowledge, and critical discernment between authentic and inauthentic expressions of the Christian faith. Thus, the GST seeks to provide skills for appropriate teaching in congregations or in academic settings for those who serve the church as resources of the Christian tradition.

2.  The Ministry of Christian Formation.

As those who have been transformed by the Christian message, ministers work with God in the task of bringing to completion the work that God has begun among those who have become obedient to Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:6). God works through the Holy Spirit to sanctify the church as his ministers work with him, challenging believers to live a life that is worthy of the gospel and assisting communities and individuals as they are being formed in the image of the Christ who gave himself for others. This ministry involves educating Christians in the moral demands of the gospel and supporting them in overcoming the obstacles to Christian formation.

Therefore, ministers work with the church and its individual members as God empowers them to grow to Christian maturity. The GST provides the setting for the integration of theological disciplines with the practice of ministry that will equip ministers for Christian formation.

3.  The Ministry of Pastoral Care

As those who have been touched by the “Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,” Christian ministers recognize that he “comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God” (2 Cor.1:3, 4). The GST seeks to encourage students to receive God's comfort as saving mercy for their own troubles and to empower them with skills in administering the gospel to those who face the varied crises of life in today's world. Students are challenged to extend the compassion of Jesus to the disadvantaged in society and are equipped with the capacity to give supportive attention to persons, families, or congregations in crisis in ways that blend a mastery of crisis theory, wise instruction concerning faithful Christian living, and spiritual encouragement in the midst of various human struggles and social challenges. Training in congregational care, hospital ministry, as well as experiences in ministry to the poor and grieving provide diverse opportunities for growing in the ministry of comfort.

4.  The Ministry of Equipping

Christian ministers are called not only to perform individual ministry skills, such as teaching and   preaching in the corporate setting, but are also given the responsibility for leading the church in the practice of its ministry. They are to “equip the saints for the work of ministry” (Eph. 4:12). They bear responsibility for shaping the church’s corporate identity, guiding it in its worship, facilitating its ministries, and encouraging appropriate intervention in conflicts among believers. Ministers must not only be able to do ministry but also to lead others to ministry.

Although preparation for this ministry may first begin in the home and the church, the GST provides an environment for the equipping of ministers for continued spiritual growth and effective witness. Individuals are formed for service through a process of reflection, mentoring, worship, and practice.