Is a Master of Ministry Really Necessary? 3 Arguments Debunked

Is there value in pursuing further education in ministry? Is it worth the time and cost? Below we’ll look at three common arguments against starting graduate school in ministry, and discover why they just don’t hold up.

“I’ll just learn as I go.”

You will never be able to take the people you serve beyond where you have been. Apologetics, biblical theology, the nature of the church. These and many more are all things that people need to understand. You can’t teach what you don’t know. The accountability of the classroom will force you to think deeply about these issues. Don’t let the tyranny of the urgent distract you from pursuing the biblical, theological, and ministerial skills that will anchor your ministry. There is no replacement for learning from professors who have refined their understanding of the Scriptures in the furnace of practical ministry.

“I will lose touch with the people I’m ministering to.”

Granted … if you start teaching your middle schoolers or adult fellowship friends with lengthy quotes from Jonathan Edwards (because that’s what your theology professor did), you may not be doing it right. However, having a deep well from which to draw doesn’t stifle your creative juices; it guides them. Effective leaders will use their inherent talents and gifts and draw from a richly equipped tool belt. And although those tools can be acquired over time during ministry practice, graduate school provides a concentrated time of intentional equipping.

“I can’t fathom leaving my ministry.”

You don’t have to! Schools have become quite creative in the way they serve their students. For example, here at Cedarville University, we have designed a one-year, online ministry degree with courses in Bible, contemporary theology, biblical leadership, and biblical care and counseling. With the technology of our day, the classroom has never been more accessible. It’s never too late.

Visit our website for more information about the Cedarville University Master of Ministry.