Pastoral Ministry prepares students to serve as lead, associate, or assistant pastors by teaching them to develop ministry principles based on biblical guidelines. Courses cover topics such as preaching, worship, theology, leadership, counseling, and ministry.
The vocational track includes the minor of the student’s choice, to simultaneously prepare for non-ministerial vocations.
Career Opportunities
- Associate Pastor
- Author
- Chaplaincy
- Counselor
- Evangelist
- Family Ministry
- Lead Pastor
- Ministry Leader
- Outreach Ministry
- Parachurch Ministries
- Professor
- Teacher
- Social Media Ministry
- Youth /Young Adult Ministry Leader
What to Expect
Weekend Sunday Shadowing
Weekend Sunday Shadowing, or WSS, is a weekend experience offered one time every semester where faculty and students visit a church, typically within a one-hour drive of Cleveland. The students and faculty visit on Saturday to interact with the church staff, do Q & A sessions, and have lunch. The day typically lasts from 9 a.m. – noon. Then on Sunday, the group returns to the church to “job shadow” respective staff members. Pastoral majors “shadow” the pastor, youth majors “shadow” the youth ministry, and so on, to see how the church functions “behind the scenes” during a service. Both the Saturday morning and Sunday morning components are required to receive credit for that weekend, in addition to a short post-event questionnaire. Students are required to complete four of these events during their four years at Lee.
Travel/Global Trips
- Honduras Global Ministry and Benevolence Global Trip
- Israel Study Abroad
- Selected students are invited to travel to Chicago in the summer for a three-week inner-city immersion experience supported by the Scholl Foundation.
Club/Social
- Theta Alpha Kappa
- Pi Alpha Sigma (Koine Greek)
- TAK - STM Honor Society
Awards/Honors
- STM Award – pending faculty vote
- Discipline Award – by nomination of PASM Discipline Coordinator
Service
Service learning is embedded in several courses. Art students have many service opportunities in graphic design, teaching art lessons, painting murals, and creating portraits for people in undeserved communities.
Capstone
The Capstone course is designed to help graduating students integrate their faith with the academic knowledge they have gained throughout their studies. It is regarded as the final reflection of the essential Core Values of Lee University. All STM majors take a capstone class just prior to graduation (RELG 495).
Home/Location
Students spend the majority of their time in the STM Building and STM Commons area.
Internships/Practicum
Required 8 week/150 hours after completion of all pre-requisites typically at 60+ academic hours.