Bible and Ministry in the Contemporary World. Designed for leaders by leaders. This Masters course is something new, something fresh. Focused on the needs of the Church in its mission to carry the Gospel meaningfully into communities and effectively influence society.
Our MA is designed to deepen biblical knowledge and then apply it to ministry in the contemporary world. At the core of the MA are two foundational modules, ‘Reading the Bible in the 21st Century’ and Contemporary Trends in Church in Mission’. They form a starting point from which students are encouraged to explore a range of Biblical and Ministry subjects which best fit with their areas of interest.
We will be looking at current cultural issues, Biblical texts and topics of particular relevance to modern society, and effective contemporary practice in mission and ministry. This is a chance to deepen your skill set in how to go to the Bible for a sense of direction and a way of untangling the confusion and noise of modern life.
We want to assist leaders in developing their ways of thinking that allow them to build up their ministry in biblical and relevant ways. The lecturers and tutors will challenge you, engage you and deliver interesting perspectives; but you will also have a class around you who are from various churches and organisations who will also bring insight and experience to the class discussion and online tutorials & forums, we want this to be a rich learning environment for you.
The video below details key information about the course, as well as a giving you a flavour of the teaching through a sample lecture. If you are considering studying the MA in Theology, it is well worth watching:
Here is what one of our current MA students has to say about the course:
To hear more experiences from our former students about the MA course, click here.
If you would like to view our Graduate course brochure to compare all of our Postgraduate courses, then please click below:
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Those interested in completing the MA Theology should apply on this website. It should take about an hour to fill out the form. We are looking for details of your education background, details of your experience of serving in a church or Christian Ministry, an email address for your 2 references, as well as some information about you and why you want to study this course.
Once we have received your references we will be in contact to arrange the next step, for some applicants we may require a 20 minute interview at the College, or online if you are outside of NI. After the interview we would be able to offer you a place on the course.
We are aiming the course at those who are leading and serving in Christian ministry, whether in the Church, in Mission, or in Para-Church organisations. It is also for those who are interested in developing their biblical knowledge and for those in ‘secular’ employment who want to develop a theological understanding of their work. This course is a good preparation for those who are about to enter into leadership roles within a ministry or mission, or those who are elders and overseers in churches.
This course has been officially validated since February 2018 by our university partner, the University of Cumbria. We have had a very successful working relationship
with them on our undergraduate programmes and we are now working with them on this new Masters. The entire course is developed by the teaching staff of Belfast Bible College in consultation with a wide variety of Church, Mission & Ministry leaders. It is specifically
designed to have high academic standards but also be very relevant to the developing needs of the Church in the UK, Ireland and Europe. www.cumbria.ac.uk
The course is designed to be studied part-time over two years. Teaching is delivered during week-long intensive seminars and lectures twice a year followed by online sessions and assignments. This allows students to continue in their roles while also studying subjects which help them in their Christian ministry. There are 2 core modules,then 4 optional modules, followed by a dissertation.
Each tutor will provide you with detailed reading lists and other materials to guide you. All tutors are available upon appointment for one-to-one meetings, guidance and support.
For someone taking the course over 2 years the schedule will look like this:
Year one:
• Teaching week in August – 2 core modules: lectures and seminars
• September to December/January – online sessions and writing up assignments
• Teaching week in February – 2 optional modules: lectures and seminars
• March to June/July – online sessions and writing up assignments
Year two
• Teaching Week in August – 2 optional modules: lectures and seminars
• September to December/January – online sessions and writing up assignments
• January to August – dissertation
Dates for 2023/24
Teaching week 1:
21st - 26th August 2023 (Monday to Saturday)
Teaching week 2:
19th - 24th February 2024 (Monday to Saturday)
The full programme specification is available to download and read as a pdf. This contains all the programme details as agreed with our validating university partner the University of Cumbria.
• Reading the Bible in the 21st century (Hermeneutics)
• Contemporary Trends in Church and Mission
• Identity and spiritual formation
• Jesus as teacher
• Gospel and context
• Missional ecclesiology
• The Church in the public square
• Contemporary issues
• Contemporary leadership
• Workplace theology
• Independent research
Optional modules may be subject to availability and viability. We plan to offer normally around six optional modules per year, depending on student numbers and interest. It may not be possible to run certain modules if there is only limited student interest in them.