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This list of policies are specifically related to the Mentored Ministry Program.
For a more complete list of the Seminary’s Academic Policies visit the Registration
Office or consult your Student Handbook.
REGISTRATION AND MENTORED MINISTRY UNIT INFORMATION
The new Mentored Ministry
Program - inaugurated in May of 1998 - was designed to foster and facilitate the
maximum amount of quality ministry involvement for students during their seminary
career. For students beginning seminary with little or no ministry background this
expanded experience is particularly vital.
Each Mentored Ministry unit is expected to be ten hours per week for a duration of twelve weeks - a normal semester - and is subject to the same registration and written work deadlines as any classroom course. (Any duration exceptions or variations must be approved by the Mentored Ministry office.) At least half of the student’s weekly hours must be in direct ministry, with no more than half of the time devoted to preparation. Students working 20 hours a week may take two units of Mentored Ministry in one semester. Students who wish to take three or more units of Mentored Ministry in one semester must have the permission of the Director or Assistant Director of Mentored Ministry.
The following are the Mentored Ministry classes for which you must register consecutively. Depending on the number of ministry hours per week you plan to work, more than one unit may be done simultaneously. Note that summers are also considered one semester.
| MM(EM/MM) 501 (Orientation Unit - 1) | MM(EM/MM) 502 (unit 2) | MM(EM/MM) 601 (unit 3) |
| MM(EM/MM) 602 (unit 4) | MM 701 (unit 5) | MM 702 (unit 6) |
Special Note for M.A. in Educational Ministries students: Because
the MAEM program is shorter, MAEM students are required to do the Orientation Unit
and 3 Field Units. For MAEM students the Orientation Unit is listed as EM/MM501
and the Field Units are also as EM/MM 502, 601, and 602.
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TRANSFER OF CREDIT
No credit is given for ministry experience
prior to entering Gordon-Conwell apart from special permission from the Director
or Asst. Director of Mentored Ministry and the Registrar. While the seminary recognizes
the value of various kinds of ministry experiences prior to beginning formal theological
studies, our Mentored Ministry program encourages further development and growth
in a monitored setting where evaluation and reflection build upon previously learned
skills and experiences.
Petitions for waivers of Mentored Ministry units based on previous experience may be made providing the student present documentation of the experience along with supervisory confirmation. Waivers will be based on number of years of full-time ministry from one to six years, one unit per calendar year. However, all students with previous full-time experience are encouraged to consider doing all or partial Mentored Ministry units while in seminary for the spiritual and ministry enrichment which may be gained. Please see the Waiver Policy for more information.
Transfer credit may be granted to students who transfer from other recognized seminaries. Such decisions are made by the Registrar in consultation with the Director and/or Asst. Director of Mentored Ministry.
Boston
Theological Institute: Gordon-Conwell students may elect
to fulfill Mentored Ministry requirements through a field project affiliated with
another school of the BTI, especially where denominational credentials are involved.
In such cases the requirements for Gordon-Conwell and/or the sponsoring school
may have to be met. Please consult with the Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
Mentored Ministry Office before making any arrangements with another school.
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FEES AND REMUNERATION
There is a $120 fee charged per unit
of Mentored Ministry. The usual procedures which apply to all courses regarding
registration, extension requests, payments and refunds apply also to the Mentored
Ministry courses.
Some churches/projects offer a stipend, some cover travel expenses only, and
some offer no payment at all. The department encourages all projects to offer remuneration
but some settings are not in the position to do so. Students should select sites
on the basis of the opportunities for learning, not on the basis of financial opportunity
or closest proximity to the campus.
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GRADING
Mentors will suggest a grade for their students and
in most cases this grade will be accepted. However, the Mentored Ministry Department
will be ultimately responsible for the student’s grade and may adjust it
depending on their understanding of a student’s situation and/or the quality
and promptness of the submission of their written work.
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EXTENSION POLICY
All written work must be turned in or postmarked
by the due dates published, which are based on those set
for coursework listed in the seminary catalog. Deadlines are strictly held and
late work penalized. Verbal extensions from the Mentored Ministry Office are acceptable
for Learning Covenants, but only if the student contacts us on or before the due
date. Contact the Registration Office for all end-of-semester
extension petitions (for Progress Reports or Final Evaluations) but again, only
before or on a due date. End-of-semester assignments which have extensions must
be submitted to Registration rather than to the Mentored Ministry Office.
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MENTOR AND SITE/PROJECT APPROVAL
Mentor Approval.
Prior to beginning your Mentored Ministry we ask that you make sure that your mentor
is approved and on file in the Mentored Ministry Department. Minimum requirements
for mentors are five years of full-time ministry experience and one-time attendance
at our Mentor Orientation. If your potential mentor has not previously been approved
as a mentor by Gordon-Conwell, please have him or her fill out the Application
to Mentor.
Site/Project Approval. A significant
range of ministry experiences are acceptable to the Mentored Ministry Department—from
your home church, to nearby congregations, to para-church ministries, summer projects
and overseas missions. Any Mentored Ministry in a church would normally be approved.
For other, more unique or para-church situations, we encourage you to contact the
Mentored Ministry Office to confirm the acceptability of that particular ministry.
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CPE—CLINICAL PASTORAL EDUCATION
An accredited Clinical Pastoral Education program is another option for
fulfilling some of the Mentored Ministry requirements. CPE program are located at
hospitals and health care institutions around the country and provide students with
hands-on chaplaincy training. Locally, Beverly
Hospital is home to a well-respected
CPE program. Some denominations require students to enroll in a CPE program for a
semester or year. In our program, CPE satisfies two Mentored Ministry unit requirements
but may also count for more depending on the student’s
future goals and their denominational requirements. Students may also opt to have
CPE count for an additional one, two, or three electives in addition to the Mentored
Ministry units. Speak with the Mentored Ministry Department regarding such variations.
In place of the Learning Covenant and other written work for Mentored Ministry, a
copy of the CPE Acceptance Letter from the hospital’s
supervising chaplain and the Final Evaluation (done by both supervisor and student)
comprise the written work required for this course.
Click here for
more information about the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education.
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OMP - OVERSEAS MISSIONS PRACTICUM
Summer missions practicums
through the seminary are encouraged and may also count for up to two units of Mentored
Ministry. Students must register for the OMP course and Mentored Ministry
units for the summer in order to receive credit, as well as comply with the modified
written requirements outlined in an OMP Mini- Manual during their OMP orientation.
To learn more about OMP see the course description in the Catalog.
For the current Mentored Ministry/OMP Manual click here (PDF)
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