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The Cross on Regent's chapel steeple: Pursue your MA in Church Leadership degree online at Regent University.

M.A. in Church Leadership

Train the Next Generation of Ministry Leaders Through Regent’s M.A. in Church Leadership Degree Program

Are you ready to mobilize people for service in the local church and parachurch ministries? Regent’s Master of Arts in Church Leadership can train you to lead any number of ministries in the church or parachurch setting. This degree offers a balanced blend of coursework that includes Old and New Testament, Spiritual Formation, and Christian Theology, alongside specialty classes that may sharpen your area of interest. You can learn effective administration and management skills, including organization structure, budgets and facilities, church and nonprofit law, and church security. You can also gain the practical tools needed to minister in a diverse, changing world. Presented from a Christian perspective, this high-impact degree is offered fully online and taught by seasoned pastor-theologians and respected faculty in Virginia Beach.

Online
36
January 13, 2025
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BROADEN YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF CHURCH LEADERSHIP

Learn new ways to lead, preach, administrate, and manage budgets for growth and impact.

LEARN FROM TOP SCHOLARS & PRACTITIONERS

Learn how to get to the next level of ministry from instructors who have walked out similar challenges and wins.

GAIN HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE

Enjoy real-world ministry practice through a capstone internship.

Please complete the Request Information form on this page to learn more about this program.

Association of Theological Schools (ATS) Accredited
Top 25 Best Master's Programs in Virginia, 2024, UniversityHQ.
The M.A. in Church Leadership at Regent University is accredited by The Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS).

On completing the M.A. in Church Leadership degree, you can:

  • Develop strategies for effective emotional and spiritual healing in the Church.
  • Prepare transformational messages that communicate biblical life and truth.
  • Apply key ministry practices for church renewal and revitalization.
  • Avoid pastoral pitfalls by understanding critical issues in pastoral leadership.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

  • Ministerial/Church Leader
  • Christian Educator
  • Church Leadership Consultant
  • Nonprofit Organization Executive
Featured Courses
BIBL 508New Testament3
Contents, themes, and genres of the New Testament canon; methodologies for interpreting the texts in light of their historical contexts.
BIBL 509Old Testament3
Contents, themes, and genres of the Old Testament canon; methodologies for interpreting the texts in light of their historical contexts.
COSM 500Cosmogony & Anthropology3
Biblical apologetic for the nature of God, humankind, and creation. Focuses on God’s revelation of Himself through creation with practical application to Christian witness.
PMIN 501Leadership in Church & Ministry3
Foundational biblical principles of church leadership and life with an emphasis on team ministry. Examines key ministry practices as foundations for church renewal and revitalization. Recommended as a prerequisite to other ministry courses.
PMIN 524Preparation of Biblical Messages3
Systematic approach to developing biblical messages that are driven by genuine human need, sound biblical exegesis and by clear, specific application of biblical truth to the lives of hearers. Focus is on preparing transformational messages that communicate biblical life and truth.
PMIN 602Pastoral Care, Counseling & Conflict3
Strategies for effective emotional and spiritual healing in the unique context of the Church. Presents models for biblically based, spiritually-gifted strategies to address key issues as an integrated part of the mentoring and disciple-making process.
PMIN 603Christian Leadership Development3
Biblical principles concerning the development and exercise of Christian leadership in ministry settings. Emphasis on mobilizing people for Spirit-led service in the local church.
PMIN 604Ministry Administration3
Effective administration and management in ministry, with emphasis on application in the local church. Special attention is given to organization structure, budgets and facilities, church and non-profit law, and church security.
PMIN 606Pastoral Theology3
An integrated perspective of the pastoral functions, practices and offices in the local church, with special applied emphasis on the sacraments, ordinances, funerals and weddings. Critical issues in pastoral leadership are examined with an emphasis on avoiding pastoral pitfalls and fulfilling one’s calling with integrity.
SFRM 501Spiritual Formation Foundations3
Examines the biblical, historical, and theological aspects of Christian formation, including the holistic and other models, with emphasis on both personal life and ministry contexts. Taken in the first semester of degree and begins the Spiritual Formation Portfolio.
SFRM 695Ministry Internship3
Addresses spiritual formation application of a 200-hour ministry internship experience; serves as the basis for the assessment of spiritual progress and vocational preparedness within the professional context. Continues the Spiritual Formation Portfolio. Prerequisite: SFRM 501. Pass/No Pass.
THEO 500Christian Theology3
Key tenets and central doctrines of the Christian faith. Special focus on biblical foundations, historical developments, theological method, and major controversies and confessions.

2024-25 Semester Check-In Deadlines

All students are expected to check-in for the semester two weeks before the session start date. Students should apply, be accepted, enroll in their first courses, and confirm a plan to pay for their courses prior to this date.

SessionSemester Check-InSession Start Date
Session AFriday, August 9Monday, August 19
Session MFriday, September 6Monday, September 16
Session BFriday, October 11Monday, October 21
Session CWednesday, January 8Monday, January 13
Session TFriday, January 31Monday, February 10
Session DFriday, March 7Monday, March 17
Session EFriday, May 2Monday, May 12
Session FFriday, June 13Monday, June 23

Admissions Requirements

Step 1: Apply to Regent University

Submit your application using the Regent University Online Application.

Note: If you are unable to complete our application due to a disability, please contact our Admissions Office at 757.352.4990 or admissions@regent.edu and an admissions representative will provide reasonable accommodations to assist you in completing the application.

Step 2: Submit Your Unofficial Transcripts

Submit your unofficial transcripts to regent.edu/items.

Upon submitting your application, you will receive an email requesting authorization for Regent University to obtain your official transcripts from your U.S. degree-granting institution. International transcripts must be evaluated by a NACES, AACRAO or NAFSA approved agency.

Step 3: Submit Your Government-Issued ID

To ensure academic integrity, Regent University requires a copy of a government-issued ID. Please submit a scanned copy or photograph of it to regent.edu/items.

Please feel free to contact the Office of Admissions at 757.352.4990 or admissions@regent.edu should you have any further questions about the application process.

Note: All items submitted as part of the application process become the property of Regent University and cannot be returned.

PART-TIME STUDENTS

DegreeTuition Cost Per Credit HourAverage Credit Hours Per SemesterAverage Tuition Per Semester
Master of Arts (MA)$5306$3,180
Master of Divinity (MDiv)$5306$3,180
Master of Theological Studies (MTS)$5306$3,180
Master of Theology (ThM)$6703$2,010
Doctor of Ministry (DMin)$6703$2,010
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)$6703$2,010

Full-Time Students

DegreeTuition Cost Per Credit HourAverage Credit Hours Per SemesterAverage Tuition Per Semester
Master of Arts (MA)$5309$4,770
Master of Divinity (MDiv)$5309$4,770
Master of Theological Studies (MTS)$5309$4,770
Master of Theology (ThM)$6706$4,020
Doctor of Ministry (DMin)$6706$4,020
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)$6706$4,020

Student Fees Per Semester

University Services Fee (On-Campus Students)$850 (Fall & Spring)
$700 (Summer)
University Services Fee (Online Students)$700

Military Admissions & Aid » | Cost of Attendance »

Part-Time Students

DegreeTuition Cost Per Credit HourAverage Credit Hours Per SemesterAverage Tuition Per Semester
Master of Arts (MA)$5306$3,180
Master of Divinity (MDiv)$5306$3,180
Master of Theological Studies (MTS)$5306$3,180
Master of Theology (ThM)$6703$2,010
Doctor of Ministry (DMin)$6703$2,010
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)$6703$2,010

Full-Time Students

DegreeTuition Cost Per Credit HourAverage Credit Hours Per SemesterAverage Tuition Per Semester
Master of Arts (MA)$5309$4,770
Master of Divinity (MDiv)$5309$4,770
Master of Theological Studies (MTS)$5309$4,770
Master of Theology (ThM)$6706$4,020
Doctor of Ministry (DMin)$6706$4,020
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)$6706$4,020

Student Fees Per Semester

University Services Fee (On-Campus Students)$850 (Fall & Spring)
$700 (Summer)
University Services Fee (Online Students)$700

Military Admissions & Aid » | Cost of Attendance »

*Rates are subject to change at any time.

“Regent has maintained a high standard of scholarship and the practical aspects of leadership, and they have outstanding professors. I was blessed when I was there.”
Daniel Backens, M.A. in Practical Theology, 1999 Senior Pastor, New Life Church
“When I began my time at Regent, I had no idea of what “after” might look like. I just knew that now was the time and Regent was the place. My time at Regent was a deeply formative experience. Through my studies, my capacity for study has increased, my teaching gifts have been further developed, and I operate with a level of confidence I didn’t know that I had before. Regent equipped me for Africa, and my ministry in Africa has equipped me for my ministry at Regent and in my local church in Virginia Beach.”
Melissa Davis, Doctor of Philosophy in Renewal Theology, 2023
“It was the beginning stages of Regent's D.Min. program that really helped define my leadership gift and lay a foundation for what the Lord has done. It gave me the practical tools that I needed.”
Mark Batterson, D.Min., 2013 Lead Pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C.; New York Times Best-Selling Author
“I look back at my time at Regent as one of the best, God-led decisions in my life. In all the fun, networking, late-night studying, classes and meaningful conversations with fellow students and professors, God did a deeper work within me that I am forever grateful for. Regent University for me was more than a place of knowledge—it is a place where God speaks, forms, and prepares us for the High Calling he has on our lives for His glory! It was a place I was given tools for life and ministry. I am forever grateful for my time Regent and what Regent has meant for me and what it has been and will be for me and thousands of past and future students!”
Carl Ness, Master of Arts in Practical Theology, 2017
“My training at Regent has equipped me to impact nations through teaching and preaching God's word. My teaching has changed from being content-centered to being learner-centered. I have gained a clearer vision about God's redemptive call on my life, and my time at Regent has left an indelible mark on my ministry.”
Dr. Samuel T. Koshy, Doctor of Ministry, 2024