Is MI accredited?
At MI, we believe it is important that every seminary be held to the highest standards of accountability:
This is why The Master's Institute offers a demanding and innovative educational and formational Master of Divinity program to assure our students and partners of the quality of an MI education. MI offers a non-accredited degree that enables graduates to be ordained, and/or licensed through Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ, Harvest Network International, International Ministerial Fellowship, and numerous other Christian networks, denominations, and agencies.
A careful evaluation of MI's programs will attest to these things:
1. A rigorous academic curriculum that provides students with a thorough grounding in Biblical Studies, Theology, and the History of the Church.
2. An understanding of the dynamics of practical ministry in the twenty-first century that includes the integration of hands-on and reflective learning in carefully selected internship environments concurrent with work in the classroom.
3. The Christian health and wholeness of our graduates, having been carefully tended through an ongoing, relational, spiritual and character formation process to leadership development.
MI chooses professors who are:
1. Currently engaged in fruitful ministry, and are well qualified to inspire, teach, and equip ministry leaders at a seminary level.
2. Godly, passionate practitioners who are educated, engaged, and culturally informed to speak to the needs of the church and culture in the twenty-first century.
3. Role models for godly leadership in the content of their character as well as the content of their courses.
The benefits of this approach to theological education are:
1. Flexibility in structuring an effective approach to transformational learning, allowing us to build the program to meet the needs of the students, the Church, and the communities involved.
2. Flexibility in making necessary changes quickly, allowing us to adapt to changing cultures and seasons as needed.
3. Freedom to focus financial and personnel resources on the mission of the school.
4. A holistic formation opportunity that enables MI to send graduates out to do the ministry God has called them to with little or no financial burden.
We believe that "the proof is in the pudding."
Our graduates' readiness for fruitful and effective ministry is well attested, and we find our credibility in the following:
1. The close relationships and our responsiveness to the leaders, churches, and church networks we have been called to serve;
2. Our accountability to our students, Board, and church partners to remain faithful to our God-imparted vision, mission, core values, and philosophy of education and leadership development;
3. The breadth, depth, experience, and credibility of our faculty;
4. The quality and proven track records of our graduates who are now in the field doing Kingdom ministry in the power of God's Holy Spirit.
Is MI a Lutheran school?
Our statement of faith is evangelical, creedal, and sacramental. Being Lutheran is an issue of substance rather than style, of theology rather than methodology. We are Reformational in our understanding of the authority of Scripture and the centrality of grace and faith. We are an approved Seminary for Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ, and have placed students in Missouri Synod, ELCA and non-denominational settings. We teach Lutheran confessions as a partner of Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ, but we have a strong ecumenical value and welcome students of all denominational backgrounds.
Do students graduate with a degree?
MI graduates receive a Master of Divinity (Mdiv) or Certificate of Completion (Micro-Mdiv and School of Ministry) along with letters of recommendation from some of the faculty and staff of MI, their mentor or the church at which they interned. Seminary students graduate with solid leadership training, equipping them to serve as pastors, church planters, missionaries, worship leaders and director of music ministries, youth or Christian education ministers, para-church ministers, or workers in other areas of leadership. Many MI graduates are currently employed as senior, associate or youth pastors, and missionaries.
How does grading work?
The faculty, or, in some cases the Director, Spiritual Formation or the Dean of Students, will evaluate your homework assignments for “Clarity of Thought” and “Comprehension.” The papers are evaluated using the traditional grading system, A-F on a 100 point scale. Your grade is more than a measurement of performance; it reflects your preparation as you are being formed for Kingdom ministry. MI is equally concerned with excellence in character and equipping for leadership as it is with academics. If a student were to get an A in theology and a D in character, we would have missed our goal. We are training leaders who can think biblically and who’s character is conformed to the image of Christ.
What kind of jobs are available after graduation?
Graduates are currently serving in the ARC (Alliance of Renewal Churches), LCMC (Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ), HNI (Harvest Network International) Churches, the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America), or have returned to their sending church in some leadership capacity or as a church planter of that congregation. Other church networks are also beginning to discover MI and may receive MI graduates in the future such as Evangelical Free churches, Covenant churches, Vineyard churches, and more. MI has teamed up with IMF (International Ministerial Fellowship) to help with licensing and ordination. MI will assist students, as requested, in finding a position suitable to their gifts and training and will continue in this relationship with them throughout their ministry if desired. Placement is the primary responsibility of the graduates and their relational networks.
Who teaches at MI?
All of MI's faculty are adjunct. Some are pastors in the Twin Cities who have a gift and passion for communicating the Christian message. Some are seminary professors whose values and gifting fit well with our program. We teach from the Lutheran perspective on Reformation (Word alone, Grace alone, Faith alone).
What is the curriculum?
MI’s curriculum is fashioned in a seminar format, with each weekly seminar running from 8:00 – 12:00 pm on Thursdays and Fridays. Most seminars are contained in 1-2 weeks. Classes include biblical studies, systematics (the work of the Spirit, the nature of man, etc.), church history, apologetics (a defense of the faith), and practical theology (leadership, spiritual formation, discipleship, etc.).
Does MI teach Greek or Hebrew?
Students desiring to study Greek/Hebrew are encouraged to do so through intensives or summer courses through various seminaries. MI does not currently offer a Greek or Hebrew class.
Does one need a bachelor degree to apply?
Younger students are encouraged to complete their college degree before applying. Second-career people who sense God leading them into some form of ministry and who demonstrate Christian maturity and leadership are welcome to apply to MI’s credentialed program whether or not they have a college degree. (Equivalencies for life experiences, leadership, and Christian service are considered.)
What is meant by "character formation" or "mentoring?"
Academic training is insufficient for Christian leadership. Students need character formation. The MI approach is three-fold: Biblical teaching is one-third of the program, character formation and hands-on leadership training are the other two-thirds. Character formation includes weekly personal time with a mentor who helps to give encouragement, direction, and correction when needed, group mentoring (students meet together for encouragement and accountability), and personal daily devotions (which includes the reading of devotional classics). The mentoring is personal and relational rather than academic. Students are more likely to be asked questions about how they are handling temptation or strengthening their devotional life than about homework assignments.
Does MI offer options for people wanting training but not a full M.Div?
Yes. The Micro-MDiv is an 18 month masters level program that develops advanced leaders in their congregational context. Credits from this program are transferrable to the credentialed MDiv if completed at a masters level and approved by MI faculty.
Can I take a class online?
Yes, courses are offered online. Contact the school for more info.
Is there a school like this near me?
We only have one permament location in St. Paul, Minnesota. However, we have distance students all over the country (and sometimes the world!) and we also have Micro MDiv programs in several different locations. See our Micro MDiv page for more info.
Non-Discrimination Policy
The Master’s Institute admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded and made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational or admissions policies, scholarship or other school-administered programs. The Master’s Institute recognizes, respects, and honors diversity due to an individual’s culture, race, and ethnicity.