Fundamental Christian beliefs and teachings, including revelation, inspiration, the Godhead, angels, the devil and the origin of sin, creation, man’s original condition and fall, state of the dead, the Holy Spirit, and the incarnation, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. Attention will also be given to angels and demons.
The formation of the Old Testament Canon. Basic literary features/problems associated with the three divisions of the Hebrew Bible (Torah, Neviim, Kethuviim). Questions of Jewish and Christian (Catholic and Protestant) positions about the Old Testament Canon and how they affect the interpretation of the Old Testament literature (e.g. the Septuagint, Apocrypha, Deutero-canon, etc). Attention will be given to the use of the Old Testament in African Independent Churches.
The course discusses methods and interpretative principles involved in discerning the meaning of the biblical text. Topics covered include essential steps in interpreting the Bible, the variety of methods and approaches available to the contemporary student of Scripture, historical and theological issues arising out of the interpretative task, the relationship between the Testaments, word studies and literary genre. Students learn to use standard tools of biblical research.
This course will aid students to develop competency in pastoral ministry through a study of being called to a church, beginning a pastoral ministry, building relationships, leading a church, and leaving a church field. Practical ministry matters, as well as theological and philosophical considerations, will include training in planning preaching, administrating the ordinances, performing weddings, conducting funerals and ordinations, visiting, counseling, and sustaining spiritual growth.
Examination of the factors underlying the emergence of the Christian religious understanding and practices of African-descended peoples worldwide and their response. The aim of the course is to investigate whether the church among African descended people worldwide, has been able to address the various circumstances from which they emerged. The course focuses on historic and contemporary experiences of Africans (present inhabitants of the African continent) and African-descended peoples in the Americas, particularly the United States, the Caribbean, and Latin America. The course will discuss the factors behind the emergence of the Christian church on the African continent and in the African diaspora and how the church has responded in these various socio-theological contexts. We will give attention to the influence of slavery on Christianity in the Americas, the influence of apartheid on Christianity in South Africa and the influence of colonialism on Christianity in Africa. The course will explore their religious understanding and practices, including music, mode of worship, art, preaching, among others, in order to appreciate the factors that gave birth to their ―theologies‖ and spirituality.
Discussions will also include the emergence of black theology in south Africa where the main concern was liberation from apartheid while African theology developed in other parts of the African continent. Mention will be made of the African’s desire for liberation from malevolent spiritual forces evident in their films, music, prayers, proverbs, maxims and sayings.
The students will survey biblical, theological, and historical approaches to prayer, the devotional life, and the person and work of God. It begins with the student understanding the foundations upon which the world and society are built. It then proceeds to cover making the right decisions to get involved in transforming our world instead of the church being passive. It treats the need to re-position the mental attitude of the church regarding wealth and poverty. Attention will also be given to Daniel, his character, experience and exploits as God’s servant and agent of hope of society and nations.
Focus will be on Spiritual Formation from the experiences of Daniel and lesson that can be applied in pastoral leadership in church and society. Students will produce a reflection paper on how they can mirror Daniel. In a Journey Narrative, the student will write his/her own personal spiritual story (4-5 pages) and produce a 3-4 page review of a book selected for spiritual formation. The student will be required to submit a two-three (2-3) page paper on his/her notations and reflections of the audio messages from the General Overseer, Chairman, Moderator or Arch-bishop of a Church. The student must include a statement of the percentage of the required messages that you listened to.
Introduction to morphology and grammar of New Testament Greek. Alphabet, rules of accents, conjugation, declension, forms of tenses, moods, other grammatical aspects, and basic vocabulary.
An introduction to the basic principles of biblical Hebrew with emphasis on morphology, phonology and syntax.
This course is designed to address issues and strategies of Christian missions to a multi-faith world. Students engage questions and concerns of Global Christianity: What is the goal of mission? What strategies are needed today? How do evangelism and social problems relate? What is the role of dialogue between Christians and non-Christians? Students will give critical analysis of the various approaches of churches in mission and sharpens the biblical goal of making disciples of all nations. Additionally, students explore how Christians relate to and engage religious groups in constructive ways, as we carry out our tasks of mission and ministry to the world.
Introduction to the doctrine of sin (hamartiology), doctrine of salvation (soteriology) and the doctrine of the end times (eschatology).
The history of the formation of the New Testament canon. Outstanding literary problems found in the Gospels (e.g., Synoptic Problem, Proto-Luke hypothesis). Questions of authorship, date, place, purpose of writing, contents, message, form of the New Testament books.
Introduction to theories and practices of preaching in pastoral and liturgical settings. Students will study the various dynamics of preaching (theological, hermeneutical, pastoral, exegetical, ethical, liturgical) and their relation to the regular practice of preaching. The aim of the course is to help students understand what is required to preach effectively and to practice what they understand. Recitation sessions provide opportunity for students to preach and have their efforts recorded on video for playback and critique by the lecturer and colleague students.
The course covers Christian origins, the rise and growth of the church in its cultural, intellectual and political context. It covers the controversies, Christian apologetics, the persecutions of the church, the martyrdom to the era of Constantine I and the creedal formulations. It captures the major turning points in Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox history and fills in accounts of conversion and confrontation in Africa, Latin America and Asia. Finally, it introduces the students to monks and crusaders, heretics and reformers, popes and abolitionists, and discovers Christianity’s essential role in shaping human history and the intimate lives of men and women.
This course studies the concepts and methods of biblical counselling. The student will use a biblical worldview to understand benefits and appropriate uses of counselling and the potential resources available in the community. The content is designed to deliver essential knowledge and skill to support the equipping of students to become helping lay counsellors within the Christian community. The course discusses the resources and knowledge that apply to a broad spectrum of counselling issues.
It introduces spiritual practices, grounded in the Christian tradition, that sustain and nurture a life-long pursuit of union with God. The focus of this course will be on Holiness, Prayer, Worship and Fasting. The student will maintain a spiritual journal during the semester. They will interact with their Bible reading, prayers, and personal walk. Students will be required to attend at least 95% of all communal worship. Spiritual formation is not an individual, solitary process, but requires interaction and the involvement of many other people in our lives. This is why students’ class times together are very important. Each student has a role to contribute toward the spiritual formation of the instructor as well as fellow classmates. We will observe a silent prayer vigil on the Daniel Institute Student Awakening Day (DISAD) from Friday afternoon until Saturday noon, praying for one hour after every three hours every three hours.
Each student will be required to secure a prayer partner and submit their name to the professor. There will be an assignment called “Living the Life God has Planned”. This assignment is a series of three assignments that will be completed over the first three weeks of the course. Each week will require that the student read and meditate on a portion of a biblical text on either prayer or worship and then write a one-page response to his/her reading. The student is to embark on an Individual Spiritual Retreat. The individual retreat will be planned by the student with the facilitation of a mentor chosen by the student and endorsed by his/her instructor/professor. The retreat should be at least three hours on an evening (or afternoon) and then four hours the following day. (example – Friday evening, 6:30 – 9:30 and Saturday morning, 8:30 – 12:30). Students will be asked to write a 2-3 page reflection paper about the experience they select.
Continuation of MASM 813 Beginners New Testament Greek Grammar, covering remaining morphological and grammatical rules of New Testament Greek. Practice in reading and translation of simple texts from the Gospel of John.
The continuation of MASM 815 Beginners Biblical Hebrew, including some reading of selected portions of the Hebrew Old Testament.
An expository study of 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus, with emphasis on interpretive problems, the theological and practical relevance of the Pastorals for society and the church, and church leadership.
This course offer students a comparative study of the world’s major religions. We examine important themes such as myths, rituals, scriptures, and paths of transformation throughout the course. The course covers the historical aspects of African, Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, Shinto, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Sikhism religions, as well as Native American religious beliefs.
The course will focus on research methods with application to the study of theology. The primary goal of the course is to provide broad practical understanding and competency in social science methods applied to theological research. Topics covered include conceptual issues, ethics, literature review, research design, techniques for data collection, tools for data analysis, sampling, various qualitative methods of data collection and analysis and publication. Basic statistical methods will be covered. Students will be introduced to the use of software in data analysis (NVIVO for qualitative research).
Revivals and evangelistic thrusts within Christianity since the 20th century, especially noting their distinctive character, causes and effects, theological underpinnings, and the unique role of the Holy Spirit in promoting revival. What Christians did to bring birth to the revivals and why they could not sustain it. These norms, issues and questions will be examined from biblical and theological perspectives in an effort to arrive at a viable and practical model that can be applied within a contemporary ecclesiastical and personal context.
Discussions will also include the “reactionist” and anti-denominational posture of founders of 20th century Christian ministries and movements, their strengths and weaknesses and what we can learn to strengthen the church today. How to pastor a revival and work with God as He brings change and revitalization to His church are also covered.
Dynamics of the urban area and how to plant healthy churches that will be self-governing, self-propagating and self-supporting. Attention will be given to reaching the lost in multi-housing communities.
Introduction to financial management, receipts and payments, bank reconciliation, assets management, investment, budgeting, financial statements and auditing. The aim of the course is to expose students to church financial management principles and practices. This is a comprehensive and yet practical treatment of the subject and is sure to broaden the horizons as well as provide useful direction to those who are in leadership role.
A theological and practical course designed to help the student to understand the spiritual character development required for effective spiritual ministry. The course emphasizes the development of spiritual vitality through Bible study, devotional reading, prayer, soulwinning and healthy lifestyles. This course will give students the opportunity to develop experiences and practices that will assist spiritual formation. It is intended to address current spiritual needs or questions that students may have and to offer the opportunity for self-care. This course is also intended to focus on building our relationship with God. Students will look at specific spiritual disciplines and practice these disciplines through such methods as retreats, spiritual direction, prayer, meditation, study, healthy relationships and behaviour. Students have flexibility in designing the experiences that they believe will meet their current needs.
Students will design a project that will relate to a current spiritual question, concern, or area of interest. The project could be an interview with someone to gain additional insights, or could be a variety of other projects that are of significant interest and use to the student. Students will submit a review of a book and Spiritual Activity Journal at the end of the course. A Spiritual Formations Study Report will require the student to develop a 6-week study to teach basic spiritual formations lessons to new believers he/she has won to Christ. This study will include promotional materials about the course (flyers, postcards, bulletin inserts), plan for implementation (including suggested course times, class composition, and location), course teaching notes (45 minute teaching sessions produced in MS PowerPoint), and student handouts. Student will produce a journal of street evangelism, or on-vehicle soul-winning or mount an open air campus crusade and submit reports.
Course Notebook. The student will compile all coursework, own personality assessment, notes, book review, journal and report into a course notebook. This notebook will be submitted for a grade at the end of the course, and will be returned for use in future ministry.
This course covers cyber culture and its impact on contemporary Christian religious understanding and practice. Attention will also be given to the impact cyber culture is making on the world of faith and discipleship, our contemporary engagement with the Bible and other sacred texts in digital form.
A comprehensive overview on secular law of Ghana relevant to Christian ministry and the business of the church. The aim of the course is to give students a practical understanding of Ghana law in order to recognize and resolve legal questions confronting pastors and churches today. The course addresses legal issues including. It will provide basic understanding of general legal principles and the application of the law, both common and statutory, to given circumstances. The reading will involve case studies.
African understanding of reality and causality; religious thoughts and cultural values; institutions, systems, rituals and ceremonies of festivals. It also critically assesses the prejudices and misconceptions of the Early Christian Missionary Enterprise, colonization and exploitation of Africa.
The course is designed to study major movements and thinkers, theologians and philosophers in the Christian tradition since the eighteenth-century Enlightenment, together with solid historical background and critical assessments. The study also covers the entire modern period, in both Europe and America, including extensive treatment of modern Catholic thinkers, Evangelical thought, and Black and Womanist theology.
The development of a Christian perspective on reality; the differences between Christian thought and Secular Humanism, the New Age Cults and Post-Modern Philosophical perspectives; extrapolation of a biblically grounded world-and-life viewpoint.
Introduction to basic skills in the field of community development to enhance the capacity of the pastor/participant to effectively promote and participate in the holistic and sustainable development agenda of the communities of their congregants. This course outlines the role of the pastor/leader as a change agent. It introduces to dynamics of community development in general, and Christian community development in particular. Emphasis will be on CDM activities such as; poverty reduction, community engagement, Christian advocacy and policy making, social entrepreneurship and project management. The involvement of the Church and Christian NGOs in Community Development for Missions DM activities will be examined.
This course surveys the history, polity and the core convictions, practices and concerns that have marked theology within the International Central Gospel Church. The course will include an exploration of denominational identity, hidden histories within the denomination, case studies around current issues of polity and structure, ordinances, current ecumenical conversations, emerging trends within the ICGC, and more. It will thus serve as preparation for a pastoral ministry in any ICGC context, whether in the local churches or in any of its agencies (ICGC educational institutions, ICGC NGOs, mission societies, associations, etc).
Ministers’ personal development positive health related behaviours for optimal physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual well-being. The course is designed to help the clergyman make intelligent health care choices.
The course MA in Sacred Ministry is a 6-credit hour research project, 15,000-20,000, required for the Master’s degree. However, it is optional. Students may replace the thesis with two courses/modules. Thus, those writing a thesis require all core courses (6 courses) and only three (3) electives. Students may however, upon the advice of their supervisor(s), audit any relevant course not selected as part of his or her electives.
This course is designed to provide the student opportunity for practical experience in a supervised internship program. During this course the student will apply academic concepts to practice. Permission of the MA program Coordinator is required for enrollment in this course.
