Chaplaincy (MA)
Credential: Master of Arts in Chaplaincy
Location: Online
Program Director: Dr. Kenneth Phillips
Program Mission Statement: The Master of Arts in Chaplaincy degree will equip students to provide Christ-centered spiritual care as chaplains in diverse ministry settings.
Program Learning Outcomes/Core Competencies: As a result of this program, the students will:
1. Understand chaplaincy principles necessary for providing spiritual care in diverse and often secular environments such as hospitals, prisons, and military settings.
2. Apply practical and personal spiritual care skills for addressing emotional, spiritual, and relational issues such as trauma, grief, suicide, crisis intervention, and end-of-life care.
3. Develop leadership skills for managing and directing chaplaincy teams in various contexts.
4. Offer holistic spiritual care that is both biblically and theologically grounded and sensitive to the needs of individuals from diverse backgrounds.
Program Purpose: In this sin-filled and broken world, there are individuals suffering and experiencing crisis as they grapple with God and the meaning of their pain. Many of these people do not attend a local church, but they are all in need of a pastoral presence to be with them and help them make sense of life. The purpose of the Master of Arts in Chaplaincy is to prepare students to come alongside the hurting and provide them with Christ-centered spiritual care outside the walls of the local church.
Program Overview: The Master of Arts in Chaplaincy (MAC) degree at Lancaster Bible College exists to equip students to provide Christ-centered spiritual care as chaplains in diverse ministry settings. Students will learn from world-class faculty in 8-week asynchronous courses and have the opportunity to apply their learning in a professional ministry setting.
Students will be shaped into professional practitioners of spiritual care as they progress through the program, able to minister in a variety of secular venues to those who are of differing backgrounds and belief systems. The MAC is built on the foundation of solid biblical and theological instruction, enabling students to enter the study of chaplaincy firmly established in their own convictions. The focus on personal spiritual formation permeates the students’ studies so that their souls become a deep well from which they can draw to provide spiritual care to those to whom they minister. Students will be challenged to develop their philosophy of chaplaincy by exploring its history, ministry venues, legal issues, leadership, and methods of ministry. The MAC culminates with a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) during which the student will work under a supervisor in a professional ministry environment, utilizing their ministry skills to provide spiritual care with sensitivity and self-awareness.
Curriculum Structure and Degree Requirements
| Curricular Structure |
Credits |
| ORI 500 Orientation |
0 |
| Biblical and Theological Foundations Courses |
12 |
| Ministry Praxis Courses |
12 |
| Chaplaincy Courses |
21 |
| Practicum Course |
3 |
|
Program Total
|
48 |
Biblical and Theological Foundations Courses (12 credits)
Biblical and Theological Foundations Courses may be met through Advanced Standing. See the section below for more information.
| BTC 523 | Biblical Narrative - Old Testament | 3 |
| BTC 533 | Biblical Narrative - New Testament | 3 |
| BTC 563 | Biblical Interpretation | 3 |
| BTC 573 | Introduction to Christian Theology | 3 |
Ministry Praxis Courses (12 credits)
| MIN 504 | Communicating Biblical Truth | 3 |
| OR | |
| BIB 535 | Introduction to Biblical Preaching | 3 |
| MIN 511 | The Church in God's Mission | 3 |
| MIN 512 | Personal Spiritual Formation | 3 |
| MIN 522 | Power, Change, and Conflict | 3 |
Chaplaincy Courses (21 credits)
Practicum Course (3 credits)
| CHP 590 | Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Training Unit | 3 |
Admission, Retention, and Graduation
Admission Requirements
Admission into a master's degree program is consistent with the general admissions policy and practice of LBC. Admission criteria is located in the Admissions Information section of the catalog.
Advanced Standing
Advanced Standing for the Biblical and Theological Foundations courses is granted to those students who have completed 30 hours or more of undergraduate Bible and theology courses. Students with less than 30 hours may receive partial Advanced Standing credit proportionate to undergraduate or graduate Bible and theology studies completed. Students’ official transcripts will be evaluated during the admissions process.
Program Retention
Academic progress in this program is monitored after each term. The Academic Probation policy and Academic Dismissal policy found in this catalog are applied to all LBC students.
Transfer Credit
Transfer credit is awarded in accordance with the general transfer policy in the Academic Policies and Procedures section of the catalog. Transfer credits are reviewed and approved by the Program Director. This program has the following program-specific transfer credit information. Transfer credit must be from an institution other than LBC.
| Seminary Program |
Program Credits |
# of Transfer Credits |
Age of Transfer Credits |
Min. Grade of Transfer Credit |
| Christian Care (MACC) |
36 cr. |
up to 50% |
10 yrs. biblical languages
15 yrs. all other courses
|
C |
Graduation Requirement
The following requirements must be successfully completed in order to receive a Seminary degree or certificate:
- Satisfactory completion of all course work
- A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5
- Fulfillment of all financial obligations
- Adherence to biblical standards and ethics in living one’s lifestyle
Program Faculty
Program Director: Dr. Ken Phillips
Kenneth Phillips (DMin, Liberty University) is the Program Director for the Master of Arts in Chaplaincy program at Lancaster Bible College. Ken has been involved in pastoral ministry for 30 years as a pastor and chaplain. In addition to his work at LBC, Ken serves as the Director of Pastoral Care at Londonderry Village – a Continuing Care Retirement Community in Palmyra, PA.
Ken and his wife, Carolyn, reside in Middletown, PA. They have two adult daughters (Lissa and Kaci) and two labs (Ruby and Amber).
Faculty:
Pamala Cubas, MA
Clifford H. Mack Jr., PhD
Charles Ross, PhD
David W. Swan, Jr., MS
Kenneth Phillips, DMin