McAfee School of Theology offers a track in Pastoral Care. This track is designed to develop the student’s skills, knowledge and self-awareness related to the ministries of pastoral care. Students whose vocational plans include pastoral care in a local church setting or chaplaincy (in hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, mental health facilities, and other agencies) would benefit from this track.
Through the Clinical Pastoral Education component, all students receive supervised experience and training as a pastoral care giver, as well as the opportunity to reflect upon their pastoral identity, concerns, and places with a competent and compassionate mentor. Students whose goals include professional certification in Chaplaincy may enter this track as preparation for their work toward certification with the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education or the Association for Professional Chaplains.
Students who wish to become certified as a Pastoral Counselor with the American Association for Pastoral Counseling may enter this track as preparation for their work toward certification. The track in Pastoral Care does not offer courses that prepare students for a state license as a counselor. Students who want to be both certified and licensed are advised to enroll in the joint degree in Master of Divinity and Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program.
For more information, please contact our Admissions Office at theoadmiss@mercer.edu or 678.547.6474.
Here is a breakdown of what a three year, full time program in Pastoral Care could look like:
|
Course Name |
Credit Hours |
Course Name |
Credit Hours |
Year 1 – Fall Semester |
Year 1 – Spring Semester |
||
| Hebrew Exegesis I (OTH 603) |
3 |
Pastoral Care (PAC 671) |
3 |
| Spiritual Formation (SPF 701) |
2 |
Spiritual Formation II (SPF 702) |
2 |
| Old Testament I (OTH 604) |
3 |
Old Testament II (OTH 605) |
3 |
| Church History I (CHH 621) |
3 |
Church History II (CHH 622) |
3 |
| Evangelism and Mission I (EVM 661) |
3 |
Elective in Pastoral Care |
3 |
|
Total for semester: |
14 |
Total for semester: |
14 |
Year 1 – J-Terms |
|||
| CPE (PAC 872) |
6 |
||
|
Total for semester: |
6 |
||
Year 2 – Fall Semester |
Year 2 – Spring Semester |
||
| Jesus and the Gospels (NTG 611) |
3 |
Paul and the Early Church (NTG 612) |
3 |
| Greek Exegesis I (NTG 613) |
3 |
Elective in Pastoral Care |
3 |
| Preaching (PRC 651) or Worship (PRC 652) |
3 |
Preaching (PRC 651) or Worship (PRC 652) |
3 |
| Theology/Philosophy I (THP 631) |
3 |
Theology/Philosophy II (THP 632) |
3 |
| Faith Development (CRE 682) |
3 |
Elective |
3 |
|
Total for semester: |
15 |
Total for semester: |
15 |
Year 2 – J-Terms |
|||
| Elective |
3 |
||
|
Total for semester: |
3 |
||
Year 3 – Fall Semester |
Year 3 – Spring Semester |
||
| Mentoring I (MIN 901) |
3 |
Elective |
3 |
| Ethics (ETH 641) |
3 |
Elective |
3 |
| Baptist Heritage (CHH 623) |
2 |
Capstone (MIN 903) |
3 |
| Elective in Pastoral Care |
3 |
Elective in Pastoral Care |
3 |
|
Total for semester: |
11 |
Total for semester: |
12 |
| Total Required & Elective Hours |
90 |
||
