ATLANTA – The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and Campbell University Divinity School have partnered to help remove the financial and geographical barriers for individuals seeking certification in preschool and children’s ministry.
Too often laypersons desiring theological education are unable to attend seminary by a traditional route for two main reasons – financial costs of graduate schools and the logistical constraints of not living near a seminary.
For nine years, Campbell, a Fellowship partner, in Buies Creek, N.C. has offered a certificate in preschool and children’s ministry to students working towards a master of divinity degree. Janice Haywood, who directs the certification program, serves as an adjunct professor on Campbell’s faculty. In addition to her roles on campus, Haywood has expanded the certification program off campus as well.
In the spring of 2000, Haywood began leading short-term intensive sessions for students seeking certification, but who were unable to attend seminary. The short-term sessions have been offered in both North Carolina and Virginia, and now, thanks to a partnership between CBF and Campbell, they will be offered for the first time in Georgia in the fall of 2009.
The Atlanta short-term intensive courses will be held at the Ignatius House, a Jesuit retreat center located on the Chattahoochee River, where students will gather twice a semester for three days. Classes within the certification program focus on teaching students not only how to teach, but also why they teach, what to teach, and when to teach it.
“If [laypersons are] responsible for overseeing the children’s ministry, they need to know how to do that,” said Haywood, “They need to know how to enlist and maintain volunteers, how to counsel children about their faith commitment, how to deal with crises in a child’s life, how to structure programs that give their children a balanced spiritual diet and how to encourage and equip parents to become the faith nurturers of their children.”
“This is a real ‘fullness of time’ opportunity for us,” said Bo Prosser, the Fellowship’s coordinator for congregational life. “The energy of Campbell Divinity School, the expertise of Janice, and the mission of the Fellowship will create a powerful synergy for education, theological reflection, and practical experience. I’m excited about what God is going to do in the midst of these gatherings.”
To learn more about the certification, contact Jana Kinnersley at kinnersleyjana@yahoo.com or (706) 224-3779.
CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.