Bachelor of Arts in Pastoral Ministries

A calling can take many shapes, but serving in church leadership takes a special kind of person, one with commitment, integrity, and heart. It also requires specialized training, and that’s where Northwest University’s College of Ministry can help. The Pastoral Ministry program combines academic excellence with spiritual formation and hands-on experience in local churches to prepare you for full-time vocational ministry. When you graduate, you’ll be ready to make a difference, one that has eternal impact.

Concentrations Include:

  • Church and Ministry Leadership
  • General Ministries
  • Youth, Children, and Family Ministries

Why Pastoral Ministries at NU?

  • Benefit from small classes that feature dynamic curriculum and one-on-one time with professors.
  • Develop a culturally relevant approach to ministry—one that adapts to cultural changes without compromising biblical truth.
  • Learn from highly qualified professors, all of which have doctorates in addition to real-world ministry experience.
  • Study biblical and theological concepts along with leadership skills and church strategy for an education that fully equips you for full-time ministry.
  • Engage with your learning through three semesters of internships at local churches.
  • Join the College of Ministry’s annual trip to Israel to see the Bible come alive, studying biblical lands and history on-location.

Northwest is a great place for the next wave of missional leaders to engage the Scripture, contextualize the gospel, build lifelong friendships, and get a big vision for the future.

–Wes Davis

Lead Pastor, newlife.tv

Internship Opportunities

Internship opportunities in churches and faith based organizations are customized and tailored for each student based on their concentration and focus of ministry.

Common Career Paths

A degree from NU can help you launch your career immediately after graduation. Some of the positions that a degree in Pastoral Ministry can open up for you include:

  • Associate Pastor
  • Senior Pastor
  • Youth Pastor
  • Church Planter
  • Missionary
  • Business Leader
  • Faith-Based Ministry Leader
  • Faith-Based Social Service Leader

Word from the College of Ministry

“The College of Ministry’s primary goal is to develop leaders for Christian ministry. This is accomplished by creating classes that are relevant, scholarly, and inspirational. Our full-time faculty and guest instructors are among the best in the nation in their fields. In many of our programs, we have waiting lists from churches and ministries that desire to employ students from our department. Pastoral ministry (including youth and children’s pastors), mission work, and church planting are a few of the areas where we continually place our students.”

Dr. Joshua Ziefle

Dean, College of Ministry

View Course Descriptions

You can explore program details such as course descriptions and graduation requirements for this program in our academic catalog.

Go to the Catalog