Students pursuing ordination should work closely with their advisors, annual conferences, and congregations to be sure that all course requirements are fulfilled. United Methodist students should be in conversation with their district superintendent or member of the District Committee on Ordained Ministry (DCOM) to remain in good standing and make progress toward ordination.

While students are responsible for being aware of their own conference ordination requirements, the School of Theology offers all of the courses required by the Book of Discipline for ordination whether as a deacon or elder. In addition to required courses in Hebrew Bible, New Testament, Theology, and History, those courses include specifically the following, which can be taken at any time during a student’s degree program (no prerequisites):

• TC 723: United Methodist Polity (4 credits) and TH 821 The History and Doctrine of the United Methodist Church (4 credits) [please note: the UMC requires coursework in Polity, History, and Doctrine; at STH, we organize those into two integrated 4-credit courses that satisfy those three requirements]
• TC 835: Evangelism and Contemporary Cultures
• TM 815: Christian Mission
• TC 817: Introduction to Christian Worship

Additionally, there are abundant contextual education opportunities in UMC churches and ministries across Boston and the wider New England region.

MDiv, MTS, and MSM students who do not have a previous theological masters and are pursuing ordination as an elder or a deacon in the United Methodist Church are given 100% tuition scholarships upon admission into their degree program. As proof of their candidacy they need to submit to the STH Financial Aid Office a copy of the screen shot of the UMCares website showing that they have completed the (1) Candidacy Application Form, (2) District Superintendent Signature, (3) Mentor Signature, and (4) Administration Fee for the Candidacy Process.

MDiv, MTS, and MSM students (those without a prior MDiv/MTS) who are candidates for ordained ministry in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, or the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church are eligible for a 100% tuition scholarship upon admission to a program. Before the scholarship is awarded, students must submit a letter from the Presiding Elder of their Quarterly Conference explicitly confirming that they are in the ordination process and licensed by that Conference. This documentation is due to the STH Financial Aid Officer before the first day of classes in the student’s first semester.

See additional information about the 100% tuition Ordination Scholarships in the Scholarships and Awards section of this website.

Despite being located in Boston’s urban environment, STH graduates boast the lowest debt load among all the graduates of the 13 UMC-affiliated seminaries.

The School of Theology includes many Methodist and Wesleyan faculty and staff who are ready to mentor you through your own vocational discernment, as well as any questions you might have about the future of the church. We also have generations of Methodist alumni who provide leadership in all aspects of the UMC denomination, including boards, agencies, and local churches. That kind of network means you can find someone who has walked this path before you, and who might help mentor and connect you with resources for your future life and ministry. Our Alumni Office is ready to connect you with alumni who share your interests.

If you have particular questions about the ordination processes in the United Methodist or Wesleyan traditions, please connect with Associate Dean Cristian De La Rosa.

The School of Theology has a co-curricular Wesleyan Students Association for UMC students and students within the wider Wesleyan tradition (Nazarene, AME, AME Zion, CME, Korean Methodist). Students from any of these denominations may participate in the WSA, which gathers regularly for fellowship and programming.

STH is committed to offering courses that support the cultivation of the above-mentioned “Marks.” Cultivation of those marks is not associated with any precise list of courses or simple correspondence between marks and courses. However, STH offers several courses that are of relevance to UCC students and that connect powerfully with the UCC commitment to congregational life and social engagement. Some examples include:

• • • STH TC 724 The History, Polity and Theology of the United Church of Christ
    • STH TH 826 The Reformations
    • STH TH 810 The Bible in the Reformation
    • STH TC 838 Church Renewal
    • STH TC 825 Prayer and Social Engagement
    • STH TC 899 Practicing Justice
    • STH TR 850 Sociology of Congregational Life

Beyond the classroom, our UCC students have gathered their own student group, which gathers regularly for fellowship and programming. The School designates a UCC Liaison, an ordained UCC staff member assigned to support UCC students as they move through their denominational requirements. There is an annual UCC Alumni Day, which brings UCC alumni back to campus to network with current students. And the UCC Liaison organizes “Mock Ecclesiastical Councils” for students or alums who are approaching their own EC’s as part of their ordination process. The Mock Ecclesiastical Councils not only supports persons preparing for them, but also encourages participation by those UCC students who are discerning their ministries or at early stages in their ordination journeys.

Most UCC associations require a year-long contextual placement in a UCC church as part of their ordination requirements. If you are seeking ordination in an association where that is the case, rest assured that many opportunities in UCC ministry sites are available in and around Boston. Some of the denomination’s most historic churches are here in Massachusetts, as well as innovative church starts and re-starts, all of which can train you for the changing face of church ministry in the 21st century.

In addition to placing UCC students in parish placements coordinated by the STH Office of Contextual Education, we participate with several UCC churches in a “Collaborative Master of Divinity” that transforms the MDiv degree into a contextually rich opportunity for re-thinking theological education. This collaborative MDiv includes courses taught by pastors in their churches with a cohort model. This Collaborative MDiv, called the “PATH Program” is available to UCC entering students studying for parish ministry.

Finally, if you are considering serving in a ministry beyond the church – such as in Chaplaincy or a non-profit social justice setting, Boston has a plethora of contextual sites that will interest you.

UCC students at STH always have denominational mentors in the form of faculty and staff advisors, as well as area UCC ministers who have agreed to serve current students in this way. These individuals support students in the UCC tradition, convening colloquies each school year. The Southern New England Conference regional staff are also very supportive of UCC students attending STH. Additionally, our STH Alumni Office would be happy to connect you with graduates serving in local UCC churches and UCC ministers serving beyond the local church, as well.

If you have particular questions about the ordination process in the UCC tradition, please connect with Anastasia Kidd, Director of Contextual Education.

The three Southern New England conferences (MA, RI, and CT) covenanted together in 2019 to support one another’s missions and ministries, as well as provide outstanding programming opportunities throughout the region. UCC students at STH can participate in these local events for the sake of networking and spiritual growth. These include “Super Saturday” conferences twice a year, as well as retreats, lecture events, conferences, and opportunities to serve on Association- and Conference-level boards, if desired.

STH is committed to offering courses that support students in cultivating proficiency in each of the canonical areas (and especially their integration) required by the Episcopal Church and assessed through the General Ordination Exam (The Holy Scriptures, History of the Christian Church, Christian Theology, Worship, Practice of Ministry, and Christian Ethics and Moral Theology). See http://www.episcopalgbec.org/. We offer courses to fulfill all of the required canonical areas for Episcopal students on a regular rotation. Some of the courses STH regularly offers of relevance to Anglican and Episcopal Studies are:

• • • STH TC 819: The Sacraments: Rites and Theologies
    • STH TC 833: Sung Faith
    • STH TC 862: The Liturgical Year
    • STH TC 868: Worship in the Anglican and Wesleyan Traditions
    • STH TH 826: The Reformations
  • All MDiv students require a Mid-degree Review at STH, and this will be customized for Episcopal students pursuing ordination so that the required certification can be completed demonstrating the student’s academic record in the subjects required by the Canons along with a faculty evaluation of that student’s pastoral gifts.

• • Co-curricular opportunities for communal formation in which Anglican and Episcopal students participate and often take leadership, sharing their traditions with others in the ecumenical community.
    • An Anglican and Episcopal student group
    • Anglican and Episcopal liturgy and daily office (see below)
    • An annual Anglican and Episcopal alumni/ae day
    • An annual Anglican and Episcopal student-led worship service in chapel (together with regular Anglican and Episcopal leadership on the Worship Team and preachers in chapel)
    • Study cohorts for those students preparing for General Ordination Exam.
    • Support and guidance for those in the stage of postulancy pursuing holy orders.
    • Opportunities for learning and discussion with other Anglican and Episcopal students in the Boston area as well as those in diocesan training programs, internships, and other continuing education programs

• Contextual education opportunities in Episcopal and Anglican parishes and sites of ministry, coordinated by the STH Office of Contextual Education.
• Opportunities for missiological, ministerial, and other research of Episcopal interests in our present research Centers, including the Center for Global Christianity and Mission and the Center for Practical Theology.
• Spiritual formation offerings, coordinated by the STH Spiritual Life Office in cooperation with the Boston University Episcopal Chaplain and Campus Minister for the Anglican Community at BU. While offerings vary each semester in terms of timing, the following can be found with regularity:
  • Morning Prayer in Muelder Chapel
  • Noonday Prayer in Muelder Chapel
  • Evening Prayer in Marsh Chapel
  • Eucharist — twice a week, once in Muelder Chapel and once in Marsh Chapel
• Faculty advisors with the requisite knowledge of Anglican and Episcopal traditions and Anglican and Episcopal mentors from among local diocesan leadership who have agreed to collaborate with STH to support students as they work toward achieving the learning outcomes expected by the church.
• If you have particular questions about the ordination processes in the Episcopal tradition, please connect with Elise Feyerherm.