Credentials in the Evangelical Covenant Church
Board of Ministry
Students who plan to be licensed or ordained in the Evangelical Covenant Church should take care to keep current with the requirements of the Board of Ministry of the ECC, which is responsible for all decisions and policies regarding ministerial credentials, transfer of ordination, and orientation.
Covenant Connecting Class
North Park degree-seeking students should attend a Covenant Connecting Class, put on by the Board of Ministry for our students, during their time at NPTS. This class is one of the requirements for eventual credentialling in the Evangelical Covenant Church.
License for Theological Students
North Park Theological Seminary students who serve an internship in a Covenant church may qualify for a License for Theological Students during the time they serve. Contact the Board of Ministry for details and requirements.
Foundational Courses for Credentialing
In order to be credentialed in the Evangelical Covenant Church, a pastor needs at minimum four graduate level courses in theological studies. The program is specifically designed for candidates who are:
- Seeking Ordination to Specialized Ministry (who have a non-theological master's degree in their area of specialization). A year of full-time graduate theological studies (which includes the four courses) is required.
- Seeking Commissioning who have a bachelor's degree (they must take the four courses at graduate level).
- Seeking a Local Ministry License.
Foundational courses are offered online or on-campus, at one class per semester, creating a two year program. Candidates for credentialing must apply to become visiting students at NPTS.
Courses
- Church History: HSTY 6210 Christian Tradition and Mission
- New Testament: BIBL 5150 New Testament I or BIBL 5151 New Testament II
- Old Testament: BIBL 6120 Old Testament I or BIBL 6121 Old Testament II
- Theology: THEO 5330 Survey of Christian Doctrine, on-campus summer intensive or semester-long on-campus, or THEO 6330 Christian Theology.