Pandemic Lessons: The Value of Virtual Learning

For North Park Theological Seminary, the pandemic period has called on faculty and staff to make significant changes in delivering academic programs. The shift to virtual and online learning was swift—and has proven successful, especially in terms of testing new delivery channels. As a result, new ways of learning outside the traditional classroom not only work but also open the way to more flexibility and greater access for Seminary students.

Covenant Orientation Program

For the Covenant Orientation (CO) Program, which prepares pastors seeking ordination in the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC), “one of the greatest takeaways from the pandemic has been our ability to offer a quality educational experience for CO students while being completely virtual,” says Luke Palmerlee, CO Director and Director of Seminary Operations.

Although building in-person relationships is one of the major opportunities of the CO program, “there has been great value in finding the kind of flexibility that online learning also can offer,” says Palmerlee.

Going forward, CO is planning to meet with students in-person in January 2022 at the Covenant’s Midwinter Conference, but will continue to offer online options throughout the year. Online options have expanded flexibility in scheduling class sessions, moving away from the traditional Monday – Friday intensive class model to include evening and weekend classes.

“This flexible scheduling shift has made it easier for bi-vocational pastors, chaplains, and other pastors serving in non-church setting to attend CO classes,” says Palmerlee.

The Covenant Orientation program continues to move forward under a partnership between the Covenant’s Develop Leaders and the Seminary that began in Spring 2021. The new partnership is thriving with Develop Leaders providing oversight and guidance for the CO program and the Seminary being responsible for academic and logistical support. “This new partnership offers an excellent opportunity for Covenant pastors to increase their understanding of the Covenant,” says Palmerlee.

Midwest Conference – Equip Program

The Seminary’s distance-learning programs (Equip and Ignite) have enabled many who serve congregations to earn a Seminary degree while remaining in ministry—and remaining wherever they currently reside across the country.

In the Midwest Conference (MWC), the first cohort of 31 students in its inaugural Equip program began in fall 2020. The intention was to gather in-person, but the format quickly switched to virtual sessions in response to pandemic worries. Students completed their first-year courses for the Master of Arts in Christian Formation (MACF) degree via Zoom, along with the support of creative efforts by MWC staff leaders.

Patty Thompson, Director of Prayer and Leadership Mobilization, reports that students received special boxes with fun gifts, which they opened together online. Thompson also called each student after classes for more personal connections. Cohort students created their own Facebook group for ongoing interaction.

This fall, the first cohort, now with 24 students, began its second year, with plans to meet in-person near Omaha for their intensive, September 19-24.  “We’ll take all safety precautions and plan to meet mostly outdoors,” says Brandi Kejr, MWC Office Manager, who is responsible for coordinating Equip matters with the Seminary.

While virtual learning and other tools enabled the Equip program to function effectively, “an exciting outcome has been all the relationships that have developed.  Students have been able to connect and be connected in many ways,” says Kejr. Equip students also say that pursuing the MACF has helped them grow in their faith and “grow closer to God,” she says. The experience is not “just academics. Equip has created a space where students’ spiritual growth is encouraged,” Kejr explains.

Both Thompson and Kejr agree that Equip, as a distance-learning program, has enabled students, both lay and clergy, to experience a Seminary education where they are. “They can’t just pick up and move to Chicago, so bringing the Seminary to them is a gift,” says Thompson.  And because of the unique partnership of MWC, the Covenant, and the Seminary, “this is very affordable. Student debt can be so crippling, but these students will earn their degree and go on without any huge financial burden to worry about,” she says.

For MWC, the Equip program fully supports its mission to develop leaders for the church. “We are so grateful to North Park for this partnership to make such a rich opportunity possible,” says Thompson.

Distance Learning – Ignite Program

Offered in partnership with the Pacific Southwest Conference (PSWC), the Ignite program is also a successful cohort-based pathway to earning the MACF degree from the Seminary.

Ignite’s first cohort, which began in 2017, graduated in May 2021.  From that cohort, 22 earned their MACF degree and many students are going on to earn a Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree from the Seminary.

Cohort 2 (20 students) and Cohort 3 (21 students) are moving forward as the fall semester begins.  A new Cohort 4 will begin in August with up to 24 students, according to Matt Aalseth, PSWC’s Director of Youth Ministry.

Online learning has enabled the cohorts to not only continue their studies but also “develop deep bonds that will last a lifetime,” says Aalseth.

The first cohort had “a big celebration on Zoom, where everyone kept saying to one another, I wouldn’t have made it through this without you,” he says.

While online learning has made a Seminary education possible for so many, the program also benefits from in-person intensives, when permissible.  As of mid-August, Ignite is scheduling a Fall Intensive Week at Mission Springs, CA, a Covenant Camp, with classes starting September 20; a Winter Intensive Week at Midwinter in Chicago, beginning January 24, 2022; and a Summer intensive Week at Mission Springs is scheduled to begin June 6, 2022.

Online classes are valuable to fit student schedules, but being able to return to some in-person learning “adds so much to building strong pastoral and personal relationships,” he says.

“We are really excited about two things with our Ignite cohorts,” says Aalseth. “First, there’s a powerful sense of community that develops among these pastors—there’s a glue that brings everyone together as a family.”

Second, a unique five-way partnership–the Seminary, PSWC, the Covenant, the Ignite student’s sponsoring Covenant Church, and the Ignite student—contributes to student tuition costs.  “This makes the program so affordable—and ensures that our Ignite students are not saddled with debt to pursue their graduate Seminary education,” says Aalseth.

To learn more about the Covenant Orientation Program or Ignite, email semadmissions@northpark.edu.