Bachelor of Arts in Director of Church Ministries

In order to meet the diverse needs of congregations, you will gain a wide range of skills through completion of a theology major and two minors. Your first minor, Church Ministries, includes a specialization chosen from six areas of church ministry. These include: Evangelism, Missions, Parish Teaching, Youth Ministry, Christian Service Learning & Leadership, and Social Ministry (for men) or Pre-Deaconess (for women intending to enroll in the deaconess programs at either of the LCMS seminaries). Your second minor is Nonprofit Management. For those of you who really want to specialize in more than one area of church ministry, it’s possible to do so by carefully choosing electives that apply.

While all courses and doctrine are taught in accord with the Lutheran confessions, men and women of any denomination are welcome to join this program. Only members of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod will be certified and may be eligible to be rostered with the LCMS as a “Minister of Religion Commissioned—Director of Church Ministries (DCM).”

Hear from our faculty:

As a Director of Church Ministries (DCM) graduate, you will be prepared to be a professional church worker, assisting the pastor in developing and leading congregation ministries. This may include supporting Bible studies, community outreach, mercy work, and administrative duties. And because no two graduates will have the exact same roles, you’ll benefit from management and leadership courses that will help you adapt to any situation.