• Demonstrate a broad and coherent knowledge in the disciplines of biblical studies, theology and pastoral ministry and their underlying methodologies;
• articulate a clear historically informed understanding of Seventh-day Adventist theology, identity, and mission;
• independently analyse and critically evaluate Biblical, theological and pastoral ministry concepts and methodologies, and demonstrate how they relate to a Seventh-day Adventist world view;
• communicate acquired Biblical and theological knowledge, and pastoral ministry skills in a contextualised manner to a diverse range of audiences through preaching, evangelism and technology;
• model and articulate the relevance of a relationship with Christ and Christian beliefs to the practice of ministry and Christian living;
• exhibit the skills and capacities expected of a growing, reflective Christian ministry practitioner and/or scholar in a pastoral capacity.

GENERAL ADMISSION CRITERIA

To qualify for admission, you must meet one of the following criteria:

Applicants with higher education study

• Completion or partial completion^ of an Australian Qualifications Framework AQF Level 7 qualification at an accredited university or higher education provider: or
• Successful completion of bridging or enabling course, or another recognised tertiary preparation course

^You must pass at least two units/subjects. Show cause is required if you failed 50% or more overall.

Applicants with vocational education and training (VET) study

• An Australian Qualifications Framework AQF Level 4 qualification or higher; or
• A New Zealand Qualifications Framework NZQF Level 4 qualification or higher

Applicants with work and life experience

• An ATAR equal to or above 63.00; or
• An appropriate score in the uniTEST and the Tertiary Online Written Assessment (TOWA); or
• An appropriate score in the Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT)

Applicants with recent secondary education (within the past two years)

• A Selection Rank of 63.00 or above after adjustment factors are applied; or
• International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma with a minimum of 24 points; or
• Year 13 NCEA Level 3 results, identifying university entrance attainment; or
• An equivalent offer for admission from another Australian or New Zealand University; or
• An appropriate score in the uniTEST and the Tertiary Online Written Assessment (TOWA); or
• Equivalent overseas secondary qualifications as stated in the Admission to Higher Education Undergraduate Courses Policy

Applicants with overseas qualifications

• An overseas qualification that is comparable to an Australian Qualifications Framework AQF Level 4 qualification or higher

SPECIFIC ADMISSION CRITERIA

• Satisfactory Pastoral Recommendation Form, which may entail an interview with the pastor
• A signed Acceptance of the Code of Professional Ethics for Avondale Seminary
• A National Police Check (issued within the last six months). Applicants with offences or pending charges may be required to undertake further assessment
• A current Working with Children Check for the state/territory you are located while undergoing your study
• Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) applicants: Baptised for two years or more and evidence of being actively involved in a local SDA church
• Non-SDA applicants: Evidence of being actively involved in a local church of their denomination

POST ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• An AdSafe certificate of completion for Safer Churches Training

ADVANCED STANDING

Applicants with an Australian Qualifications Framework AQF Level 5 qualification (or higher) in a cognate area may be eligible for advanced standing (credit recognition).

ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

International applicants must demonstrate English language proficiency in one of the ways outlined in Appendix 2 of the Admission to Higher Education Undergraduate Courses Policy.

Course duration: Four years full-time (or part-time equivalent)
Study mode: On-campus or distance education are available for units offered by the Seminary.
Maximum time to complete: Ten years

32 units of 6 credit points spread over 4 years of full-time study
2 units of Biblical languages
1 Well being unit
1 unit of Seventh-day Adventist History and Heritage
1 unit of Youth Ministry
8 units (a major) in Biblical Studies
8 units (a major) in Theology
8 units (a major) in Church Ministry
3 elective units

All students complete a major in Biblical Studies, Theology, and Church Ministry.

Options:

1. Elective units may be chosen randomly.

2. Students may convert their Church Ministry major to a specialisation by using all three electives for CHMN, CHPL or CNSL coded units.

3. Alternatively, students may elect at year three to add a Chaplaincy major. This requires the use of all three electives for CHPL coded units (including Clinical Pastoral Education), and the substitution of CNSL11100 instead of THEO26130 and the substitution of CHPL21120 instead of CHMN36130.

Core units

WHPE10101 Foundation of Well being (Year 1 - Semester 1)

THEO16120 Introduction to Adventist Heritage (Year 1 - Semester 1)

BBOT16110 Hebrew A (Year 1 - Semester 2)

BBNT26110 Greek I (Year 2 - Semester 1)

Biblical Studies Units

BBNT16120 New Testament Epistle 1 (Year 1 - Semester 2)

BBOT26120 Torah (Year 2 - Semester 1)

BBOT26110 Hebrew Prophets (Year 2 - Semester 2)

BBNT36110 Exegesis in John Prereq: BBNT26110 (Year 2 - Semester 2)

BBNT36120 Exegesis in Matthew Prereq: BBNT26110 (Semester 1, odd years)

BBNT36150* New Testament Epistle 2 Prereq: BBNT26110 (Semester 2 odd years)

BBOT36110 Daniel Prereq: BBOT16110 (Semester 1, even years)

BBNT36140 Revelation Prereq: BBNT26110 + 1 X 300 level BBNT unit (Semester 2, even years)

Theology Units

THEO16110 Theology & Faith (Year 1 - Semester 1)

THEO16130 Survey of Ethics & Philosophy (Year 1 - Semester 2)

THEO26110 Revelation, Inspiration & Hermeneutics Prereq: THEO16110 (Year 2 - Semester 1)

THEO26130 Religion & Belief in Australasia Prereq: THEO16110 (Year 2 - Semester 2)

THEO26120 Early & Medieval Christianity Prereq: THEO16120 or any HIST unit (Semester 1, Odd Years)

THEO36110 Salvation & Eschatology Prereq: 1 X 200-level THEO unit (Semester 2, odd years)

THEO36130* Ecclesiology & Sabbath Prereq: 1 X 100-level THEO unit (Semester 1, even years)

THEO36120 The Doctrine of God & the Work of Christ Prereq: THEO26120 (Semester 2, even years)

Church Ministry Units

CHMN16110 Biblical Spirituality & Ministry (Year 1 - Semester 1)

CHMN16140 Introduction to Psychology for Ministry (Year 1 - Semester 2)

CHMN26110 Ministry & Church Leadership I Prereq: 1 X 100-level CHMN unit (Year 2 - Semester 1)

CHMN26140 Preaching Prereq: CHMN16120 (Year 2 - Semester 2)

CHMN26130 Discipleship Evangelism Prereq: 1 X 200-level CHMN unit (Semester 1, odd years)

CHMN36110* Ministry & Church Leadership II Prereq: CHMN26110 (Semester 2, odd years)

CHMN36130 Evangelism & Church Planting Prereq: 1 X 200-level CHMN unit (Semester 1, even years)

CHMN26170 Contemporary Youth Ministry (Semester 1, even years)

CHMN36120 Contemporary Ministry to Families Prereq: 1 X 200-level CHMN unit (Semester 2, even years)

Chaplaincy Major

CHMN16140 Introduction to Psychology for Ministry (Year 1 - Semester 2)

CNSL11100 Foundational Counselling Skills (Semester 1, odd years)

CHPL31100 Clinical Pastoral Experience I (Semester 1, odd years)

CHPL31110 Clinical Pastoral Experience II (Semester 2, odd years)

CHPL21120 Emotional & Behavioural Responses (Semester 1, odd years)

CHMN26170 Contemporary Youth Ministry (Semester 1, even years)

CHMN36120 Contemporary Ministry to Families Prereq: 1 X 200-level CHMN unit (Semester 2, even years)

CHPL21100 Principles & Practice of Chaplaincy (Semester 2, even years)

Electives which relate directly to Ministry and Theology

CHMN26160 Small Group Ministry (Even years - Semester 2)

BBNT16110 Mark & Luke (Every year - Semester 1)

ENGL21100 Literary Studies of the Bible (offered by the Discipline of Humanities and Arts)

BBTR26100 Study Tour - Bible Land

Any CHPL (chaplaincy) or CNSL (counselling) units (offered by the Discipline of Humanities and Arts)

CHRISTIAN MINISTRY AND CHAPLAINCY PLACEMENTS AND EXTERNSHIP

Supervised field education is central to ministry formation and employment within the Seventh Day Adventist Church. It permits ministry students to be engaged in supervised ministry settings as trainee pastors under the guidance of a mentor. The mentoring allows students to integrate theological content with practical ministry and provides students with the opportunity to experience ministry in various circumstances.

All Church Ministry units are associated with supervised field education. Field education is a type of internship or apprenticeship experience whereby ministry students will team with SDA pastors or chaplains who supervise, support and mentor the student throughout the ministry placement in a local congregation. Their supervised Field Education can either be a church placement, school placement, or a ministry practicum externship. The supervised Field Education experience comes with a grade weighting for the unit.

At the end of the semester, the student is asked to write a theological reflection paper on their placement. The Theological Reflection paper helps students develop knowledge of their gifts, strengths, and weaknesses.

Students experience two types of Supervised Ministry development.

Placements: Placement places students for ten consecutive weeks in a local church or school under the supervision of a pastoral mentor.

Externship: Externship places students in an evangelistic context for ten consecutive days, inclusive of two weekends.

Assessment includes a ministry report form signed by the mentor and a ministry reflection paper.

In Week 10, a 20-30 minute interview with seminary staff helps assess the student's placement experience.

Church placements are associated with the following units:

CHMN16110 Biblical Spirituality and Ministry
CHMN26110 Ministry and Church Leadership 1
CHMN26140 Preaching

CHMN26170 Contemporary Youth Ministry
CHMN36110 Ministry and Church Leadership 2
CHMN36120 Contemporary Ministry to Families

School placements are associated with the following unit:

CHMN16140 Introduction to Psychology for Ministry

BMinTh students undertaking the chaplaincy major have the option of chaplaincy practicums which are managed in the same way as church placements.

Ministry practicum externships are associated with the following units:

CHMN26130 Discipleship Evangelism
CHMN36130 Evangelism & Church Planting

Management of Placements

Suitable mentors are chosen in a dialogue between the Field Education lecturers and Conference Presidents. Chosen mentors are then trained on an annual basis, and are in regular email communication with the Field Education Lecturers.

All students must have completed Safe Places training, Working with Children Check, and a Police Check before placement.
To secure a church placement, students undertake an interview with a Field Education Director to match the student’s individual development and needs with a suitable church and pastoral mentor. The Field Education Director approaches the chosen pastor to arrange an introductory interview in which the student will discuss the terms of a contractual arrangement that will permit them to function as a student pastor under their mentorship.

Students meet with their mentor monthly during their placement and conduct ministry in line with the expectations outlined in their contract.

Assessment includes a ministry report form signed by the mentor, a ministry reflection paper, and a 20-30 minute interview with the Ministry Practicum Director.

Management of externship occur in a similar manner with students indicating their preferred experience (e.g. pastoral ministry, church planting, youth ministry, cross-cultural ministry, or school chaplaincy) and the Field Education Director communicating with the chosen mentor, and their line manager to set up the experience.

Students keep a log of their experience which must be co-signed by the mentor. The Ministry Practicum Director receives a report from the mentor, and an externship reflection paper from the student upon completion of the externship.

Full details of the management of placements and externships, including relevant forms can be found in the Ministry Practicum Handbook in http://www.avondale.edu.au/academic-disciplines/school-of-ministry-theology/

Seventh-day Adventist graduates of the BMinTh are eligible to begin a ministry internship in a local conference. After two years of internship, their progress is reviewed to determine if they are ready for a ministerial or commissioned licence. A further three or more years of satisfactory ministry practice is necessary before they can be considered for ordination or commissioning and a full ministerial / commissioned credential is issued.

Other graduates of the BMinTh should liaise with officers of their own denomination to determine the ministry requirements that apply to them.