On April 1, Asbury University announced that the Department of Christian Studies & Philosophy will become the School of Christian Studies. This change will be made official on June 1. Professor of Theology and Wesley Scholar-in-Residence Dr. Brian Shelton will serve as dean for the school.
The Christian Studies & Philosophy Department offers many majors in Christian thought and ministry, provides 12 hours of foundations credits—more than any department—and contributes to spiritual formation on campus. According to Shelton, “The school is going to do all of those things but also expand into new areas. By being a school, it gives us more latitude and credibility to do new things.”
Asbury University President Dr. Kevin Brown explains the purpose of the transition. “Advancing from a Department to a School of Christian Studies offers new opportunities to uniquely equip and prepare students for a life of ministry and service and to enhance our mission of academic excellence and spiritual vitality.” He also believes that this decision upholds Asbury’s missional focus. “As a Christian Liberal Arts University, in addition to the suite of relevant and varied academic offerings, Asbury has always emphasized the missional importance and enduring timelessness of rigorous Biblical and theological education,” Brown says.
This change will bring about new classes and programming, such as the brand new Master’s Degree in Ministry Innovation that will begin in the fall semester of 2025. This degree places emphasis on combining theory with hands-on application and can be paired with a wide range of majors, as every discipline offers innovation in the church. Students will learn biblical, theological and philosophical thought while also learning how to apply their skills in ministry in new ways. “The church is evolving; more and more, it won’t be marked by four walls,” says Shelton. “We’re seeing more home churches, more para-churches. This degree tries to move ahead with that element of the church, engaging ministry in new ways.”
There will also be a new program that partners with Asbury Seminary students, titled the “Asbury University Teaching Fellowship,” in which one seminary doctoral student will be invited to teach one class for two semesters. This student will be observed and mentored by Asbury professors. In addition to providing learning opportunities for students, this program will promote “the respect and sense of partnership we share with the seminary,” says Shelton.
The department held an official launch celebration on April 4, in which students got to hear from professors and learn about the upcoming changes. This launch included stations featuring the various programs that fall within the soon-to-be School of Christian Studies, such as the Christian Life Project and its Set-Apart Retreats, Youth Becoming Leaders, the FORGED Salvation Army Youth Ministry Training Program and the online Leadership in Ministry program.
Asbury faculty are excited about this change for the growth it will bring and the opportunities it will provide for future students going into ministry. “The Christian Studies & Philosophy Department, with all its contributions, has always been an important part of the mission of Asbury University,” Shelton says. “We enhance, enrich and augment our contribution to this mission both as a university and as Christ’s kingdom on earth.”
Featured image by Lena Overman.