Purpose: This program is designed to be a multi-year in-depth study. It is intended to be challenging. When completed, the student will gain a deeper Bible knowledge, be better equipped to serve in the local congregation, and more motivated to serve faithfully.
Prerequisite: The student must first earn a four-year certificate of achievement. Students that have completed hours above a four-year or eight-year certificate may count all-new hours recorded toward this graduate program. The student may not use hours already earned in an awarded 4-year or 8-year certificate.
This certificate will replace the eight-year certificate. However, a student may earn more than one graduate certificate by following a different tract of study.
Areas of Study: The student may choose any of the following tracts:
- General/Member
- Preachers
- Elders/deacons
- Women’s studies
- Evangelism/missions [This certificate will be based on the guidelines put in place by Rob Whitacre for the Advanced Evangelism Certificate.]
- Marriage/family
- Youth workers/Teen
- Scholars’ Think Tank
- Georgia School of Preaching (offered at PTP). [In place of the 100 hours in a particular PTP tract the student must complete four years of the PTP/GSOP classes completing all requirements and a passing grade on the final test in each of the four years. They must show that they have passed these classes successfully. They must complete requirements 2-4 of the certificate (below).]
- Other: ___________________ (Must be approved)
Graduate Certificate Requirements:
- 100 classes in your major field of study, plus 25 textual classes and 25 elective classes.
- A twenty-page paper (double-spaced) examining a topic from your major area of study.
- A five-page paper (double-spaced) analyzing a Bible passage. It may or may not be from your area of study. This should be personal research—not an examination of one or more of the lessons heard.
- A service project conducted in your local congregation, community, or at PTP. This requires a prospectus (description of your intent), review (how it went), and pictures.
The individual undertaking this program will select an elder or minister willing to be a tutor and evaluator of the papers. This person will evaluate the work and make suggestions for improvement (if necessary) until the work is accepted.
The advisor will complete the form certifying that the work has been completed and send to Bob Oliver (boboliver32446@gmail.com).