Religion (BA)
Minister to the world.
If God is calling you into ministry, whether full-time or in a co-vocational capacity, a Religion degree from SWU will equip you to serve the church and multiply disciples. Our graduates make a transformational difference in the world through the church and the marketplace.
Prepare for your ministry alongside expert, caring faculty who will help you uncover and pursue your vocation. You’ll learn to teach and preach effectively, apply Scripture to daily life, lead missional outreach, and cultivate spiritual development. Our streamlined curriculum makes it easy to double-major in Religion and another area of interest. All students are provided with robust practical ministry experience through our internship and residency programs.
Each of our Religion concentrations meets all academic ordination requirements for the Wesleyan Church, preparing you to work in different ministry settings and lead a Christ-centered life.
Are you ready to answer the call?
Concentrations
In the Christian Ministry concentration, you will learn how to provide meaningful spiritual leadership in a ministry context. We emphasize missional outreach alongside wholehearted discipleship and church revitalization and planting.
In the Worship Ministry concentration, you will focus on the relationships between theology and music. You will develop musical excellence and prepare to lead contemporary and traditional worship.
The Youth and Children’s Ministry concentration will help you become a NextGen ministry leader who can engage the culture with a biblical perspective. You’ll gain valuable ministry experience with youth and children.
Dr. Mark Wilson
Department of Religion Coordinator and Associate Professor of Christian Ministry
Contact“SWU and the Religion Department have prepared me in so many ways to serve. Within the SWU community there were so many open opportunities for serving that it almost seemed like everywhere I looked there was another way to serve. And through the department, I learned not only how to serve the community God has placed around me but how to take care of myself holistically.”Alyssa Elliott — 2023 Religion Graduate
- Campus ministry
- Campus pastor
- Children’s pastor
- Community programs
- Compassion ministry
- Co-vocational ministry
- Family life pastor
- Marketplace ministry
- Missional outreach
- Missionary work
- NextGen pastor
- Parachurch ministry
- Seminary
- Senior pastor
- Worship pastor
- Youth pastor
Graduates of the Religion program will be able to:
- Demonstrate spiritual growth and maturity in their thinking, communication, and everyday life.
- Correctly interpret Scripture and convey that interpretation in oral and written forms, including clearly communicating the Gospel.
- Provide effective ministry leadership through teaching, mentoring, and serving with a foundation of servant leadership.
- Think theologically and draw connections between our Christian heritage and the needs of the present-day Christian community.
- Serve in contextually appropriate ways, both in ministry and outside it.
