Online Certification Opportunities to Begin in January

Oct. 19, 2021 — A new cycle of online ministry certification courses is set to begin Jan. 17, 2022, at BeADisciple.com. BeADisciple.com is part of the Institute for Discipleship at Southwestern College, and has offered quality online educational experiences with roots in Wesleyan theology since 2006. 

Church leaders and interested persons can begin progress toward certification in 10 different disciplines— Christian education, children’s ministry, youth ministry, women’s ministries, spiritual formation, evangelism, rural ministry, missions, ministry with people with disabilities, and music. Requirements typically include successful completion of four online courses, and each course is six weeks long. (Some programs include a 12-week practicum in place of the fourth course.) 

Full information is available online at www.beadisciple.com/ifd-certifications. 

The certification in music ministry is new this cycle and is coordinated by Dr. Jeffery Seeley. Seeley recently retired as associate professor of church music at the Mercer University Townsend School of Music. He also is director of music at Vineville United Methodist Church in Macon, Ga.  

“The response to our various ministry certifications has been so positive that we knew we wanted to add one in music ministry,” says Lori Richey, program director for certifications. “These certifications are not just added credentials—our learners have let us know how valuable the experience is to their ministries, especially the ability to take classes online from wherever they are serving.” 

 Unlike individual interest courses, persons working toward certifications move through the sequence with a cohort of learners. This allows for sharing of participant knowledge and experience. 

“Many of our certification learners are already serving in active ministry, and they tend to find that the camaraderie of sharing a common goal is one of the most rewarding aspects of the courses,” Richey adds.  

The four 2022 classes are set to be held Jan. 17 to Feb. 25; March 14 to April 29 (no class during Holy Week), May 9 to June 17, August 22 to Sept. 30, and Oct. 10 to Nov. 18. 

For more information or to enroll in the course, visit BeADisciple.com.