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Ministry :
CFTS : How to Apply |
Is God calling you to serve the Church in ways you've not considered before?
The challenges of
ordained ministry are enormous - but so are the rewards. If you're
thinking about entering the Congregational Ministry, you probably
have a lot of questions. Some of the questions you may be asking
are: where to study-can I afford it-what kind of ministry I'll
have-what will I do after seminary-will I find a place to serve? The
Congregational Foundation for Theological Studies is prepared to
help you answer these questions and be a part of the answer.
Founded in 1961,
CFTS exists to prepare Congregational men and women for service in
member churches while allowing them to attend the seminary of their
choice. So, if God is calling you into Congregational Ministry and
you're looking for an organization that will challenge you
academically, nurture you spiritually, and give you the opportunity
for a promising future in ministry, then CFTS may be God's answer to
your questions.
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| Requirements for Admission to CFTS |
File an official
application form. Provide evidence of the completion of a bachelor's
degree with an cumulative grade point average of not less than 3.0
on a 4.0 scale. Provide transcripts from all colleges, universities
and seminaries attended. Show proof of acceptance in a seminary that
is recognized by the
Association
of Theological Schools (ATS). Plan to study for either the
Master of Divinity degree (M.Div) or its equivalent. Provide certification
of church membership in an NACCC member
church. Provide a letter of recommendation and sponsorship from
the church of which you are a member. Provide a recent photograph.
Have a personal interview with the Admissions Committee of the CFTS
Board of Directors. Enroll in classes a minimum of half-time and
complete your degree requirements in five years or less.
The Directors may
wave existing requirements or make additional requirements when
accepting students.
All applicants are
encouraged to discuss recommended seminaries with the Dean prior to
formal enrollment.
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Financial
Aid Opportunities |
A variety of types
of aid are made available to students of the CFTS program. |
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A Grant- is available to our students on the
basis of need and the maintenance of an acceptable grade point
average. The grant is made by the Board of Directors upon
application and submission of a financial statement by a student
of the foundation.
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Church Scholarship- Several NACCC churches offer
additional scholarship aid to students within the Foundation.
Current listings of available scholarships are made available
students by the Foundation Dean.
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By giving equal
emphasis to both the financial and the academic portions of the
program, the foundation provides unusually fine preparation for the
ministry in the Congregational churches of the National Association. |
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The Program
of the Congregational Foundation for Theological Studies |
The program of the
Congregational Foundation for Theological Studies is two-fold:
financial and academic.
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By providing educational
grants and scholarships, it makes a
quality theological education available to qualified
Congregational men and women. Like all graduate study, the cost of
theological education today is substantial. The Foundation places
such an education within the reach of all potential Congregational
ministers regardless of their financial resources. Students
sponsored by the Foundation earn the master of divinity degree or
its equivalent at a seminary accredited by the Association of
Theological Schools in the United States and Canada.
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The
Foundation also seeks to enrich each student's program academically
by providing a Directed Study in Congregational History and Polity.
At the beginning of the second year in seminary, each student is
required to attend a one-week seminar held at the Congregational
Library in Boston. This marks the beginning of a full semester
directed study which is completed with the presentation of a major
paper dealing with a topic related to Congregational history and
polity. In the fall of each year, all CFTS students are brought
together for a four-day seminar dealing with a practical phase of
church life. And finally, once every three years a selected group of
Fellows participates in a month-long seminar in England where they
study the English roots of Congregationalism. |
In addition to these
programs, each student is required to complete a professional
ministerial internship of at least 1,000 hours in a Congregational
Christian Church under the direction of an approved supervising
minister. Each student is also required to complete one unit of
Clinical Pastoral Education.
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