This course will present an introduction to Church History from the time of first responses to the resurrection of Jesus through the impact of the great reforms of Luther and Calvin.  It will focus on important institutions and ideas and the people who shaped them.  It will explore the continuing relevance of the history of the church for the way people think about the church and conduct themselves as the Body of Christ.

Rev. Steven Johnson, Ph.D., instructor

Saturdays: September 12, October 3 & 31, November 7 & 21 (9am-1pm)

Registration Deadline: August 10, 2015

Click here for more information and to register.

During this course we will: 1) study critically many of the documents of the Old Testament (e.g., Genesis through Esther) paying particular attention to their historical context; 2) examine the relevance of the Old Testament for the Christian church; and 3) discuss the role/use of the Old Testament in (our) faith development.

Rev. David Cleaver-Bartholomew, Ph.D., instructor

Sundays: September 27, October 4, 18 & 25, November 1, 8 & 15 (6:30-8:30pm)

Wednesdays: September 30, October 7, 21 & 28, November 4 & 11

(7-8pm)

Registration Deadline: September 10, 2015

Click here for more information and to register.

Does one of our courses look interesting?  Are you wondering about whether a certificate program is for you?  Are you unclear as to just what webconferencing is or uncertain about whether your computer can do it?  Join Marjorie on Tuesday, July 14, or Thursday, August 13, between 7-8pm, from your home computer for a webconferenced information session.  She'll walk you through connecting to webex, if you need help, and answer questions about educational offerings.  If you're interested, contact Marjorie at [email protected].  She'll send you an invitation to the session of your choice.

This one-year program is for lay people who want to learn how to preach well, so that they can act as supply preachers (able to fill in when ministers are ill or away) in their congregations or in their associations.  This program does not prepare persons for any form of authorized ministry.  The program consists of sixteen 1 1/2 hour webinars offered twice each month and two 3 1/2 hour practicum sessions at the end of the program.  Click here for information on the schedule, instructors and reading.

Pre-Requisite:  Recommendation from home church

Registration Deadline:  August 21

To Register, click here

Cost:  NY Conference Students $450 (auditors: $300), plus books.  For students outside the NY Conference: $450 (auditors: $300), plus the Distance Learning Support fee of $135, plus books.  Students are expected to have webcams (which can be purchased for less than $30 at stores like Target).

Distance Learning Support fee: Distance Learning requires technological support.  For webconferenced programs, students outside the New York Conference are welcome.  The NY Conference subsidizes distance learning for students in the conference; students outside the New York Conference should ask their conferences or participating denominations to provide that support (otherwise, it is the student's responsibility).

Join us at Christ the King Retreat Center in Syracuse on November 13-14 (Friday dinner through Saturday dinner) for a Sacred Conversation on Race.  Gather with a diverse group of ministers and lay people to learn and reflect upon how we can enter into such important conversations in our own congregations.  Registration opens in September.

The Marks for Faithful and Effective Authorized Ministers are useful for those preparing for authorized ministry (MIDs) and for licensed, commissioned, and ordained folks who need a tool to do self-assessment. Click here for the Marks in list form. Click here for the Marks in grid form. 

If you're a pastor, noticing a member of your congregation with gifts for ministry, if you're just beginning to discern a call to authorized ministry, or if you're just wondering about our programs, click here to see The New York School of Ministry 2014 Certificate Program Information(we'll have a 2015 update out soon). Click here for an application for the Christian Studies or the Christian Leadership Programs. For students enrolled in a certificate program and pastors who might be interested in supervising a student, click here for Supervised Ministry Information.

If you want to understand the authorization process, click here for Section 2 of the Manual on Ministry