An Intriguing Possibility

In the mail today was an envelope from the seminary I attended for my MDiv. Half expecting the latest fundraising letter I opened it up.

Instead was an invitation to consider enrolling in a new degree program. The college, in conjunction with two other seminaries on the UofS campus, has long offered an STM degree and I have often wondered about when (if?) I might go back to school to take such a thing.

But now the STU is offering a new STM degree. They have partnered to form an organization looking at issues in rural ministry (the website is still largely under construction) and are offering a STM in Rural Ministry and Community Development. The program description says:

...targeted towards rural clergy...interested in a rigorous program of interdisciplinary theological study aimed at helping rural ministers to lead their congregations in a more effective engagement within their communities.

It would be a 3-year program with 3 week-long intensive courses per year plus either a thesis or two additional courses for the non-thesis option. And it would blend theology with issues like rural health, rural culture, ecology, and community development. It truly sounds intriguing. Costly but intriguing. This will take some thought, and some negotiation with the M&P committee should I want to go forward with it.