Greenville MMRE

[J. David Kear]

PB Friends,

Does anyone here have experience with Greenville's distance MMRE program? If so, I would love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks,
DK

 

[N. Eshelman]

What does MMRE stand for?

Master ________ Religious Ed?

 

[Covenant Joel]

Master of Ministry for Ruling Elder I believe.

 

[Contra_Mundum]

The idea behind the program (as I understand it) is to provide for ruling elders a disciplined program of instruction, that is not as rigorous as a MDiv., but still covers a significant amount of that territory, which will be of good use to a ruling elder--and the recognition of the completion of that program with a recognizable academic award.

The person who will benefit most form the program is someone who has really no intention of pursuing a Divinity degree, who is pleased in his secular and his ecclesiastical calling, but who would be most edified by taking the courses for credit, and earning a semi-professional degree (terminal), administered through a bona fide seminary. In other words, it won't add anything to his "resume," other than to add a strong dose of academics to his functional repertoire for the office of elder.

I can also see this degree being a significant help to a man having been selected for eldership on the basis of his leadership/sagacity/solidity/overall spirituality, but who (perhaps not having grown up in the church) feels theologically ill-prepared, though sufficiently called. The elder who was catechized and taught the Scriptures "from childhood" has most of the requisite theological background for his job already. The church-history classes are probably new to most participants.

Academically, it is important to realize that this short-term degree will not lead to anything as an end--it is not preparatory either to a further degree or a ministerial position. It IS an end of itself; or better-put, it is for "rounding-out" an elder's preparation.

 

[elnwood]

The church-history classes are probably new to most participants.

The MMRE doesn't include the church history sequence, only two units of Presbyterian Church History.

 

[J. David Kear]

Thanks, Bruce. That is helpful insight.