Description of the Concentration

American Baptists have long been leaders in the effort to reach and teach American Indians.  Roger Williams, founder of the first Baptist Church in Rhode Island, was one of the first missionaries to American native peoples. In 1880, Almon Bacone founded Bacone College with a mission to train preachers and teachers to work among the native tribes.  The Concentration in American Indian Ministry within the Bachelor of Arts in Christian Ministry is in partial fulfillment of this mission. 

The Concentration in American Indian Ministry within the Bachelor of Christian Ministry degree program is designed to equip students spiritually and technically to be leaders in native congregations.  The successful student will learn to bring the American Indian world and the Word together.  In keeping with the goals of the Christian Ministry degree program, this concentration is a marriage of academic preparation and practical, hands-on experience that encourages learning by doing and reflection on experience.  

Goals of the Concentration

The goal of the Concentration in American Indian Ministry is to develop Christian leaders who will be prepared to evangelize, disciple, and develop leaders in the native church.

Specifically, the successful student will

• Develop a philosophy of American Indian ministry utilizing the concepts of contextualization, redemptive analogy, and incarnational ministry
• Display the unique characteristics of effective leadership that are exercised for effectiveness in the native church
• Demonstrate an understanding of biblical hermeneutics through the lens of native culture, life and tradition
• Demonstrate skills in preaching and teaching in the context of the native church
• Demonstrate an understanding of how, in Christian counseling, to apply the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the  “soul wounding” of American Indians that has resulted in intergenerational trauma as acted out in alcoholism, family dysfunction, abuse, high suicide rates, and hopelessness
• Gain experience in working with native American churches and ministries which will allow them to apply their learnings in a real ministry situation

 

Courses:

In addition to the 39 hours required of all Christian Ministry majors, the AI Concentration will include the following courses:

 

MIN 2553 Foundations in American Indian Ministry            3 hours           

MIN 3333 American Indian Hermeneutics                            3 hours

MIN 4323 American Indian Theology                                   3 hours

MIN 4533 Christian Counseling with American Indians       3 hours

MIN 3323 American Indian Homiletics                                 3 hours

MIN 4523 Internship in American Indian Ministry               3 hours

 

Students in the Concentration will also take 1 semester of MIN4523  Internship in American Indian Ministry (3 hours).  This will serve as 3 hours of the required 12 hours of internship experience.

Courses to be used as Directed Liberal Arts Electives:

·       Students will take LIT 2333 American Indian Literature to meet LIT requirement in the Directed Liberal Arts Electives

·       Students will take  ART 1413 American Indian Art I for their ART elective in the Directed Liberal Arts Electives