Seminary Partnership
What Is Equip Network?
EQUIP is a partnership between Southeastern Theological Seminary and the local church that offers an accredited course of the highest level of theological training while providing a practical blend of seminary experience and real-life ministry.
Personal Discipleship and Disciple-Making
Mondays, January 22 – May 6 2024 | Brentwood Campus
6:00-8:00 PM | Dr. Matt Purdom
Christian Ethics Class
Wednesdays, January 17 – May 15, 2024 | Brentwood Campus
6:30–8:30 PM | Dr. Paul Wilkinson
Duration
Students can potentially earn up to 36 credit hours towards their degree program under the oversight of qualified leaders. Furthermore, the EQUIP Network weds the seminary experience with real life ministry opportunities to provide students with the most integrative ministry training available.
Types of Courses
Mentored Internship Courses:
Field Mentors who possess a ministry-related Masters degree and have significant ministry experience are eligible to lead these courses. The Mentored Internship courses enable students to gain practical ministry experience in various areas of ministry under the supervision of a Field Mentor. The mentor and student work together to develop a “personalized” ministry experience, while allowing students to earn up to 9 credit hours towards a degree program.
Practicum Courses:
Practicums are the field-based equivalent to courses offered on campus. Field Instructors who hold a post-M.Div. degree (Ph.D., D.Min., Ed.D., Th.M.) and have significant ministry experience are eligible to lead practicum courses. Instructors have the opportunity to equip students through a combination of classroom instruction, ministry-related experiences, and mentoring relationships. EQUIP provides Field Instructors with customizable syllabus templates for each course that allows them to utilize their own ministry experience to produce a robust training opportunity for their students. Students can earn up to 33 credit hours through EQUIP Practicums.
Completion Goals
Students will fit into one of these goal categories:
1. Credit toward a seminary Master’s degree
2. Graduate Certificate in Christian Ministry (4-courses)
3. TNT Next Level Certificate
4. Audit to increase Biblical understanding
Course Load
Overview of Practicum Courses
Each practicum course will carry a standard seminary-level course load. Each class counts as 3-credits. The usual reading, tests and written papers are to be expected with each class.
Course Tuition
SEBTS Students / Non-students
- SEBTS enrolled students pay standard tuition fees, as applied to normal course loads.
- Graduate Certificate students pay $300 for each 3-Credit Graduate-Level Class.
- Auditing students pay $50 fee per course.
For Seminary Credit
To take classes for credit, you must be a registered Southeastern seminary student.
What to expect:
✓ 24 hours of classroom meetings over the course of the semester
✓ 14 hours of related practical experiences
✓ 12 pages of writing assignments
✓ 900 pages of reading
Not a SEBTS student and would like to enroll? Click Here.
Graduate Degrees
The courses offered through our EQUIP partnership with Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary can be used toward a variety of degrees. We are highlighting two of these degrees.
M.A. IN CHRISTIAN MINISTRY
This degree is designed to equip students to serve on the staff of a local church or another ministry organization in non-senior pastoral roles. It is comprised of the vocational MA Core plus 12 hours of selectives. At least 12 hours of the degree MUST be completed as EQUIP courses taken in an approved EQUIP church or ministry organization. All remaining hours may be taken in the format of the student’s choosing, including online. Admission to this program is limited to persons holding a Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent who also meet all other admission requirements for the Seminary.
GRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN CHRISTIAN MINISTRY
- Each 3-Credit Graduate-Level Class is only $300.
- All classes (12 credits) in a Graduate Certificate are eligible to transfer into a Master’s degree.
- Graduate certificates allow students to receive high-quality theological education in the same classroom alongside MA and MDiv peers.
For the 4-Course Graduate Certificate: Click Here
*Enrolling into SEBTS for the Graduate Certificate requires different steps than a Seminary degree.
See “How do I apply for an EQUIP class” below in the Q&A section.
TNT Next Level Certificate
Two options for Brentwood Baptist TNT Alumni next level:
- Take four courses for credit at a discounted rate through Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. This option requires student enrollment at SEBTS. You will receive both a Graduate Certificate Degree from Southeastern and a TNT Next Level Certificate from Brentwood Baptist. For more information on the seminary certificate, click here to view Graduate Certificates.
- Audit four courses with fewer required assignments. This option will achieve a TNT Next Level Certificate. Seminary enrollment not required.
Auditing a Class
Open to anyone seeking to dive deeper:
- Audit your choice of specific courses with no additional assignments. This will not result in any type of certificate, but will provide the same opportunities to audit a course that is available to anyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Is Equip For?
EQUIP desires to empower and educate faithful disciples through local churches and ministry organizations. If you are an individual seeking credit through EQUIP, we would be happy to help your church or ministry organization become an EQUIP Partner.
How much credit do I receive?
Students can gain up to 36 hours of credit depending on their degree that includes both mentored internship and practicum courses.
Can undergraduates participate in Equip?
Yes! All EQUIP courses are offered on the undergraduate level. Review the course catalogue to identify which courses apply towards the student’s respective degree.
How Do I Apply for an Equip Class?
To participate in the upcoming class, fill out a short Enrollment Form below. All students are required to complete this form if attending through the Middle Tennessee Leadership Institute.
If receiving credit hours, additional registration is required through SEBTS. See the Application Process for a Seminary Degree.
If applying for the Graduate Certificate, follow these steps:
-
- Visit apply.sebts.edu/apply and create an account (if you haven’t already)
- Start a Graduate Application (not the Graduate Credit-Only Application)
- On the “Academic Interest” page of the application select “Certificate” for Degree and “Christian Ministry” for area/focus
If you are pursuing a specific Graduate Certificate other than the Christian Ministry Cert you will select that instead. - After completing the application you will wait to hear from the Admissions office regarding next steps
How many students will be in my class?
Unlike campus-based courses, EQUIP courses require just one student to participate. There may be as many as 30 students attending as auditors or for credit.
Can non-credit seeking students participate in EQUIP?
Absolutely! We encourage you to identify opportunities that allow you to be exposed to courses regardless of your desire to earn academic credit. You may audit any course for a small fee.
When is the deadline to register for a course?
Students must register for each class no less than three weeks before the first day of the semester. Consult the SEBTS Academic calendar for specific dates.
Who can participate in EQUIP classes?
Any qualifying participants within the local church or ministry organization who have applied and been accepted by SEBTS. We recommend that participants become members of Brentwood Baptist before participating. *Please Note* Local online SEBTS students are welcome. TNT Alumni are also welcome.
Additional Questions?
If you have further questions about MTLI or EQUIP, please submit them via email to rseverino@brentwoodbaptist.com
Personal Discipleship and Disciple-Making
Mondays, January 22 – May 6 2024 | Brentwood Campus
6:00-8:00 PM | Dr. Matt Purdom
Christian Ethics Class
Wednesdays, January 17 – May 15, 2024 | Brentwood Campus
6:30–8:30 PM | Dr. Paul Wilkinson
How to Apply
To take classes for credit, you must be a registered Southeastern seminary student. To enroll in the seminary, go to: SEBTS Student Application.
Or to enroll for a Graduate Certificate, go to: apply.sebts.edu/apply
To audit one of the next courses, please complete the Enrollment Form (left column) which will include a nominal fee of $50. You do not need to be a seminary student to audit.
All students, those taking for credit and those auditing, need to fill out the Enrollment Form to take a course through the Middle Tennessee Leadership Institute.
For assistance, contact us at rseverino@brentwoodbaptist.com