BACHELOR OF MINISTRY & LEADERSHIP
Called to lead. Trained to serve the Church well.
4 Years | 120 Credit Hours | 32 Required + 8 Electives | 16 Dominion Weekends | 2 Practicums
Some are called to know the Word. Some are called to teach the Word. And some are called — to lead, shepherd, plant, build, and send. The Bachelor of Ministry & Leadership is for that calling.
This program is built for the student God is preparing for the work of the ministry. Pastors. Church planters. Worship leaders. Youth and kids ministry directors. Missionaries. Evangelists. Discipleship pastors. Bible study teachers. Marketplace leaders carrying a Kingdom assignment. Whatever the specific role, the calling is the same — to lead, to shepherd, to build, and to send. This program is built to prepare you for exactly that.
Leadership in the Church requires both biblical depth and practical training. You cannot pastor what you do not understand biblically. But you also cannot pastor from a classroom. The BML pairs the same two-year biblical foundation that every JBC student receives with two more years of intensive ministry training and two supervised practicums in a real ministry setting. The Word and the work — held together — produce leaders the Church can trust.
Hear me clearly. This is the most rigorous program JBC offers. We will challenge you. We will sharpen you. We will hold you to a standard the world calls extreme and the Bible calls normal. And by the grace of God, we will send you out roaring.
“The Word and the work, held together, produce leaders the Church can trust.” – Pastor Reita Ball | Vice Chancellor
Program At a Glance
Program Length:
4 Years
Credit Hours:
120
Required Courses:
32
Elective Courses:
8
Dominion Wknd:
16
$180 Per Course:
$60 Per Credit Hour
How the Program Is Built
The Bachelor of Ministry & Leadership is built in two phases. The first phase grounds you in the Word. The second phase trains you for the work and tests you in the field. We do not skip either one.
Phase 1 — Years 1-2: The Biblical Foundation The first two years of the BML are identical to the Associate of Biblical Studies program. Sixteen required courses and four electives covering the Old Testament, the New Testament, hermeneutics, systematic theology, Christian apologetics, Christian worldview, the Holy Spirit, spiritual disciplines, evangelism, and discipleship. We do not build pastors before we ground them in the Word. Students who already hold the Associate of Biblical Studies from JBC transfer directly into Phase 2.
Phase 2 — Years 3-4: Ministry Leadership + Practicums The final two years pivot into the practical work of ministry. Sixteen new required courses cover ministry leadership foundations, healing ministry, deliverance ministry, building healthy teams, pastoral care, discipleship, evangelism, leadership development, intercessory prayer, counseling basics, worship, next-generation ministry, ministry ethics, the apostolic-prophetic foundation of the Church, and two supervised ministry practicums in a real ministry setting. Eight more Dominion Weekend Gatherings activate and impart what is being taught.
Phase 1 — Years 1-2 (Associate Foundation)
Required Courses (16)
- BIB 101 — Old Testament Survey
- BIB 102 — New Testament Survey
- BIB 103 — Hermeneutics & Biblical Interpretation
- BIB 104 — The Life & Teachings of Jesus
- BIB 105 — The Book of Acts & the Early Church
- THE 101 — Systematic Theology I: Doctrine of Scripture & God
- THE 102 — Christian Apologetics
- THE 103 — Christian Worldview
- SPF 101 — Spiritual Formation
- SPF 102 — The Holy Spirit & Spirit-Empowered Living
- BIB 201 — Biblical Theology
- BIB 202 — The Book of Romans (Living Holy In An Unholy World)
- BIB 203 — The Book of Ephesians (God’s Original Plan)
- THE 201 — Systematic Theology II: Christ, Salvation & the Church
- SPF 201 — Christian Ethics: Character & Holiness
- MIN 201 — Evangelism & Discipleship
Each course is worth 3 credit hours.
Elective Courses (Choose 4)
In addition to the 16 required courses, every student selects 4 elective courses from the following options:
- BIB 210 — The Parables of Jesus
- BIB 211 — Revelation & Biblical Prophecy
- BIB 212 — The Book of James
- THE 210 — The Character & Attributes of God
- SPF 210 — Sin, Temptation & Spiritual Warfare
- SPF 211 — Living Free
- SPF 212 — Living by Faith
- SPF 213 — Secrets of a Giant Killer
Each course is worth 3 credit hours. These courses are the same 60 credit hours that make up the Associate of Biblical Studies. Students who hold the ABS from JBC begin the Bachelor of Biblical Studies in Phase 2.
Phase 2 — Years 3-4 (Ministry Leadership)
Required Courses (16):
- LDR 301 — Foundations of Ministry Leadership
- MIN 311 — Healing Ministry
- MIN 312 — Deliverance Ministry
- LDR 302 — Building Healthy Ministry Teams
- MIN 313 — Pastoral Care and Shepherding
- SPF 301 — Discipleship and Spiritual Formation
- MIN 314 — Evangelism and Reaching the Lost
- LDR 303 — Leadership Development and Mentoring
- MIN 315 — Intercessory Prayer and the Ministry of Prayer
- MIN 316 — Counseling Basics for Ministry Leaders
- MIN 317 — Worship and the Ministry of Music
- MIN 318 — Next Generation Ministry
- LDR 401 — Ministry Ethics and Accountability
- MIN 319 — The Apostolic & Prophetic Foundation of the Church
- PRA 301 — Ministry Practicum I
- PRA 401 — Ministry Practicum II
Each course is worth 3 credit hours.
Elective Courses (Choose 4)
- LDR 310 — Ministry Administration and Organization
- LDR 311 — Conflict Resolution in Ministry
- MIN 320 — Church Planting and Missional Leadership
- MIN 321 — Marriage and Family Ministry
- MIN 322 — Preaching and Communication
- MIN 324 — Cultural Engagement
- MIN 325 — Marketplace Ministry
- MIN 326 — Missions 101
Each course is worth 3 credit hours.
The Practicum Component
Two Practicums. Real Ministry. Real Accountability.
Every Bachelor of Ministry & Leadership student is required to complete two supervised ministry practicums as a condition of degree conferral. This is non-negotiable. We refuse to credential a student for the work of the ministry who has not actually done the work of the ministry.
Ministry Practicum I (PRA 301) is completed in Year 3 of the BML. Ministry Practicum II (PRA 401) is completed in Year 4. Each practicum requires 120 hours of structured, real-world ministry experience under the joint supervision of a local pastor and a JBC faculty member — 240 hours total across the program. Practicum sites must be approved by JBC in advance and are typically the student’s home local church or another vetted congregational setting.
The conviction behind the practicum is simple. The Church has too many gifted communicators who have been disqualified by what was never dealt with under the surface. Charisma fills a room. Character holds it. We will not credential a student who has not visibly demonstrated readiness for the field.
By the time a BML graduate walks across our stage, they have not just studied ministry. They have done ministry. They have been tested in ministry. They have been graded by a pastor who watched them do the work. And they have been confirmed by a school that is willing to send them out.
Program Learning Outcomes
What You Will Walk Out With
By the time you complete the Bachelor of Ministry & Leadership, you will be able to:
- Lead and shepherd a local ministry context — with biblical wisdom, Spirit-empowered authority, and pastoral skill
- Pray for the sick and minister healing — with biblical understanding and Spirit-empowered confidence
- Engage in deliverance ministry — with biblical authority, order, and pastoral wisdom
- Build and lead healthy ministry teams — recruit, develop, deploy, and shepherd the people God entrusts to you
- Provide pastoral care and biblical counseling — to people in real life crises, hardships, and seasons
- Disciple believers from new birth to mature spiritual reproduction — multiplying disciples who multiply
- Communicate God’s Word with clarity and conviction — in preaching, teaching, small groups, and one-on-one settings
- Operate in the apostolic, prophetic foundation of the Church — with biblical clarity and submitted wisdom
- Demonstrate sustained Christlike character and ministry ethics — under real pressure, in real situations, over time
- Pass two supervised ministry practicums — proving readiness for the field, not just knowledge of it
Tuition for This Program
$180 — per class ($60 per credit hour – 3 credit hours)
$7,200 — total tuition for the full 120-credit-hour program (before discounts and fees)
We are committed to keeping JBC accessible…
- A 10% discount is available for students 65 and older and for married couples enrolled together.
- Payment plans are available, and a hardship policy exists for students who need it.
- Special pricing is also available for those who wish to audit a class without pursuing the full degree.
Full tuition, fees, discounts, payment plans, and hardship policy are published on our Admissions page.
Is This Program Right For Me?
This program is for you if…
- You sense God is calling you to lead, shepherd, plant, build, or send in His Church
- You are pursuing pastoral ministry, church planting, worship leadership, youth or kids ministry, missions, evangelism, or another leadership assignment
- You are willing to be sharpened, tested, and held to a high standard of character and competence
- You are committed to completing supervised ministry practicums in a real local church setting
- You are not looking for the easiest path — you are looking for the path that produces the kind of leader the Church can trust
- You are planted in a healthy local church and will remain accountable to it throughout your training
You may want to look at another program if…
- You want a strong two-year biblical foundation without the four-year ministry leadership commitment (look at the Associate of Biblical Studies)
- You want to go deep in the Word without pursuing vocational ministry or completing practicums (look at the Bachelor of Biblical Studies)
This program is not for the casual. Schedule a 15-minute call. We will help you discern honestly.