Serve at the intersection of church and world
The ministry of Word and Service is at the intersection of church and world. Word and Service ministers (also known as deacons in the ELCA) work to seek wholeness in the world, sharing the hope of Christ and equipping others for healing and justice in the world. Deacons serve through agencies, institutions, and traditional church programs as they build bridges between the church and the world.
Luther Seminary works in partnership with the ELCA and student candidacy committees to prepare individuals for rostered Word and Service ministry. The role of the Contextual Learning office is to assist candidates in documenting their field experience and projects.
How do I participate?
Generally, Word and Service ministry candidates at Luther work towards a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree. Students must have a positive entrance decision from their candidacy committee, be accepted into the Master of Arts program, and will meet the candidacy requirements of theological study by completing the core courses of the M.A. degree.
The elective courses may be used to strengthen the student’s skills in their chosen area of ministry, to meet the field education requirements, and/or to meet the formation requirements.
Students pursuing a Ph.D. or M.Div. degree will negotiate credits for field education and/or formation on an individual basis. They will also need the approval of the seminary’s Candidacy Coordinator to ensure that they have met all of the Lutheran studies requirements.