Center for Exploring Ministry Careers

The Center for Exploring Ministry Careers (CEMC) exists to help students who are committed to or considering Christian vocation discover the various options of service available to them. The Center works closely with HCU’s Department of Theology to offer training, scholarships and research opportunities for students and faculty. All students studying for a degree offered through the Department of Theology are members of the Center.

The Center’s primary focus is preparing students for a life of service to the Church. To accomplish this goal, the Center performs several tasks. It hosts events each semester in which students have the opportunity to hear from people working in different forms of ministry. The Center also helps coordinate internships through the Department of Theology. The Center plans to hold Discipleship Days in which high school juniors and seniors come to HCU for a day to discuss how to follow Jesus. With the launch of the MDiv program, the Center is also coordinating a Spiritual Formation retreat for MDiv students.

Several scholarships are overseen by the Center. The Center manages the Ministerial Financial Assistance (MFA) scholarship provided by the Baptist General Convention of Texas for the students who qualify for it. Additional scholarships include Hartmann Hall, LWS Wang, Bice and Riverside. For more information about these scholarships, please see the scholarship page or contact the CEMC director (Dr Jason Maston).

Alongside these initiatives aimed at students, the Center helps coordinate research on issues in practical theology by HCU’s faculty. The faculty of the School of Christian Thought are committed to producing excellent scholarship, but this research is not only for the halls of academia. The faculty have served in churches as pastors, youth workers and interim pastors. Through the Center, these faculty are able to produce research that addresses issues facing the church and its ministers.