CMFAM
Certificate in Marriage & Family Ministry
Department of Pastoral Ministry · 1 year · 10 courses · 100% online
About this programme
The wedding gets eight months of planning. The marriage gets two rushed sessions with a pastor who was never taught how to run them. A year later the same couple is sitting in the church office at eleven at night, and nobody in the room is quite sure what to say.
This certificate builds ground under that work. It starts with what marriage and family are for according to Scripture, which settles a great deal before any technique is discussed, then moves to the skills of preparing couples properly and strengthening marriages that are merely surviving. The harder ground is faced directly, since infidelity, separation, in-law pressure and money are usually tangled together and have to be untangled patiently. Counselling method and the discipline of knowing when to refer run alongside throughout.
You will leave able to run premarital classes with confidence, sit with a couple in trouble without making it worse, and build a family ministry that works all year. Think of the couple you already know who need more than sympathy. Learning to help them properly begins here, and you are welcome to apply.
10 courses across 2 semesters, about 1 year of study.
Who it is for
Believers who want a solid grounding in one area of ministry without committing to a degree. It suits workers already serving in a local church, and anyone returning to study after a long gap.
What you will be able to do
Speak and serve with confidence in this area of ministry, understand what Scripture teaches about it, and put that understanding to work in your local church.
How you will study
Every course here runs the same way, so you always know where you are.
- Six study modules a course, each with a handout you can read on screen or download.
- Video and audio of the same teaching, for studying while you travel or work.
- A short refresher quiz to open each course. It is not scored, and you may retake it.
- Two tests along the way, then a final examination. The pass mark is 50%.
- Results appear as soon as you submit.
Study is entirely online and at your own pace. Everything works on a phone, and handouts can be downloaded to read without data.
Entry requirements
Open to all. No previous study is required. You must be at least 14 years old.
Fees
Your fees are set out in the admission letter issued to you.
What you will study
10 courses across 2 semesters, drawn from these areas.
- Department of Biblical Studies
- Department of Pastoral Ministry
- Department of Theology
The full course schedule is issued when you are admitted.