CALIFORNIA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY’S MASTER OF ARTS IN WORSHIP IS IMPACTFUL BECAUSE OF THE PEOPLE
One of my concerns with continuing my education via a primarily online platform was the perceived lack of a personal touch. Would the professors be accessible? Would they care about me personally. Would I miss the interaction with professors and classmates? Would I be intellectually stimulated without personal interaction?
I can attest that Dr. David Toledo, Dr. Lance Beaumont, and Dr. Joseph Bolin were interested in getting to know me before I officially entered the program. They couldn’t be more accessible. If I need help in my ministry, they are available. When I went on a vacation with my wife to celebrate 25 years of marriage, Dr. Toledo told me to enjoy it. He was willing to extend grace on quiz and assignment deadlines so we could celebrate. When my classmates and I had issues in life, Dr. Toledo took time to pray for us during class.
Two classes, History of Church Music & Theological Foundations in Worship were taught by adjunct professors, Mrs. Kim Arnold (soon to be Dr. Arnold), and Dr. Matt Pitts. Both are excellent teachers and were prompt in replying to emails when I reached out with questions regarding assignments. Dr. Pitts pastors a church in Deep East Texas about two hours from me. I had the pleasure of meeting him for breakfast when my wife, Kim, attended a women’s conference near his place of ministry. That’s yet another friendship made possible through CBU.
My classmates have forged friendships which I anticipate will last our lifetime. We grew much closer in our relationships during the Summer residencies (more on that in a future blog post). I suddenly have a new network of gifted colleagues with vast experiences to lean upon for advice for my ministry.
As with any educational experience on this level, there is much time spent reading, writing, researching, and reviewing in solitude. The classes use a mixture of asynchronous lectures (view within a window of dates), and synchronous class meetings view Zoom or similar platforms. It takes a while to get accustomed to meeting this way, but the discussions are always engaging. I know I’m weird, but I experience a let down when we have breaks between terms!
Three of my classmates formed a Facebook Messenger group that we use to encourage one another, ask questions about about projects, and on occasion, share burdens we’re experiencing in our churches.
If you’re a worship pastor who is delaying getting started on an advanced degree due to a concern that interpersonal interaction is lacking, I can assure you that hasn’t been by experience with CBU. For this reason and more to come in upcoming posts, you need to consider diving in!
