ZIONICA.com

Ministers of Business

When Steve Hoden was making a career change, from high school science teacher to pastor for the Evangelical Covenant Church, he chose a seminary not only for its denominational affiliation but also for the training it could give him in business.

Hoden graduated in 2011 from North Park University with both a master’s in divinity and a master’s in nonprofit administration. Before long, he found himself as both pastor and sole employee at a church in Hector, Minn., a small town — population 1,100 — an hour's drive west of Minneapolis.

“In bigger churches there’s a lot more professionalizing of staff,” Hoden said. “Here it’s just me. I get to do everything."

Dual degrees for seminary students aren’t entirely new. For decades, some seminaries and their nearby or affiliated colleges have graduated students with masters’ degrees in both divinity and social work. The combination of a master’s degree in divinity with a master’s in business administration is newer, but growing, says Dan Aleshire, executive director of the Association of Theological Schools, an accrediting body.