KANSAS CITY, Mo¡ªStarting fall 2025, Spurgeon College students will have the opportunity to pursue three new pathways to a degree in Christian Education.
Adding to the college¡¯s growing curriculum of ministry- and marketplace-oriented degrees, the new programs include a Bachelor of Arts in Christian education and two new Accelerate tracks focused on preparing students to teach at the elementary and secondary levels.
¡°I am grateful to announce the addition of Christian education degrees at Spurgeon College,¡± said President Jason Allen. ¡°Education is pivotal for all of life. With these new degree programs, we will be able to equip believers with a robust and Christian view of education. The future is largely affected by educators; therefore, we are grateful that we can be involved in equipping the next generation in this field.¡±
Midwestern Seminary Provost Jason Duesing said, ¡°I am grateful to our faculty for the development of these programs in Christian education as they reflect our desire to equip a new generation of Christian educators, for both churches and schools.¡±
¡°If you know anything about Spurgeon College, you know we are for the Kingdom,¡± added Sam Bierig, vice president of undergraduate studies and dean of Spurgeon College. ¡°This is simply the latest exhibit of our laser-focus on preparing the next generation for Kingdom assignment.¡±
Through a biblical foundation and experiential training, the new degree programs are designed to prepare graduates for teaching K¨C12 students in Christian schools.
Sharing the vision for the new programs, Assistant Dean of Spurgeon College Andrew King said, ¡°As Christians, we believe education has a particular role in?discipleship. The K¨C12 years are an especially formative time in the lives of children and young people. The addition of these new degree programs equips Spurgeon College students to make disciples and shape worldviews in classrooms across the country and around the world.¡±
He went on to say, ¡°We recognized that many of our current and prospective students desire to teach in a K¨C12 classroom, but to this point we did not have an efficient way to best equip these students. Christian education is an easy fit with the mission of Spurgeon College. With this in mind, we sought to develop programs that are biblically faithful, academically?rigorous, and experientially practical.¡±
Starting this fall, Spurgeon College students interested in elementary education will have the option to pursue a new bachelor¡¯s degree in Christian education or a new Accelerate track offering both a B.A. and M.A. in Christian education. Students interested in secondary education will have the opportunity to enroll in a new Accelerate track offering a B.A. in history and M.A. in Christian education.
The new pathways introduce new courses to Spurgeon College¡¯s curriculum, including courses in classroom management, philosophy of Christian education, and instructing social studies, math, science, and reading. In addition, all three pathways include Spurgeon College¡¯s biblical core classes as well as student teaching experience.
Reflecting on the advantages afforded to students in the new programs, King said, ¡°Through coursework covering both conceptual and practical aspects of education, students learn not only how to teach effectively but also why various instructional strategies are effective.¡±
He continued, ¡°In these programs, students will spend significant time observing and teaching in Christian educational settings. This combination of rigorous coursework and hands-on experience prepares graduates to excel in their educational vocations.¡±
Leadership of the new programs will be given by Leslie Umstattd, associate professor of Christian education and ministry to women. Umstattd earned a Doctor of Education from Midwestern Seminary and has more than 15 years of experience in education, including in seminary, corporate, and local church contexts. In addition to her new role as director of Christian education programs, Umstattd is co-coordinator of ministry to women programs and co-leads the Women in Ministry and Scholarship cohort for residential master¡¯s students.
Umstattd shared, ¡°What is most encouraging to me as the director of Christian education programs is that our new programs equip students with a strong theological foundation and the pedagogical tools needed to educate and disciple effectively, to impact churches, schools, and communities both locally and around the world.¡±
She added, ¡°These programs perfectly connect to the mission of Spurgeon College to train men and women for the Kingdom.¡±
Bierig commended Umstattd, saying, ¡°Dr. Leslie Umstattd is world-class in every way. Because of who she is and how she operates, the education programs and Spurgeon College are poised to flourish like never before.¡±
King added, ¡°We could not be more excited to see students equipped under the leadership of Dr. Leslie Umstattd to serve for the Kingdom in this new field. There has never been a greater opportunity for Christians to help shape the next generation through K¨C12 Christian education. We are overjoyed to be a part of this strategic opportunity.¡±
To learn more about these opportunities, contact the Admissions Office at Spurgeon College at [email protected].
To apply to Spurgeon College, click .
