The Nature and Scope of the Practical Missions Program

Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary seeks to train for effective service those whom God has called. Therefore, evangelism at home and cross-culturally is the Seminary’s theme and mission. Practical Missions work is the demonstration of what the student learns in the classroom. Students are expected to fulfill the biblical command to witness and thus are required to meet mission assignments each week, share their faith, and report on the work completed. This linking of the classroom and the practical aspects of ministry and evangelistic zeal is one of the unique identities of Mid-America.

Chapel services are held two days per week (Tuesday and Thursday), and a portion of Tuesday's service is devoted to personal witnessing testimonies by faculty and students. During this period, the Practical Missions director and various professors report on their evangelistic witness for the week. Following these reports, the students share the fruit of their witnessing. Students are involved in hands-on missions work throughout the Memphis-metro and outlying areas. Each year students witness to thousands through their Practical Missions activities and their personal evangelism, and each year students lead thousands to profess faith in Christ.

Practical Missions Assignments

All Seminary students must complete an average of one service hour per week during the semester. A list of service sites is provided by the Seminary and students must fulfill 15 hours of service each semester. Opportunities include work with the prison ministries, urban outreach, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Campus Crusade, hospital ministries, rescue mission ministries, church survey work, non-profit ministries, etc. These activities are designed to orient the beginning students to evangelistic ministries inside and outside the local church. Refer to the Practical Missions handbook for a complete list of opportunities.

Personal Witnessing

All enrolled students (including non-degree seeking) must witness to an average of at least one person per week during the semester. To constitute a personal witness, the interview is to include a presentation of the plan of salvation to a person believed to be unsaved and an invitation for that person to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The essential elements of the Gospel—faith in Jesus Christ alone and repentance of sin—are what the Seminary holds to be necessary for salvation. In order to fulfill the personal witnessing requirement, no other element should be involved in the Gospel witness (i.e., baptism, church membership, etc.). Each student is required to report his or her Practical Missions activities at the end of the semester.

Chapel

Each student (including non-degree seeking) is required to attend chapel in its entirety every Tuesday and Thursday.  A student is not allowed more than six absences from chapel during a semester. Online students participate via videos available in Canvas.

A residential student unable to attend chapel on a regular basis as the result of a schedule conflict with essential outside responsibilities may petition the director of Practical Missions to watch online. Requests are submitted to the Student Life office and must be renewed each semester (August and January). Note: Notification from an employer must be on company letterhead showing that the student’s work schedule prevents chapel attendance.

Minimal Requirements for the Practical Missions Program

In order to meet the minimal requirements for the Practical Missions program each semester, students must satisfy three criteria:

1. Completion of an average of one community service hour per week.
2. Students must witness to an average of at least one person per week during the semester.
3. Students must not have more than six absences from chapel and report hour during the semester.

Students must fulfill the requirements of chapel attendance and the Practical Missions hours and witnesses. Failure to fulfill these requirements will result in a failure of all classes taken within the semester when the Practical Missions requirements were not met.

Relationship of the Practical Missions Program to the Academic Programs of the Seminary

The Practical Missions program is an integral part of the training for every student enrolled at Mid-America. No academic credit is given for Practical Missions requirements. However, no academic credit is given to any student for the semester if he or she does not satisfy the minimal requirements for the Practical Missions program for that semester. No student is permitted to graduate from the Seminary without completing the Practical Missions requirements for each semester enrolled.

Students failing to complete the requirements for the Practical Missions program are subject to academic probation or dismissal by action of the faculty upon recommendation of the Graduate Programs Committee. The semesters of dismissal, as well as possible readmission at a later time, are the same as those noted under Disciplinary Regulations in this catalog.

Practical Missions Probation

Students who do not fulfill and report requirements correctly and on time for each semester are subject to a probationary period. If students fulfill their Practical Missions requirements in the following semester, they are removed from probationary status. However, if students persist in delinquency during the probationary period, they may be suspended from classes for one semester by action of the faculty. Students failing to complete their total Practical Missions requirements by 4:30 p.m. on the third business day after the last exam day of a semester may not receive academic credit for that semester.