Education Commission - COGIC Education Commission

All Saints Bible College: Presidential Search

Education Commission — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 23:15:04 +0000

President Position Profile

All Saints Bible College

All Saints Bible College invites nominations and applications for a visionary servant leader to serve as its next President. All Saints Bible College stands at a defining moment in its history, a moment of tremendous promise, possibility, and purpose. The College seeks a leader who will champion the spirit of excellence that has long defined the College and guide it toward an even more remarkable future.

Qualifications: The President must be a member in good standing with the Church of God in Christ, Inc. He/she shall be a person of Christian stature and integrity. He/she shall be in compete accord with the objectives of the college and philosophy of education. He/she shall be an able executive motivated by the spirit of service, an impartial administrator who commands the respect of colleagues, benefactors, and students. He/she shall hold an earned doctorate degree from an accredited institution of higher education and appropriate administrative and fiscal/budgetary management experience.

Duties and Responsibilities: The President shall be the administrative head of the College under the direction of the All Saints Bible College Board of Directors. He/she shall be the sole official channel of communication between the professional staff and the Board. It shall be the responsibility of the President to translate the purpose and policies of the Board into a detailed, concrete program and carry it out in harmony. The president shall submit an annual budget and shall make an annual report on the status and operation of the College to the Board.

Direct reports: Administrative Assistant, Dean of Academics, Dean of Student Affairs, and the Registrar.

Accreditation: All Saints Bible College is authorized for operations as a postsecondary educational institution by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. All Saints Bible College is accredited by the Association for Biblical Higher Education Commission on Accreditation to grant Certificates and degrees at the Associate and Baccalaureate levels.

The Process: The Presidential Search Committee application submission deadline has passed. For further information, please contact Dr. Cynthia Buckley, Search Committee Chair, at csbuckley@yahoo.com.

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Grant Awards to Education Commission

Education Commission — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 20:42:25 +0000

The COGIC Education Commission works tirelessly to find ways to support the efforts of the CH Mason Collegiate systems. In this effort, we also look for ways to help spread the word about those systems. We are excited to announce that the Education Commission was recently awarded a $500 grant to achieve this goal. We thank God for this blessing and look forward to future opportunities.

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Congratulations Bishop Chadwick Carlton on your promotion to CHMTS President!

Education Commission — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 19:00:14 +0000

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What you should know about the CHMTS and PTS Memorandum of Agreement Signing

Education Commission — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 15:34:24 +0000

August 14^thsignified a historic moment, with the ceremonial signing of the memorandum of agreement between the Pentecostal Theological Seminary and the Charles Harrison Mason Theological Seminary. The announcement of this event may have come by surprise to many; however, it was a necessary movement in efforts to secure the future of CHMTS and our students, due to recent events within the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC).

On April 17, 2023, the Interdenominational Theological Center issued a press release announcing that their Board of Trustees have declared that the school had reached a state of financial exigency ^{[1, 2]}. According to the press release, “Financial exigency is a term used by institutions to indicate a state of significant financial crisis that requires immediate and significant corrective action to ensure the sustainability of the institution.” Although they indicated that ITC was not closing, they would be forced to take immediate action to sustain the institution. Those measures would include suspending courses and not allowing enrollment for the Master’s programs in Fall 2023.

This sudden announcement created a significant challenge for our current CHMTS students. They would have to decide to make one of the following decisions: 1) pause their academic progress for 12-18 months in hopes that the exigency would get resolved, 2) agree to a proposed teach-out plan developed by ITC with an alternative seminary that contracted with the ITC (these partner institutions were not HBCUs), or 3) find another seminary to attend on their own. ITC presented these options near the end of their spring semester, so they did not have much time to decide.

As the Presiding Bishop became aware of this situation, he asked the Education Commissioner to develop an exploratory committee that could identify options to keep our students from having any interruption of their educational pursuits. This committee included: Bishop Chadwick Carlton, the Commissioner of the Education Commission, Bishop John Mark Richardson, Bishop David Daniels, Bishop Matthew Brown, Bishop Antoine Shaw, and Dr. Monica Clayton. Over the next several weeks, this team worked tirelessly to research and vet potential options and negotiate concessions that would benefit those who desired to continue their education there. The committee also communicated with the Chairman of the CHMTS Board of Trustees, as the committee deemed appropriate.

The committee’s objective was to find a partner institution that would allow the preservation of the CHMTS name and identity, align with our theological values, and support our efforts to become an accredited seminary. Upon review of several seminaries and universities, both HBCUs and non-HBCUs, the Pentecostal Theological Seminary agreed to all of the committee’s requests and offered the best opportunity for CHMTS students. Additionally, students would obtain a high-quality theological education for nearly half the cost of ITC, with additional scholarships also offered. Considering these concessions, the committee unanimously voted to pursue this collaboration. The committee presented its findings and recommendations to the Presiding Bishop and General Board. After the post-presentation remarks, they also found this collaboration to be favorable, and it was approved by a majority vote. Subsequently, an emergency meeting with the CHMTS Board of Trustees was held to discuss the committee’s intention to move forward with the PTS partnership, considering ITC’s current state. The committee then moved swiftly to solidify the agreement between CHMTS and PTS and ensure that the students could secure enrollment for the Fall 2023 semester.

This collaborative partnership forges an excellent opportunity for the advancement of Global Pentecostalism. The Church of God In Christ and the Church of God have more in common than many may realize. After, the signing ceremony, the Presiding Bishop and delegates were invited to a campus tour. Throughout the tour, the Executive Branch of Bishops pointed out references on their campus that connected to the events of the Azusa Street revival. They also shared how the Founder of their denomination was also present at the Azusa Street revival. The appreciation and respect for Bishop Charles Harrison Mason and his impact was evident from many, even among faculty members, who have authored books dedicated to Bishop C.H. Mason. As the tour continued to the library, we were informed that students also have access to books authored by COGIC writers and scholars. The influence of the Church of God In Christ has been an important component of their library for many years.

Current and prospective students now have the opportunity to obtain one of several master’s level graduate programs, two doctorate programs, and an accelerated two-year bachelor’s equivalent certificate program (for those who desire to obtain a master’s degree but do not have an undergraduate degree).

These programs include:

Certificate of Wesleyan- Pentecostal Ministry (Pre-Master’s Certificate)
Master of Divinity (MDiv)
Master of Theological Studies in Pentecostal Theology or Biblical Studies (MTS-PT/BS)
Master of Arts in Christian Studies (MACS)
Master of Arts in Christian Ministries (MACM)
Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling (MAPC)
Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (MACMHC)
Master of Theology (ThM)
Doctor of Ministry (DMin)
Doctor of Philosophy (expected launch Fall 2024)

For more information regarding these programs, please go to our new website: www.masonseminary.org.

As we move forward with this partnership, we dare not forget our great history with the Interdenominational Theological Center for the last 53 years. We pray that God shows them a path to recover from financial exigency. While we stand in humility and grace honoring such a history, we also look forward to new beginnings, great innovation, and synergy in a way that has been done before.

In the words of our Presiding Bishop J. Drew Sheard, “It’s a God thing”! This collaborative partnership is much larger than academics, it’s about the Kingdom of God, the unification of the Saints, and Global Pentecostalism. As we strive to educate God’s people, God’s way, both seminaries look forward to new opportunities and great possibilities. We will innovate and heal this country, from a past that divided us and God will get the glory!

Frequently Asked Questions:

What does the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) entail?

The MOA stipulates that this is an agreement between CHMTS and PTS to create collaborative degree programs between the two seminaries. The most critical components of the MOA, that relate to the student experience, include the following:

This agreement allows current and future CHMTS students to enroll in a PTS and CHMTS collaborative program. PTS will offer students all rights and privileges to their academic, financial aid/scholarships, and other student services and resources.
CHMTS can still maintain its identity and influence in the academic process. All students enrolled in the collaborative partnership will receive degrees with both seminaries listed on the diploma.
PTS/CHMTS students will take courses along with PTS students, however, CHMTS will include specific courses that better meet the needs of COGIC students. These courses will relate to Black Renewal Studies, COGIC History, COGIC Polity, and other COGIC-related topics.
CHMTS has the ability to appoint adjunct faculty to teach at PTS. Those adjunct faculty members will be eligible to teach any course at PTS, especially courses relating to the Church of God In Christ and other black renewal theology topics.
CHMTS will become a contributing partner of the Center for African Descent Studies, to incorporate more of COGIC’s influence in Black Pentecostalism.

What does the MOA mean for current or prospective students?

A team was developed to assist current ITC students in transferring their credits from ITC to PTS with as many allowable credits as permitted by their accrediting bodies.
If anyone from the Church of God In Christ desires to attend PTS, they will earn a collaborative degree from both PTS and the C.H. Mason Theological Seminary. Both seminaries will be listed on their diploma.
We are also working towards creating a Memphis campus of C.H. Mason Theological Seminary, which will allow courses to be conducted and/or streamed by our adjunct faculty there. More details on this campus location are forthcoming.
This partnership will allow C.H. Mason to position itself to become an independent accredited seminary. Much planning and work is needed for this to manifest, however, PTS is supporting this desire and we will be working on steps to achieve this.

Is Pentecostal Theological Seminary accredited?

Yes, they are accredited with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada.

Will students take courses that teach courses related to the Church of God In Christ?

PTS and CHMTS have arranged to give students, under the PTS/CHMTS collaborative degree program, courses that would be critical for COGIC students and CHMTS. These courses will cover various topics regarding Black Renewal Theology and COGIC history. There are also current adjunct professors from COGIC who teach at PTS and we plan to incorporate more scholars and courses in the future.

What the MOA does not mean?

The MOA is not an acquisition or a merger of the school; CHMTS is still a separate entity collaborating with PTS for educational purposes. CHMTS students who attend the collaborative degree programs will have both entities named on their diplomas. Preserving the name of our seminary is very important and we plan to keep it intact.

Will C.H. Mason Theological Seminary ever has its own seminary?

With this partnership, we are now able to create our own seminary office in Memphis, but this is only stage one to our strategic plan. We look forward to sharing more, as more develops.

Are prospective students eligible for any scholarships with this collaboration?

Yes! There are many scholarships available for those who desire to enroll in the Master’s or Doctorate programs. Some are criteria-based and some are for new students! You should speak with our enrollment team to determine the steps needed to identify what you would be eligible for.

Non-academic scholarship information is also available on the new website: Cost of Tuition and Scholarships

I'd like to learn more about these programs. How can I get more information?

To learn more about the degree programs, certificate program, and curriculum, please visit our new C.H. Mason Theological Seminary website: www.masonseminary.org

Update:

On November 21st, ITC announced the re-opening of enrollment in Spring 2024 for one of their Master Degree programs, the MDiv program. However, as of December 5, 2023, one of the ITC’s major accrediting bodies, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), issued a disclosure statement announcing that the ITC has been placed on probation for 12 months. According to SACSCOC, this probation status applies to the entire institution and is the most serious public sanction imposed by the SACSCOC Board of Trustees short of loss of accreditation. This probation was enforced due to ITC being on warning for two years, the maximum consecutive time for a monitoring period. It is currently unclear what plans are in place to ensure the remedy of their non-compliance. For more information regarding the sanctions and current status, please follow the link: SACSCOC Disclosure

^[1] April 17, 2023 – ITC Press Release. (Update): The original online press release has been removed from the ITC website, since the original publish date of this article, however, we have provided a copy.

^[2] May 8, 2023 – ITC Village Letter. (Update): The original associated online press release has since been removed from the ITC website, since the original publish date of this article, however, we have provided a copy.

^[3] SASCOC Disclosure of ITC – Probation for Good Cause.

Revised: December 8, 2023

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Leaders prepared to “Lead in a Brave New World!”

Education Commission — Thu, 13 Jul 2023 17:11:56 +0000

On June 12-15 2023, several of our Education Commission leaders participated in the Kellogg Faith Leaders Week. This event is one of the most highly anticipated annual events for faith leaders. During this week-long event, faith leaders from diverse traditions around the country dialogue, collaborate, and empower each other on how to best approach the issues of our community.

This year’s theme was very interesting as it approached many challenges our faith leaders are experiencing today, “Leading in a Brave New World“. The panels explored topics such as leading with resilience and presilience, social impact as an act of faith, the business of social change, leading through polarization, and communicating change across your community. The event’s dynamic programming included panel discussions, workshops, and a thought-provoking keynote address. Through this experience our leaders are now equipped with the knowledge, skills, and connections necessary to innovate within their faith communities and impact education in our community and in the Church of God In Christ in a tremendous way.

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Could your greatest ministry tool, fit in the palm of your hand?

Education Commission — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 00:59:07 +0000

Could your greatest ministry tool, fit in the palm of your hand?

It might be hard to believe but your phone or a text messaging software could possibly help you build your ministry!

Let’s face it, for ministries the last 3 years have been difficult for some and devastating for many. In fact, some churches have not reached full capacity since the pandemic and researchers have found that many past congregates don’t have plans to return. So what do you do?

It’s unfortunate but many times the Christian church has remained reactive to the things that happen in the world. Sadly, many Pastors refused to use social media outlets for their pandemic services until it became absolutely necessary to do so. But, this is not the first time, we are often reluctant to utilize technology for ministry and that reason generally steers from fear and the lack of knowledge about how to use the resource to our advantage.

It’s safe to say that it doesn’t have to be this way. There are many opportunities for growth with technology, some at a cost, but the cost can be minimal if you do your research. There are even free conferences and webinars available by companies just to get you educated on their products. I know it may be difficult for you to personally attend every available session or read every article, but you certainly can establish a representative in your church that can collect information and provide a well-educated strategy for the vision that you have.

In this article, I want to challenge you to think outside of the box. We will discuss one ministry tool that you may have considered but didn’t quite know how to utilize it, your phone. That’s right, it’s more than just a tool for giving, it can also be powerful for the growth of your church for prospective, new, and established members. We’ll share a few ideas below on how you can utilize text messaging in your church and challenge you to consider ways that you can utilize these ideas.

“I had a congregant share with me that she has never had the Pastor reach out to her via text and that meant so much to her.”

– Pastor O.

1. Use text messages for corporate prayer requests or important announcements

While in a meeting, I heard a story about a man whose brother went fishing alone and they hadn’t heard from him in hours. The family was so concerned that they requested a search part to look for the young man. While they gathered to start the search party, the man reach out to his church to tell them what was going on and the church immediately responded with a corporate text message. The entire church was now praying for this young man to be found and God got the victory! This is just one example of how corporate prayer requests can be sent and make the congregants feel connected and involved with the happenings of their church family. The man was especially appreciative and the church was glad to hear about the young man being found. These requests don’t have to be done individually, or even all the time, but they could be short notes to make others feel acknowledged and important to the ministry.

2. Special Announcements or Upcoming Events

Does your church have an upcoming event that you want to ensure everyone knows about? Maybe it’s a family and friends day. You could very well send a text with the associated flyer and encourage your members to send that text to 10 of their family and/or friends. You have now made it simple and quick to share. It is even more accessible via text as those family members who don’t have social media accounts are now able to get all of the necessary information.

You could also do the same with special announcements about service or your latest podcast drop. As we all know, many have stopped paying as much attention to their emails, so texting has become a way to communicate and often gets a better response.

3. Small Group or Cell Group Communication

With certain text messaging software, you have the capability to message the entire group or even certain segmented groups. This is a great feature if you want to send a reminder to a small cell group for bible study or for a group get-together. What’s also nice about certain texting software is that those in the group can even respond back to you and/or everyone. By connecting through text, people don’t feel as though they are alone and feel connected to their church family and leaders in the ministry.

4. Let others know you care or send encouragement

It sounds too easy to seem effective but a simple text scripture to encourage those who are caring for a loved one or a personalized message to let them know that someone from the church is praying for them can make a great impact. This can especially be true for those who are away from home in college, on work assignments, or even in the military.

Getting a text from your home church when you are hundreds of miles away from home would make individuals feel as though the church is thinking about them and wants them to know that they are loved.

5. Grow your church by getting subscribers in outreach events

Do you have a food drive or back-to-school giveaway? Do you do something for the children for Christmas or even have a Thanksgiving basket giveaway for those in need? No matter what community outreach programs you have, a great way of connecting with those in the community and ensuring they are informed of what you are doing is by getting them to subscribe to your text message list. These individuals are invested enough to want to stay updated with what you are doing and you can even use it to inform them of other things that you do in your ministry.

This is a great tool for helping them gain more awareness of the ministry and can be used in a number of ways. Send a video from the Pastor inviting them to service or send a special note thanking them for stopping by. They will remember those small things that you did to show them that your church cared enough to make another step to communicate with them.

With all of these proposed ideas, it’s important to remember that you want to properly collect information and have individuals opt-in to receive messages from you. You certainly want to avoid making others feel as though you have violated their privacy by not asking for permission to message them. Getting those to opt-in to messaging can be easily done by using QR codes to sign up in your church vestibule or by making announcements of your text ministry in your church announcements. You can even place a question on your visitor’s card asking if you can text them about important news or events.

Lastly, you want to use this communication method wisely. Overuse could potentially lead individuals to feel bombarded by many text messages throughout the week. Be sure to consider what important information you will share via text and then send other information through other methods of communication.

The Education Commission is committed to educating, excelling, and emerging the way in which we do ministry and even the lives of others. We pray that this article has been insightful and provided some information that will lead you to rethink how you can reach out to your community in this modern church environment.

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Recidivism and Black America, are there any options?

Education Commission — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 00:20:18 +0000

Recidivism and Black America, can the Christian Church help?

A Cyclical Problem

One out of every eighty-one black adults will serve time in a state prison and in many states, Black Americans represent more than half their prison population [1]. These are staggering and disheartening statistics, however, there is an even greater issue at hand, recidivism. Recidivism refers to the unfortunate tendency of released prisoners returning to prison. Although the rates of recidivism in the United States vary depending on multiple factors, black men and women in the United States have significantly higher rates than those of other racial groups. The effects of recidivism go beyond the individual and continue to affect their families, communities, and society as a whole. These increased incarceration rates lead to strained social services, increased poverty, and weakened economic stability.

The Stats Speak for Themselves…

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, among prisoners released in 2012, over 70% of Black Americans were rearrested within four years. Additionally, amongst all races, over 70% of those rearrested were aged 25 to 39 and 77.6% of those under the age of 24 were rearrested [2]. These high rates of recidivism merely highlight the need for targeted interventions to address the root causes and better support individuals returning from prison.

Addressing the problem of recidivism requires a multifaceted approach. This approach should include addressing systemic racism in the criminal justice system, implementing programs that support formerly incarcerated individuals, and investing in community-based organizations that promote social and economic stability. Additionally, programs that provide education, job training, and mental health support should be established within the prison system and continued after release.

So What Can We Do?

You may be wondering why this topic is on our website. Surely there is a prison ministry within our church that would be able to handle this. There are many churches that have prison ministries, so is that enough? Our simple answer to this question is, no. Could we as the light of the world be doing more? We certainly can. We can share the knowledge of Jesus Christ to transform their heart but we can also help them learn the strategies that transform their confidence, their skillset, and give them access to things they wouldn’t normally have once they leave the prison system. There’s no simple solution to this issue but we must be aware that we can use our available resources to make an impact on our community in more ways. They may never walk into a church service but our efforts to improve their lives and offer support could be the only act of the love of Jesus they see. Stay tuned to the Education Commission’s proposal to make efforts to reduce recidivism within our community.

[1] https://www.sentencingproject.org/reports/the-color-of-justice-racial-and-ethnic-disparity-in-state-prisons-the-sentencing-project/

[2] https://bjs.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh236/files/media/document/rpr34s125yfup1217.pdf

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Grow with CHMJI

Education Commission — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 10:40:51 +0000

Helping individuals get ordained across the world!

Being a partner of the C. H. Mason Jurisdictional Institute allows us to continue the legacy of our Founder of the Church of God In Christ, Bishop Charles H. Mason by giving individuals the practical knowledge needed to evangelize across the world!

In a little over a year, we have over 50 Domestic and International Jurisdictions that are now affiliate sites for the C.H. Mason Jurisdictional Institutes. This partnership allows you to provide proven and quality curriculum while also earning additional funds for your Jurisdiction.

How?

By becoming an affiliate site, you are able to provide certificate programs that are already vetted and approved for licensure and ordination, thus ensuring your members and ministry leaders will learn the most current academic curriculum. This saves you value, time, and money on research and curriculum development.

In our current time, online and hybrid education is critical. The C.H. Mason Jurisdictional Institute offers an online educational modality and you have the flexibility to decide what would meet the needs of your members. Additionally, the certificate program is 2 years with only 11 courses, offering students an opportunity to move forward to other programs after completion.

Our International Jurisdictions are joining us as well and they have the added benefit of free resources and a shorter program timeframe. We are also working tirelessly to get materials translated into several different languages for our non-English speaking students.

When you become a part of the C.H. Mason Jurisdictional Institutes, you are no longer alone and have a community of regional deans, liaisons, and adjunct faculty to support you.

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