Training students for Christian mission and ministry

The Department of Religion at Washington Adventist University continues the rich heritage of this institution by training its students for Christian mission and ministry. As the Seventh-day Adventist Church considers the opportunities and challenges of the 21st Century, our department provides an Adventist community of learning and preparation where people discover and embrace anew the biblical witness of both the Old and New Testaments. Scripture is central as students follow Israel’s hope and fulfillment in the redeeming and reconciling life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In response to Christ’s call for the unity of the church and the commission to share the Gospel with the world, our department welcomes men and women from all cultures, nations, and races. We celebrate our differences and use our diversity to promote better learning and understanding as we attempt to reach the world with the Gospel message. In the tradition of the earliest Seventh-day Adventists, we integrate faith and learning with ministry and mission in our local neighborhoods, throughout the eastern seaboard, and the world.

The Department of Religion has an enduring commitment to foster the knowledge and love of God through thoughtful engagement with the best of Christian scholarship in the context of the contemporary needs of the world. Our department provides resources and training for churches that encourages continued reflection on ministry and mission given the changing social and cultural realities of the world in which we live and serve. For these reasons, our department enthusiastically embraces WAU’s identity as the “Gateway to Service.”

In gratitude for the possibilities of ministry and mission in our strategic location within the Washington Metropolitan area, our department provides an unparalleled program for students training for ministry in suburban and metropolitan settings. Our curriculum offers degrees in Religion, Theology, and Philosophy with various concentrations (pastoral ministry, metro ministry, and lay ministry) which seek to train students as pastors, teachers, and/or lay leaders in their local worshiping communities. We believe that all students at WAU should have the opportunity to reflect on ways their career training and faith are integrated both now and for the rest of their lives.

In addition to providing training for majors and minors, the Department of Religion works with the General Education curriculum of our college to provide interesting and challenging courses that integrate faith and learning. Every student is required to complete 12 hours of religion courses. See the general education curriculum for more details.

Full-time and adjunct faculty in our department bring their expertise and proven leadership in denominational work to the classrooms. Even more importantly, they bring a dedication to Jesus Christ. They believe that WAU is located in a critical place and time for the Christian Gospel and the Seventh-day Adventist hope. The Department of Religion unashamedly affirms the sovereignty of the triune God over all creation. We believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ as God’s saving Word for all nations, in the renewing power of the word and Spirit in life and in the unity of Christ’s servant church as a redeemed community throughout the world.