June 23, 2025
Kairos contextualization partner Chestnut Hill College has launched an innovative MBA in Ministry Leadership that is bridging faith and business. We invite you to learn more about this unique program. Below is an article from the college highlighting the program and how Kairos students and others can participate in the program.
Bridging Faith and Business: Chestnut Hill College’s Innovative MBA in Ministry Leadership
In today’s rapidly evolving religious landscape, ministry leaders face unprecedented challenges that require both spiritual wisdom and business acumen. Traditional seminary education, while invaluable for theological formation, often leaves gaps in the practical management skills needed to lead thriving faith-based organizations. Recognizing this critical need, Chestnut Hill College has developed a groundbreaking solution: an MBA in Strategic Management with a concentration in Ministry Leadership that uniquely addresses the intersection of faith and business.
Meeting a Growing Market Need
The modern ministry landscape has transformed dramatically. Today’s religious leaders are not just shepherds of souls—they’re CEOs of complex organizations, fundraising strategists, community engagement specialists, and often, bi-vocational professionals balancing ministry with secular careers. Churches, synagogues, mosques, and faith-based nonprofits operate in an increasingly competitive environment where effective leadership requires sophisticated business skills alongside spiritual calling.
This reality has created a significant educational gap. Traditional business programs, while offering valuable management training, often fail to address the unique challenges of ministry leadership. Conversely, seminary programs typically focus on theological preparation without adequate attention to organizational management. Chestnut Hill College’s Ministry Leadership MBA concentration fills this void by creating a program specifically designed for the faith-based sector.
A Program Designed for Ministry Realities
What sets this program apart is its deep understanding of ministry-specific challenges. The curriculum replaces standard MBA courses with specialized modules that speak directly to the faith community’s needs. Instead of generic business ethics, students engage with “Vocational, Ethical, and Professional Perspectives for Ministry Leaders,” exploring the unique ethical landscape of religious leadership where personal faith, organizational stewardship, and community responsibility intersect.
The program’s “Communication Strategies for Ministry Leaders” course recognizes that religious leaders are inherently public communicators whose messages carry both organizational and spiritual weight. This specialized focus acknowledges that marketing a ministry involves fundamentally different considerations than promoting a product or service—it’s about mission alignment, community building, and authentic witness.
Perhaps most innovative is the “Organizational Assessment for Ministry Leaders” course, which equips students to evaluate ministry effectiveness beyond traditional business metrics. This curriculum understands that success in ministry organizations involves both quantifiable outcomes and intangible spiritual impact, requiring assessment tools that honor both dimensions.
Serving Diverse Ministry Contexts
The program’s target audience reflects the diversity of modern ministry leadership. Traditional clergy will find tools to better steward their congregations’ resources and navigate complex organizational dynamics. Ministry entrepreneurs—a growing demographic launching innovative faith-based initiatives—will gain the business foundation necessary to transform vision into sustainable impact.
Faith-based nonprofit leaders, who often struggle with the tension between mission and sustainability, will discover strategies for maintaining organizational health while staying true to their spiritual calling. Perhaps most significantly, the program serves bi-vocational leaders, an increasingly common model where individuals balance ministry leadership with secular careers, requiring sophisticated skills in both domains.
Accessibility and Flexibility
Understanding that ministry leaders often juggle multiple responsibilities, Chestnut Hill College has designed this program with maximum flexibility. The 100% online format eliminates geographical barriers, allowing students from across the country to participate. The self-paced, asynchronous structure accommodates the irregular schedules common in ministry work, where pastoral emergencies and community needs don’t follow traditional business hours.
At $325 per credit hour with a total program cost of $9,750, the program offers exceptional value. The pay-as-you-go model reduces financial barriers, allowing students to manage tuition costs term by term rather than facing a large upfront expense. For those with undergraduate business backgrounds, the accelerated one-year completion timeline makes advanced education achievable even within demanding ministry schedules.
Addressing Prerequisites Thoughtfully
Recognizing that many ministry leaders come from theological rather than business backgrounds, the program offers essential prerequisites online: Accounting, Finance, Statistics, and Economics. This thoughtful approach ensures that students enter the MBA coursework with necessary foundational knowledge while maintaining the program’s accessibility.
A Strategic Investment in Ministry Excellence
This program represents more than educational innovation—it’s a strategic investment in the future of faith-based leadership. As religious organizations increasingly compete for attention, resources, and community engagement, the leaders who combine spiritual depth with business sophistication will be best positioned to create lasting impact.
The changing landscape of American religion demands leaders who can navigate complex organizational challenges, engage diverse communities effectively, and steward resources with both financial wisdom and spiritual integrity. Chestnut Hill College’s MBA in Ministry Leadership provides exactly this preparation.
Looking Forward
For ministry leaders considering their next steps in professional development, this program offers a unique opportunity to gain essential business skills without compromising faith commitments. The specialized curriculum, flexible format, and ministry-focused community create an educational experience that honors both calling and competence.
In an era where effective ministry increasingly requires sophisticated leadership skills, Chestnut Hill College’s MBA in Ministry Leadership stands as a beacon for those committed to excellence in faith-based service. By bridging the gap between spiritual calling and business acumen, this program prepares a new generation of ministry leaders equipped to navigate modern challenges while remaining rooted in timeless values.
For those ready to enhance their ministry impact through advanced business education, the path forward is clear. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, with classes beginning in Spring, Summer, and Fall terms. The investment in professional development today will yield dividends in ministry effectiveness for years to come.
For more information about this program, visit Chestnut Hill College’s website or contact Rita K. Borzillo (borzillor@chc.edu), J.D., Chair, Center for Business and Assistant Professor of Business, Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, PA.