John Senyonyi

John Senyonyi had earned a terminal degree in mathematics in his native Uganda. But a famous religious leader in that country encouraged him to pursue theological study halfway around the world at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and Dr. Senyonyi says that move changed his life forever.

Some called the late Festo Kivengere the “Billy Graham of Africa.”

The Ugandan Anglican bishop connected with a mathematics scholar named John Senyonyi, who had expressed an interest in evangelistic work all over the African continent. He joined Festo’s African Evangelistic Enterprise.

“(Festo) invited me to become one of the evangelists, but at the same time, because I had a desire to do theological studies, he asked me ‘Where do you want to go?’ Dr. Senyonyi recalls. “He said, ‘I want you to have a global mind,” and he made arrangements for me to come to TEDS. He arranged for the scholarship, he arranged for the admissions.”

That moment came in the late 1980s. John went on to earn a Master of Arts in evangelism and theology before returning with his wife Ruth to Uganda after graduation in 1992.

“My education at TEDS was particularly instrumental in sustaining and informing the fire for evangelism in my heart,” Senyonyi told Trinity Magazine during a visit to the Deerfield campus. “God’s call on me now got a better foundation as I understood it better, and my preaching was honed with theological grounding as a result.”

That “global mind” took shape during those years at TEDS.

“Trinity brought me into the fellowship, a larger fellowship, which is exactly what Bishop Festo had said in the very beginning,” Dr. Senyonyi recalls, “that I should have a mind that thinks beyond just Uganda or beyond my little locality.”

Today, Dr. Senyonyi serves as vice chancellor (president) of Uganda Christian University in Mukono, which enrolls more than 7,000 students and operates on five campuses.

But there’s more to this story. Both Ruth and John have had a strong impact on their native country in the years since their return to Uganda.

Senyonyi chaired the Uganda Youth Forum, which brought together many thousands of young people to hear messages of empowerment and encouragement to avoid becoming at risk for AIDS.

While in the United States, Ruth pursued a counseling degree at Northeastern Illinois University and later became the first professional counseling psychologist in Uganda.

In 2017, Trinity recognized these efforts in naming Dr. Senyonyi the TEDS Alumnus of the
Year.

ALUMNI STORY

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MA/Theological Studies

MA/Theological Studies

Why study Theological Studies at TEDS?

The MA/TS is our most flexible program both in focus and delivery method. It can be completed in its entirety at our Extension Sites, in combination with online courses, or in summer coursework at the Deerfield campus (as well as in traditional full- or part-time formats). This degree is particularly focused on tying the broad field of theological studies to the work of the church, and students have plenty of opportunities to focus their studies on particular subject areas that interest them.

WHAT ARE THE PREREQUISITES FOR
ADMISSION TO THIS PROGRAM?

In addition to the requirements for general admission, you’ll need the following:

A baccalaureate degree, or the educational equivalent, from a recognized accredited institution. In some cases, admission with deficiencies is possible with fulfillment of those deficiencies at Trinity.
A minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale. However, GPA isn’t always an accurate indication of a student’s abilities, so those with a lower GPA are encouraged to talk to an admissions counselor. Scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) are required if your GPA is less than 2.5.

WHAT WILL I STUDY?

The flexibility of this program means that your course options will vary widely according to your interests. You’ll want to pay attention to the most recent version of the Academic Catalog as well as to the course schedules. Courses you’ll take will include the following:

BIBLICAL / THEOLOGICAL / HISTORICAL CORE: 21–23 HOURS

Biblical Studies: 7–12 hours
Recommended:
Course	Title	Credits
OT 5000	Introduction to the Old Testament	4 hours
NT 5000	Introduction to the New Testament	3 hours
Theological Studies: 9–12 hours
Recommended:
Course	Title	Credits
ID 5000	Biblical Theology and Interpretation	3 hours
ST 5201	Theology I: The God of the Gospel	3 hours
ST 5202	Theology II: The Gospel of God	3 hours
Historical & Global Studies: 5–9 hours
Recommended:
Course	Title	Credits
CH 5051	History of Christianity I	3 hours
CH 5052	History of Christianity II (or CH 5060: American Church History)	3 hours
ID 6500	Understanding Social and Cultural Contexts of Ministry	3 hours
ME 6410	History of the Expansion of Christianity	3 hours
ME 6760	Theology of Mission & Evangelism	3 hours
ME 7710	Contextualization	3 hours

ELECTIVES: 5–17 HOURS

Custom:
These courses may focus in a department or area of interest, or you can select courses from across the curriculum. This is one of the main strengths of the MA/TS: it is very customizable depending on whether you want a broader or more focused program.

SPIRITUAL FORMATION, FIELD ED, AND CAPSTONE: 4 HOURS

Required:
Course	Title	Credits
PT 5100	Spiritual Formation for Ministry	2 hours
Select One of the following options:
Course	Title	Credits
PT 5090	Option 1: Field Education (Two Semesters)	0 hours
PT 5090 & IT 5080	Option 2: Field Education (One Semester) & Formation Group (Two Semesters)	0 hours
	Required:
ID 7468	MA/Theological Studies Capstone Project	2 hours

FIELD EDUCATION

All MA/TS students, regardless of degree completion format, also have to complete field education requirements. Learn more about field education here.

WHERE CAN THIS DEGREE TAKE ME?

If you fit any of the following profiles, this degree may be for you:

You’re passionate about the church and deepening your knowledge of God, but you’re not in full-time vocational ministry (so you’re not interested in “professional” ministry credentials, like an MDiv). You might also live within commuting distance of an extension site.
You’re already involved in ministry, you want to be a more faithful steward of that ministry through education, and you want to explore courses in your particular area of interest, but you don’t need the credentialing of an MDiv. Your ministry might also be within commuting distance of an extension site, and you love having the opportunity to get a solid education without having to leave your ministry context.
You’re enrolled in another one of our masters’ programs and want to add a second, flexible degree that allows you to intently focus on a specific biblical-theological or ministry area.
You think that you might want to complete an MDiv but aren’t sure about theological education – perhaps you wonder about the length of the MDiv, or whether an MDiv is what you need. An MA/TS is a great introduction to theological education. Furthermore, someone who completes the MA/Theological Studies may later apply all of those credits to an MDiv (this takes care of about 1/3 of the MDiv coursework), and this is true even if you earned your entire MA/TS at an extension site.

OTHER OPTIONS

The MA/TS is a broad, flexible foundation for different sorts of future academic or ministry pursuits.

Certificate in Christian Studies
Interested in seminary coursework, but not ready to enroll or don’t qualify for admission? Our Certificate in Christian Studies is a flexible, non-degree program that may interest you.

Double Degree
Students in the Master of Divinity (MDiv) or Master of Arts in Theological Studies (MA/TS) can add a Master of Arts in Bioethics without substantially lengthening their stay at Trinity.

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