SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
Academics » Ministry & Theology » Grace Church Regional Cohorts
SEU partners with Grace Church to host two regional cohorts on-site in Humble, Texas. This innovative program gives students earning the MA in Ministerial Leadership (MAML) or the Doctor of Ministry (DMin) the opportunity to learn from and access key leaders. Cohort members will grow together in community through various in-person gatherings in different regions of the country.
These programs will raise up leaders who will make a powerful impact on their communities and the Kingdom — offering exclusive opportunities to challenge students through world-class education, to be encouraged by other cohort members, and to be mentored by strong, seasoned leaders.
The Executive Cohort programs are offered in a hybrid cohort format — combining the flexibility of online coursework with the richness of periodic, in-person intensive experiences.
Hybrid Cohort Model
Online coursework each semester, supplemented by reading and writing assignments before and after each in-person experience.
Periodic one-week intensive classes held on SEU’s Lakeland, Florida campus and other inspiring sites nationwide.
Nationally Accredited Program
These programs are offered through the SEU School of Divinity, housed within SEU’s Barnett College of Ministry & Theology. The School of Divinity is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) — the highest mark for any graduate program in ministry, Bible, or theology.
SEU is also regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
The Executive Cohort programs are offered in a hybrid cohort format — combining the flexibility of online coursework with the richness of periodic, in-person intensive experiences.
Hybrid Cohort Model
Online coursework each semester, supplemented by reading and writing assignments before and after each in-person experience.
Periodic one-week intensive classes held on SEU’s Lakeland, Florida campus and other inspiring sites nationwide.
Nationally Accredited Program
These programs are offered through the SEU School of Divinity, housed within SEU’s Barnett College of Ministry & Theology. The School of Divinity is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) — the highest mark for any graduate program in ministry, Bible, or theology.
SEU is also regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Elevate your ministry and leadership with other like-minded individuals on the same pursuit as you. As the Church continues to evolve to meet the needs of our modern world, SEU and Grace Church aim to partner with those who desire to continue growing in the areas of leadership and ministry effectiveness.
Students in the Grace Church cohort will enroll in SEU’s flagship graduate ministry degrees, the MA in Ministerial Leadership or the Doctor of Ministry. The delivery of all academic courses will be online for optimal flexibility with a ministry schedule. To further enhance these online studies, students can join in on regionally-based events such roundtables, think tanks, and presentations by special guest mentors — all of which will create space for creativity and innovation.
The School of Divinity within SEU’s Barnett College of Ministry & Theology is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools.
With online access and in-person connections, the Grace Church Regional Cohorts bridge the best of both worlds for maximum success.
*Does not include additional fees or travel
Learn directly from seasoned ministry leaders and scholars who bring decades of pastoral and academic experience into every classroom.
MA Ministerial Leadership — Southeastern University
DMin Semiotics — Portland Seminary
Certified in Christian Counseling
Scott Jones has been in full-time ministry since the age of 19. His broad ministry experience has ranged from youth ministry and executive denominational leadership to lead pastor. He has served as lead pastor of Grace Church, a multisite church in the greater Houston area, for 28 years.
Scott and his wife, Melanie, have a driving passion to strengthen people in ministry and their families. They have led a ministerial network, worked with pastors and spouses in one-on-one settings, and often speak in conference settings. Scott and Melanie have been married for 37 years and have two adult children who are also in ministry.
BA History — Mississippi State University
MDiv & MA Biblical Language — Oral Roberts University
MTheo & PhD — Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Landon Galloway is a pastor at Grace Church of Houston, TX, and the director of Destiny Leadership Institute — a two-year ministry training program that empowers local churches to train and equip leaders within the context of their own churches.
Dr. A. J. Swoboda (PhD, Birmingham) is a pastor, professor, and writer. For nearly ten years, he served as a college pastor on the campus of the University of Oregon. Then, for another decade, planted and pastored a missional church in urban Portland, Oregon called Theophilus that continues to worship to this day. Currently, he is the Associate Professor of Bible, theology, and world Christianity at Bushnell University. As well, he leads a Doctor of Ministry program around the Holy Spirit and Leadership at Fuller Seminary and has taught at Multnomah University, London School of Theology, LIFE Pacific, and Southeastern University. He is the author of ten books, including Redeeming How we Talk (Moody), After Doubt (Brazos), and the award-winning Subversive Sabbath (Brazos). As well, he is the co-host of the “Slow Theology” podcast with New Testament scholar Dr. Nijay Gupta that reaches thousands each week. He loves Jesus deeply, has been married to Quinn for eighteen years, and is the proud father of one son, Elliot. They live and work on an urban farm in Eugene, Oregon
Author of more than seventy books and 1500+ published sermons, Leonard Sweet’s recent publications include groundbreaking textbooks on preaching (Giving Blood), evangelism (Nudge), ecclesiology (So Beautiful), discipleship (I Am A Follower), and eschatology (Telos). Len often appears on the “50 Most Influential Christians in America” listings, and has appeared in the non-English “Top 10 Influential World Christians.” His “Napkin Scribbles” podcasts can be accessed on leonardsweet.com or Spotify. His Twitter and Facebook microblogs are ranked as some of the most influential in the religious arena. His weekly “LenTalk” vlogs are found on his Leonard Sweet YouTube channel. Len works with doctoral students at four institutions: Drew University, where he has occupied the E. Stanley Jones Chair, George Fox University, Northwind Seminary, and Southeastern University. In 2015 he launched his own homiletics resource, preachthestory.com. In 2020 he founded the publishing house the Salish Sea Press. One of the most sought-after speakers in the religious world today, he resides on Orcas Island in the San Juans in the PNW.
Terry Crist serves as the Lead Pastor of City of Grace, a church with four campuses across Arizona, and in Las Vegas, Nevada. As a fifth-generation pastor, he has a rich history of building churches and helping hurting people. Terry has traveled extensively in over sixty-five nations speaking in churches, conferences, and on university campuses. He has a Th.M. and D.Min. and has completed two business certificate programs from Harvard Business School.
In 2011 Terry was appointed by Arizona Governor, Jan Brewer, to Chair the Arizona SERVES Task Force which was dedicated to engaging the community around serving the most vulnerable citizens of the State. In 2013 Arizona SERVES was the catalyst for the launch of AZ127, a church-to-church partnership dedicated to recruiting, resourcing, and retaining foster-care families. AZ127 has since inspired a national movement of churches united in partnership around adoption and foster-care. Terry was honored by the U.S. Congress with the “Angels in Adoption” congressional award in 2015. He presently serves as a member of Arizona Governor Doug Ducey’s “Council for Child Safety and Family Empowerment.”
Terry hosts “Café Theology,” an innovative weekly television program with a live studio audience airing on Hillsong Channel and TBN Inspire. He has spoken or contributed to the Hillsong Conference (Sydney, London, and USA), C 3 Pastors Conference, ARC Conference, Fellowship Church (Dallas), The Barna Group “State of the Church Conference,” The Nine’s Conference (Leadership Network), Right Now Media, Liberty University Convocation, Grand Canyon University, Movement Day NYC, and elsewhere.
Terry Crist serves as the Lead Pastor of City of Grace, a church with four campuses across Arizona, and in Las Vegas, Nevada. As a fifth-generation pastor, he has a rich history of building churches and helping hurting people. Terry has traveled extensively in over sixty-five nations speaking in churches, conferences, and on university campuses. He has a Th.M. and D.Min. and has completed two business certificate programs from Harvard Business School.
In 2011 Terry was appointed by Arizona Governor, Jan Brewer, to Chair the Arizona SERVES Task Force which was dedicated to engaging the community around serving the most vulnerable citizens of the State. In 2013 Arizona SERVES was the catalyst for the launch of AZ127, a church-to-church partnership dedicated to recruiting, resourcing, and retaining foster-care families. AZ127 has since inspired a national movement of churches united in partnership around adoption and foster-care. Terry was honored by the U.S. Congress with the “Angels in Adoption” congressional award in 2015. He presently serves as a member of Arizona Governor Doug Ducey’s “Council for Child Safety and Family Empowerment.”
Terry hosts “Café Theology,” an innovative weekly television program with a live studio audience airing on Hillsong Channel and TBN Inspire. He has spoken or contributed to the Hillsong Conference (Sydney, London, and USA), C 3 Pastors Conference, ARC Conference, Fellowship Church (Dallas), The Barna Group “State of the Church Conference,” The Nine’s Conference (Leadership Network), Right Now Media, Liberty University Convocation, Grand Canyon University, Movement Day NYC, and elsewhere.
We invite you to join this exciting program! Getting started is simple. When you apply to SEU, be sure to choose the Grace Church, Humble, Texas, location and Master of Arts in Ministerial Leadership or Doctor of Ministry as your intended degree.
To learn more about the program, contact Scott Jones at [email protected].
For assistance with your application, contact Chloe Blue at [email protected].
Learn more about ministry degrees at SEU here.