Mission statement

Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) serves the church as a learning community with an Anabaptist vision, educating followers of Jesus Christ to be leaders for God’s reconciling mission in the world.

Core values

• Disciplined study of Scripture, theology and ministry
• Practices of worship, community and Christian discipleship
• Effective and visionary leadership for the church
• Anabaptist theology in conversation with the wider church
• Mission that integrates service, evangelism and peacemaking

Academic programs

Our programs integrate academics, spiritual formation and practice, equipping students to read the Bible with an Anabaptist lens, apply critical thinking skills, lead compassionately and live faithfully — wherever God calls them.

Our curriculum focuses on three areas of development: being, knowing and doing. All of our teaching seeks to empower students for a continuous encounter with God and for creative Christian leadership.

Master of Divinity (MDiv): 80 credit hours

The MDiv program educates and forms students for ministerial leadership in a variety of settings, including pastoral leadership. Students enroll in one of two programs:

• MDiv Campus: Students take courses on campus in Elkhart, Indiana, and may also take online and hybrid courses. The MDiv Campus program can be completed in three years of full-time study. (United Methodist students* pursuing an MDiv are required to enroll in the MDiv Campus program.)
  
  
• MDiv Connect: Students take courses from a distance, completing 53 credit hours online and 27 credit hours through hybrid courses. They can complete the program in six years of consistent part-time study, taking 13–14 credit hours per year.

Majors:

• Pastoral Ministry
• Pastoral Ministry for United Methodist students* (campus only)
• Chaplaincy
• Christian Faith Formation
• Theological Studies, with concentrations in:**
  • Biblical Studies
  • History, Theology and Ethics
  • Peace Studies
  • Peace Studies: Environmental Sustainability Leadership

*In partnership with Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois, AMBS educates United Methodist candidates for ordination. UMC students take 65 credit hours on the AMBS campus in Elkhart and 15 credit hours from Garrett-Evangelical. Learn more

**The Theological Studies major is not available in the MDiv Connect program (only the MDiv Campus program).

Master of Arts in Christian Formation (MACF): 60 credit hours

This program educates and prepares students for leadership in spiritual guidance and discernment.

Master of Arts: Theology and Peace Studies (MATPS): 60 credit hours

This program prepares students for careers and further scholarship in theology and transformative peacebuilding.

Concentrations: 

• Primary
• Conflict Transformation
• Environmental Sustainability Leadership
• International Development Administration

Graduate Certificate in Theological Studies: 27 credit hours

This nondegree certificate offers enrichment for people who want deeper biblical and theological grounding for their current professional work or service as congregational lay leaders. It is ideal for church leaders, bivocational pastors and other professionals. The certificate can be done fully online or with a combination of campus, online and hybrid courses.

Financial aid

AMBS offers generous need-based financial aid, grants and scholarships to help make your education affordable.
Learn more

Perspectives

"To have an Anabaptist perspective means to think of being a Christian as a way of life rooted in following Jesus Christ — sharing life's ups and downs with others as a community committed to showing Christ's love to friends and enemies alike."
— Malinda Berry, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Theology and Ethics

From graduates: 

"Professors and staff were consistently concerned with the whole person and created an atmosphere conducive to learning, growing spiritually and connecting with others."
— Janette Joy Lyndaker Gallagher (MDiv 2018), Corning, New York

“The opportunities to study the extensive history of the biblical canon and to delve deeply into various areas of Scripture have cultivated a profound respect for and engagement with the Bible in ways I could never have imagined.” 
— Beth Gerig (MDiv 2018), Mishawaka, Indiana 

“As an ‘outsider’ studying at an Anabaptist and Mennonite institution, I was invited to articulate the biblical and theological particularities of my Stone-Campbell church tradition. I was encouraged by how professors and students alike were very open and affirming of how my theological tradition and experience shaped my view of the church and its mission. This interaction between traditions was the most significant part of my education at AMBS.” 
— Joel Ickes (MDiv 2016), Bronx, New York 

“I took seminary classes while serving as a pastor at Howard-Miami Mennonite Church. The best part of my seminary education was the willingness of every professor to allow me to adapt projects and papers to aid my ministry work. Doing seminary classes through the MDiv Connect program while pastoring in a congregation was not always easy, but the two complemented each other in Spirit-filled ways.”
— Sarah Schlegel (MDiv 2018), Kokomo, Indiana 

“Seminary has been a place that has challenged me to live into my faith, so that my pastoral gifts are not just knowledge that I share with eloquent words, but are embodied in the ways I live my life.”
— Caley Ortman (MDiv 2017), Freeman, South Dakota 

"My time at seminary has been one of deep healing and renewal. Not only was I able to expand my intellectual knowledge and come to a deeper understanding of God’s calling on my life, but I also truly experienced the transforming power of God’s love through intentional Christian fellowship. The community I cultivated over the past two years has been a true embodiment of the ‘beloved community,’ and I am privileged to have had this experience. I am deeply thankful for my fellow peers and professors who enabled such a community to thrive.”
— Rebekah York (MAPS 2018), Bucharest, Romania

Videos

Tour of the Library

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Tour of the Chapel of the Sermon on the Mount