The Ashland Pathways Initiative

Ashland Theological Seminary is reimagining what they teach and how they teach, in conversation with the church, along three trajectories: (1) the characteristics and competencies of effective pastoral leaders, (2) holistic formation in collaboration with faith communities, and (3) the elimination of obstacles that hinder potential ministry leaders from pursuing the training they need. The seminary is launching a new academic certificate, and a hybrid format master's degree designed to cut costs and extend training to more diverse students.

Karen Stiller spoke with Karen Reaume, project manager of the Seminary’s Pathway project.

Briefly describe the project.

Our Pathways for Tomorrow project aims to increase accessibility to theological education by creating two new programs that reduce the time needed to complete them but also standardize and reduce the synchronous commitments for easier scheduling.

In addition, we are expanding offerings in our business and entrepreneurial education. As an embedded seminary, we partner with the university’s MBA program to pull coursework in financial management and entrepreneurship into our theological studies. This partnership supports a one-year program designed for ministry leaders looking to broaden their impact.

We are also exploring ways to lower costs and improve budgeting—a challenge faced by many institutions—and we remain committed to making progress in this area.

What have you learned so far?

Institutional change is inherently challenging, and while we understand this concept in theory, experiencing it firsthand reveals just how demanding the process can be. One of the initiatives we pursued was shifting our billing model from a semester-based schedule to monthly payments, making it easier for students to manage their budgets. We worked closely with the business office to explore the feasibility of this change. Although everyone was enthusiastic about the idea, ensuring that it functioned seamlessly across various interconnected systems—and then communicated effectively to students—proved to be quite demanding. We have since updated some of our systems, and these structural modifications turned out to be more complex than we initially anticipated.

Another challenging aspect of our transformation involved exploring new pedagogical approaches. It was a substantial task to determine what innovations would engage our community and how these changes might ripple through our programming. The development of our Faith-based Entrepreneurship Certificate has been particularly valuable in this regard. By creating a completely new program, we were able to experiment with fresh teaching methods without disrupting our existing offerings.

What has surprised you along the way?

One of the most surprising outcomes has been how quickly and deeply our fully online cohort has built a sense of community. We also introduced a 37-hour Master of Arts in Applied Bible and Theology—offered as a stand-alone program—but under the Pathway grant it takes on a cohort format called The Calling. In its first year, the program blended online sessions one night a week with an on-campus session one weekend a month, creating a hybrid experience.

This year, we launched a fully online version. We intentionally designed elements of the program to foster a cohort experience, although we weren’t sure how rapidly that connection would develop. It turned out to be remarkable—the group bonded almost immediately. Whether it was due to the strong mentorship or starting with a spiritual formation class, this cohort has become a vibrant, tightly knit community, even in a fully online setting.

What have been a few of your successes?

One of the most impressive outcomes has been the strong cohesion among our cohort groups. Even the students who only meet one weekend a month report a great experience. Our alumni data consistently highlights the benefits of cohort-based learning—a notable achievement given the challenges of scheduling in-person classes regularly over the course of an entire degree program.

The degree we’ve introduced is a 37-credit, reduced-hour program that can be completed within 24 months. It features a streamlined online format—classes meet for two hours each week on Tuesday nights with rotating faculty—allowing students to finish the program as long as they stick with their cohort. Additionally, these credits are fully stackable, enabling students to transition into longer degree programs later on.

We designed the program with flexibility in mind, ensuring that students aren’t locked into a single educational path. For those unable to commit upfront to an 80-credit M.Div. degree, this program offers a manageable starting point with the option to pursue further education when they’re ready. Even our Faith-based Entrepreneurship Certificate is built to be stackable; it includes three core theology classes and one MBA class, which can be integrated as an elective into another degree without any loss of time.

Students have the option to advance to the M.Div. and even the doctoral program, and we already have one student considering that next step.

What aspects of the project are you hopeful about?

I'm hopeful that these proof-of-concept programs will inspire us to explore new ways of adapting our curriculum to fit our students' diverse life circumstances. Many of our students are already balancing two careers—they value education, but they need it offered in formats and on schedules that align with their busy lives. I believe these programs will serve as a catalyst for further innovation.

What are you learning that could help other schools?

I would reiterate that that institutional change is inherently slow. The key insight we’re experiencing is that by designing these programs as new, adaptable offerings, we can experiment, learn, and grow without disrupting our existing curriculum. By piloting them on a small scale, we can smooth out the bumps and challenges early on.

Once we’ve refined these programs, it becomes much easier to apply our insights elsewhere in the institution. We’ll know what works and which adjustments are most effective. Creating these experimental initiatives is an excellent way to test our theories and gain proof of concept before broader integration. This process requires patience and a willingness to revisit and refine our approach whenever obstacles arise.

About Ashland Theological Seminary

Ashland Theological Seminary’s goal is to provide affordable and accessible education for those seeking to grow spiritually and fulfill their calling. Taking a broad evangelical approach across degree and certificate tracks, faculty and administration are dedicated to preparing the heart, the head, and the hands to follow the leading of Christ. Through individualized attention and community discussions, the seminary’s educational model brings together diverse perspectives in ways that foster unity in the things that pull people apart. Visit there website at seminary.ashland.edu/