
Certificate in Christian Leadership
Christians in every vocational field need training in Christian leadership. Fletcher’s Certificate in Christian Leadership provides a ministry certification with practical skills that will serve a wide variety of people, including vocational ministers, educators, business owners, congregational, lay leaders, denominational workers, and military personnel.
Fletcher's Certificate in Christian Leadership Has What Students Are Looking For In a Program.
Forward Thinking
Student Centered
100% Online
Professional Certification
Affordable Certificate in Christian Leadership Classes
How will Fletcher’s Certificate in Christian Leadership benefit students?
“More than ever, Christian leaders are needed to share the love and grace of God with the world. In times when there is more concern about the number of followers someone has or if a video goes viral, Christian Leadership is imperative.
As a participant in the Certificate in Christian Leadership program you will meet instructors who have practical real-world experience and expertise in what it means to lead in changing times. Regardless of your ministry context, our instructors will assist you in recognizing your strengths, provide you with real world examples, introduce you to people who are currently serving in varied ministry contexts, and assist you with communicating God to all you meet.
Ultimately, we want you to complete your studies in Christian leadership equipped to do the work, encouraged for your journey, and ready to engage your identified community. You are today’s leaders. Let us prepare you for the days and years ahead as God continues to use you to be the difference in a rapidly changing world. Love God, love others, change the world!”

Certificate in Christian Leadership Curriculum
Course |
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CCL101 The Soul of Christian Leadership |
As servant leaders, we are called to demonstrate character, integrity, and courage in all we do, while building relationships based on mutuality, authenticity, and trust. This requires us to understand ourselves and our impact on others. We must also be aware of the areas in which we are most skilled and of those where we need support to be fully successful. We need to understand others, including how we develop our faith and nurture our spirituality. |
CCL102 Developing Partnerships for Community Transformation |
Whether you find yourself in a large city, a sprawling suburb, or a rural context, developing partnerships with individuals and organizations in your community is essential to Kingdom growth. The “come and see” method of church growth is antiquated and ineffective. If we desire to share the life and love of Jesus with people, we must move outside the church walls and form strategic partnerships with the community |
CCL103 Systems, Structure and Strategic Planning |
In today's rapidly evolving world, organizations of all types need strong systems and structures in place to thrive and foster resonant leadership. This course will guide you through key topics like creating a shared vision, mission, and values, exploring various leadership theories, and understanding the characteristics of resonant organizations. You'll also gain insights into organizational life cycles and adaptive challenges. Through engaging discussions, self-assessments, and a final project, you'll learn to analyze your organization, discover your own leadership style and preferences, and develop a strategic plan for its future success. |
CCL104 Leadership and Ethics |
This course focuses on what Christian leadership looks like in the 21st century, and the ethics behind a Christian worldview. Using texts related to leadership and ethics, students will learn the differences between secular and servant leadership in the Christian worldview and develop a model for servant leadership for themselves and those they mentor. They will also consider the methodology for doing ethics in Kingdom-oriented ways, develop a systematic guide for discerning ethics from Scripture and review the major moral issues inside of Christian ethics and apply them to modern contexts. |
CCL105 Communications In Churches and Nonprofits |
Many aspects of Christian leadership involve communications of some sort. Students in this course will explore small group communication, business and professional communications, interpersonal communications, and public communications. Additionally, student will learn principles and best practices for online communications including social media engagement, live-streaming, and website development. Seeing that there are so many broad topics in communications as it relates to Christian leadership, students will leave the course with an overview of the field, and also equipped with resources for implementing best practices. |
CCL106 Contemporary Issues in the Church |
Contemporary Issues in the Church will focus on the most pressing social and spiritual issues facing Christians today. We will cover racial justice, Christian nationalism, LGBTQ+ theology and practice, gender justice, and more. The goal is for students to leave the class with a high-level understanding of these issues, undergirded by Scripture, and with practical resources to help others navigate them. |
2023 CCL Classes
Course Title | Instructor | Day and Time |
---|---|---|
CCL103 Systems, Structure and Strategic Planning | Miche van Essen | Tuesday, 7-9pm CST |
In today’s rapidly evolving world, organizations of all types need strong systems and structures in place to thrive and foster resonant leadership. This course will guide you through key topics like creating a shared vision, mission, and values, exploring various leadership theories, and understanding the characteristics of resonant organizations. You’ll also gain insights into organizational life cycles and adaptive challenges. Through engaging discussions, self-assessments, and a final project, you’ll learn to analyze your organization, discover your own leadership style and preferences, and develop a strategic plan for its future success. | ||
CCL105 Communications In Churches and Nonprofits | Dr. Jonathan Davis | Thursday, 7-9pm CST |
This certificate-level course is designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively communicate within the context of a church or nonprofit organization. Communications touches on nearly every part of ministry and nonprofit work, and the class will explore how communications has historically been utilized in churches and nonprofits and also consider developing trends in the communications field. Students will learn how to develop and implement thoughtful and effective communication strategies that align with the organization’s mission, values, goals, and most importantly – the ethics of Jesus. |
Course | Instructor/s | Day/Time |
---|---|---|
CCL101 The Soul of Christian Leadership | Dr. Susan Douglas & Rev. Katie Ivey | Tuesday, 6:30-8:30pm, CST |
As servant leaders, we are called to demonstrate character, integrity, and courage in all we do, while building relationships based on mutuality, authenticity, and trust. This requires us to understand ourselves and our impact on others. We must also be aware of the areas in which we are most skilled and of those where we need support to be fully successful. We need to understand others, including how we develop our faith and nurture our spirituality. | ||
CCL106 Contemporary Issues in the Church | Rev. Zach Lambert | Monday, 7-9pm CST |
Contemporary Issues in the Church will focus on the most pressing social and spiritual issues facing Christians today. We will cover racial justice, Christian nationalism, LGBTQ+ theology and practice, gender justice, and more. The goal is for students to leave the class with a high-level understanding of these issues, undergirded by Scripture, and with practical resources to help others navigate them. | ||
CRM101 Ministry in the Rural Context | Dr. Jonathan LeMaster-Smith | Tuesday, 7-9:30pm, CST |
Rural communities, just like all other communities, are unique and complex places. This course offers an introductory exploration of rural realities through both data driven resources and methods of connecting with the heritage and heart of rural spaces. Special attention is given to understanding the complex layers of story and connection in rural spaces including class, gender, and race. | ||
CRM102 Preaching and Teaching in the Rural Church | Dr. Jonathan LeMaster-Smith | Wednesday, 2-3:30pm, CST |
Preaching and teaching in rural communities offers unique opportunities for blending heritage, culture, and story in creative ways. Preaching and Christian formation hold similar goals regardless of the context. However, this course offers practices for crafting worship and education in ways that can root themselves in the rural contexts we serve. Attention is given to worship and education as hope building, formal and informal formation opportunities, and how the community itself becomes part of the experience. |
Academic Calendar
SUMMER TERM 2023
May 29 New Student Orientation (Online)
June 5 Spring Classes Begin (or In Person Seminars)
June 14 Last Date to Register or Change from Credit to Audit
July 6 Last Date to Drop a Course with “W”
July 12 Academic Advising for Fall Term Begins
July 19 Last Date to Withdraw from a Summer 2023 Course
July 26 Last Date to Withdraw from a Summer 2023 Course
August 21-25 Final Exams Week (or In Person Seminars)
FALL TERM 2023
September 11 New Student Orientation (Online)
September 18 Fall Classes Begin (or In Person Seminars)
September 26 Last Date to Register or Change from Credit to Audit
October 10 Last Date to Drop a Course with “W”
October 16 Academic Advising for Spring and May Terms Begins
November 6 Advance Registration Begins for the Spring 2024 Term
November 13 Last Date to Withdraw from a Fall 2023 Course
November 23-24 Thanksgiving Break
December 4-8 Final Exams Week (or In Person Seminars)
December 18 Christmas Holiday Begins for Administrative Offices

Obtain Ministry Certification From Anywhere
Our Certificate in Christian Leadership program not only attracts student from San Antonio and Texas, but other states and even other countries. Our first semester we enrolled a church planter who is in the Netherlands. Our Certificate in Christian Leadership classes are flexible and practical, giving you the skills you need for your ministry job or volunteer ministry position.
Fletcher Seminary is serious about practical training, and we provide students at all levels of study with the tools they need to succeed in ministry and nonprofit leadership. In obtaining Fletcher’s online ministry certification, you will gain skills and knowledge to thrive in your place of ministry. In addition to practical skills, by building meaningful relationships with instructors and colleagues through study and prayer, you will experience meaningful spiritual formation for ministry.
Based in San Antonio, Texas, Fletcher Seminary’s staff and faculty reflect the diverse global makeup of the city and surrounding region. We teach students how to think and not what to think, celebrating and embracing diversity as a strength. Additionally, Fletcher Seminary strives to connect with other area nonprofits and faith-based organizations, because partnership is critical in ministry leadership.
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