Welcome to the MAGL!
I welcome you to a community of practice: a community of in-service leaders and practitioner faculty whose goal is to develop more and better leaders for the Kingdom. Let me explain what I mean.
The Master of Arts in Global Leadership (MAGL) program is designed to allow people who are already leading in some capacity to remain fully engaged in ministry while studying for a highly practical degree. These students come together (online and face-to-face) with peers from around the globe, under the tutelage of faculty who also have ministry experience outside the classroom, for the purpose of learning from one another.
While we wrestle with many theoretical concepts in the MAGL program, our ultimate goal is to apply newfound insights to our leadership roles, and then to continue to learn from each other as we share the results of our ministry work for God’s Kingdom.
So, welcome to our community of practice. Take a minute to get to know more about us through this link: MAGL STAFF & FACULTY, the links below, and the Academic Information page.
I look forward to “seeing” you soon online.
Bob Freeman, Associate Dean of the MAGL Program
You might say that the Master of Arts in Global Leadership (MAGL) began long ago with the Great Commission. When Jesus said, “Make disciples of all nations,” he sought apprentices, not simply students – in other words, people who would do what he did, not only know about what he did.
Early in the history of the Fuller’s School of Intercultural Studies, some faculty members began to question the effectiveness of a pre-service leadership training paradigm. They proposed instead to use a method called TEE, theological education by extension, to provide advanced training and education to in-service leaders while they continued to serve in their ministry contexts.
In 1995, Fuller Seminary began petitioning its accrediting bodies (ATS, the Association of Theological Schools, and WASC, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges) to allow Fuller to offer such a degree. Along came the Internet to facilitate this process and the philosophy of adult education to undergird it. In 2004, preliminary approval was granted for the Master of Arts in Global Leadership program. The MAGL now includes more than 300 leaders from around the world (see typical MAGL student) working together with practitioner faculty (see MAGL cohort faculty) to become better apprentices of Jesus!
I am often asked: “Who is the typical student in the MA in Global Leadership?”
Avg. age at matriculation: 39.6
Avg. years in ministry: 10.64
Citizenship: 66.5% US, 32.5% Intl. (growing!)
Denominations represented: 44
Gender: 73% Men, 27% Women (growing!)
Ministry context: 69% US, 31% Intl.
Ministry locations include: Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Canada, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Peru, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sudan, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom, USA, and Venezuela.
Ministries:
15% Associate pastors
14% Senior pastors
14% Lay leaders
13% Campus ministers
12% Missionaries
11% Parachurch leaders
6% Youth pastors
5% Mission directors
3% Mission administrators
2% Mission pastors
2% Worship pastors
1.5% Church planters
1.5% Denominational leaders
Learning while you lead alongside such a diverse group of leaders is one of the many strengths of the MAGL!
Mark Hopkins, Director of the Master of Arts in Global Leadership
MAGL students who wish to continue their education at the doctoral level are advised to consider Fuller's
Doctor of Missiology program, which is designed for leaders who desire to effectively integrate theory and praxis while continuing their ministries in-context. MAGL cohort coordinators are available to advise students considering other educational options after the MAGL.