FAQs
Our school began as a flexible alternative to seminary education to prepare students for ordination in the Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania (now the Diocese of the Susquehanna). Education for everyone (lay and ordained) was part of our founding vision. We have evolved into a collaborative online school that provides quality education for the present and future needs of our church and the people and parishes within our diocese and well beyond our borders.
SSFM is an online school available to anyone with an Internet connection. We are housed administratively within the Episcopal Diocese of the Susquehanna, but you do not have to be an Episcopalian to participate in our continuing education opportunities. For the diaconate or priesthood training certificates, students do need to be a part of the Episcopal denomination.
SSFM is always in active conversation with new partner organizations. Currently, in addition to our home Diocese of the Susquehanna, we are partnered with other Province III dioceses of the Episcopal Church: Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Delaware. We also share resources with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Lower Susquehanna Synod, Lancaster Theological Seminary/Moravian Theological Seminary, and United Lutheran Seminary.
No. We provide high-quality education to people wanting to take leadership roles in their church, whether lay or ordained. Most of our students are pursuing lay ministry certificates or are taking individual classes as continuing education. We also continue to provide high-quality seminary-alternative programs for people seeking ordination as both priests and deacons.
What certificate programs of study are available?
We offer a variety of structured programs of study:
Joint Certificate in Anglican Studies from Lancaster Theological Seminary
Lay Certificates:
- Lay Worship Leader
- Lay Preacher
Ministry of the Deacon
Ministry of the Priest
No. The Stevenson School certificate courses provide the tools for ministry. The Bishops and the Commissions on Ministry oversee the ordination process and the steps to lay ministry licenses in their respective dioceses.
You are welcome to take a single course or seminar without formal application to the school. Just follow the registration process as outlined here. If you are interested in applying for an ordination track or a lay ministry certificate track, please contact the Dean or Associate Dean.
There are two 14-week terms: Fall, Spring. There are also breaks incorporated in for major church commitments and other holidays.
Lancaster Theological Seminary/Moravian Theological Seminary and the Stevenson School offer this certificate program as a collaborative venture to prepare students for service in the Episcopal Church. It may be taken as a stand-alone certificate or as part of the Lancaster/Moravian M.Div. degree program. This Certificate program supports a variety of Episcopal ministries ranging from priesthood and the diaconate to pastoral care, educational and lay ministries.
Graded 14-week courses cost $400 at present, with an additional $75 tech fee per term, regardless of how many courses you take. This is the same price for either graded or pass/fail courses. A 7-week course is $200. To audit a 14-week course, which receives no grades and no credit, is $200. Community classes vary in cost depending on the length of the program. Some racial justice offerings of the school are provided at no charge.
We encourage you to seek the support of your parish and your diocese. If you are in the Diocese of Central PA, partial tuition assistance is available for courses. You must file an annual application for financial aid. Please contact the Dean or Associate Dean to begin the application.
The SSFM credits count towards fulfilling certain vocational, continuing education, and lay ministry requirements. Courses taken at SSFM through the Lancaster Theological Seminary/Moravian Theological Seminary carry full accredited credit. Certificates of completion and transcripts are available from the Stevenson School upon request.
Only the courses offered through Lancaster Theological Seminary/Moravian Theological Seminary are accredited. Otherwise, please check with the degree-granting institutions concerning credit for our certificate programs.
Students can take classes for credit and a grade or as an audit. Those pursuing training in ordained ministry (diaconate or priesthood) need to take courses for a letter grade. Those pursuing lay ministry training can take courses with a Pass/Fail or a letter grade.