Download the MSCOS Registration Form.

To reserve your hotel room, please click the link below.
The Residence Marriott at the District at Eastover
Reservations must be made by the student.  Make sure you select the correct dates for your class.  You must provide a credit card to secure your reservation, but not charges will be applied.  You will pay the Center for Ministry directly for your stay if you choose the above option.  You are free to make other arrangements for your stay if you desire.
For Dining Options near Millsaps College Click Here

Fall 2020 Courses

September 25 - 26, 2020 and October 9-10, 2020

COS 121: Bible I: Introduction
​Click here to register for COS 121
Click here for the Syllabus for COS 121.
Required books for this course are:
Biblical Exegesis: A Beginner's Handbook, John Hayes & Carl Holladay (required)
The Unfolding Drama of the Bible, Bernhard Anderson (required)
How to Read the Bible for All It's Worth, Fee & Stuart (required)
The Art of Teaching the Bible, Christine Easton Blair (required)
Inspired, Rachel Held Evans (required)
The Very Good Gospel, Lisa Sharon Harper (required)
​The Interpreters One-Volume Commentary (reference)
Harper Collins Bible Dictionary (reference)
NRSV - New Interpreter's Study Bible (reference)


COS 221: Bible II: Torah & Israel's History
Click here to register for COS 221
Click here for the syllabus to this course.
Required books for this course are:
The Old Testament: A Historical & Literary Introduction, Michael Coogan (required)
The Pentatuch, Terrence Fretheim (required)
A Theological Introduction to the Old Testament, 2nd Edition, Birch,Brueggemann, Fretheim & Petersen (required)
Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again, Rachel Held Evans​ (required)
The Jewish Study Bible: TANAKH Translation, Oxford Edition (required)
 
COS 323: Congregational Care
Click here to register for COS 323
 Click Here for the syllabus to COS 323.
Required books for this course are:
The Skilled Pastor: Counseling as the Practice of Theology, Charles W. Taylor (required)
African American Pastoral Care and Counseling: Oppression and Empowerment, Ed Wimberly (required)
Optional Student Choice Assignment - Choose one of the following:
Practicing Care in Rural Congregations and Communities, Hoeft, Jung & Marshall 
Pastoral Care Emergencies, David K. Switzer
Listening and Caring Skills in Ministry: A Guide for Leaders and Groups, John Savage
Creating a Healthier Church: Family Systems Theory, Leadership and Congregational Life, Ronald Richardson

COS 421: Bible IV: Prophets, Psalms & Wisdom
Click here to register for COS 421
The syllabus for this course is not yet available.
Required books for this course are:
Spirituality of the Psalms, Walter Brueggemann (required)
You Are My People: An Introduction to Prophetic Literature, Stulman & Kim (required)
Wisdom Literature, Richard Clifford (required)
A Theological Introduction to the Old Testament, 2nd Edition, Birch,Brueggmann, Frietham & Petersen (reference)

COS 521: BIble V: Acts, Epistles & Revelation
Click here to register for COS 521
 Click here to download the syllabus for COS 521
Required books for this course are:
Introducing the New Testament, Mark Allen Powell (required)
Navigating Paul, Jouette Bassler (required)
The Moral Teaching of Paul, Victor Furnish (supplementary)
Revelation, N.T. Wright, (supplementary)
The New Testament: Methods and Meanings, Carter/Levine (supplementary)
New Testament Exegesis: A Handbook for Students and Pastors, Gordon Fee (supplementary)
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Summer 2020 - New Dates
October 23-24 & November 6-7

COS 124: Transformative Leadership
​Click here to register for COS 124
Click here for the syllabus for COS 124
Required books for this course are:
Ducking Spears, Dancing Madly:A Biblical Model of Church Leadership, Birch & Parks (required)
The Strategically Small Church: Intimate, Nimble, Authentic and Effective, O'Brien & Belcher (required)
Finding Our Story: Narrative Leadership and Congregational Change, Larry Goleman, (required)
In the Name of Jesus, Henri J.M. Nouwen (required)
​
COS 223: Worship & Sacraments
​Click here to register for COS 223
Click here for the Syllabus for COS 223
Required books for this course are:
UM Hymnal (required)
Book of Worship (required)
This Holy Mystery, Gayle Felton (required)
By Water and the Spirit, Gayle Felton (required)
Accompany Them with Singing - The Christian Funeral, Thomas G. Long (required)
Encounters with the Holy: A Conversational Model for Worship Plannning, Barbara Day Miller (required)
The Christian Year: A Guide for Worship and Preaching, Robin Knowles Wallace (resource)
Let the Whole Church Say Amen!, Laurence Stookey (resource)
Worshiping with United Methodists: A Guide for Pastors and Church Leaders, Hoyt Hickman (resource)
African-American Christian Worship, Melva Costen (resource)
Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals, Claiborne & Wilson-Hargrove (resource)
The Worship Sourcebook, The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship (resource)
Introduction to Christian Worship, James White (resource)

COS 324: Preaching
​Click here to register for COS 324
Click here for the Syllabus for COS 324
Required books for this course are:
Craddock on the Craft of Preaching, Fred Craddock (required)
The Heart of Black Preaching, Cleophus LaRue (required)
The Preaching Life, Barbara Brown Taylor (required)
The New Interpreter's Handbook of Preaching, Paul Scott Wilson, editor (reference)
Preaching Without Notes, Joseph Webb, (supplementary)
Unleashing the Word, Adam Hamilton (supplementary)
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COS 423: Mission
​Click here to register for COS 423
Click here for the Syllabus for this Course.
Required books for this course are:
Christian Mission: How Christianity became a World Religion, Dana Roberts (required)
A Public Faith: How Followers of Christ Should Serve the Common Good Selected Wesley Sermons, Miroslav Volf (required)
Good News to the Poor, Theodore W. Jennings (required)
Treasures in Clay Jars, Lois Y. Barrett, et al. (required)
Why We Can't Wait. Signet Classics, Martin Luther King, Jr. (required)
Acts (please read in the NRSV or the NIV) (required)

COS 523: Evangelism
​Click here to register for COS 523
Click here for the syllabus to this course.
Required books for this course are:
Announcing the Reign of God, Mortimer Arias (required)
Transforming Evangelism: The Wesleyan Way of Sharing Faith, Knight & Powe (required)
Faith-Sharing: Dynamic Christian Witnessing by Invitation, Fox & Morris (required)
New Wine and New Wineskins: How African American Congregations Can Reach New Generations, Daniel Powe (supplementary)
With Justice For All: A Strategy for Community Development, John Perkins (supplementary)
Holy Living: Neighboring, Jorge Acevedo (supplementary)
More than Enchanting: Breaking Through Barriers to Influence Your World, Jo Saxton (supplementary)
Mainline or Methodist? Rediscovering Our Evangelistic Mission, Scott Kisker (supplementary)

2020 Courses

See Full Course Listing

COS 121 and COS 122 are prerequisites for all other courses. Courses should be taken in order, beginning with year one courses and culminating with year five courses.Please note that the course numbers have changed in recent years.  If you have been taking classes since before 2015, we strongly encourage you to review the course catalog and your official GBHEM transcript closely as you plan your schedule. 
​MSCOS reserves the right to alter this schedule and/or faculty roster as needed at any time.

2020 Catalog, Policies and Guidelines

By pre-registering online, you indicate that you have read and agreed to the MSCOS policies and procedures as outlined in the 2020 course catalog, which can be downloaded above.  All registrations must be signed by a student's District Superintendent and Local Pastor Registrar in order to be approved.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Mississippi Course of Study School?
​The Mississippi Course of Study School (MSCOS) at Millsaps College is a ministry education program dedicated to the formation of part-time United Methodist local pastors who are spiritually grounded, theologically responsible, relationally skilled, and professionally effective.

MSCOS is administered by the Center for Ministry and operates as an extension program of the regional Course of Study School at Candler School of Theology, Emory University. MSCOS is accredited through the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church.

What are the MSCOS policies, procedures, fees, and schedules?
​For information on MSCOS policies, procedures, fees and schedules, download the 2020 MSCOS Policies and Procedures. For information on the General Board Policies and Guidelines, click here.
 For our Sexual and Racial Harassment Policy, click here.

How do I register?
Once our new registration system is operational, you will be able to pre-register for a course by clicking on the course name at the top of this page. Only immediately upcoming course sessions will be open for registration. In the meantime, you may also download our printable registration form, then mail or email your completed form (signed by your DS and Local Pastor Registrar) to our office. 

By pre-registering online or via printable registration form, you indicate that you have read and agreed to the MSCOS policies and procedures as outlined in the course catalog available for download on our website.

All registrations must be approved by a student's District Superintendent and Local Pastor Registrar to be complete.

Resources for MSCOS 2020 Students

Your syllabus will be available above.  you will need to have signatures from your DS and Local Pastor Registrar in order to receive your grade.

Assignment Cover Sheet: Download and turn in with all assignments.

2020 MSCOS Catalog
Catalog includes printable registration form, and information on fees, payments, policies, and procedures.
​By pre-registering online, you indicate that you have read and agreed to the policies and procedures outlined in the most recent 2020 MSCOS catalog.

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For more information on the MS Course of Study Contact:
Rev. Paige Swaim-Presley, Director
Box 150041
1701 North State Street
Jackson, MS 39210
601.974.1488 phone
601.974.1484 fax
​