The Certificate of Progress Program (COPP)

History

The Certificate of Progress Program (COPP), organized at the Sunday School Publishing Board in October of 1937, is designed to produce qualified church leaders that will lead church members from positions of knowledge and understanding. Dr. Marshall A. Talley has been credited as the person who instituted the Certificate of Progress Program. Between the years of 1939 and 1953, boards of Christian education were implemented in local churches, and advanced studies were added to the curriculum. The certificate of achievement was awarded to those students who exceeded the requirements of the COPP and who had advanced in studies beyond its scope.

In 1978, during the Dr. Amos Jones Jr. administration, certification of leadership schools was established on all levels of Convention work. The certification of deans and instructors was implemented as a part of the department’s work. Eventually, the idea of increasing and nurturing new standards led to the expansion of the curriculum and changes in the entire format of the certification process. With these ideas in mind, Dr. Jones re-created the four-phase Certificate of Progress Program. He challenged the Christian educators of this Convention by requiring more writing assignments, course cards, and course evaluations for successful completion of each class.

Objectives

The objectives of the Certificate of Progress Program are:

  • To increase biblical knowledge;
  • To create an understanding of the Baptist church;
  • To provide an educational structure that will develop candidates who are qualified for teaching and leadership positions;
  • To provide incentives for the candidate to complete the program; and,
  • To produce trained church leaders.

Persons currently in the certificate program are challenged to meet new objectives and to prepare their skills for teaching.

Policies and Procedures

Persons wishing to enter the Certificate of Progress Program must follow specific procedures for enrollment:

  • 1. Participants must complete and submit application.

  • 2. Participants must have a Dean of Record. The Dean of Record is responsible for giving guidance to the COPP applicant throughout the program. All applications, assignments, and forms for COPP should be submitted to the Dean of Record. The Dean of Record will communicate with participants and forward all correspondence to the DCEAC in Nashville, Tennessee.

  • 3. Participants should purchase the Student Handbook. This manual may be purchased from the Sunday School Publishing Board or a local Christian bookstore that carries materials from the SSPB.

  • 4. Participants must subscribe to the Christian Education Informer. This is a Christian education journal published quarterly by the DCEAC of the SSPB.

  • 5. If an enrollee has received any credits from colleges, universities, or seminaries, that information may be submitted to the Dean of Record, who will forward it to the COPP Coordinator for evaluation and possible substitution for required courses in the certificate program.

  • 6. All applications for each of the four phases must have the required signatures from the candidate, pastor, and Dean of Record.

The COPP Course Offerings per phase

Classes may be taken in any order within a phase, but each phase needs to be completed within a five-year period. Phases should be completed in sequential order.

Phase1: The Biblical Foundations Courses (All classes are required. There will be no electives in this phase.)
Phase 2: Historical Foundation Courses
Phase 3: Nurturing Foundation Courses
Phase 4: Spiritual Growth Courses

COPP Fees

There is an admissions application fee that is to be submitted with Form 9. There is also a processing fee for each phase.

COPP Course Offerings

Phase 1
1002 How the Bible Came to Be
1004 Effective Bible Reading
1007 Introduction to the Old Testament
1072 Introduction to the New Testament
2007 Christian Stewardship
2011 Baptist Doctrine
3008 History of Christianity
9001 Fundamentals of English Grammar
NOTE: Prospective applicants for instructor certification must complete Phase 1 requirements and take courses 2023—“Creative Ways of Teaching,” and 9008— “Public Speaking.”

Phase 2
1075 The Synoptic Gospels
3007 History of Baptists
3018 History of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.
4012 Doctrine of the Holy Spirit
4013 Theology of the Early Church
6024 Organizing an Effective Baptist Training Union
9002 Developing Literacy Skills
Two Outside Writing Assignments:
Assignment #1: “Salvation through Jesus Christ”
Assignment #2: “The Role of Christian Education in the Local Church”
NOTE: Each assignment should be a minimum of two pages, typed and double-spaced.

Phase 3
1079 Survey of John
1086 Church History in Acts
1089 Survey of Romans
6013 Organizing the Church for Christian Education
7005 Christian Evangelism
9005 Writing Techniques II
Elective
One Outside Writing Experience:
ASSIGNMENT: “Contemporary Issues Affecting the Church”
NOTE: This paper must be at least five pages in length, typed, and double-spaced. There should be at least five to seven different references.

Phase 4
1110 Survey of Revelation
2015 Foundation of Christian Ethics
4022 History of World Religions
6021 Spiritual Maturation
7033 Discovering Your Spiritual Gifts
8036 Church and Society
9006 Advanced Writing Styles
Elective
One Outside Writing Experience:
ASSIGNMENT: Write a position paper related to one of the doctrines of the Baptist church. Consider two other denominations and contrast the beliefs. Provide at least ten different references along with strong biblical support for your position. This paper must be seven to ten pages in length, typed and double-spaced.