THE MASTER OF CHRISTIAN MINISTRY STYLE GUIDE
2009
T. Walter Brashier Graduate School
North Greenville University
MCM Style Guide1
Revised 1/28/09
Criteria for the Assignment:
Research is more than cutting and pasting into your paper someone else's thoughts and/or
opinions. It is also neither your “musings” nor your devotional reflections on a topic.
Sermonizing and "fluff" do not belong in a scholarly research paper. The important element is
your informed thoughts and considered evaluations. Obviously, at this stage of your academic
career, you may not feel you are able to be the final authority on any subject. You are, however,
far enough along in your studies to be able to deal with the material in a scholarly manner. The
content of an assignment for each class will be determined by the professor and explained in the
course syllabus.
As you are doing your research (collecting information and facts) and are beginning to
draw some conclusions (taking notes and working on your rough draft), you need to pay
attention to the following areas:
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Am I carefully researching the facts?
Am I thoughtful and critical in my thinking?
Are my thought processes logical and unforced?
Do I make use of, and pay attention to, all pertinent evidence?
Am I avoiding irrelevant material?
Avoid the temptation to simply list, describe and retell what you have read.
Be analytical!!! Ask questions to the text(s) you are dealing with!
Write a well-argued essay on what you believe now that you carefully have studied
your subject.
Writing Style:
1. Clarity of writing style is important. Check your grammar and your spelling. (For
Pete's sake, use a spelling checker!)
1
For issues not covered in this Style Guide see Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers,
Theses, and Dissertation, 7 ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago, 2007) and William Strunk and E. B. White. The
Elements of Style, 4 ed. (New York: Longman, 2000).
2. Your paragraphs should deal with one theme or topic. When you introduce a new
thought, start a new paragraph. Every paragraph should contribute to and follow your
outline, which (supposedly) supports your thesis as represented in your title.
3. Your sentences should be straightforward and complete. Avoid the passive voice. A
college student should be able to avoid "run-on" sentences, etc.
Quotation Style:
1. This is not high school. Do not quote someone merely to gain a footnote.
2. If you summarize or paraphrase a source, you must footnote that source.
3. A source should be quoted if—and only if—in your opinion (a) the reader needs to
"hear" the way the source said it, or (b) a paraphrase or summary is not adequate for
your purposes.
4. Short, direct prose quotations should be incorporated into the text of the paper and
enclosed in double quotation marks: "One small step for man; one giant leap for
mankind."
5. A prose quotation that runs to seven or more lines of text in a paper, should be set off
from the text, single-spaced and indented in its entirety four spaces from the left
marginal line with no quotation marks at beginning or end.
Footnote Style:
Footnotes should be used for any of the following reasons:
1. To cite a source where the student obtained information.
2. To include a detailed discussion that is important for clarification or argument, but
which would clutter the flow of your text.
3. To include peripheral issues that need mentioning and the notation of a source(s) so
the reader could further pursue that issue.
Here are examples of the style for footnoting that is expected in your writings for the graduate
program.
EXAMPLES FOR CITING FOOTNOTES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY2
Books3
One author
1
D.A. Carson, Exegetical Fallacies (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1996), 23.
Carson, D.A. Exegetical Fallacies. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1996.
2
Adapted from the Southwestern Manual of Style (Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, August
2005) and Robert W. Bernard, A Supplement to Kate L. Turabian (SWBTS, 1998).
3
The first reference is footnote while the second is bibliography.
1
I. Howard Marshall, New Testament Theology: Many Witnesses, One Gospel (Downers
Grove: InterVarsity, 2004), 456.
Marshall, I. Howard. New Testament Theology: Many Witnesses, One Gospel. Downers Grove:
InterVaristy, 2004.
More than one author4
1
William W. Klein, Craig L. Blomberg, and Robert L. Hubbard, Introduction to
Biblical Interpretation, rev. ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2004), 56.
Klein, William W., Craig L. Blomberg, and Robert L. Hubbard. Introduction to
Biblical Interpretation. Rev. ed. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2004.
1
J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays, Grasping God's Word (Grand Rapids: Zondervan,
2001), 123.
Duvall, J. Scott and J. Daniel Hays. Grasping God's Word. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001.
Editors
1
David F. Wells and John D. Woodbridge, eds., The Evangelicals: What They
Believe (Nashville: Abingdon, 1975), 102-5.
Wells, David F. and John D. Woodbridge, eds. The Evangelicals: What They Believe.
Nashville: Abingdon, 1975.
J.A. Passmore, “Can the Social Sciences Be Value-Free?” in Readings in the
Philosophy of Science, ed. Herber Feigle and May Brodbeck (New York: Appleton, 1963), 675.
1
Passmore, J.A. “Can the Social Sciences Be Value-Free?” In Readings in the Philosophy
Of Science, ed. Herber Feigle and May Brodbeck, 655-80. New York: Appleton,
1963.
Journals
Gregory K. Beale, “Eden, the Temple, and the Church’s Mission in the New Creation,”
Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 48, no.1 (March 2005): 7.
1
Beale, Gregory K. “Eden, the Temple, and the Church’s Mission in the New Creation.”
Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 48, no 1 (March 2005): 5-31.
4
For more than three authors use the name of the first followed by "and others." For example: D.A. Carson
and others [note] and Carson, D.A. and others [bib].
Magazines
Judy Stamey, “How Delegation Can Strengthen the Work of the Minister of Education,”
Church Administration, April 1987, 11.
1
Stamey, Judy. “How Delegation Can Strengthen the Work of the Minister of Education.”
Church Administration, April 1987, 9-14.
1
Anne B. Fisher, “Ford Is Back on Track,” Fortune, 23 December 1985, 18.
Fisher, Anne B. “Ford Is Back on Track.” Fortune, 23 December 1985, 17-20.
Commentaries
1. Individual commentaries in a series
1
Ralph W. Klein, 1 Samuel, Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 10 (Waco: Word, 1983),
41.
Klein, Ralph W. 1 Samuel. Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 10. Waco: Word, 1983.
1
Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John, The New International Commentary on the
New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980), 356.
Morris, Leon. The Gospel According to John. The New International Commentary on the
New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980.
2. Commentaries in multi-volume sets
D.A. Carson, Matthew, in vol. 8 of The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, ed. Frank E.
Gaebelein and J.D. Douglas (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984), 289.
1
Carson, D.A. Matthew. In vol. 8 of The Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Ed. Frank E.
Gaebelein and J.D.Douglas, 3-599. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984.
Dictionaries & Encyclopedias5
1
H. L. Drumwright, Jr. “Interpretation,” in The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the
1
William H. Dray, “Philosophy of History,” in The Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Bible.
5
Note that dictionary and encyclopedia articles are not cited in a Bibliography.
Internet
Sam Hill, “Fundamentalism in Recent Southern Culture: Has It Done What the Civil
Rights Movement Couldn’t Do?” Journal of Southern Religion 1 (1998), [journal on-line];
accessed 27 June 2005; available from http://jsr.fsu.edu/essay.htm; Internet.
1
Hill Sam. “Fundamentalism in Recent Southern Culture: Has It Done What the Civil
Rights Movement Couldn’t Do?” Journal of Southern Religion 1 (1998) [journal
on-line]. Accessed 27 June 2005. Available from http://jsr.fsu.edu/essay.htm;
Internet.
CD-ROM
1
Craig A. Blaising, Malachi, in The Bible Knowledge Commentary, ed. John. F.Walvoord
and Roy B. Zuck (Wheaton: Scripture Press, 1983), in Logos Library System [CD-ROM] (Grand
Rapids: Baker, 1998), 1.6a.
Blaising, Craig A. Malachi. In The Bible Knowledge Commentary, ed. John F. Walvoord
and Roy B. Zuck. Wheaton: Scripture Press, 1983. In Logos Library System [CDROM]. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1998.
Form:
1. The research paper must be typed in 12-point Times New Roman font, doublespaced, and on one side of a page only.
2. The paper must be on white paper.
3. Use one-inch margins on all sides of the page. Check your margins in the Page Setup menu; many are set to default to 1.25 inch.
4. Do not add additional spaces between paragraphs.
5. Staple your pages in the top left corner and do not use any type of folder or enclosure.
Do this prior to submitting the paper.
6. The first page must be a title page. A sample title page is provided.
7. The second page should show your paper's outline in the form of a Table of Contents
(i.e., with page numbers).
8. In the body of the paper, you should let the main points of your outline function as
subheadings.
9. The final pages must contain your bibliography.
Plagiarism:
Research papers involve the assimilation of prior scholarship and entail the responsibility to give
proper acknowledgement whenever one is indebted to another for either words or ideas. Quoting
or paraphrasing someone without indicating the original author is plagiarism. It is unethical and
violates NGU policy. Any research paper that plagiarizes will receive a failing grade. Basically,
if you did not know the material before beginning the paper, you had to gather that information
from an outside source. Therefore, you must give credit to that source.
The Body of the Paper6
Text and Font
 The text of the paper should be in Times New Roman, 12 point font only. Do not make the
font bigger for subheadings.
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The paper is double-spaced unless the professor directs otherwise.
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Margins should be 1" on all sides. Do not use 1.25" margins. Check before submitting your
work. Microsoft Word has 1.25" as the default.
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Do not justify the right margin, causing areas of blank space between words.
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Paragraphs should be indented at least five spaces and no more than eight spaces. Make sure
you do not write any one-sentence paragraphs.
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Triple space above a major heading and double space below it.
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Do not bold face a subheading—use italics or underlining it instead.
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Be consistent on how you make subheads.
Length
 When professors specify a certain number of pages please comply.
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Do not compensate for a short paper by using wide margins, spacing widely between
subheadings, or using a larger font.
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Two-lines on the last page of the requirement are not acceptable. 11 pages and two lines on
the next page do not constitute a 12 page paper. A 12 page paper should be at least 11 ½
pages of text.
Footnotes
 You paper is required to have footnotes. Endnotes are not acceptable unless the professor has
given specific permission to use them. Content notes are not acceptable under any
circumstance.
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There are two types of material that require citation. One is a direct quote from a source.
You must also cite material you have summarized in your own words.
6
Much of this material is adapted from C. Fred Smith, "A Guide to Researching, Writing, and Presenting
Papers in a Doctoral Seminar," William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White, Elements of Style, 3rd ed. (Boston: Allyn and
Bacon, 1979). For answers to questions not found here, the student is referred to Elements of Style.
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You do not need to cite common knowledge. For example, there is no need to cite the
following statement: "The differences and similarities between Matthew, Mark, and Luke is
the Synoptic Problem."
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Ibid.—[ibidem, "in the same place"]—is used in repetitive citations from the same source.
Note the following examples:
Example 1
1
Wayne V. McDill, The Moment of Truth: A Guide to Effective Sermon Delivery
(Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 1999), 18.
2
Ibid., 72.
Example 2
7
McDill, Moment of Truth, 88.
8
Ibid.
In example 1, the first use of McDill is cited fully. Footnote 2 tells the reader the source is
McDill from a different page.
Example 2 is a subsequent citation of McDill. Notice that only the last name and brief book
title are used, followed by a comma and page number. Footnote 8 tells the reader that the
McDill book is used and no page number indicates that the citation is from the same page as
note 7.
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Cite a source fully the first time and subsequently use only the last name, brief title and page
number.
First Time Citation
Andy Stanley, Communicating for Change (Colorado Springs: Multnomah, 2006), 11.
Subsequent Citation
Stanley, Communicating, 78.
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You can use one footnote and the end of a paragraph which summarizes information from
one source. This is preferable to three or four footnotes sprinkled throughout the paragraph.
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See the Style Guide for proper footnote form.
Block Quotes
 A block quote is longer than the usual quote.
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Single-space block quotes and indent on the left side four spaces. The right margin should be
the same as the rest of the paper. No quote should be less than eight lines, though on rare
occasions less than eight lines may be blocked for particular emphasis.
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Do not use too many block quotes—synthesize the material and summarize it.
Grammar & Style
The following are various ways to improve the grammar and style of your paper.
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Use the third person—the subject of almost all sentences should be "he/she/it" followed by
the appropriate verb. Use the first person only when a paper calls for personal reflection.
Never use the second person.
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When referring to a person in the body of your paper or in a footnote, use the first and last
name only once. Do not use titles such as Dr. or Mrs.
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Be fair to all sides of an issue. You can state your conclusions at the end of the paper, but that
does not mean your conclusion is superior.
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Your paper should not sound like a sermon. Reason, not emotion, is better support for your
arguments.
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Do not use contractions. It is not "don't," it is "do not."
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Possessive pronouns normally require an apostrophe, but there is one exception: its. "It's" is a
contraction for "it is," not the possessive of "it."
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No sentence fragments should be found in a paper. This is a problem of proofreading.
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Be careful of spelling errors. Spell check will not take care of problems like "their" and
"there."
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Never uses clichés. They are always unacceptable.
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Do not use slang expressions in a paper. Here is an extreme example: "Augustine was a cool
theologian who became a Christian because his mom prayed for him ever since he was a
kid." Write instead, "Augustine was an excellent theologian who became a Christian because
his mother had prayed for him since he was a child."
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Do not begin a sentence with a quote, nor let a quote stand alone as a complete sentence in
your paper. Begin with your own sentence and finish with the quote.
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Capitalize "Bible" and "Scripture" or "Scriptures."
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Do not "cut and paste" a string of quotations together. This makes it appear you have not
thought through your paper topic.
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Avoid overstatement—terms such as "all," "anyone," and "always." To write, "All New
Testament scholars agree . . ." is not true. "All" never agreed on anything.
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When you are listing three items in a series, the second comma is not optional. It makes the
list clearer: Use "ancient, medieval, and modern" not "ancient, medieval and modern."
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Colons: The matter preceding a colon should be a complete sentence. This is true even if the
matter following the colon is a list.
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Make sure a pronoun agrees with its antecedent in number. Often students make the
following mistake: "A believer should make sure their faith is vibrant." The pronoun "their"
is plural, while "believer" is singular. Instead write, "A believer should make sure her faith is
vibrant," or, "Believers should make sure their faith is vibrant."
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It is acceptable to use gender inclusive language in a paper (except when referring to God).
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Refrain from the use of exclamation points in formal writing.
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Ellipses are used when you are using a direct quote but want to leave out a portion. This is a
series of three periods spaced apart—that is, period, space, period, space, period. Note the
following example:
"Paul wrote . . . the just must live by faith."
There is a space after "wrote" and before "the."
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When pasting Scripture to a page, make sure the verse numbers are not included. Too often
this is seen:
15 The LORD will dry up
the gulf of the Egyptian sea;
with a scorching wind he will sweep his hand
over the Euphrates River. {[15] Hebrew the River}
He will break it up into seven streams
so that men can cross over in sandals.
16 There will be a highway for the remnant of his people
that is left from Assyria,
as there was for Israel
when they came up from Egypt.
Note the verse numbers in the body of the Scripture citation. Instead one should write:
The LORD will dry up
the gulf of the Egyptian sea;
with a scorching wind he will sweep his hand
over the Euphrates River.
He will break it up into seven streams
so that men can cross over in sandals.
There will be a highway for the remnant of his people
that is left from Assyria,
as there was for Israel
when they came up from Egypt (Isaiah 11:15-16).
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Write in a compact and direct manner. Writing is communication; clarity is a virtue.

Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite.
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Proof, proof, proof.
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If you have specific questions this document does not answer, consult with your professor.
NORTH GREENVILLE UNIVERSITY
T. WALTER BRASHIER GRADUATE SCHOOL
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