DOCTOR OF MINISTRY

The Doctor of Ministry (DMin) degree is available for faith leaders who have a Master of Divinity degree from an accredited seminary (or equivalency through coursework and/or life experience) and who desire a higher level of competence in the practice of ministry. Designed to increase the ability of servant leaders to analyze and reform ministry and to empower constituents for discipleship in the world, it is the highest degree in the practice of ministry. | Program Timeline

Doctor of Ministry Tracks

Memphis Theological Seminary offers six tracks (or courses of study) for the DMin program.

• Womanist Preaching (NEW) | This particular track will focus on developing frames of reference for utilizing the unique lens through which Black women both read and proclaim the biblical text.  This track is not exclusive to women, but rather has been designed to aide both women and men in cultivating womanist sensibilities from both a hermeneutical and homiletical standpoint.  Texts will introduce Womanist theologians and practitioners as dialogue partners in examining the cultural assumptions and practices that impact women’s notions of God and sense of herself in church and community.

• Land, Food, and Faith Formation | The DMin in Land, Food, and Faith Formation critically explores the intersections of ministry with care for the land, agricultural practices, just access to food, and the role of faith communities in both rural and urban settings in addressing these issues. In examining these intersections, attention will be paid to the theological and ethical dimensions of land and its use, the role of food in our lives, and how faith communities both shape and are affected by their relationship with land and food. The goal is to provide theological resources and practical models for the practice of ministry in faith communities which seek to relate their lives more intentionally to the care of land, food, and all living creatures. Read more in The Good News.

• Leadership in Ministry | The DMin in Leadership in Ministry is designed primarily for persons who are serving in a ministerial role and want to enhance their competence as leaders.

• Preaching | The DMin in Preaching is intended to improve the student’s understanding and skills in the area of homiletics, foster discovery of a personal, pulpit hermeneutic, and nurture the student’s competency to preach in a variety of contexts.

• Faith and Health: Pastoral Therapy | The DMin in Faith and Health: Pastoral Therapy offers interested ministers outstanding training for pastoral counseling. Whether one chooses to pursue simply the 36 credit hours of the standard DMin program or expands those requirements to include extra educational hours required for state licensure and 1400 hours of counseling under supervision, graduates will be competent pastoral counselors capable of counseling with individual adults, couples, and families with a wide variety of problems.

• Forming and Growing Churches in the 21st Century | The DMin in Forming and Growing Churches in the 21st Century focuses on the theological knowledge and the practical skills necessary for church leaders to develop a new church and to make vital existing ministries. In this program, the study of theological, historical, cultural, and organizational aspects of church formation and growth are integrated with critical perspectives and practices directed toward starting and growing vibrant faith communities. Courses are designed so that theological foundations and missiological principles provide the basis for practical plans for forming and growing a church in the contemporary world.

Curriculum Objectives:

The Doctor of Ministry curriculum seeks to accomplish the following:

• Students will refine the theological basis for ministry in their area of specialization and will contribute to the body of knowledge as it relates to the practice of ministry by completing a ministry project reflecting their theological basis for ministry and their understanding of sound research.

• Students will demonstrate an understanding of the concepts and attitudes on issues related to the student’s context of ministry.

• Students will demonstrate ministry skills at an advanced level of professional competency and demonstrate new skills in leadership, vision, conflict management, care systems, and/or other strategies for accomplishing effective ministry.

• Students will think, plan, and act creatively in transcending traditional approaches to ministry by the use of innovative concepts and methods.