Introduction to the Doctor of Ministry Degree

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Introduction to theDoctor of Ministry Degree
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DMIN Degree Program Purpose

• As part of its overall mission to educate persons
  for service in the Christian Church, Erskine
  Seminary offers the Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.)
  degree. The purpose of the D.Min. degree is for
  qualified persons to increase their effectiveness
  as servant-leaders in the ministry of the Church,
  to the glory of God. The D.Min. degree focuses
  upon professional leadership in the Church and is
  intended for persons preparing for advanced
  pastoral leadership in local congregations or
  specialized ministries within the Church.

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DMIN Degree Program Goals

• Graduates will
• 1. Engage in contemporary theological discussion
  and show its relevance to the practice of
  pastoral ministry. (Knowing)
• 2. Explore the contexts which affect Christian
  ministry today, notably the issues of culture,
  congregational and community demographics,
  ethical issues, and major events of the day.
  (Knowing)

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DMIN Degree Program Goals

• Graduates will
• 4. Demonstrate competence in the various
  functions of ministry, such as preaching the
  Gospel, leading worship, teaching, pastoral care
  and counseling, evangelizing, discipling, and
  carrying out the mission of the Church.
  (Being/Doing)

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DMIN Degree Program Goals

• Graduates will
• 5. Identify, design, prepare, conduct, and
  evaluate a ministry project/ concept dissertation
  that integrates Biblical and theological norms,
  ministerial functions, and contextual dimensions
  of ministry. (Knowing/Doing)

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DMIN Professional Degree

• In contrast to a professional or terminal degree
  such as the Ph.D., the D.Min. is a practical
  degree that builds upon the basic foundation of
  at least three years of post-M.Div. degree
  experience and that is intended as a means of
  increasing ones effectiveness in ministry. An
  M.Div. degree or its equivalent from an
  accredited seminary or graduate school is a
  prerequisite for admission.

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DMIN Curriculum

• The D.Min. curriculum seeks to develop further
  the leadership competencies required for
  Christian ministry in contemporary society. A
  three-dimensional perspective guides the overall
  design of the program.

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DMIN Curriculum

• The norms dimension (DN courses) addresses the
  Biblical and theological foundations of gospel,
  Church, and ministry.

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NORMS

• What does the Bible teach/require?
• The Church?
• Creeds
• Confessions
• Tradition
• The Endorsing Agent?
• The Army?

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THREE DIMENSIONS
NORMS
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DMIN Curriculum

• The functions dimension (DF courses) emphasizes
  the professional skills used in the practice of
  ministry, such as preaching, pastoral care,
  teaching, administration, etc.

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FUNCTIONS
What is my role as minister/chaplain? What
ministerial function would be helpful in this
place and at this time? How is God at work
already?
How do I relate to the contexts and the norms?
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THREE PERSPECTIVES
NORMS
FUNCTIONS
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DMIN Curriculum

• The contexts dimension (DC courses) encompasses
  the environment and realities of the modern world
  in which ministry must take place. The program
  seeks to integrate the dimensions of norms,
  functions, and contexts into a working whole for
  each minister.

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CONTEXTS
What is the ministry need for the target
audience? How do they
relate to the larger contexts of chapel,
installation, division, corps? Demographics?
Generations? Gender? Ethnicity? Religious
Preferences?
What goals do I have for them as congregation
and for myself as chaplain?
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THREE PERSPECTIVES
NORMS

• CONTEXTS

FUNCTIONS
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DMIN Curriculum

• All D.Min. courses embody these three dimensions
  in varying combinations. Your own work setting
  serves as a primary learning resource for the
  Erskine program. Much of the course work involves
  in-service projects of direct benefit to your
  ministry.

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THREE PERSPECTIVES
NORMS
Ministry

• CONTEXTS

FUNCTIONS
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DMIN Curriculum

• Regular classroom time provides occasions for
  disciplined study, critical reflection, and
  evaluation concerning ministry issues.
• The program emphasizes learning from group
  interaction among peers, thus promoting openness,
  caring, and cross-fertilization of ideas.

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DMIN Curriculum

• Required Courses
• DR901 Theological Foundations for Ministry
• DR902 The Practice of Ministry
• Electives
• DN983 The Problem of Pain
• DN975 The Legacy of Dietrich Bonhoeffer
• DF989 Writing the Prospectus
• CPE Transfer Credit
• Project/Concept and Dissertation

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Prospectus, Project, Dissertation

• This component is the apex of the program,
  consolidating the results of the D.Min. course
  work. For the prospectus/project/dissertation,
  you will identify a particular activity or
  project to be conducted with people in your own
  ministry setting.
• See DMin Manual, 4ff for definitions
• DMin Manual link

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Prospectus, Project, Dissertation

• Project examples include celebrating a special
  occasion together, starting a major chapel
  program, handling a pastoral conflict or need,
  leading a chapel to a fresh vision of mission or
  ministry, guiding a social action venture, or
  exploring some interesting avenue of life
  together.

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Prospectus, Project, Dissertation

• Whenever your work involves working with people,
  you must secure the approval of Erskines
  Institutional Review Board (IRB) or your MEDCENs
  IRB approval for your project.
• The IRB is a committee established to review and
  approve any and all research involving human
  subjects.

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Prospectus, Project, Dissertation

• The primary purpose of the IRB is to protect the
  rights and welfare of human participants in
  research, primarily through preventing
  difficulties and reconciling errors or breaches
  of trust. The IRB is empowered to review and
  approve all research within the institution for
  ethical standards, scholarship, and
  appropriateness.

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Prospectus, Project, Dissertation

• The chair of the IRB is Dr. Robert J.F. Elsner,
  Ph.D., Professor of Psychology
• Contact by email at elsner_at_erskine.edu
• Or by phone at 864-379-6570.

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Prospectus, Project, Dissertation

• You may elect to do a dissertation that is more
  concept-based rather than project-based. The
  essential require-ments for the prospectus are
  the same, as is the approval process. If you
  choose this option, you may explore some
  theological, historical, or ministry issue in
  detail rather than conducting an actual ministry
  project.

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Prospectus, Project, Dissertation

• An essential component of the concept-based
  dissertation is a clear demonstration of the
  relevance of the issue studied for the practice
  of ministry in the church. The concept-based
  dissertation is discussed in the DMin Manual.

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Prospectus, Project, Dissertation

• You should begin the prospectus/
  project/dissertation process early in the
  program. For example, in the Practice of Ministry
  course, you learn to identify an appropriate
  ministry project and can begin to develop a
  prospectus that encompasses this project or sets
  forth a concept to be explored.

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PROSPECTUS . . . DISSERTATION
FUTURE TENSE
PAST TENSE

• PROSPECTUS SECTION

• DISSERTATION CHAPTER

• Introduction, 5-8
• What is Ministry Need
• Discussion of Contexts
• Brief Project Description
• Literature Review, 10-15
• Biblical-Theological Foundations, 10-15
• The Project Explained, 8-10
• Projected Timeline, 3
• Goals for Congregation
• Goals for Minister

• Introduction, 10-15
• What is Ministry Need
• Discussion of Contexts
• Brief Project Description
• Literature Review, 25-30
• Biblical-Theological Foundations, 25-35
• The Project Explained, 25
• Evaluation Conclusion, 8-15 Total
  100-120
• Appendices (NTE 200)

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Introduction to theDoctor of Ministry
DegreeQuestions???