Doctor of Ministry

Dr. Vincent W. Howell, Director
Doctor of Ministry Program

vhowell@hoodseminary.edu
336-830-4531

The Doctor of Ministry (DMin) is the highest degree awarded by the Seminary. Students have the option of pursuing a general Doctor of Ministry degree or specializing in Pastoral Theology and Care, Leadership Ministry, or Community Advocacy and Social Justice Ministry. All options are a thirty-three hour program comprised of three major components: seminars, supervision, and a ministry project. The DMin degree is awarded upon the satisfactory completion of 33 credit hours. Promotion to candidacy comes on the successful completion of three seminars and six electives, including one elective in either the Area of Biblical Studies or the Area of Theology and Social Ethics and an elective course in research methodology. The DMin degree is designed to be completed in a minimum of three years and a maximum of six years.

The purpose of Hood‘s Doctor of Ministry Program is to provide a post-MDiv educational experience in which Christian maturity and ministerial preparation take place together and to prepare for the church people committed to the witness of the gospel in whatever sphere of ministry or service God calls them. With that in mind, the program is designed to equip students with

  1. an enhanced understanding of the nature and purposes of Christian ministry, including a deeper foundation in the core disciplines of biblical studies, church history, and theology;
  2. new practical strategies for conducting Christian ministry in light of the students’ specific cultural setting;
  3. the ability to self-assess their effectiveness and capacities as ministers as part of their continued spiritual development; and
  4. the ability to evaluate the theological and ethical soundness and the effectiveness of their current ministerial practices, to reformulate those practices as necessary, and to implement new practices when appropriate.

DMin students have the option of specializing in any of the following areas:

  • Pastoral Theology and Care
  • Leadership Ministry
  • Community Advocacy and Social Justice Ministry
  • Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Supervision
  • Homiletics and Preaching

The Doctor of Ministry with specialization in Pastoral Theology and Care is designed to provide educational opportunities for caregivers and clinical practitioners who seek advanced theoretical and theological reflection on the contemporary practices of pastoral care and counseling. The degree is a thirty-three hour program comprised of three major components: seminars, supervision, and a ministry project.

Unique Characteristics of the Pastoral Theology and Care Specialization:

  • Oriented toward the generalist pastor, chaplain, minister of counseling or institutional spiritual coordinator
  • Aims to sharpen and deepen skills for functioning as a strategic facilitator and collaborator in applied pastoral theology and pastoral care
  • Focuses on enhancing one’s developmental capacities and sharpening professional identity within a specialized context of care giving ministry or community faith-based service
  • Intentionally ensures that each student has a faculty advisor or a project mentor who posses advanced graduate level training and/or professional credential in the area of pastoral theology, care, or counseling

Students specializing in Pastoral Theology and Care must choose three of their four electives from courses specially designed for this program. In addition, the topic of their final doctoral project must fall in one the following general categories:

  • Projects relating to the life of the congregation in the area of Pastoral Theology and Care
  • Projects relating to ministries of Chaplaincy
  • Project relating to ministries of Counseling

The Doctor of Ministry with specialization in Leadership Ministry is designed to provide educational opportunities for pastors, church staff, missionaries, and church leaders who seek advanced theoretical and theological reflection on the contemporary practices of leadership. The degree is a thirty-three-hour program comprised of three major components: seminars, supervision, and a ministry project in the area of leadership in ministry.

Unique Characteristics of the Leadership Ministry Specialization:

  • Oriented toward the generalist pastor, senior pastors, church staff, missionaries, and all other levels of leaders in the church, non-profits, and other ministries.
  • Aims to sharpen and deepen skills for functioning as a Christian leader in the world today.
  • Focuses on enhancing one’s developmental capacities and sharpening professional identity within a specialized context of leadership in all areas of ministry.
  • Intentionally ensures that each student has a faculty advisor and/or a project mentor who possess advanced graduate level training and/or professional credential in the area of leadership in ministry.

The Doctor of Ministry with specialization in Community Advocacy and Social Justice Ministry is designed to provide advanced theological training for persons committed to social justice ministry and political advocacy on behalf of marginalized persons and communities. The specialization also equips persons with practical tools for mobilizing Christian congregations for social justice work. The degree is a thirty-three-hour program comprised of three major components: seminars, supervision, and a ministry project in the area of community advocacy and social justice ministry.

Unique Characteristics of the Community Advocacy and Social Justice Ministry Specialization:

  • Assists persons to develop deep biblical and theological rationales for social justice initiatives.
  • Equips persons with the skills needed to mobilize congregations for social justice work.
  • Intentionally ensures that each student has a faculty advisor and/or a project mentor who possesses advanced graduate level training and/or practical experience in the area of social justice ministry.

The Doctor of Ministry with specialization in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Supervision is designed to provide advanced educational opportunities and clinical training for clinical professional leaders who seek advanced theoretical and theological reflection on the contemporary practices of clinical supervisory leadership. This DMin Specialization is unique in southeastern United States theological education because it combines the curriculum of a first-class seminary family with the collaborative strength and resources of a major regional research and training medical center. Hood Theological Seminary has a diverse faculty with a long tradition of community service, social reconciliation, and creative spiritual leadership. The Carolinas Healthcare System (CHS) features a vast regional reputation for national excellence in service delivery and ACPE Supervisory Education. The degree is a thirty-three-hour program comprised of three major components: seminars, supervision, and a ministry project in Clinical Pastoral Education Supervision.

Unique Characteristics of the CPE Supervision Specialization:

  • Oriented toward individuals who are seeking to fulfill a high level of competence in key areas of the unique practice of clinical pastoral supervision.
  • Aims to provide theologically grounded and contextually informed theory and application for traditional and contemporary models of clinical care education.
  • Focuses on deepening one’s developmental capacities to function as an effective leader in inter-faith and multicultural educational endeavors.
  • Intentionally ensures ethical and professional formation by assigning each student has a faculty advisor and a clinical project mentor who possess supervisory credentials in clinical pastoral training.

The Doctor of Ministry with specialization in Homiletics and Preaching is designed to provide educational opportunities for pastors, church staff, missionaries, and church leaders who seek advanced theoretical and theological reflection on preaching the good news.The degree is a thirty-three-hour program comprised of three major components: seminars, academic advisement, and a ministry project in the area of homiletics and preaching.

Unique Characteristics of the Homiletics and Preaching Specialization

  • Oriented toward the generalist pastor, senior pastors, preaching pastors, church staff, missionaries, and all other levels of leaders in the church who are tasked with responsibility of publicly communicating the gospel and the empowerment of the saints.
  • Aims to sharpen and deepen the skills of the student in the area of preaching God’s Word in the twenty-first century.
  • Focuses on enhancing one’s developmental capacities and sharpening professional identity within a specialized context of a preaching ministry.
  • Intentionally ensures that each student has a faculty advisor and/or a project mentor who possess advanced graduate level training and/or professional credential in the area of homiletics/preaching.

Doctor of Ministry Sequence




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