Doctor of Ministry
The Doctor of Ministry degree is a professional doctoral degree designed to provide ministers with the opportunity to achieve the highest level of excellence in the practice of ministry as well as the ability to assist others in their discovery and practice of ministry. The degree is ideal for those students who possess a disciplined intellectual habit of study while at the same time serving in an active ministry position.
The degree program could be useful for students who serve as Senior Pastor, Team Leader, Church Strategy consultant, College professor, etc.
Program Objectives
The program objectives for the Doctor of Ministry program are as follows:
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To stimulate spiritual growth in the minister and assist him/her in owning and addressing emotional-spiritual issues such as dreams or goals, frustrations, or hurts as a personal renewal in Christ.
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To guide the minister toward a solid biblical foundation, with a redemptive, Christ-centered theological approach.
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To assist the minister in the integration of a biblical worldview and scriptural inerrancy in his/her personal philosophy, academic study and ministry application.
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To enhance in the minister critical thinking processes for both ministry possibilities and apologetic efforts.
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To assist the minister in recalling and renewing his/her sense of call and his/her uniqueness within God’s kingdom.
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To guide the minister in understanding distinct approaches to scripture, while acknowledging and valuing inerrancy and divine inspiration.
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To lead the minister to explore ways to enhance his/her ministry and encounter/or develop new resource materials.
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To assist the minister in acquiring skills and methods including demographic skills for ministry-related needs, thus reencountering the community and its people, including a profile, needs assessment, and analysis of the ministry community.
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To stimulate evangelism and discipleship in whatever ministry areas are addressed by the minister.
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To inspire the minister to move beyond ordinary and routine methods of ministry toward developing resources and utilizing innovative methods and ministries.
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To assist the minister in achieving a collaborative ministry in which all within the church may work together to witness to their community and the world.
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To inspire the minister to make a unique contribution to God’s kingdom through the ministry project which includes the development, implementation, and evaluation.
Courses
The courses in the Doctor of Ministry program are as follows:
TH7100 Christian Approaches to Torah Application.
The student will be able to discuss the multiple meanings of the word Law (Torah) in the Old and New Testaments. Various Christian approaches to the Law will be outlined, biblically analyzed, and discussed by the students. Each student will present their conclusions.
TH7210 Eschatological Approaches to Christology.
The coming of the Kingdom of God is a major theme in both the Old and New Testaments. How this impacts or should impact our understanding of the life and work of Jesus of Nazareth will be discussed. Various approaches to the Coming of the Kingdom will be defined and analyzed. Each student will create a strategy of teaching and preaching their findings.
TH7220 Eschatological Approaches to Ecclesiology.
The coming of the Kingdom of God is a major theme in both the Old and New Testaments. How this impacts or should impact our understanding of the life and work of the church will be discussed. Various approaches to the Coming of the Kingdom will be analyzed. Each student will create a strategy of teaching and preaching their findings.
CM7100 Advanced Skills and Application in Christian Witness. 3 hours
The student will be able to use demographic and research information as well as contextual observation to draw up apologetic, bridge-building, evangelistic, and discipleship strategies for a selective group of people. Moreover, the student will be able to teach the process to others.
CM7500 Advanced Skills and Application of Servant Leadership. 3 hours
The student will be able to define, discuss, and model the biblical principles and Christian disciplines that result in a Servant Leadership Model. Moreover, the student will be able to teach these principles to others.
CM7700 Advanced Skills in Collaborative Ministry. 3 hours
The student will be able to define, discuss, and understand the biblical/theological basis and diverse models of Collaborative Ministry. The student will be able to teach these principles to others.
DM8100 Overview and Initial Steps in Doctoral Project. 3 hours
The student will complete the following: (1) Doctoral Project & Title Approval. (2) Initial Outline of Project completed. (3) Doctoral Mentor Chosen. (4) Biblical/theological foundation.
DM8300 Development of Doctoral Project. 3 hours
The student will complete the following: (1) Needs Survey. (2) Development of Project including identification of project site(s), person or team in place, creation of resources, and project dates. (3) Write up the Initial Chapters of the Project.
DM8500 Implementation of Doctoral Project. 3 hours
The student will complete the following: (1) On-site Project Implementation. (2) Documentation of Project Results. (3) Analysis of Project Results.
DM8900 Completion and Oral Defense of Doctoral Project. 3 hours
The student will complete the following: (1) Write the Development and Implementation Chapters. (2) Complete and edit the Written Ministry Project Document. (3) Defend the Project.
Admission Requirements
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Official College Transcripts (undergraduate and graduate)
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Earned Master’s Degree with 3.0 of 4.0 GPA average
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Master of Divinity with at least 3 hours in Hebrew and 3 hours in Greek
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Master in Biblical/Theological or Ministry area with at least 3 hours in Hebrew and 3 hours in Greek.
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Master’s degree in a professional area (ex. education) with at least 12 hours of biblical/theological, or ministry areas with 3 hours in Hebrew and 3 hours in Greek. (These 18 hours of course requirements can be completed at Mid-South).
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Statement of Purpose (sense of call and ministry area or areas)
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Belief Questionnaire
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Biblical Worldview Questionnaire
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Congregational endorsement
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Three years of ministry experience
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Three references – one academic, one church official, one character reference
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1000 word written essay
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Professional Vita
Total Cost Breakdown
Doctor of Ministry — 30 hours
Tuition ($275/credit hour)
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Fees
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Application Fee
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Graduation Fee
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Enrollment fee ($20 per credit hour)
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Library fee ($20 per credit hour)
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Graduate Technology Fee ($87.50 per course)
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Books (estimate $140 per course)
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Total Cost of Program
(if completed in 2.5 years or 5 semesters)
Required
$8,250
$0
$150
$600
$600
$875
$1,400
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$11,875