Doctor of Ministry

Ministry in our culture is constantly changing. Because of this continued fluctuation, we will regularly rotate existing courses and design new courses to respond to the emerging demands on servant leaders. Therefore, some courses listed here may be offered periodically. For the most current listing of upcoming courses, go to www.doctorofministry.org.

DM800 ACTIVE STATUS REGISTRATION (0)

This annual fee of $500 maintains D.Min. students in "active standing" status in the program. This fee can be applied to any other academic charges incurred during the following 12 months. Students will automatically be registered July 1 each year and their accounts charged.

DM801 THEOLOGY OF MINISTRY (3)

Seamands
Considers the biblical basis for a special-called ministry within the larger context of the ministry of all Christians and the nature and mission of the Church. Reflection continues on scriptural insights which may inform such specific functions of ministry as preaching, worship leading, counseling and administration. This course is intended to assist participants in formulating and clarifying a distinctly theological basis for their vocation.

DM802 BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY (3)

Arnold, Dongell, Mulholland, Thompson
Seeks to upgrade the students' use of Scripture in personal spiritual formation, in their D.Min. project/dissertation and in ministry, by focused attention on the several critical tasks involved in biblical interpretation. The course will emphasize inductive interpretation of Scripture in its several contexts. In light of the Church's experience at interpreting the text and benefiting from advances in critical study of Scripture, students will increase their interpretive skills by doing interpretive work on passages important to their ministry and/or project/dissertation.

DM803 DISSERTATION WRITING AND RESEARCH METHODS (3)

Andrews
Designed to give knowledge of a library research methodology in preparation for writing a project/dissertation. Instruction will focus on writing the proposal, which includes a statement of the problem, the review of related literature, the theoretical framework, an extensive outline and a justification for the study. The course requirements assume that there will be active interaction with the student's mentor in developing the proposal. Credit only.

NOTE: Students not completing a successful proposal hearing within 12 months of taking DM803 will be required to re-take the class for no credit at a cost of one (1) credit hour at the current tuition rate.

DM804 DISSERTATION (3)

Candidates for the Doctor of Ministry degree will be registered for DM 804 at the time of the dissertation defense hearing and charged for 3 credit hours at the current tuition rate.

DM811 LEADING CHANGE (3)

Tumblin
Change inevitably comes, particularly when an organization experiences healthy growth. This course addresses dynamics including first or second order change, transition, innovation, chaordic systems and conflict. Emphasis will be given to the leader's roles as catalyst, coach and counselor at the individual, group, organizational and enterprise levels.

DM813 NARRATIVE PASTORAL COUSELING (3)

Dinkins
This course is designed as an examination of the theory and practice of pastoral counseling from a postmodern paradigm. Attention will be given to the philosophy, methodologies, and practice of counseling based upon stories. Participants will discover how narratives author persons and develop skills to help re-author the lives of those being counseled.

DM814 PRIORITIES OF STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP (3)

West
This skill-enhancement course addresses the leader's ability to catalyze change by casting vision, conducting strategic planning, and managing multi-phased projects and processes. Special attention is given to people skills related to: recruiting, assimilating, retaining, mobilizing and managing volunteer and staff resources for the achievement of organizational mission. As technology and consultants are available, participants may be oriented to the use of interactional technology and software systems designed for enhanced organizational effectiveness.

DM816 DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP IN THE LOCAL CHURCH (3)

West
This course is designed to help pastoral leaders to intentionally develop leadership in the local church. This course will go a step beyond the pastor as leader. A major focus of the course will be learning how to do small groups effectively.

DM818 SPIRITUALITY OF LEADING (3)

Martyn, Jessen
Within the context of defining cultural pressure toward "institutional chaplaincy" placed upon most pastors today, this course will seek to enable doctoral students to: 1) Appraise how their own vocational calling can best assist the local church in fulfilling its mission; 2) Clearly grasp and understand the concept of Fourth Servant Leadership (enabling others to fulfill their ministry calling in Christ); 3) Implement "Radical Time Management" which emphasizes "First Things First" in their everyday lives; 4) Have a beginning overview of the dynamics of resistance, change and transformation of an entire congregational system; and 5) To articulate the primary values the student desires to hold in leadership.

DM819 Tutorial: ISSUES IN CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP (3)

Staff
This seminar addresses a variety of topics in pastoral leadership through the use of resident and visiting faculty. It focuses on contemporary and emerging issues, and draws upon the expertise of noted experts in the field of church leadership and management in order to optimize flexibility and relevance for the doctoral student. Occasional and experimental. Instructor to be assigned. Previous topics include, "Managing Stress in Ministry," "Forgiveness in Counseling," "Strategic Leadership," and "Transforming Organizations."

DM822 FAMILY MINISTRY IN THE FAITH COMMUNITY (3)

Kiesling
Students, in an intensive seminar setting, will explore biblical and theological resources for ministry with families. They will identify agendas and develop curricula by which they may recruit and train leaders and the congregation on issues of roles, relationships, status, and value needs of family members in traditional, single-parent, intergenerational, and blended households.

DM823 FAMILY FAITH DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES (3)

Kiesling
Participants will define "faith development" consistent with biblical understandings of Christian discipleship and utilizing, reconciling, or refining constructs and language emerging from human development/social science findings about moral, ethical, and faith development, (b) spiritual formation, Christian conversion experience, and (d) Christian growth in grace. Participants will complete a self-profile on both "seasons of my life" and on "trajectory of personal faith development, especially noting the generation to generation legacy that is yours." Participants will articulate a "program-curriculum project or research proposal on faith development from generation to generation in ministry," documenting from personal observation what seem to be connections between profound intergenerational faith patterns and family systems/structures from generation to generation.

DM824 TRINITARIAN IMAGES IN SEXUALITY, FAMILY, AND CONGREGATION (3)

Kiesling
Participants completing the course will be able to: identify and articulate "Creation sex-positive" foundations for sexual well-being; initiate a life-long pursuit of a theology of God's image refracted through creating humans as "male and female; initiate a healthy staff culture which enhances both individual and family relationships for the ministry team; define and articulate congregational program elements which develop a mature congregational environment which will both enhance constituent well-being and establish a magnetic door of hope for the wider community."

DM825 MINISTRY WITH CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN THE FAITH COMMUNITY (3)

Stonehouse
Explores biblical and theological understandings of the child's spirituality and place in the faith community. These understandings will be integrated with insights from child development studies to formulate principles pastors can use to mold their personal ministry with children and in leading their congregations and families to become communities in which the faith of children grows.

DM829 ISSUES IN FAMILY AND COUNSELING MINISTRY (3)

Staff
This course addresses a variety of topics in family ministry through the use of resident and visiting faculty. It focuses on contemporary and emerging issues, and draws upon the expertise of noted experts in the field of family ministry in order to optimize flexibility and relevance for the doctoral student. Occasional and experimental. Instructor to be assigned. Previous topics include "Ministry with the Aging," "Cross Cultural Counseling," and "Forgiveness in Counseling."

DM831 CHURCH GROWTH FOR LOCAL CHURCHES (3)

Hunter
A course that focuses upon the "expansion growth" of local churches from the insights of Church Growth literature, with attention to planning and implementing the changes in churches that free them to achieve Great Commission objectives.

DM832 BUILDING A CHURCH FOR THE UNCHURCHED (3)

Hunter
Studies in organization leadership, especially the leadership of change, applied to the contemporary challenge of helping local churches move from tradition to mission and become effective "apostolic" churches. Draws from the writings and legacy of Lyle Schaller.

DM834 NEW CHURCH DEVELOPMENT (3)

Crandall
This course gives an orientation to the theological, sociological, and practical dimensions of starting new churches in the USA.

DM835 THEOLOGY OF CHRISTIAN EVANGELISM (3)

Crandall, Tuttle
Presents evangelism as the controlling purpose of divine revelation and clarifies the doctrines immediately related to the propagation of the gospel. Various theologies of evangelism will be examined in light of both their historical and contemporary expressions. The course seeks to clarify, from a Wesleyan perspective, the basic gospel message and aid students in their design of theologically appropriate methods and motivations for its communication in order that we may be better equipped as "ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us" (2 Cor. 5:20).

DM836 REVITALIZING SMALLER CHURCHES (3)

Crandall
Designed to give an intensive examination of the special historical, theological, sociological and pragmatic dynamics of smaller congregations with attention to the challenges and opportunities for evangelism effectiveness in such settings.

DM837 ANTHROPOLOGY FOR AMERICAN CHURCH MINISTRY (3)

Rynkiewich
Designed to give a delineation of the shape, origins and major components and traits of American cultures and subcultures; enables ministers to see their own culture more objectively, understand its people and communicate and lead more indigenously and effectively.

DM838 CHRISTIAN WITNESS AND OTHER FAITHS (3)

Staff
This course offers a survey of key issues in the encounter between Christianity and other religions. Looks at some historical precedents as well as contemporary trends including pluralism. Participants are encouraged to develop a theology of religious encounter.

DM839 ISSUES IN EVANGELISM, MISSION & CHURCH GROWTH (3)

Staff
This course addresses a variety of topics in evangelism, mission and church growth through the use of resident and visiting faculty. It focuses on contemporary and emerging issues, and draws upon the expertise of noted experts in the field of evangelism, mission and church growth in order to optimize flexibility and relevance for the doctoral student. Occasional and experimental. Instructor to be assigned. Previous topics include "Transcultural Evangelism," "Cross-Cultural Discipling," and "Cross-Cultural Counseling".

DM841 INDUCTIVE PREACHING (3)

Staff
This allows you to study sermons - their content, structure and style - to capture the attention and interest of our secular society. Study Jesus, the Bible, and the contemporary scene to sharpen preaching skills to cope with the culture of today's church.

DM843 BIBLICAL PREACHING (3)

Kalas
A Doctor of Ministry course designed to help the minister who has preached for a number of years to update his/her preparation and delivery skills. Emphases include tools, integrity to the text and contemporary communication.

DM844 BIBLICAL PREACHING PRACTICUM (3)

Staff
The course provides an intensive lab and classroom setting for the development of preaching skills. Participants will work on sermon development and delivery and will be introduced to various types of sermon structures, all within the context of emphasizing sound biblical content. Doctor of Ministry Beeson Pastors only.

DM845 STORYTELLING AND PREACHING (3)

Killian
Designed to help the student discover and appreciate the oldest art form in communication - story. Since narrative discourse (story) is the connector of our histories, storytelling will be looked at as the heart of the human experience, enabling us to make sense of our lives. The course is an attempt to understand the capacity of story as a basic humanizing intellectual and social skill, the primary developing tool of culture.

DM846 PREACHING, WORSHIP & MINISTRY (3)

Staff
This course seeks to set preaching and worship in an overall ecclesiology and theology of ministry. Participants will look at theological and biblical concepts which form our preaching and worship, and then examine models of churches which seek to express their theology in concrete fashion. The course seeks to help the pastor identify his or her own theology and goals in worship and church ministry.

DM847-PREMODERN WISDOM FOR POSTMODERN TIMES - THE EARLY CHURCH ON PREACHING AND WORSHIP (3)

Pasquarello & Ruth
This course seeks to facilitate a conversation between a Patristic vision of reality and the Postmodern world so as to provoke reflection and discussion about possible practices of preaching and worship today. It will seek to explore a third way for preaching and worship beyond the confines of so-called "contemporary" and "traditional" worship.

DM848 PREACHING AND THE MINISTRY OF CHRISTIAN HEALING (3)

Demaray
This course is designed to assist participants in understanding biblical and psychosomatic perspectives on disease and healing, suffering and wholeness, and to translate that information into material forms communicable from the pulpit, with the view of implementing healing ministry.

DM849 ISSUES IN PREACHING (3)

Staff
This course addresses a variety of topics in preaching through the use of resident and visiting faculty. It focuses on contemporary and emerging issues, and draws upon the expertise of noted experts in the field of preaching in order to optimize flexibility and relevance for the doctoral student. Occasional and experimental. Instructor to be assigned. Previous topics have included " Clergy Burnout", "Preaching the Text in a Postmodern World", and "Issues in Preaching" with Dr. Haddon Robinson.

DM851 READINGS IN WESTERN SPIRITUALITY (3)

Collins
Explores the nature of spirituality and its relevance to contemporary life and ministry by means of a critical examination of classic Western spiritual literature, ranging from the work of Plato in the fourth century B.C. to that of Th_r_se of Lisieux in the 19th century A.D. Special attention will be given to the work of John Wesley as that which exemplifies the leading themes of both spiritual literature and spiritual formation.

DM853 SEMINAR ON SPIRITUALITY AND MINISTRY (3)

Staff
This is a course designed to give a small-group, intensive experience in which the relationship between spiritual formation and ordained ministry is considered. It includes examination of the minister as person, professional, and practitioner.

DM855 THE PASTOR AS SPIRITUAL GUIDE (3)

Johnson/Martyn
This Doctor of Ministry course explores the meaning and place, as well as some of the models and dynamics, of the ministry of spiritual guidance (or spiritual direction) through an intensive, doctoral-level experience. Participants will be encouraged to experience spiritual direction, to receive feedback on their own ministry of offering direction and to consider the place of spiritual direction within their own ministries. The class utilizes lectures, videotapes, discussions, book reviews and practicums, and will be both "informational" as well as "formational."

DM856 INCARNATING THE WORD (3)

Mulholland
In the context of a retreat, this course explores issues of incarnational living and the development of disciplines to facilitate such living in the world. It examines the nature of incarnational living in the context of Christian history, provides skills to facilitate incarnational interpretation of Scripture, and daily practices to inculcate incarnational life and ministry. The seminar time is held at a retreat center.

DM857 SPIRITUAL DIRECTION

Muto
This course explores the art and discipline of three main forms or foundations of spiritual guidance: one-on-one direction, direction-in-common, and spiritual self-direction, aided by the formative reading of Scripture and the works of selected pre- and post-Reformation spiritual masters. The course will emphasize personal and cultural obstacles to and conditions for facilitating each form of direction and will provide an opportunity for first hand, in class implementation. In the light of their ecclesial-experiential faith and formation traditions, students will increase their knowledge of the master-disciple relationship, of mentoring in a communal setting, and of the need for growing daily in the life of prayer without which spiritual guidance and care of any sort is impossible.

DM858 INTERCESSORY PRAYER (3)

Staff
The purpose of this course is to introduce participants to the dynamics and practice of intercessory prayer for both the individual and the Church. During the course topics, such as the place of intercession, the role of intercession in revival and evangelism, intercession and spiritual warfare, fasting and intercession, and mobilizing the local church for intercession, will be discussed.

DM859 ISSUES IN SPIRITUAL FORMATION AND DIRECTION (3)

Staff
This seminar addresses a variety of topics in spiritual formation through the use of resident and visiting faculty. It focuses on a variety of historical and contemporary issues in spirituality, in order to optimize flexibility and relevance for the doctoral student. Occasional and experimental. Instructor to be assigned. Previous topics include "Christian Spirituality: Thomas Merton", "Issues in Spiritual Formation" with Susan Muto, and "Foundations of Spiritual Direction."

DM871 URBAN LEADERSHIP (3)

Gray
A course that focuses on the basic principles of Christian leadership in the urban context, the city is explored from a socio-cultural perspective while examining successful urban leadership/ministry models.

DM872 URBAN ANTHROPOLOGY (3)

Rynkeiwich
A course explores some of the critical issues arising from two powerful forces at work in the world today: urbanization and globalization. At the intersection of these forces there is life and death, growth and decay, virtue and decadence, security and danger. Cities define civilization and the irony is that cities also symbolize savagery. Either way, cities are where the people are, and thus cities are where our Triune God wants to live and minister. We are called to the city.

DM883 Anthropology for the Global Church (3)

Rynkiewich
A critical view of anthropology as it relates to theology will lead to the main concern, and that is missiology. There will be a conscious effort in the course to maintain a trialogue between anthropology, theology and missiology. The goal is to gain insights about missiological issues and concerns. Doctor of Ministry Beeson International Leaders only.

DM884 Preaching in the Global Context (3)

staff
The purpose of this course is to clarify and strengthen expository preaching to which most will be accustomed. It also will give attention to the rise of narrative preaching, its strengths and weaknesses and to encourage class members to incorporate this method as one of several ways to preach. Strong emphasis will be given to preaching without notes. Opportunity will be given for each student to preach in class with class evaluation and a private evaluation with the instructor to follow. Doctor of Ministry Beeson International Leaders only.

DM885 International Preaching Practicum (3)

staff
The course provides an intensive lab and classroom setting for the development of preaching
skills. Participants will work on sermon development and delivery and will be introduced to various types of sermon structures, all within the context of emphasizing sound biblical content.
Doctor of Ministry Beeson International Leaders only.

DM886 Advanced Church Leadership Part I (3)

staff
Prepares the church leader to become the master architect in designing and creating an effective church from the inside out, which includes reaching the unchurched. The content of the course will include the latest and best literature and material in leadership, church growth, and life of a pastor. The course will include on-sight visits to cutting-edge churches to observe first hand methods, technology, and practice of worship and ministries. Along with this are the co-curricular days, retreats and events where experts are brought in to share the latest in ministry and trends for the future. Part of the class on advanced leadership is to process all that the Beeson leader is learning throughout the year in a way that will make it their own and prepare them for the future. Doctor of Ministry Beeson International Leaders only.

DM887 Advanced Church Leadership Part II (3)

DM888 PEAK PERFORMANCE LEADERSHIP (3)

Griffin
Based on global research, eight core values for effective Christian leadership will be explored with a special focus upon multiplication of leaders. The eight core values are: Intimacy with God, Passion for the Harvest, Visionary Leadership, Culturally Relevant Evangelism, Multiplication of Leaders, Stewardship, Family Priority, and Integrity. Doctor of Ministry Beeson International Leaders only.

DM890 INDEPENDENT RESEARCH/DOCTOR OF MINISTRY STUDIES (1-3)

Staff
Guided independent research for Doctor of Ministry students. Subject matter varies based upon participant's program concentration and course requirement needs. See academic policy and procedures. By contract. Credit only. May not be repeated.

Note:
Some courses in the Doctor of Ministry program can overlap as core courses for multiple concentrations. See respective course listings for more information regarding these courses. The office of Doctor of Ministry studies can supply this information on a year-by year basis. Any other application of courses to other concentrations (including transferred courses) must be approved by petition to the Dean of the Doctor of Ministry Program.

Asbury Theological Seminary

Academic Catalog