Doctor of Ministry
Concentration in Family Ministry & Counseling
Objectives
Within the nine courses required for the Doctor of Ministry program, four of them must be in the Family Ministry & Counseling concentration. Believing that our generation needs to be reached through individuals and families, this concentration empowers the student to:
- Discriminate between creation design and sin distorted images of God in men and women, and to deliver ministry calculated to enhance design.
- Identify and discriminate between traditional sex-negative religious messages and sex-positive images which provides the impetus for integrity and fidelity.
- Flex with changing patterns in family structure and needs, including designing church and community-based resources and services to meet those changing needs.
- Create recovery strategies and programs for people wounded by families and in families.
- Enhance moral and faith development in families and congregations.
Outstanding Course Offerings
- Medicine, Morality, and Ministry
- Writing for the Church
- Family Ministry
- Family Faith Development
- Trinitarian Images of Family and Sexuality
- Ministries to Families and Children
- Psychology of Spiritual Formation
- Moral and Faith Development Seminar
Our Professors Make the Difference
- Dr. Harold Burgess B.A., M.Div., M.A., Ph.D.
Professor of Christian Education and Pastoral Ministry
Expertise: Christian Education and Pastoral Ministry
Dr. Burgess, a member of the Asbury Seminary faculty since 1978, also served at the University of Notre Dame, Messiah College, Bethel College, and Mountain View Bible College. He has served pastorates in Michigan and Indiana. Dr. Burgess’ most recent book, Models of Religious Education: Theory and Practice in Historical and Contemporary Perspective, was released by BridgePoint Press in 1996. It has already been adopted as a core text by a number of colleges and seminaries. Dr. Burgess serves beyond the seminary on the boards of OMS International, The Francis Asbury Society, Zarephath Christian College, and Brethren in Christ Media Ministries.
- Dr. Donald M. Joy B.A., B.D., M.A., Ph.D.
Professor of Human Development and Christian Education occupying the Ray and Mary Jo West Chair of Christian Education
Expertise: Human Development, Sexuality, Family Studies
As a frequent guest on Dr. James Dobson’s "Focus on the Family" radio show and through a productive ministry of writing, Dr. Joy has impacted the lives and libraries of countless Christian families. Among his 16 books are Bonding, Re-Bonding Lovers: What Ever Happened to Eden?, Parents, Kids, and Sexual Integrity, and Becoming a Man (which has been translated into Thai and Polish). He is a member of numerous professional organizations, and has served as a consultant to the Pentagon, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Eli Lilly Endowment.
- Dr. Catherine Stonehouse B.S., M.R.E., Ph.D.
Orlean Bullard Beeson Professor of Christian Education
Expertise: Christian Education
Before coming to Asbury Seminary in 1987, Dr. Stonehouse worked with the Free Methodist Church of North America as the General Director of Christian Education. She worked with the Free Methodist Publishing House for 15 years as a publication and curriculum consultant, editor, and director of curriculum ministries. On the local church level, she has served as director of Christian Education, associate pastor, volunteer director of children’s ministries and children’s workshop leader. Dr. Stonehouse has authored Patterns in Moral Development (1980) and has written many articles for various journals.
Biblically Sound
The Christian faith rests on the personal self-revelation of God in Jesus Christ. Therefore, the philosophy of education at Asbury begins with the Christian faith which centers in God as revealed in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ and as witnessed in the Holy Scriptures by the Holy Spirit.
While Asbury Seminary stands within the Wesleyan tradition and holds to a clearly defined statement of faith, the faculty is committed to academic freedom. Central to all academic work at the seminary are two commitments: the first to Jesus Christ as sovereign Lord and the second to the pursuit of truth as a corporate and personal vocation.
Faculty members are committed to objective study and discussion of all theological opinions, and the seminary regards liberty of conscience as an important dimension of theological and personal integrity.
Course Descriptions
- DM 821 Writing for the Church (3) - Demaray
A course designed for exploration of and practice in creative pen and print ministries in the service of the church and its expansion. Emphases include: parish paper, news releases, article writing, photo journalism and advertising.
- DM 825 Ministry with Families and Children in the Faith Community (3) - Stonehouse
This course 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.
- DM 826 Psychology of Spiritual Formation (3) - Burgess
A course designed to assist the student in exploring areas of interest relating to personality and/or teaching-learning in some depth. Seminar procedure focuses on results of research on individually selected topics. A major goal is to assess the significance of the findings for Christian education or spiritual formation.