Seminary Offers Doctor of Ministry Degree

A dozen or so pastors, many from the CRC and some from other denominations, will begin studying in late May in Calvin Theological Seminary’s new Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) program.

A unique aspect of the D.Min. program is that students will meet twice a year in different locations (yet to be determined). The rest of their coursework will take place online.

“The format of this new program is that it allows us to meet anywhere and to move [the meeting place] around to meet the needs of the pastors,” said Geoff Vandermolen, director of the seminary’s vocational formation office and codirector of the D.Min. program with Danjuma Gibson, professor of pastoral care.

Applicants will learn in mid- to late March if they have been accepted into the program.

Calvin Seminary President Jul Medenblik noted that the Christian Reformed Church asked the seminary to study the opportunity to offer a D.Min. degree as part of a recent CRC report on continuing education.

“We are grateful for the support and encouragement we have received to come alongside the work of pastors,” said Medenblik.

This program, he said, opens avenues for students, professors, and even congregations, which will benefit from their pastors’ being in the program, to learn and grow at understanding the context of ministry as “we are opening ourselves to seeing the work of the Holy Spirit in rich and diverse settings.”

At the core of this doctorate, said Vandermolen, is for pastors to reflect on their own ministry circumstances and situations as well as learn from others in the program about the challenges, opportunities, and joys of doing ministry where they are located.

“The idea will be to get outside the classroom and for participants in the program to have creative dialogue among themselves,” he said.

“Everyone has a context, and it will be important for practitioners to understand what God is doing in their context. . . . They will be asked to propose theological models that relate to their context,” said Vandermolen.

Students in the program must be actively involved in ministry. This will include a mix of those who have at least five years of ministry experience as well as those who have 20 or more years of experience.

The program is especially designed for ministry leaders who are looking for a diverse (ethnically, ecumenically, etc.) community of learners that will help them to develop advanced ministry leadership skills and spiritual formation.

“This is a great way to continue serving as a pastor and learning at the same time in an environment in which pastors can grow,” said Vandermolen. “We believe churches will also grow as their pastors continue in the program.”

Designed to be completed in five years, the program will allow students to work on their D.Min. as it fits their needs, meeting and interacting with a cohort of pastors who are studying at the same pace.

Through the D.Min. program, students will benefit from intentional course work, directed spiritual growth, and formative peer relationships. At the end of their course work, students will work on a dissertation.

Danjuma Gibson, codirector of the program, said that working on a D.Min. will not simply be about students learning theology and attempting to apply it to their context.

“Instead, students will learn how to analyze their social location and ministry context, and then construct practical theologies that enter into a global conversation,” he said.

“In today’s world we are in dire need of new voices—especially from the margin—to join the theological conversation,” said Gibson.

In addition, he added, “Students will also possess a critical set of analytical tools and a worldview which will enable them to engage other opportunities and challenges in their respective communities.”

For more information about the program, visit Doctor of Ministry at calvinseminary.edu.