President Brian Arnold announced today (June 16) that Phoenix Seminary will be updating its Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) program in the fall semester of 2021. The new D. Min. is an advanced, professional degree that will prepare students for a more deeply effective, biblically and theologically robust ministry.

“Many pastors recognize their need for more Bible, more theology, and more practical wisdom in how to shepherd the flock of God,” said Dr. Arnold. “The goal of the D.Min. at Phoenix Seminary is to give these pastors and ministry leaders a deeper well from which to draw for the duration of their ministries. I am excited about the new direction of this program and I am confident that it will prepare students with deeper minds and softer hearts.”

Through a combination of peer, self-directed, research, and field-based learning, students in the new D.Min. program will gain advanced theological and biblical skills, develop new ministry and leadership capacities, and practice rigorous integration of biblical-theological knowledge, contextual analysis, and ministry practice. The program culminates in a written project that utilizes biblical and theological research methods and resources to generate new knowledge regarding the practice of ministry in the context of the student’s vocational calling.

“We’re moving away from a strictly empirical research model to offer a Doctor of Ministry that is more theologically robust, staying consistent with what we like to call the meat and potatoes of theological training, featuring core courses in systematic theology, biblical theology, exegesis, and preaching,” said Phoenix Seminary Provost J. Michael Thigpen.

The new D.Min. will involve thirty hours of advanced coursework in areas such as exegesis, systematic and biblical theology, homiletics, and pastoral leadership. At the capstone of this coursework is a doctoral project that is designed to involve students in practical ministry research where they will select a specific aspect of ministry to build or strengthen through robust biblical-theological analysis, contextualization, and leadership.

Upon successfully completing the D.Min., students will have grown in their own theological acumen and ability to respond to ministry issues with a biblical-theological framework and contextual awareness. The goal for this program is to cultivate students’ growth in spiritual maturity and strength of calling and to help them serve as more equipped and spiritually developed leaders in their local ministry context.

The relaunched Doctor of Ministry will begin with a cohort in pastoral leadership starting in the fall 2021 semester. To learn more about the updated D.Min. program, visit ps.edu/dmin.