DOCTOR OF MINISTRY

WE ARE REVISING OUR DOCTOR OF MINISTRY PROGRAM

We are doing this to better serve CRCNA and other Reformed ministry leaders and to be more sustainable for the seminary.

The revision will establish a 30-credit, 3-year, cohort model that will include engagement with CTS faculty and will draw upon our winsome Reformed tradition.

With the current CRCNA focus on church planting and renewal, denominational leaders have encouraged a focus on neo-Calvinism as part of this revision. The hope is to have this revision completed in time to receive cohort proposals by potential cohort leaders so that the first cohort(s) can begin in the summer of 2027.

 

PROPOSED STRUCTURE AND NOTES

  • 30 credit 3-year degree, 2 years of coursework + 1 year for dissertation
  • All DMin students are grouped by cohorts of 12-18 students plus 2 co-leaders (ideally 1 faculty member + 1 expert practitioner/scholar-at-large)
  • DMin applicants must have "significant ministerial experience" and most but not all will have MDivs.
  • The cohort attends all courses together. Co-leaders provide first contact and relational support and coaching for the cohort during the whole degree process.
  • Cohort co-leaders design their cohort with a concentration-specific focus, with creative use of guest speakers, author video interviews, and fieldtrips.
  • Cohorts meet in-person (not necessarily on campus), twice a year for a week (Mon.-Fri. or Sat.) of intensive instruction and fellowship during the first 2 years. 
  • During the third year of the degree, students pursue individually coached dissertation research and writing work, which is embedded in and relevant to the student’s ministry context.
4P3A4002 (1)

 

ANTICIPATED COSTS

The cost is yet to be determined, but we anticipate a total cost of about $22,500, with a 40% scholarship discount for CRC pastors, missionaries, and employees or CTS alumni (total cost $13,500), and a 30% scholarship discount for other students (total cost $15,750). The expectation is that the student cost will be split between the student and the student’s ministry setting. We are also seeking additional scholarships and funding.

EQUIVALENCY REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICANTS THAT DO NOT HOLD A MASTER'S IN DIVINITY

Applicants who have not earned a Master of Divinity are required to complete the supplemental questions and reference on the DMin application as a means of demonstrating how they satisfy these six criteria:

  • An accredited master’s degree (or its educational equivalent) in an area related to one’s ministry setting or vocational calling
  • Significant ministerial experience (5+ years) that enables the applicant to engage as a ministry peer with other students in this professional doctorate
  • The ability to thoughtfully interpret scripture and the theological tradition of one’s ministry context
  • The capacity to understand and adapt one’s ministry to the cultural context
  • A basic self-understanding of one’s ministerial identity and vocational calling
  • A readiness to engage in ongoing personal and spiritual formation for one’s ministry

MISSION STATEMENT FOR OUR DOCTOR OF MINISTRY

Our DMin supports the seminary’s mission by connecting effective church leaders with each other, with scholars recognized in their fields, and with recognized leaders and practitioners in the church and ministry. Our Doctor of Ministry program provides the church with practitioners and leaders equipped to listen and observe, engage in critical and contextually based analysis, and enhance ministerial and Christian praxis.