What makes the Western D.Min. Program distinctive?
Community
Participants will travel to meet with peers and faculty for cohort seminars 1-2 times per year depending on cohort need (maximum 2 weeks/year for each of the three years.) Seminar locations and focus are unique to each cohort theme and may be in Holland, MI, or in other locations as decided by cohort and/or cohort leader.
In between seminars, participants engage with each other virtually and and communicate regularly with their faculty mentor. Mutual encouragement and regular engagement is crucial for growth, motivation, and shared learning.
Expected cohort size is 12 students. Directed, community-based learning provides the framework for topics of study.
During the seminar, cohort members will discuss the challenges and opportunities within their own ministry contexts, learning from each other and providing expertise and research when they discover helpful content for a fellow student.
Commitment to Academic Excellence
Each participant researches a topic born out of a passion and interest, as well as his/her unique context or ecclesial concern. Students will identify a barrier, challenge or opportunity in their ministry and read broadly within the research area of their cohort theme. They will research their particular issue and address it, seeking guidance and thoughtful refinements from members of their cohort. Along the way, the participant is encouraged to grow on four levels:
- Who you are as a person (emotional and psychological formation)
- Who you are as a child of God (spiritual formation)
- What you do (skills for ecclesial formation)
- What you know (intellectual formation)
The program concludes with successful completion of a thesis project, presented and defended before the faculty advisor as well as an internal and external reader. The project is shaped by the various components of the three-year program and should demonstrate competencies in theological reflection, church leadership, cultural discernment, and pastoral wisdom.
All phases of the program are outlined in detail in the D.Min. Reference Guide.
Western Theological Seminary’s Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) program is fully accredited by the Association of Theological Schools and the State of Michigan.
Personal Attention
Participants work with a faculty mentor who is a proven and experienced scholar-practitioner in his/her field. The faculty mentor guides a process which includes engagement with key readings and resources, identification of a topic, research design and implementation, thesis-writing, and defense.
Secondary mentors are chosen with the help and approval of the primary mentor and serve as key conversation partners in research and writing.
How does learning happen best?
This is how learning happens in our D.Min. program:
- D.Min. education is done best by self-motivated learners, where planned learning takes place within the context of active ministry, in open conversation with ministerial colleagues. Self-motivated students gain skill in locating their own resources, a process that enables the student to discover the most efficient methods of learning.
- Learning is a process of practice reflection and ongoing action. The student’s ministry context is thus a “living textbook” that provides experiences for reflection.
- Learning is a communal process where peers, congregation and constituents, faculty, and other professionals contribute to the student’s learning.
Why should I pursue a D.Min. degree?
The D.Min is not a research nor an academic degree intended for those seeking a career in academic teaching; rather, it is designed to help participants develop their ministerial skills and understanding to the fullest extent in congregational, parachurch or missionary service.
The program integrates active ministry, academic work and disciplined reflection under the guidance of a mentor and in company with ministerial colleagues.
Testimonials
Rev. Brett J. Vander Berg ’19 (DMin), Pastor, First Reformed Church, Aplington, IA
“This D.Min. program is a pilgrimage into the sacred questions directing the longings of your heart. As you journey, you will form close bonds with a cohort, survey new heights and depths of your soul, and gather the gifts of your calling into a project that will edify the church and bless the world. Western Theological Seminary provides a well-worn pathway on which to travel and wise, experienced guides along the way. Prepare to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind,” because a great adventure awaits!”
Rev. Stephen DeWit ’18 (DMin), Pastor, Alger Park Church, Grand Rapids, MI
“Eventually, it struck me like a bold of lightning. All the learning units, all the fields of study, all of the questions I was asking, all the books I was reading, all the sermons, teachings, interviews, and papers–my participation in the DMin. program itself–was an expression of a (mostly) dormant ache within me. I had serious questions about my faith, my calling, and my life. If not for the spiritual autobiographies we were asked to write and the loving, persistent probing of my cohort, I’m not sure I ever would have made the connection between my program and the goings-on deep in my heart. My academic questions about mission, culture, and the nature of belief were more personal than I knew.”
Kevin Eastway ’19 (DMin), Associate Regional Director, Young Life – Western Great Lakes Region, and Donor Development Coach
“I had no idea how formational the D.Min. program was going to be in my own life and in the day to day activities of my ministry context. The work I am doing translates so well to the problems I face in ministry each day and has helped me develop the thoughts and skills necessary to navigate a practical spirituality of fundraising. I should have applied to this program years ago!”
Brian Telzerow ’20 (DMin), Professor of Youth Ministry, Kuyper, Grand Rapids, MI
“I found the wisdom from our advisors and mentors to be extremely helpful and motivating. As an educator myself, I was humbled by the sheer knowledge and wisdom of our advisors and how they were able to speak into each of our areas of study with such grace and authority. I look forward to how this process will continue to shape me into the person God wants me to be.”
Rev. Brian Keepers ’17 (DMin), Lead Pastor, Trinity Reformed Church, Orange City, IA
“Western’s D.Min program was deeply transformational for me and the congregation I served. It provided enough structure but also left plenty of flexibility to customize the program so it truly intersected with my passions and the needs of my ministry context. It was a gift to share this work with a cohort of other pastors, as well as to have access to Western’s excellent faculty. It was challenging at points and required perseverance, but in the end it was well worth it. Not only did I experience personal renewal (I fell in love with preaching again!) but, equally important, it was a blessing to my congregation.”
Rev. Tony Stiff ’17 (DMin), currently working on Ph.D. at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland
“ ‘You are your D.Min. project.’ This is something you hear again and again at Western. While you can attend many seminaries in North America and at the end find yourself making good singular theological contributions to the broader church, at Western you will discover how to make ongoing contributions through a deeper grasp of your unique spiritual autobiography. Western attunes you to the nature of God, to your own story, and who He has gifted you with as your neighbor.”
Details
The D.Min. is designed with key readings and focused exploration generated by the participant’s context and passions. The program is designed for structured engagement and full-cohort completion in three years.
D.Min students complete 36 academic credits. Tuition is locked at the rate of first year tuition for the duration of the program with a continuation fee of $750 after year four.
Curriculum
DM850 Orientation Seminar 1
Gives an introduction to the major administrative and academic components of the program, as well as to the specialized track (theme) that identifies the particular focus of the cohort. Course descriptions vary depending on the faculty and cohort topic. The course description will be available in the syllabus. Includes a one-week in-person seminar (some professors may choose to combine the seminars into two consecutive weeks per year). 6 cr
DM851 Orientation Seminar 2
A continuation of DM850. Students identify a challenge, opportunity, or topic that needs to be addressed in their ministry setting. Includes a one-week in-person seminar (some professors may choose to combine the seminars into two consecutive weeks per year). 6 cr
DM860 Research Seminar 1
Provides tools and skills to develop and strengthen academic research and writing. Students learn to structure and format an academic professional paper, providing a model for their project proposal and guidance for their practicum. Students will critically reflect on the practices of ministry and learn to interpret those practices within an academic theological framework. Course descriptions vary depending on the faculty and cohort topic. The course description will be available in the syllabus. Includes a one-week in-person seminar (some professors may choose to combine the seminars into two consecutive weeks per year). 6 cr
DM861 Research Seminar 2
A continuation of DM860. Students determine what needs to be changed or achieved in their ministry to address the challenge, opportunity or topic they have identified. Students design a thesis project proposal. Includes a one-week in-person seminar (some professors may choose to combine the seminars into two consecutive weeks per year). 6 cr
DM870 Thesis Seminar 1
Equips students with tools required for the completion of their D.Min. thesis. Course descriptions vary depending on the faculty and topic. The course description will be available in the syllabus. Includes a one-week in-person seminar (some professors may choose to combine the seminars into two consecutive weeks per year). 6 cr
DM871 Thesis Seminar 2
A continuation of DM860. Includes a one-week in-person seminar (some professors may choose to combine the seminars into two consecutive weeks per year). 6 cr
DM940 Thesis Project
The student demonstrates his or her ability to design and conduct a project that is biblically and theologically grounded, supported by the literature, and relevant to the practice of ministry. Students write a five-chapter scholarly paper that introduces, develops, and assesses the effectiveness of the project. The various chapters focus on: the need and rationale for the project, the biblical and theological texts/ theories that undergird the project, the issue the project addresses, and the results of what they learned following completion of the project. The doctoral project phase of the D.Min. program takes an additional year to complete and concludes with the presentation and defense of the thesis project before the faculty advisor and project readers. 0 cr
Deadlines
Application deadlines are four months prior to when the cohort is starting. Please see individual descriptions of the cohorts that interests you.
Director
Dr. Chuck DeGroat
Interim Director, Doctor of Ministry Program
Professor of Pastoral Care and Christian Spirituality
chuck.degroat@westernsem.edu
