Introduction

The practice of Christian ministry is an increasingly complex and demanding task. Although the standard pre-ministerial educational program already includes 90 credit hours beyond the baccalaureate, many ministers express a desire for a disciplined program of continuing education that will enable them to integrate their practical learnings in ministry with additional advanced-level course work. The Doctor of Ministry degree has been developed to meet these needs.

Increasing religious pluralism in the United States and Canada as well as growing world religions and the globalization of theological education call for more breadth and depth in the education of Christian leaders. Emmanuel School of Religion is committed to the world mission of the church. Thus it offers the Doctor of Ministry degree with a concern for addressing the need for the continuing education of the servants of the church.

Objectives

The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada considers the Doctor of Ministry degree to be “the highest earned degree for the profession and practice of ministry.” The Doctor of Ministry presupposes the Master of Divinity degree and hence is designed for those seeking to enhance their ministry and their knowledge and competencies requisite for this degree and its goals. The Emmanuel degree is specifically designed to strengthen the students’ general practice of ministry. The purpose of the Emmanuel D.Min. degree is to increase the students’ competence to an advanced level in all phases of ministry so that they may:

• demonstrate an understanding and integration of specific acts of ministry in the light of the Bible, church history, Christian doctrine, and the pastoral disciplines.
• formulate a comprehensive and critical theory of ministry that will enhance both their self-understanding and practice of ministry while continuing to engage in ministry wherein the theory is assessed by practice and practice by theory.
• enhance their ability to analyze community dynamics and personal needs, especially in the light of the availability of new resources, as they develop new strategies for ministry.
• develop and acquire skills and competencies for continuing growth in the practice of ministry at its most mature and effective level.
• strengthen their ability to prepare and motivate others in ministry as the term “doctor” (teacher of teachers) suggests.
• contribute to the understanding and practice of ministry through the completion of a D.Min. doctoral-level project.

Program Design

The program consists of courses from both the Classical Core and the Ministry Core. The difference between the two is a matter of content and approach, but not of purpose. All courses are focused on the understanding and practice of ministry. A total of 36 semester hours are required for the Doctor of Ministry degree. Thirty (30) semester hours are divided equally between the Classical and the Ministry Cores as described below. Each student must enroll in CM 8000, no earlier than halfway through the program, for 1 hour of credit. The program is culminated by the D.Min. project which, in combination with CM 8000, yields six semester hours credit.

Classical Core

Five three-semester-hour courses are required: one each in Old Testament, New Testament, Church History, and Christian Doctrine, and a second in the area of the student’s choice. Each course will relate the subject studied to significant issues in ministry and provide additional resources from that area for enhancing ministry.

Ministry Core

Five three-semester-hour courses are required in the Christian Ministries area. One course must be in formation/supervision. No more than three courses may be taken in any one Field. Students are encouraged to consider courses in: administration, church growth, clinical pastoral education, counseling, leadership development, preaching, teaching, worship, world mission, and evangelism.

Project

A student must complete a written project, which is assigned six semester hours credit. The project consists of the design, accomplishment and evaluation of a ministerial program culminating in a written report in which biblical, historical, and theological themes are viewed in practice as well as in theory. Within that six-hour block for the project, a one-hour reading course will introduce the student to methodologies necessary for the project. (See The Project Requirement on page 75–76 for more details.)

Candidacy

Candidate status means that the student has formed a purpose and a plan for completing the degree and has a tentative topic for the project. Candidacy for the degree and permission to begin the project will be considered after the completion of 18 hours plus the one-semester course, CM 8000 Reading Course in Social Science Methodologies. Hence a student applying for candidate status must submit a Program Statement and a Project Proposal.

Program Statement

The student is asked to submit a two-page statement (typed, single-spaced, double spacing between paragraphs) in which he/she should (1) assess personal strengths and weaknesses; (2) discuss concerns to be addressed in his/her ministry setting as an integral part of the D.Min. experience; and (3) outline a tentative schedule for completing degree requirements.

Project Proposal

The project must be planned in consultation with a faculty member/supervisor. Both the Program Statement and the Project Proposal should be submitted to the Director of the D.Min. Program who will arrange for a faculty committee of three to evaluate both documents and will subsequently discuss them with the student. When the project proposal is accepted, the student is given a P for CM 8000.

Dates and Requirements

Six or more D.Min. courses of three hours credit each will be offered each year—on campus, two in Fall Session, two in Spring Session, and two in Summer Session; and occasional courses at other locations as demand dictates. Enrollment for a course must be completed three months before it begins. A reading list will be sent to the student, usually within two weeks after enrollment is completed. Each student is expected to master the reading list prior to the beginning of classes since D.Min. courses are designed for peer group discussion; they are not traditional lecture courses. Professors are expected to facilitate and encourage discussion; students are expected to draw both on the reading lists and their ministerial experience to enrich the classes.

Each course will consist of six days of classes taught in one week from Monday afternoon through Saturday noon. In order to reduce travel costs, two courses will be taught in a block so that the student may in two weeks earn six hours credit. Class meetings will be structured around discussions with particular attention to peer group involvement. A final examination may be a part of the schedule for the final day of each course. An integrative paper will be due six weeks after the close of the unit.

At the time of admission each new student will be given the Millan II personality inventory instrument to be completed and returned to the D.Min. office. At the first opportunity (usually the Monday morning of the student’s first class) the student will discuss the results of the inventory in a counseling setting with an outside consultant. On Monday evening of the student’s first class, the program director will orient the new student to the program to insure that students recognize the role of the D.Min. program in assisting in the development of an integrated theology of ministry.

Emmanuel recognizes the stress a program like this can produce in students and their families. Therefore married students are urged to attend at least one marriage enrichment seminar during their enrollment in the D.Min. program.

Because of Emmanuel’s interest in the Church’s world mission and the globalization of ministerial education, every effort will be made to include participants with cross-cultural backgrounds within each D.Min. course. In that way the focus of each course on the theory and practice of ministry will not be limited to the concerns of one cultural, social or racial group. Overseas missionaries also will be encouraged to participate in this program.

The first draft of the D.Min. project is due the first week in February of the final academic year; the final draft is due the first week of April of the final academic year. The oral examination will be scheduled between March 15 and May 1 of that year.

The minimum time for the program is three years. Each session offers a two-week (6-credit-hour) block. A person in full-time ministry would be expected to take no more than two sessions or 12 credit hours per year. The program must be completed within 6 years. A student must do at least 3 semester hours each year to remain in good standing.

Student Load

Full-time status is 12 semester hours of course work during one academic year; half-time status is 6 semester hours of course work during one academic year.

System of Grading

Academic Probation

Good Standing and Probation

A minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 is required for the Doctor of Ministry degree. If at any time during the course of the degree program the student drops below a 3.00 GPA, he or she will automatically be placed on academic probation. If probationary status occurs prior to the point at which the student has accumulated 18 semester hours, the student must bring the GPA up to 3.00 or better prior to being considered for Candidate Status. If probationary status occurs after one has been granted Candidate Status the student must raise the GPA to 3.00 within the next six semester hours taken toward the Doctor of Ministry degree. A 3.00 GPA is required for graduation.

Suspension

A student on probation who fails to achieve a 3.00 GPA within the time frames outlined above will be suspended. Suspension means the withdrawal of permission to enroll in classes for credit and the termination of any degree candidacy previously conferred.

If students can show extenuating personal circumstances to be the cause of their failing to achieve the GPA needed to lift the probation, they may petition the faculty for a one-semester extension of the probation.

Admission

Eligibility

The Doctor of Ministry degree is open to graduates of colleges and universities who have also earned an accredited Master of Divinity degree or its equivalent and who are involved in or who have been involved in ministry. M.Div. equivalency will be determined generally in reference to Emmanuel’s M.Div. program. Exceptions will be made on a case-by-case basis by the D.Min. Admission Committee.

The Director’s office will evaluate applications from those who do not have the M.Div. degree and will indicate what courses need to be taken in order to establish equivalency. Once that course of study is completed, the prospective student may apply for formal admission. No work taken to meet equivalency requirements will count toward the D.Min. requirements.

Applicants must have completed at least three years of full-time experience in ministry subsequent to having earned the M.Div. degree.

Application

The application form for the Doctor of Ministry should be completed and sent to Emmanuel School of Religion along with:

• The nonrefundable application fee.
• Official transcripts of credits from college and seminary. The applicant should arrange to have these sent directly to Emmanuel from other schools.
• Three references. The applicant should complete the top section of three reference forms and have three people fill out and send the references to the school. If possible, choose as references a former seminary professor, a ministerial colleague, and a member of a congregation or constituency you have served.
• International students must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) prior to enrollment or in some other way prove their competency to study and write in English.
• A five-page double-spaced description of a critical incident in your ministry. This small project should indicate how you view ministry and how you put those views into practice. A description of this requirement will be found in the next section.

When these documents have been read and evaluated by the Admissions Committee, an interview will be arranged. If the student lives within 200 miles of Johnson City, the interview will be on campus. If the student lives beyond the 200-mile radius, a conference call will be arranged or a regional representative of Emmanuel will conduct the interview.

An application should be received no later than sixty days prior to the beginning of the first class in which the student intends to enroll.

For further information or for an appointment to visit campus, an applicant should write or phone the Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program, Emmanuel School of Religion, One Walker Drive, Johnson City, Tennessee 37601-9438 (800/933-3771). Email inquiries may be sent to DMinOffice@esr.edu. Administrative offices are open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., September through May, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., June through August. The offices are closed on Saturday, Sunday, and most legal holidays.

Critical Incident

A critical incident in ministry represents a situation in which the student has been involved personally that required a considered judgment or action. Writing and reflecting on this incident and the response to it will reveal the theological issues raised by the encounter. The exercise will also say something about personal strengths for ministry as well as the insights that may contribute to change and personal development.

The requirements for this part of the admissions packet are as follows:

1. Write the incident in no more than five pages, double-spaced. Be discrete, use initials instead of names; change the initials if that is best. Concentrate on the critical information.
2. State the pertinent details leading up to the situation. Describe any feelings or expectations before the incident took place. Indicate which persons or pressures shaped the event.
3. Describe what happened. Be objective. Report as much detail as possible. Remember that quotations of important statements give flavor to the event.
4. State what was learned as a result of this event. Talk about feelings and insights. Include their relevant comments from other people. Reflect on four areas:
   1. Describe the effect this incident had on personal identity. Indicate what was learned about self and how personality had an effect on the situation.
   2. State how this event influences your sense of calling or vocation. Describe what skills and competencies were used well and others which need to develop.
   3. Indicate which theological issues were raised by this event and how those issues influenced the outcome.
   4. Describe the ways in which this incident touched spiritual development, what strengths and weaknesses it uncovered.
5. Integrate these findings into a conclusion that will be of help in the future. Indicate the resources used in the incident and how you made sense of the event. Describe the aspects you did not anticipate and what you might do differently if a similar incident arose.

Transfer of Credit

Students may apply for transfer of credit from another accredited D.Min. program. Usually the transfer is granted, but it is not automatic. Hours applied to a different degree, such as the Th.M., normally cannot be applied to the D.Min. No more than 6 hours of credit can be granted for work taken in a D.Min. program at another institution. At least 24 semester hours of class work and the D.Min. project must be completed within the Emmanuel curriculum.

Finances

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fees are announced each year on an insert for this catalog. The updated supplement may be received from the Doctor of Ministry office after January 1 each year.

Continuation Fee

A yearly continuation fee will be charged beginning after the fifth year of a student’s enrollment in the program if the student is not regularly taking courses.

Payments

Students are expected to complete registration for a course three months prior to its beginning. Full tuition for the course and the registration fee are due at the time of registration. The registration fee is for a D.Min. session, whether the student is doing only one or both courses of that session.

Refunds

A student who has enrolled for a course and then sees that he or she will not be able to attend classes may withdraw by formally notifying the D.Min. Director. If notification is received 60 days prior to the beginning of classes, a full refund will be given. If notification of withdrawal is not received until sometime in the 60-day period immediately preceding the beginning of classes, a half refund will be given. No refund will be given once classes begin, whether or not the student has attended any of the classes.

Meals

Meals at reasonable prices may be obtained at Milligan College in the McCormick Dining Center and the McMahon Student Center.

Housing

The D.Min. Office will assist students in arranging for short-term housing at area motels, at Milligan College, or in private residences.

Books

When a student enrolls for a course, a reading list will be sent. Books on the reading list may be ordered through the Emmanuel Book Store. Credit charges to one’s Emmanuel account are not allowed unless a credit balance exists in the account. Visa, MasterCard, and Discover credit cards are accepted.

Financial Aid

No Emmanuel financial aid is available. It is hoped that congregations will see the value of their ministers being involved in a continuing education program such as the D.Min. and will assist them with their expenses. D.Min. students are eligible for federally guaranteed student loans.

Courses of Study

Old Testament

OT 8000 The Psalms and Christian Ministry. This course will explore the Psalms as examples of Israel’s religious poetry, practice, and theology—all helpful for preaching, worship, teaching, and counseling today.

OT 8100 The Ten Commandments. This course will approach the Ten Commandments as the nucleus of the larger collections of legal and ethical material in the Pentateuch, which comprise a vital part of the background for Christian ethical teaching.

OT 8200 The Book of Job and the Problem of Suffering. This course will explore the central purpose and “message” of the Book of Job in relation to Old Testament affirmations of the goodness and sovereignty of God.

OT 8300 Project. Five semester hours.

OT 8400 Seminar. Advanced study of selected topics.

New Testament

NT 8000 New Testament Exegesis Seminar. A text-based course which treats one or more gospels, epistles, or other New Testament writings with a focus on recent literature and its application to contemporary ministry.

NT 8100 Current Issues in New Testament Studies. The focus is on methodology in New Testament studies, with an emphasis on literary and post-modernist approaches and their value for preaching and teaching.

NT 8200 Church and Ministry in New Testament Perspective. An “issues” course in which a variety of aspects of church and ministry—cultural, economic, ethical, personal—may be dealt with.

NT 8300 Project. Five semester hours.

NT 8400 Seminar. Advanced study of selected topics.

Church History

CH 8000 Pastoral Care Then and Now. Since pastoral care has always been a central thrust of the ministry of the church, even before the modern pastoral counseling movement, this course focuses on recent secondary literature which provides both overviews and collections of translated texts that enable the student to consider both the theory and practice of pastoral care within the history of the church and today.

CH 8100 Worship Past and Present. This course surveys how the church has worshipped through the ages to aid the student in developing insights which can help in the planning and leadership of Christian corporate worship.

CH 8200 The History of Biblical Interpretation and Preaching. This course examines both secondary and primary texts in the history of preaching and hermeneutics with a view to enhancing the contemporary student’s appreciation for and ability to perform the tasks of biblical interpretation and preaching.

CH 8300 Project. Five semester hours.

CH 8400 Seminar. Advanced study of selected topics.

Christian Doctrine

CD 8000 Christology: Trends and Models. Who is Jesus Christ? What did he accomplish? The course will survey Old Testament and New Testament backgrounds, views held within the church and outside, and will critically analyze modern trends and models from as many Christian traditions and as many areas of the globe as possible.

CD 8100 Soteriology: Trends and Models. What does salvation mean? How does it relate to the work of God in Christ through the Holy Spirit? The course provides a survey of Old Testament and New Testament texts, views taken from the history of the church and the cultures in which the church lived, and a critical analysis of modern models and trends from as many Christian traditions and as many areas of the globe as time allows.

CD 8200 Pneumatology: Trends and Models. Who or what is the Holy Spirit? What does the Holy Spirit do? The course offers a survey of Old Testament and New Testament backgrounds, historical views from outside and inside the church, as well as a critical analysis of contemporary trends and models from as many Christian traditions and as many areas of the globe as possible.

CD 8300 Project. Five semester hours.

CD 8400 Seminar. Advanced study of selected topics.

Christian Ministries

CM 8000 Reading Course in Social Science Methodologies. The readings are chosen to guide the students in the use of the methods and instruments of the social sciences which are appropriate for the D.Min. project. One semester hour. Required.

CM 8300 Project. Five semester hours.

CM 8400 Seminar. Advanced study of selected topics.

CMA 8000 Developing Leaders in the Congregation. The psychological and sociological factors involved with leadership will be discussed in relation to a biblical and theological understanding of the nature of the church.

CMA 8100 Conflict Management in the Local Church. Readings in conflict management will be related to case studies brought by students to help participants prepare to turn situations of conflict into opportunities for growth and maturing.

CMA 8200 Renewal of the Life and Ministry of the Church. By using available tools of analysis and by clarifying the concept of the church as God intended this course will lead the participants to discover ways of getting the church from where it is toward where it should be.

CMA 8300 Building an Effective Congregation. This course will help the minister analyze the various aspects of congregational life. Its purpose is to develop a plan of action through which the congregation can work together in the wide ministry of the church.

CMC 8000 Pastoral Care and Counseling. This advanced course in the pastoral ministry is designed to aid the class members in evaluating their effectiveness in pastoral situations and in increasing their appreciation for and effectiveness in these ministry opportunities. Readings in current literature, case studies, verbatims brought in by students for class discussion and other methods will be used as learning tools.

CMC 8100 Clinical Pastoral Education I. Students may arrange to take a certified unit of CPE, wherever it is convenient, for credit toward the D.Min. degree at Emmanuel. Note: Requires special application and registration procedure.

CMC 8200 Clinical Pastoral Education II. See CMC 8100.

CMC 8300 The Church’s Ministry to Families. A survey of biblical texts concerning familial relationships and of contemporary analyses of the pressures causing family dysfunction will form the background for discussions of how the church can serve in such a way as to encourage healthy family life.

CME 8100 The Development and Administration of Education in the Congregation. The role of the congregational leader in the educational program of the local church will be the focus of discussion in this course.

CME 8300 A Strategy for Adult Education. Adult education remains a critical area of ministry for the church. This course examines strategies for programming and teaching adults.

CMF 8000 Christian Ministry and Formation Seminar. This seminar seeks to clarify and articulate a personal theology of ministry, define the concept of ministry formation, and reflect upon issues pertaining to a developmental view of formation. Required.

CMM 8000 Current Trends in World Mission. An examination of current trends and models in regard to the church’s world mission, across the spectrum of Christian bodies and schools of thought.

CMM 8100 World Mission and the Local Ministry. An examination of the place of world mission in the life and ministry of the local minister and congregation

CMM 8200 World Mission and World Trends. A comparative examination of the relationship and mutual influences of the Christian world mission and of contemporary secular trends on the global scale.

CMP 8000 Current Trends in Preaching. This course surveys current issues, thinkers, and literature in homiletics with a view to exploring various styles and approaches to preaching.

CMP 8100 Preaching: Its Theological, Hermeneutical, and Communicational Aspects. The preacher’s role as theologian, interpreter, and communicator is considered with a view to synthesizing these roles in preaching.

CMP 8200 The Church at Worship. The latest trends in corporate worship styles and activities will be analyzed with reference to biblical patterns, the historical development of worship, and contemporary culture. Our aim is to help students to be able to plan and lead services of worship that are appropriate to biblical norms, Christian heritage, and contemporary sensitivities.

The Project Requirement

The D.Min. project involves the study and analysis of a specific ministerial program in which a student demonstrates his or her theology of, personal sense of, and skills in ministry through reflection on its practice. The project is neither solely a pragmatic nor a technical enterprise. The rationale behind it is that some of the best theology available to the church can and should be produced by those deeply involved in ministry. Its purpose is to show that well-thought-out, well-written studies of important themes in ministry can arise out of the cooperative efforts between seminary and congregation or other church institutions. It should contribute to the understanding and practice of ministry, show a strong integration of the two, and be both conceived and written in such a way that the information within it can be transferred from its close attention to a particular context into another and different one.

Students should begin to identify the area early in their work, but no credit will be given for projects that were started before the proposal was approved. The project proposal may be submitted after the completion of 18 hours and the one-hour methodology reading course, CM 8000. The project proposal will consist of the following:

1. An explanation of its purpose that identifies the particular needs of ministry that prompted the project.
2. A description of the ministry situation within which the project will be pursued.
3. A statement of the goals of the project.
4. An explanation of the design which includes the strategy employed and the time schedule. (The strategy will indicate how a congregation or institution will be involved in the project.)
5. The criteria to be used for evaluating the project during its development and at its completion.

The following requirements for the project apply.

1. Submit a written proposal of 8–10 pages for the project to the office of the D.Min. Director. This proposal must set out both the objectives and the design of the project. A supervisor and a review committee will be appointed to oversee the project.
2. Submit a 40–60 page exposition of the Old Testament, New Testament, church historical and theological foundations for the project with a working bibliography.
3. Develop a study group within the congregation or institution in which the student serves that can be a sounding board as the project develops. Minutes should be kept of the group’s meetings and submitted with the final project.
4. At the beginning of the actual project choose one of two forms of evaluation: (a) an on-site visit of the supervisor or a representative near the completion of the project so that a written evaluation of its goals and design will result; (b) the submission of duplicate monthly written reports by the student to the D.Min. Director and the faculty supervisor that will become the basis of an evaluation.
5. Begin and finish the project in no less than three months and no more than twelve months. Seventy-five percent of the project must be completed at the same site. The student is encouraged to remain in the ministry in which the project is begun until the project is completed.
6. Submit a 40–60 page evaluation of the project, one that is informed by the foundational 40–60 page exposition (cf. 2), which both documents its progress and critically assesses its value in terms of its goals.
7. For the final written project report, submit the 40–60 page exposition (cf. 2) and the 40–60 page evaluation (cf. 6) in a revised form that shows the integration of the two in deepening the understanding and practice of ministry.
8. Present a public report on the project, using appropriate visual aids and demonstrations, to indicate the applicability of the project to ministry. This presentation will be evaluated by the project supervisor, a second reader, and a third faculty member.
9. Submit two copies of the project report printed on archival bond paper to the Dean’s Office to be bound, catalogued, and shelved in the Library.

Calvin L. Phillips Award

In honor of Calvin L. Phillips on the occasion of his retirement from the presidency, the seminary faculty established an award to recognize Doctor of Ministry projects of truly exceptional merit. The certificate of this award bears the citation: “The Calvin L. Phillips Award for the Outstanding Doctor of Ministry Project of [year].”