How can advanced studies help your ministry?

Are you engaged in ministry and looking for ways to equip yourself with the skills needed to continue reaching your community? Biblical offers advanced studies that train men and women to become practical, advanced missional leaders in their churches and ministries. Regardless of whether you are in ministry professionally or a lay leader, our courses will help you gain a robust knowledge of theology, culture, and along with the tools to gain the wisdom to become an effective leader.

Whether you are looking to develop a theology of cities based on Scripture, reinvigorate an established church or organization, or learn to interpret Scripture in a way that leads to effective communication, our Doctor of Ministry program offers exciting and challenging courses.

At Biblical, all of our courses are geared to incarnate and communicate the story of Jesus with humility and authenticity. We strive to foster an environment where our students will develop the commitment, skills, capacities, and transferable habits to be effective missional leaders.

Overview of the Doctor of Ministry (DMin) Program

The Doctor of Ministry program is a professional program intended for men and women actively engaged in full time Christian ministry. The twenty-four credit program takes a minimum of three years to complete, with most students taking four years to graduate. The program provides an advanced understanding and integration of ministry in relation to missional theology, ecclesiology, and careful study of issues related to culture and context.

Students develop advanced skills and competencies for missional leadership and complete a doctoral-level project that contributes new knowledge and understanding of the practice of ministry. The program seeks to foster spiritual, professional, and vocational competencies that enable missional leaders to be sensitive and responsive to the contexts of their ministries.

Why pursue a Doctor of Ministry degree?

The DMin degree is a professional degree that advances ministry expertise and leadership. The equivalent of the Doctor of Ministry in other professions are, for example, Doctor of Education (EdD), Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD), and Doctor of Psychology (PsyD).

Pastors with the DMin degree have demonstrated the ability to reflect on advanced theological and biblical studies and apply them to the challenges of church leadership in their specific context. Earning an advanced professional degree such as the DMin means that the students have prepared themselves to accept new challenges and opportunities for the Kingdom and as the Spirit leads.

Why a DMin Degree from Biblical?

Through advanced study in the DMin program you will:

• Deepen your understanding and skill for doing missional ministry in the local church or other ministry context
• Learn from respected experts and practitioners in missional ministry
• Study and apply contextually sensitive material
• Continue making a positive impact throughout your ministry leadership

“I can't imagine leading the church without the education I received at Biblical. Studying both the theological underpinnings of the missional conversation and the essential leadership principles for leading a missional church has been invaluable.”

Kirk Belmont, DMin 2011

In addition, Biblical is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools of the United States and Canada and by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.

Doctor of Ministry Curriculum
Required Core Courses - 12 Credits Course 911 - Mission of God – Mission of Christ's Church Course 912 - Missional Theology Course 913 - Missional Leadership Formation Course 914 - Culture Interpretation and Engagement
TRACK #1 - Urban Missiology - 6 Credits This track challenges students to develop a theology of cities based on the Scriptures. Students will discover how migration, global technology, and the removal of residential barriers have flattened how we view the world. Students will expand their cultural exegesis as they explore urban communities both locally and globally. Course 918 - Mission in Global Cities Course 919 - The Church and Mission in an Urban Global World
TRACK #2 - Congregational Renewal - 6 Credits This track provides students with the skills and competencies needed to turn around, reinvigorate, and propel established churches and organizations into more effective ministries that are strategically positioned for missional engagement in the 21st century. Course 922 - Change Dynamics: Leading an Organization Through Change Course 923 - Re-missioning the Established Church
TRACK #3 - Biblical Exposition - 6 Credits This track equips students to interpret Scripture in a way that leads to effective and compelling teaching, preaching, and communication to move God’s people into God’s mission. It focuses on understanding the pastor as biblical interpreter and communicator, and seeks to empower ministry leaders to envision, interpret, teach, and preach the gospel with clarity and conviction within their cultural contexts. Course 924 - Communication in Context Course 925 - The Christotelic Hermeneutic
Applied Research Project: 6 Credits Courses 926, 927, 928 Project modules are offered in the fall semester for the urban missiology track. The first project modules for the urban missiology track is a weekend residency.	Applied Research Project: 6 Credits Courses 931A, 932A, 933A Project modules are offered in the fall semester. All project modules are independent studies led by the student’s advisor.
Total Required Credits: 24	View Class Schedule and Course Descriptions

Course Workload and Length of the DMin Program

Residency weeks are scheduled so that students can prepare pre-course work before coming to campus. Typically 1500 pages of assigned reading required and twenty-five pages of written assignments precede the residency week. The post-residency is typically fifty pages of written assignments and is due within six weeks of the residency week.

The Doctor of Ministry Degree (DMin) can be completed in as little as three years, or up to five years. The vast majority of our students complete the program within four years of starting. Courses are offered at specific times to allow any student to complete the program at a pace that fits into a busy life schedule. Below is a sample of what the program looks like over the course of four years:

Financial Aid for Doctor of Ministry Students

While the DMin program is not part of Biblical Seminary's graduate level grant program, Biblical does offer the following 25% tuition discount entitlements:

• An alumnus(a) who has completed a Master of Divinity degree at Biblical Seminary
• A domestic or international missionary who is required to raise a minimum of 50% of his/her support.
• The spouse, son, or daughter of an alumnus(a) who has completed a degree of any kind at Biblical Seminary

A 50% entitlement applies for the spouse of a full-time student.

As a way of encouraging the student's church or parachurch organization to support his/her endeavors in the DMin program Biblical Seminary will grant a one-third discount to a student whose church or organization commits to make payments on behalf of the DMin student in the amount of one third of tuition charges. Participation in this matching program reduces the tuition cost to the student by two-thirds.

(Please note that those students who opt for the church matching program are not eligible to receive the entitlement discounts listed above.)

How can the DMin Program help you?

• Allows you to learn more about your own church, how to effectively lead it in a changing culture, and how to help it grow.
• Broadens your exposure to churches and ministries in other parts of the U.S. and internationally as you will be studying with students from many different locations, cultures, and ethnicities.
• Biblical’s DMin students report that their DMin program gave them new perspectives, new ministry colleagues, and new approaches to ongoing challenges.
• Many Biblical Seminary DMin graduates have found new opportunities as a result of their studies and project research, such as serving on non-profit boards, starting a local ministry effort, teaching as adjunct faculty in seminaries and Christian colleges, publishing articles and books, and becoming requested speakers in churches, conferences, and Bible colleges internationally

For more information, contact Rev. Darryl Lang in admissions at 800.235.4021 or 215.368.5000 x147 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .