Overview
The DMin is a professional doctoral degree that trains students to bring about measurable improvements in local ministry settings for the benefit of real people. It is a ‘hands-on’ degree, rather than a degree that seeks to advance our understanding of theoretical matters concerned with, say, the New Testament, the Old Testament, theology, or ethics The DMin benefits from those fields of expertise, but its emphasis is practical, not theoretical; and it might be the right degree for you.
Terminal
Like the PhD (Doctor of Philosophy), DEdMin (Doctor of Educational Ministry), and EdD (Doctor of Education), the DMin (Doctor of Ministry) is a terminal degree which represents the highest level of formal academic achievement in a particular field. Everyone who holds a terminal degree can always learn more, but the formal journey from a Bachelor of Arts degree to the doctoral degree could end with the DMin, where the emphasis falls on ministerial problem solving. This last description of the DMin underscores the nature of this degree and how it could benefit even someone who holds a research degree like the PhD. The DMin is about identifying problems, challenges, and opportunities in local ministry settings and devising ways to address them with measurable results.
Professional
To see what the DMin emphasizes in contrast to the PhD, one might compare it to other professional degrees like the MD, JD, or DDS. In all these examples, the benefit sought is specialized training in detecting and addressing problems faced by a patient, client, ministry leader, or entire church. The purpose of each degree is not to discover new theoretical knowledge, but rather to understand what we know now and skillfully apply that knowledge. This emphasis on problem solving offers some insight regarding the nature of the seminars required for the DMin degree and what the dissertation will accomplish.
What You’ll Study in a DMin
The seminars of the DMin degree subdivide into two categories: the “foundational core” and “concentration electives.” The first group contains seminars that occur at the beginning and end of the candidate’s doctoral program, and their purpose is to ‘on-board’ the student and prepare him or her to engage in project dissertation research, implementation, and writing. Other required seminars allow the student to specialize in areas like biblical counseling, church revitalization, apologetics, ethics, leadership, and ministry to women. The MBTS website contains a full list of options from which to choose, while describing in fuller detail the logistics of the DMin program. The MBTS DMin is offered online and in hybrid formats, allowing pastors and ministry leaders to pursue a doctor of ministry degree without stepping away from the churches and communities they serve.
Evaluate the “Next Big Thing”
Probably everyone reading these words, who is also interested in the DMin, has read books and articles touting the ‘Next Big Thing’ in ministry strategy and implementation, all the while thinking, “How do I know that it actually works?” Or the same person might be thinking, “How do I know that the same steps would get the same results elsewhere?” And those questions make sense, after all, because fantastic methods that work exactly one time are not so fantastic after all. But just at this point, DMin-thinking comes into focus. That is, someone trained in the DMin process would look at the ‘Next Big Thing’ and ask three follow-up questions, one of which we have already seen. First, “How do I know that it works?,” or more precisely, “What evidence would it take for me to believe that it works?” Secondly, “Is there any way that I would need to adjust the ‘Next Big Thing’ so that it works in my own ministry setting?” Both practical questions should be asked every time, along with a third one that comes first in logical order: “Does the ‘Next Big Thing’ rest on a firm, biblical foundation, or it is borrowed from secular sources and aimed at secular results?”
Ministry Project Dissertation
This degree culminates in a six-chapter project dissertation. The dissertation (a) identifies a problem, challenge, or opportunity to improve in a well-defined ministry setting, (b) demonstrates from Scripture that the problem is one that Christians ought to care about addressing, (c) takes stock of what others in similar situations have done to address the problem, (d) formulates a plan to address the problem identified under (a) above, (e) reports on the measurable results of the project, and (f) evaluates the extent of success that the project had. The use of the word “measurable” in item (e) above raises an important point about the nature of project dissertation research.
A Unique Degree
The purpose and value of the DMin degree should be clear, especially in terms of its uniqueness. The DMin trains the student to bring about measurable improvements in local ministry settings for the benefit of real people, making it a professional degree. It is a ‘hands-on’ degree, rather than a degree that seeks to advance our understanding of theoretical matters concerned with, say, the New Testament, the Old Testament, theology, or ethics The DMin benefits from those fields of expertise, but its emphasis is practical, not theoretical; and it might be the right degree for you.
