Advanced Practice of Ministry

Candidates in the Advanced Practice of Ministry track focus on theological reflection on one of the areas of ministerial practice: homiletics, worship, spiritual formation, Christian education, evangelism, new church development, congregational redevelopment, church administration, and pastoral care. A personalized approach to D.Min. studies makes it possible for the candidate to discuss other specializations with an advisor.

The Learner's Handbook provides more detail about the program outlined below.

Course of Study

The Louisville Seminary Doctor of Ministry degree is a 36 credit (semester hour) program as follows:

DM 646-1 Seminar I (6 cr.) Theology of Ministry: The Minister in Context
This seminar will help students clarify their pastoral identities and will provide them with perspectives to interpret both their contexts of ministry and the particular problems that arise there.  Students and faculty will engage in group and individual discernment of how God’s transforming grace is present in their practice of ministry, in the church and in the world. (2 weeks)

DM 646-2 Seminar II (4 cr): The Minister as Biblical Interpreter
This seminar will introduce students to biblical reflection on a practice of ministry, as for example gender construction in patriarchal societies, race relations in the United States, or situations of grief and suffering.   Topics as “Feminist/Womanist/Mujerista Interpretation of the Bible,” “Connections and interactions between racism and sexism seen through a biblical lens,” and “Psalms of Lament” might be the focus of attention.  Students will do preparatory assigned reading and write a paper integrating the insights of seminar I with reflection on the readings and on a practice of ministry in their context. (1 week)

DM 646-3 Seminar III: (4 cr.) The Minister as Theological Interpreter
This seminar will introduce students to theological, historical, and ethical reflection on a selected topic related to ministry practice such as “Justice and Reconciliation” or “Sexuality in the Church’s History and Tradition.” Students will do preparatory assigned reading, write a paper reflecting on that reading, and also bring to the seminar a preliminary draft of a Learning Project Prospectus. (1 week)

DM 646-4 Seminar IV/V (6 cr.) Minister as Practical Theologian
A seminar using the action-reflection model of praxis ministry. Students and faculty will focus on integrating the learning from earlier seminars and discuss their discernment of a particular call to action in their context of ministry. Faculty will present and discuss methods of action, reflection and research as models for a project in ministry and the requirements for both the Prospectus and the Project in ministry. Students will present for group discussion a draft of the prospectus including  proposals for the design, implementation and evaluation of a project in ministry. (2 weeks)

Advanced Professional Courses (9 cr.)
These courses (APCs) are taken after Seminar II and before the beginning of the project in Ministry. They are intended to assist students in developing an advanced level of expertise in the chosen area of ministry. This work may be done in residence or by independent study at Louisville Seminar or when resources are not available at Louisville Seminary, at other ATS/SACS-approved locations with prior approval by the student’s faculty advisor and the Director of Lifelong Learning.

DM 6470 The Project in Ministry and Report (7 cr.). The Project Outline and Guide to the LPTS Learning Project contain more details about the Project, and the expectations for its development and completion.