Doctor of Ministry Degree > Course of Study: Interim Ministry

Course of Study: Interim Ministry

The Interim Ministry track is designed to provide graduate study in the theory and practice of interim ministry with theological reflection on the personal leadership style of the interim pastor, on assessing the context of a congregation in the interim time, on deepening Biblical and theological reflection on interim ministry, and integration of important social science theories and methodologies with the theory and practice of interim ministry.

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)

In addition to the four seminars taken together with students from the other two tracks, three advanced courses are required. Students may apply an advanced continuing education course in interim ministry done within the past 5 years, which meets the criteria for Doctor of Ministry work, and which must be approved by the Director of Advanced Degrees; LPTS offers three other possibilities for the advanced coursework: Leadership and Conflict in the Midst of Change (with Union-PSCE (3 cr.) Church Conflict Utilization (3 cr.), or Leadership and Administration (3 cr.); and a Learning Project in Ministry (6 cr.)