Become a Missional Leader

While missionary work has typically served across the sea, today's missional leader serves a mission field across the street. This can be especially challenging given that in today's world, faith is no longer a cultural assumption. This D.Min. degree provides participants with the leadership skills needed to enthusiastically and successfully meet this challenge.

What will be different? You will:

  • Learn to lead congregations by gaining deeper understanding of the nature and purposes of your ministry.
  • Become proficient in pastoral analysis and enhance your ministerial skills by integrating your experiences into your studies through critical theological reflection.
  • Learn from your peers' experiences through your particular cohort.

The Broader Mission Field

The program views every geographical location as a context to be missionally engaged. Thus, while the program focuses on preparing students to work in North America, the skills gained are applicable to serving churches throughout the world.

Key Program Themes

The D.Min. in Congregational Mission and Leadership emphasizes several themes key to preparing strong church leaders.

  • Missional Church: The church is missionary by nature and is called by God and sent into the world to participate fully in God's mission to all of creation.
  • Congregations: God is at work in and through the concrete practices of congregations in particular contexts. Learning to do theology in these particular contexts is essential.
  • Leadership: God works through gifts, skills and personalities of diverse persons to provide leadership for congregations. Such leadership is multi-faceted in style and approach.
  • Context: God is at work within particular contexts and is calling the church to participate in the whole of God's mission. This concentration focuses primarily, though not exclusively, on the contexts of North America.
  • Research: By engaging in good practices of qualitative and quantitative research, students will enhance their own education and their service to the church.