Leadership

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 Mission 

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Prompted by the promise of Christ's soon return, the Doctor of Ministry (DMin) program at Andrews University is designed to develop spiritually mature and responsible professionals in ministry for worldwide church leadership. The DMin Preaching concentration prepares participants for excellence in prophetic preaching.

 

 Concentration Goals 

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The outcomes of the Preaching concentration include 1) a knowledge base, 2) a transformational emphasis on being, and 3) doing, evidenced in skill training for homiletics.

Knowing: The knowledge base has the following components:

1. Exceptional understanding of theory in the field of homiletics

2. A faithful Adventist theology of prophetic preaching

3. An understanding of servant leadership

4. Integration of preaching and worship

 

Being: In the process of the Preaching concentration, participants will experience transformational development in the following ways:

1. Security with humility in the high calling to ministry

2. Enrichment of personal and family life

3. Greater commitment to ministry

4. Positive collegial relationships

5. A global view of society and ministry

 

Doing: Participants in the Preaching concentration also enhance preaching skills and demonstrate competency in areas fitting their context from the practices listed below:

1. To produce excellent exegesis of scripture

2. To learn and practice diverse styles of preaching

3. To evaluate the effectiveness of preaching

4. To deliver prophetic sermons with excellence

5. To read scripture in public effectively

6. To articulate theological and theoretical understandings that advance preaching and worship

7. To develop a vision for meaningful congregational worship

8. To organize, lead, and equip others to lead public worship

 

 Learning Modalities 

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The following learning modalities will be included in the concentration's andragogy:

1. A ministry development plan

2. A context support group

3. Learning groups including collective assignments, consultations, and accountability

4. Classroom consultation: including didactic and experiential learning as well as networking with top educators and experts in the field of homiletics

5. Journaling

6. Research: including perusal of the current literature, assigned readings, and case studies

7. Praxis: including implementation of preaching in the context of ministry

8. Mentoring

9. Project: including theological reflection, field research, and intervention involving a specific challenge in their ministering context.

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 The Cohort Experience 

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The program is delivered in the cohort model, wherein participants proceed through the sequence of courses together. Study and learning are year-round, with pre-intensive, during-intensive, and post-intensive activities and experiences. Pre-intensive assignment preparation can begin as early as six months prior to an intensive. There are four annual teaching sessions presented by ministry professionals. During the program, you will participate in regional workgroups, follow a ministry development plan, read and reflect on the best literature in your concentration area, and develop and evaluate a professional project within the context of your own congregational or other leadership responsibilities.

Cohorts are identified by the year in which they formed. For example, if you are a member of a cohort that formed in 2015, during the five-six years you expect to be in the program, the title of your group will be "the 2015 Preaching Cohort."

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 Module Descriptions  

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1. CHMN743 - Prophetic Preaching in the Worship Context
   Credits: 4
   Participants will develop a biblically-based Adventist theology of prophetic preaching and worship. The use of Scripture, communication theory and cognitive psychology to connect with contemporary audiences and diverse preaching expressions will be examined. Includes advanced work in the area of hermeneutics, exposition, contextualization, and sermon design.
    

2. CHMN745 - Rhetoric, Preaching and the Call of Persuasion
   Credits: 4
   Description to be provided
    

3. GSEM790 - DMin Professional Dissertation Seminar
   Credits: 2
   Forming the professional dissertation proposal and issues related to completing the dissertation successfully. Areas of focus include academic writing, literature review, critical thinking, experiential learning, reading and evaluating research reports, an effective work plan for completion of the dissertation, and other dissertation-related topics.
    

4. GSEM706 - Spiritual and Theological Foundations for Ministry
   Credits: 4
   This is a foundational module required of all DMin students. The module builds the spiritual and theological basis from which the practice of ministry and mission grows and seeks to lead the student into a self-reflection and examination of life and belief.
    

5. PATH744 - A History of Preaching: Periods, Personalities, Propensities
   Credits: 4
   This module explores the history of preaching, its procession of personalities, and propensities/trends. Participants investigate and define the beliefs, practices, and identity of four preaching styles that have dominated preachers and schools of preaching. Includes a discussion of unusual and/or important contributions to preaching in the 20th - 21st century.
    

6. PATH748 - Preaching the Literary Forms of the Bible
   Credits: 5
   Examination of biblical literature, including historical narrative, NT epistles, and apocalyptic passages for preaching. The skill of storytelling and how stories are processed by the human mind.  Reflection on the challenges and opportunities within epistolary and apocalyptic biblical texts. Rhetorical techniques of oral performance to bring the sermon to life. 
    

7. GSEM796 - DMin Professional Dissertation/Portfolio
   Credits: 7
   The DMin professional dissertation/portfolio integrates theological reflection, scholarly research, and practical ministry. The professional dissertation/portfolio contributes to the enhancement of ministry and to the growth and development of the ministry professional. Students taking the Chaplaincy ACPE Certified Educator option must successfully complete the competency-based professional portfolio according to the guidelines outlined in the ACPE Certification Manual. 
    

8. GSEM 793 – DMin Research Methods Seminar
   Credits: 2
   Forming the action plan for successfully implementing and evaluating the DMin professional dissertation. Areas of focus include action research, research design and methods, descriptive statistics, methods of evaluating the project, IRB approval, and other project-related topics. 

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 Contact the Coordinator 

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Dr. Hyveth Williams serves as concentration coordinator. She can be reached at 1-269-471-6363, hyveth@andrews.edu.

 

 Schedule 

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Travel and lodging information is provided in the links under the "Intensive Location" column. 
Cohorts are identified by the year in which they formed. Cohort participants will take these courses:

 

2021 Preaching Cohort

Course requirements and schedule for the cohort beginning in 2021:
(follow the linked course names to obtain the course requirement documents)