Doctor of Ministry in Urban Ministry Leadership (DMin)
North Park has joined with Fuller Theological Seminary to offer a Doctor of Ministry (DMin) in Urban Ministry Leadership.
Students enrolled through North Park will receive a North Park degree. This cohort-based program offers advanced training and theological reflection for pastors and other qualified leaders serving in urban contexts. Students are required to hold an MDiv degree and three years of ministry experience. Students entering with a two-year, at least 60-credit hour, theological Master of Arts (MA) degree (or its equivalent) from an accredited institution should contact Seminary Admissions for more information on credit and course requirements for this Doctor of Ministry program. The 48-credit hour program consists of three 12 credit hour core courses, a four-credit hour independent study, and an eight-credit hour final project.
Outcomes
Learning outcomes for the DMin in Urban Ministry Leadership include the ability to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the social-historical development of cities and the relationship between the church and the urban context.
- Identify skills necessary to engage with methods and practices of social-cultural analysis leading to contextualized theological reflection.
- Develop and propose practices, methods, and programs applicable to the fruitful leadership of urban congregations
- Apply an ethical framework to assess the role of the church on issues in the urban context.
- Understand why and how healthy urban ministry and congregational leadership is accomplished through communal discernment and spiritual reflection.
Doctor of Ministry in Urban Ministry Leadership Core Curriculum
Core Courses
Each core course is a combination of online learning (video conference, print material, synchronous and asynchronous discussion) during the first 10 weeks of the course, an urban ministry encounter for one week in a different city each year, and post urban encounter independent work. Urban encounters will be held in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. Onsite learning will include lectures, in-class discussion, and field experiences.
Independent Study: Doctoral Project Proposal
This course will prepare the student to complete the final project for the DMin. in Urban Ministry Leadership. The independent research project will guide the student in gathering relevant literature and text for completion of the final project. The course will also require the student to provide a summary paper that integrates the previous three years’ course work. Completed in the student’s fourth year.
Colloquy Final Project: Doctoral Thesis
The final project is a 125–175-page paper that provides an opportunity for in-depth research and theological reflection on a specific ministry issue (to be determined in consultation with the professor/mentor). Completed in the student’s fourth year.
Year I Chicago, IL
| DURM 8200 | Race and Ethnicity in the AmericanUrban Context | 12 |
Year II Los Angeles, CA
| DURM 8100 | Toward a Theology of Urban Ministry | 12 |
Year III Chicago, IL
Year IV