Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, announces that in just one year, enrollment in its Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) program has increased more than 30 percent. Overall enrollment in the D.Min. program is up more than 45 percent since its inception in 1996.

"The purpose of this degree is to better equip the pastor for the practice of parish ministry," commented Dr. David Peter, director of the Doctor of Ministry program at Concordia Seminary. "This is about applied theology, applied in the context of one's ministry."

The D.Min. degree is a professional doctorate that is distinctive from academic degrees, such as the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) or Doctor of Sacred Theology (Th.D.). Other professional doctorates in the same class as the D.Min. include law and medical degrees. Most of the courses offered in the D.Min. program are in the area of practical theology and include homiletics, parish administration, leadership, teaching, catechesis, pastoral care and related areas. To ensure that the program is well-rounded, courses in systematic, exegetical and historical theology also are presented.

"Our goal is to be sensitive to the needs of pastors and the church, and to address those needs through our curriculum," Peter commented. "Our motto for the D.Min. program is ‘Strengthening the Shepherd,' and that's what we strive to do, so the pastor might in turn strengthen the congregation with the means of grace that God has entrusted to him."

Peter attributes the success of the D.Min. program and its rapidly increasing enrollment to the quality of instruction and to the many positive comments received from graduates and their parishes. News of the program has been transmitted largely by word of mouth, and the program has grown on the strength of its reputation.

"During the candidacy process, we request input from the pastor's congregation, in terms of their perception of the value of the program for both the pastor and the congregation," Peter explained. "The qualitative response that they give consistently affirms the value of the program for their congregation. The pastor is renewed in his professional and ministerial outlook, and that carries through to the spirit of the congregation and the productiveness of the congregation."

Requirements for admission to the D.Min. program at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, include the successful completion of a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree equivalent to the Seminary's and five years of ministry experience in a parish or chaplaincy setting. Ordinarily, a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in the M.Div. degree program is required.

For more information about the D.Min. program, contact Dr. David Peter, director of the Doctor of Ministry program, at Concordia Seminary, 801 DeMun Ave., St. Louis, MO 63106; (314) 505-7101; [email protected].