TALBOT SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY
Doctor ofMinistry Program
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COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
Program Director: Gary McIntosh, D.Min. OBJECTIVES "The purpose of the professional doctorate is to equip one for a high level of excellence in the practice of Ministry" (Association of Theological Schools, Standards for Accrediting). The Doctor of Ministry degree offered by Talbot School of Theology is the highest professional degree for ordained persons in the church or related ministries. It is distinct from the Th.D. or Ph.D. in that its primary emphasis is on the practice of ministry rather than on research and teaching. This program builds on the basic theological degree, the M.Div., or its equivalent, and provides an opportunity for the person in ministry to strengthen abilities and correct deficiencies. In order to accomplish these ends, the stu dent will be expected to integrate theo logical education in the context of min istry by demonstrating high levels of competence in one of five available fields of concentration; church leader ship , marriage and family, church growth , counseling or general studies. ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS Admission to the Doctor of Min istry program will be granted on a very selective and individual basis with the following basic requirements applying to all applications: I. An M.Div. degree or its equiva lent from an accredited seminary with a grade-point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale). 2. Applicants must have a knowl edge of the original languages of scripture. This may be attested by evi dence of prior satisfactory completion of courses in the languages or through examination. 3. Aminimum of three years of full time "in ministry" experience after the student has received the M.Div. degree or its equivalent. The student must be engaged in professional ministry throughout the duration of the program. 4. Completion of such diagnostic and/ or theological tests that the Grad uate Committee determines necessary. 5. Written recommendations from the following: a clergy colleague, a denominational official or other rec ognized Christian leader, a lay person in the congregation, agency or board served by the applicant, a former pro fessor in the field of practical theology
and if manied a letter of support from the applicant 's spouse . 6. Apersonal statement of approx imately IO typewritten pages (double spaced) detailing ministerial experi ence, strengths, weaknesses , and the candidate's personal objectives for the Doctor of Ministry program. 7. A personal interview with the D.Min. director may be required. Ful fillment of the above basic require ments does not necessarily guarantee admission into the program because individual cases and circumstances, such as available openings in the pro gram, may dictate other factors to be considered. In general, a high stan dard of overall performance , espe cially in practice of ministry, will be the governing criterion. Graduation Requirements A. Resident Study Six courses of study (six units each) comprise the basic residency requirement. At least four of the courses must be taken in the field of concentration. Each course will require significant preliminary read ing in preparation and a follow-up project at the conclusion of the class room experience. B. Academic Graduation Requirements Aminimum grade of "B-" must be maintained in each course acceptable toward completion of the program. A minimum of a "B" (3.00) average is required for graduation. C. Time limit For Degree Complete the program in no less than three years and no more than five years. o. ADissertation Project The student will conduct research and develop a project in his major field of study. The project may focus on the writing of a book manuscript, the research of a critical issue, the develop men t of a new program or an in-depth case study of a ministry situation. Ordi narily, the minimum length will be I00 pages and the maximum length of 250 pages. Complete information on the Dissertation Project is avai lable from the Doctor of Ministry office. A schedule of classes is available upon request. For more information, please contact: Dr. Gary McIntosh, Director of the D.Min. Program, Tal bot School of Theology, La Mirada, CA 90639-000 I.
meaning of love, the nature of forgive ness and the importance of unity. Key biblical words and concepts studied and practical implications developed for the program of the local church. Discussion of relationships among the staff, boards, committees and the con
Courses in this section are con ducted at the postgraduate level, with enrollment restricted to those who have been granted admission to the
D.Min. program at Talbot. DM 801 Pastor's Symposium (6)
gregation at large. DM 813 Worship (6)
An in-depth study of the varied tasks of the contemporary pastor, with par ticular consideration of his roles as expositor, discipler, evangelist, coun selor and leader of worship. Pastors who have distinguished themselves as thoughtful practitioners of the art serve as resource leaders. DM 803 Pre-marital and Marital Counseling (6) Acourse designed to equip the pastor in the principles of pre-marital coun seling. Emphasis given to the practical aspects of structuring and conducting a complete pre-marital preparation program within the local church. Spe cific techniques for marital counseling to be presented, discussed and demon strated throughout the duration of this course. Prerequisite: training in the use of the Taylorjohnson Tempera ment Analysis. (Concurrent with this course, training in the use of the Tay lorjohnson Temperament Analysis is
Attention given to two areas: 1) a sur vey of biblical materials on the nature and importance of worship for the people of God; and 2) a survey of con temporary literature on worship in the church. A foundation provided for the development of a biblical theol ogy/ philosophy for worship in today's churches and for fundamental discus- sion of the practical aspects of both planning and executing meaningful services of worship. DM 814 Contemporary Issues in Marriage and Family Ministries (6) A course designed to broaden and deepen the pastoral understanding of Christian marriage in the contempo rary world. Emphasis on the sociology of marriage as an institution, the psy chology of intimate relationships, and the nature of love and sexuality. Hus band-wife roles studied in the light of Scripture and the movement toward egalitarian marriage. Attention given to the problems of divorce and remar riage , single parent, blended famil y and other current issues. DM 815 Theological and Psychological Foundations for Parenting (6) Development of a theologically consis tent and psychologically healthy understanding of the process of child rearing. Includes a critical review, both theologically and psychologi cally , of a number of current approaches to parenting. Class mem bers responsible to I) formulate a comprehensive program of parent education for a local church, or 2) develop and conduct a parent educa tion seminar or workshop. DM 817 Biblical Principles of Church Renewal (6) An examination of biblical principles for church life with the aim of spiritual and mission renewal. Course emphases will center on the pastor's style of lead ership, involvement and training of lay leaders, congregational creativity, impacting the community, and preach ing style and content, plus the pastor's and congregation's spiritual life.•
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offered at additional charge.) DM 804 Spiritual Conflicts and Counseling (6)
A study of the conflict between the kingdom of darkness and the king dom of light with an emphasis on the authority, power, protection as well as the vulnerability of the believer. The techniques of counseling the spiritu ally afflicted are also considered. DM 810 Contemporary Biblical Preaching (6) Examination of contemporary preach ing. Attention given to a variety of preaching forms, such as evangelistic, expository, life -situation, socio prophetic, biographical, dialogue, as well as radio and television tech niques. Class members involved in both analysis and actual preaching. DM 811 Interpersonal Relationships in the Church (6) Abiblical and practical examination of what believers ought to ·do with and for each other in the local church. Special attention given to: ways of facilitating fe llowship, the place of confrontation, the handling of criticism, reactions to change, the potential of small groups, the administering of discipline , the
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