The Doctor of Ministry degree is an advanced professional degree designed to enable the student to practice ministry at an exceptionally high level of competency.
It builds on the foundation of the Master of Divinity degree and three or more years of professional practice of ministry subsequent to the Master of Divinity.
The purpose of the Doctor of Ministry degree program is to enable persons to achieve the ministry purposes of the seminary at a very high level of competence, a higher level than that provided by the Master of Divinity program.
Doctor of Ministry Program Mission Statement
The Houston Graduate School of Theology Doctor of Ministry program is designed to meet the need for continued theological education for pastors or ministry leaders of a local church. The program is intended to encourage and nurture each student to use all of his or her potential, both intellectually and spiritually, in leadership and in ministry.
Students in the Doctor of Ministry program will read, research, study, experience and evaluate applied theology and personal spiritual concepts. In addition, they will participate in seminars and implement their own ministry project. This inductive approach to ministerial education is intended to produce a more capable, independent and spiritual church leader.
It is the overall goal of HGST and the Doctor of Ministry program to assist each person in the program to rise to a higher level of effectiveness in ministry. The program is not intended to measure one person against another, but rather to encourage and nurture each student to meet the intellectual and spiritual goals for leadership and ministry stated above.
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