Doctoral Programs

Doctor of Ministry in Congregational Development

Overview

This degree expresses Seabury's commitment to congregations and congregational studies through an innovative Doctor of Ministry in Congregational Development degree program. This three-year program provides specialized preparation in various facets of congregational development and is rooted in the recovery of God's mission instead of the church's.

Designed for experienced church leaders in all denominations who in their present work assume major responsibilities in congregational development or redevelopment, the program should be of particular interest to:

The Program's Purpose

The program in congregational development provides understanding of the factors related to the decline and growth of congregations, theological reflection on the nature and meaning of congregational development, and the practical skills necessary for starting new congregations and revitalizing churches in transition and decline.

As advanced, specialized study, the program is designed to meet the following objectives:

The program in congregational development provides for varied kinds of learning:

The program culminates in a thesis project of publishable quality, which explores a specific issue in congregational development. The thesis should be thought of first and foremost as a publishable article suitable for the kind of journals read by reflective practitioners. Thus, you will be asked to undertake a quality of research and writing which would meet the standard of intriguing and persuading professional colleagues who want to learn from your thought. The thesis includes a review of relevant current literature, the design of an effective research model, and the articulation of learnings in light of existing theory. To see abstracts of completed theses click here.

Courses are taught by Seabury faculty and renowned experts and practioners in the field of Congregational development.

Why a D.Min. in Congregational Development?

The Doctor of Ministry degree is the highest professional degree for those engaged in local church and parachurch ministries, world missions, and similar ministries. (The Ph.D. degree, by comparison, purposes primarily to equip students to engage in scholarly research and teaching.) The D.Min. program requires a minimum of three years of meaningful experience in ministry. Each course assumes this ministry experience and endeavors to integrate learning with the student's present context of ministry as well as future goals.

D.Min. in Congregational Development Curriculum

Year I: The Congregation Looking Inward

Week 1: The congregation as a sociological system
Week 2: The congregation as a family system
Week 3: Colloquium on leadership in systems

Congregational study project (1 unit) submitted by March of the following year.

Year 2: The Congregation Looking Outward

Week 1: Community organizing within and from the congregation
Week 2: Planning and leading outward-oriented worship
Week 3: Colloquium on thesis development

Thesis proposal submitted by March of the following year.

Year 3: Toward a Congregational Missiology

Week 1: Leadership in Multicultural Communities
Week 2 and 3: Electives:
Elective offerings may vary from year to year. The 2006 elective course offerings are:

Thesis proposal presentations made in small groups.

Thesis (2 units) submitted by January of the following year. All requirements for the Doctor of Ministry degree must be completed within six years.

Admission to the program is through the regular Seabury-Western admission process. We are currently accepting applications for our residency program, which will begin a new cohort in July 2008.

D.Min. in Congregational Development Work Load

Before each residency (or each class in extension) you will be required to write a paper integrating your assigned readings in ways that will help you to engage your faculty presenters with more depth. After the first and second residency (or each class in extension) you will be required to write a paper synthesizing your learnings from your time with us. At the end of the first residency (or the first three classes in extension) participants undertake a Congregational Study incorporating learnings to date (20-30 pages plus appendices). Prior to the third residency (or the seventh class in extension) in addition to an integrative paper, participants prepare a thesis proposal. After the final residency (or the ninth class in extension), participants write a thesis (50-60 pages plus appendices) of publishable quality. Theses are due January 15th following the last class unless an extension is granted.

Program Dates:

  • June 9-26, 2008 (Class G, who began their studies in July 2007, meets July 7-24)
  • June 8-25, 2009
  • June, 2010 TBA

    • Tuition and Fees

    Estimated Costs: These estimated costs are designed to give applicants a general sense of expenses required to complete the program. Please Note: These figures do not include transportation to residency, thesis fee, graduation fee or entertainment while on campus. All costs, other than tuition, are estimates and are subject to change.

    Tuition: $9,000 paid over three years, $3,000/year ($1,000/course).

    Financial assistance is not available through the Seabury Institute, but many of our participants receive support from their parishes, dioceses or conferences as well as through grants available for clergy continuing education. Consult your denomination's ministry development office to see what's available to you.

    Housing: Most participants in the summer program stay in dorms, guest housing or apartments located on the Seabury Campus. The 2006 summer residency rate is $515 for the three weeks. The rates are subject to change at the discretion of Seabury. Some students found that staying at one of the local hotels was a better option because most of the summer housing options on campus do not have air conditioning and Evanston summers can be hot. Participants would be responsible for making their own arrangements under these circumstances but should check with the institute offices for possible discounted rates.

    Meals: The cost of meals is not included in housing or tuition costs. The 2006 summer residency rate for meals is $535 for three weeks of Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Snacks. For the purpose of building collegiality, participants are required to enroll in the meal plan even if staying off campus. Meals are not served on weekends, but students have access to the student kitchen for storing food and meal preparation throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday.

    Books: Program participants can expect to spend $150-200 per year on books. Books may be purchased through the seminary's bookstore, the Bookshelf, at a 20% discount. The toll free number is 1-800-232-6028. A list of required books will be mailed to participants prior to their first residency; in subsequent residencies the book list will be available in the final week of classes so that books may be purchased while on campus. Estimated book costs do not include the postage and handling of books sent by mail.

    Parking: Parking is available on the Seabury campus at no additional charge

    Seabury Environs

    Evanston: Seabury is located in Evanston, Illinois, on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan, 12 miles north of downtown Chicago which is easily accessible, in less than one hour, by bicycle (along specified bike routes), automobile, or public transportation (commuter railroad, the "L" elevated rapid transit train, or bus).

    The historic community of Evanston offers many contrasts - between the beautiful lakefront and neighborhoods of historic homes and tree-lined streets and the more modest neighborhoods dominated by smaller bungalows and apartment buildings. Evanston is home to two universities and a college; a working lighthouse; an historical society housed in the home of Charles Dawes, former Vice President of the United States; the founding site and national headquarters of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) and Rotary International; and the oldest weekly Farmer's Market in the Chicago area. Evanston welcomes worshippers to 80 places of worship, representing more than 30 different religious denominations. More than 50 languages are spoken in the homes of Evanston's school children.

    Evanston is a microcosm that reflects the changing world within the United States and the challenges that the Church will face today and in the future. Evanston offers the Seabury community an opportunity to experience first hand the needs of varied populations in flux.

     

     

    Doctor of Ministry in Preaching

    Growth in preaching involves curiosity, openness to the Holy Spirit, synthesis of imagination and reason, and power and authority to proclaim the Word of God. The ACTS Doctor of Ministry in Preaching Program is designed to honor these dynamics and to help you become the preacher God is calling you to be in the context of your ministry.

    Through this program you will improve your understanding of and skills in preaching, discover your own pulpit hermeneutic, claim and nurture your preaching voice and reconsider preaching within a variety of contexts, mentored by preachers and master teachers of international reputation.

    The D.Min. in Preaching is an ecumenical program of six seminaries in the Association of Chicago Theological Schools (ACTS): Chicago Theological Seminary, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, McCormick Theological Seminary, Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, North Park Theological Seminary, and Seabury-Western.

    The program involves a three-week residency each summer for three years and independent parish projects conducted after each residency. The culminating project is a thesis of publishable quality. During each residency students will take a required core course and an elective course relevant to the student's learning goals, as well as participate in a colloquy. The colloquy serves to develop learning goals, determine electives, design the parish course and thesis, and examine students' preaching.

    Between September and March, after the first two residencies, students design and conduct the Preaching Ministry Project. In this independent project, designed in collaboration with an advisor and a group from the congregation, students explore an assumption or idea about preaching through a rotation of four videotaped sermons, which are evaluated by advisors, faculty, and parishioners. After the third residency, students research and conduct a final extended project and produce a publishable article.

    Courses are taught by faculty from the ACTS schools and renowned teachers and preachers from across the country.

    Each residency also includes the presence of a nationally known keynote speaker. Particular strengths of the program are the inter-seminary, interdisciplinary faculty; peer interaction during residency; and faculty/student collaboration between residencies.

    Admission to the program is through the regular Seabury-Western process. The application deadline is in January of the year the student wishes to enter. Enrollment is limited each year to a total class size of 30 students.

    For more information, visit the ACTS D.Min. in Preaching website or contact Danna Gobel at the Program Office: 773-947-6270; Address: 5460 S. University Ave., Chicago, IL 60615.