Originally posted by Brother Ian:
I spoke with the Director of Church Development from the Jacksonville (FL) Baptist Convention (SBC). He encouraged me to continue on and finish the D.Min. at Andersonville. He said that in the SBC in Florida, pastor's backgrounds varied from no education to various doctoral degrees from accredited and non-accredited institutions.
I have no call to teach at a university or seminary. The Lord has called me to pastor and I feel from the counsel I have received from other pastors and full-time ministry employees, the degree I earn at Andersonville will be sufficient at this time.
Brother Ian, about 15 years ago some of my former students asked me about a D. Min. program that did not require on-campus classes. Most of them were either in active pastorates or on the mission field. I looked around to see what was available, and affordable, taking into account that many men in the pastorate and on the foreign mission field are vastly under supported.
I found Andersonville and called Jimmy Hayes and talked to him for about an hour. I was not entirely satisfied concerning the value of a D. Min. from Andersonville so enrolled myself, not being willing to recommend something I was not familiar with!
Over the next 2 years I completed all the academic requirements and wrote a thesis and submitted it, and received my D. Min. in 1992.
I was pleasantly surprised at the curriculum. It was informative and challenging. I had been a seminary professor for over 10 years, but the information I received regarding pastoral ministry was very useful (I have been senior pastor of the same church for over 20 years). I found that the education I received studying for the D. Min., although, being a professional degree it was completely different from my research degree, it proved to be invaluable in honing my pastoral skills.
Many of the people in my congregation noted they saw a change in my pastoral demeanor. I had been a good bible teacher from the pulpit, but I now became more of a "hands-on" pastor (prior to this I had a Director of Ministries who worked for me who actually oversaw most of the "hands-on" pastoral responsibilities).
After my Director of Ministries accepted a position with a well known school in Florida I replaced him with a man from a nearby church and bible college. After two years he told me the Lord was leading him to a church planting ministry in the Pacific Northwest. We sent him out and I did not replace him. I now am not only a bible teacher, preacher, expositor, but also a "hands-on" pastor.
I learned a lot from that D. Min. program and would recommend it to anyone with an M.Div. who is looking for a second professional degree to enhance his pastoral skills, bearing in mind it is not a research degree and would not contribute much to a man in a purely academic ministry.
Let us know, after you finish, what you thought of the experience.
Accreditation has nothing to do with adopting worldly criteria to certify spiritual teaching. Accreditation is an attempt, though fallible, to certify that the institution is capable of, and is doing, what it claims able to do.