D.Min question

[PrTeacher10]

Hey everyone. I am inquiring about pursuing a D.Min. Let me explain my situation...I am a pastor of country church as well as a school teacher...I feel a desire to continue my education in ministry. I would like to study for a D.Min from an accredited university, to better myself in the pastorate, and to teach adjunct classes here and there (I am a board member of a school that is interested in pursuing some form of accredidation and this would help us make it happen)...

Let me explain to you what I could be transfering in to a seminary..

BS Teacher Education/Biblical Studies
MA Special Education (39 hours, Georgetown College)
MA Theological Studies (36 hours, Liberty University)
Doctor of Pastoral Theology (Andersonville)

Let me explain, I am a teacher and, as of now, plan to retire as one. I am not looking for a DMIN from Southern or anything like that...maybe at LRU or Temple Baptist......accredited but not too pricey....

Liberty will allow me to gain entrance based on my two MA's....but I don't think LRU or Temple Baptist will let me without leveling out....If LRU would let me in then I would go that route....Would LRU let me in with a MA in Theology and an unaccredited D. Pas. Theo? Liberty is a bit too much right now...

Advice please???

 

[mjohnson7]

Possible DMin

You might take a look at Anderson University in South Carolina. A Baptist school with a new reasonably priced DMin that might work for you.

 

[Mr. E]

If you want to teach adjunct, Liberty appears to be your best option. They're regionally accredited and that would afford you a greater opportunity because of the wider acceptance of their accreditation.

 

[PrTeacher10]

I forgot to mention....distance learning is a must, combined with summer intensives....

thanks!

 

[Rhetorician]

Southern Question

Let me explain, I am a teacher and, as of now, plan to retire as one. I am not looking for a DMIN from Southern or anything like that...maybe at LRU or Temple Baptist......accredited but not too pricey....
Advice please???

Why not Southern may I ask? If you are only going to get one doctorate, why not do one at one of the best schools?

Just asking? :thumbs:

"That is all!"

 

[PilgrimPastor]

I just finished my last course in the D.Min. with Temple Baptist. I'll be doing the doctoral project in 2012 and plan to graduate in the fall.

I suspect that they might allow you into the D.Min. program with your current level of work. My suggestion is to contact Dr. Gregory Stephens (Academic Dean of the Seminary) directly. If you contact through my website or PM here I can give it to you or you can just call the school and talk to him on the phone.

I don't frequent this board very often, so going through my website is the best way to contact me. www.chrissurber.com

 

[PrTeacher10]

Temple would be great....However, I talked to someone and they would want me to do some leveling...they don't accept Andersonville....

I don't understand why Liberty will let me in with two accredited masters but not LRU or Temple?

Also, I am not a member of a SBC church so Southern would be more expensive for me...


Thoughts?

 

[PilgrimPastor]

Temple would be great....However, I talked to someone and they would want me to do some leveling...they don't accept Andersonville....

I don't understand why Liberty will let me in with two accredited masters but not LRU or Temple?

Also, I am not a member of a SBC church so Southern would be more expensive for me...


Thoughts?

I suspect that Liberty may afford a little more flexibility just due to their size. I don't think you are going to find a school with more flexibility with regard to distance learning than Temple. Very little residency requirements.

Good luck! What about Southern Evangelical Seminary? I think their D.Min. Has relatively little on campus time.

 

[Greektim]

Neither LRU nor Temple is that highly thought of (though I've heard good things about Temple's DMin program). But I'm sure that is not a major concern w/ your Andersonville degree. But all things being equal, their accreditation is not anything to brag about. If you can do it through Liberty, then that is the ticket. Something else to consider, a ThM from Liberty. They are offering that online. I find that there is more respect for the ThM degree than the DMin in the academic community, though some might disagree. SEBTS has a distance style DMin as well, and some of us (like me) would argue that it is just as good as Southern.

The real questions are, do you simply need a better doctorate than an Andersonville thingie, do you need it to be accredited from a prestigious agency (like SACS not TRACS), and do you need it from a prestigious school or will any school do so long as you have the title after your name?

 

[PilgrimPastor]

Neither LRU nor Temple is that highly thought of (though I've heard good things about Temple's DMin program). But I'm sure that is not a major concern w/ your Andersonville degree. But all things being equal, their accreditation is not anything to brag about. If you can do it through Liberty, then that is the ticket. Something else to consider, a ThM from Liberty. They are offering that online. I find that there is more respect for the ThM degree than the DMin in the academic community, though some might disagree. SEBTS has a distance style DMin as well, and some of us (like me) would argue that it is just as good as Southern.

The real questions are, do you simply need a better doctorate than an Andersonville thingie, do you need it to be accredited from a prestigious agency (like SACS not TRACS), and do you need it from a prestigious school or will any school do so long as you have the title after your name?

That's interesting you say that. I have actually considered going "backward" sort of and doing the Th.M. from Liberty online. If they had it when was finishing my M.Div. with them I would have done it then. Probably would be a bit superfluous for me to do it after a D.Min. but it is great that they are offering it online now.

Temple's credibility seems to be less than it could be at present, perhaps mostly due to leadership debacles, but there are some great professors there and I trust that the coming years will see an increase in their somewhat diminished reputation.

 

[preachinjesus]

I am inquiring about pursuing a D.Min. Let me explain my situation...I am a pastor of country church as well as a school teacher...I feel a desire to continue my education in ministry. I would like to study for a D.Min from an accredited university, to better myself in the pastorate, and to teach adjunct classes here and there (I am a board member of a school that is interested in pursuing some form of accredidation and this would help us make it happen)...

Thanks for sharing this info, it is important stuff to better understand your request.

You might consider an EdD from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. You're so close it would be an ideal option. The EdD would give you a reasonable academic degree that is (fairly) lost cost and better regarded than a DMin. Besides, most congregations don't know the difference.

SBTS has a pretty good deal going too. If you want to do a distance degree their cohort format for the EdD is a pretty nice thing. Looking at your desire for a degree this might be a reasonable option.

Let me explain to you what I could be transfering in to a seminary..

BS Teacher Education/Biblical Studies
MA Special Education (39 hours, Georgetown College)
MA Theological Studies (36 hours, Liberty University)
Doctor of Pastoral Theology (Andersonville)

Just as an aside, if you're serious about applying to a school it might be a better strategy to leave off Andersonville from your academic experiences. Some institutions would not consider it well. Besides your other degrees will provide enough of a framing for your admissions document.

So my recommendation is SBTS with their EdD. (It's a research based degree which is good and still slightly professional. Not like the DMin which is universally seen as solely a professional degree.)