Doctor of Ministry (D.Min)
1. Introduction
Offered by Chiang Mai Theological Seminary in cooperation with AGST Alliance to enhance the professional development of pastors and leaders in Christian ministries.
Our D.Min integrates structured theological reflection and critical thinking on ministerial practice, to provide a formative space for participants to learn, dialogue, challenge, discern and shape their ministry philosophy and practices. Our D.Min is designed to produce graduates who are more competent and passionate reflective ministry practitioners, and who:
- have enhanced skills for ministry, e.g. in preaching, teaching, formation and discipleship.
- are better equipped to assess analytically and think theologically about contemporary ministry issues.
- have a deeper biblical and theological appreciation of pastoral ministry and leadership.
- possess expanded leadership, relational and conflict resolution skills.
- are realising their own personal formation and spiritual maturity.
Graduates are likely to continue in (or take up new) pastoral and leadership ministry positions in their churches and organisations. They are also likely to be invited to teach applied courses in theological education institutions and other ministry situations. Our D.Min program is non-residential, modular and (for most candidates) part-time.
- No need for major ministry and family upheavals for several years.
- Studies are earthed in candidates’ current social, church and vocational settings.
- Some flexibility is possible.
This D.Min program is a partnership program between Chiang Mai Theological Seminary and AGST Alliance. Candidates apply to the program through Chiang Mai Theological Seminary (CTS) and will graduate with a qualification from CTS. The administration and quality assurance for the program is by AGST Alliance on behalf of CTS.
2. Who for?
Our program is likely to suit pastors and Christian leaders who:
- have at least five years ministry experience.
- are seeking to enhance their pastoral ministry practice by integrating practice and informed Christian thinking.
- desire to engage in reflexive thinking regarding contemporary and local ministry issues
- probably prefer a field-focused, action-reflection approach to learning over a more text-focused philosophical-reflective approach (which a Ph.D would usually require).
3. Entry requirements
Applicants for the program need to meet these prerequisites:
- At least 5 years experience in pastoral ministry and/or leadership in a Christian ministry, preferably after formal theological training.
- A first theological degree of a suitable academic level (usually M.Div or its equivalent).
- Competencies acquired through other life experiences and secular qualifications will be considered too.
- English language proficiency: Candidates will be asked to submit an original paper they wrote of at least 10 pages. They will then be asked to have Zoom interviews with the D.Min faculty. These interactions will determine that candidates can communicate verbally and in writing for the program.
- Be commended for the D.Min program by 3 reputable leaders who know you professionally, academically and personally.
Students may live in countries other than those represented by AGST Alliance and CTS.
Normally students will be accepted into AGST Alliance programs on the basis of the stated prerequisite qualifications. However, applicants who do not meet the stated entry requirements may be considered for this program if their general education, scholarship, training and experience are deemed suitable, and if they are deemed as well qualified as those who are able to satisfy the normal entrance requirements. Applications based on equivalency will be considered on a case-by-case basis, taking into account a portfolio of work/ministry experience, publications and other relevant factors.
4. Program Components
Our D.Min is a 36-credit program, with these components:
- Coursework: 24 credits
- Dissertation: 12 credits
A. Coursework (24 credits)
You complete modules for 24 credits:
- 6 coursework modules
- 4 credits per module
- 2 modules per year (one module in-person, one module online)
Each module spans 4 months, and has three phases:
- 6–7 weeks home-based preparation, with some on-line interaction likely.
- a 6 day on-campus intensive (Thursday to Tuesday).
- 6–8 weeks post-campus reading and assignments.
The on-campus intensives run from Thursday to Tuesday. This intentionally includes Sunday, which will be a day for reflection, spiritual formation activities, corporate worship and sharing, and some recreation.
We will also strongly encourage students to undertake further spiritual development processes during their program, but these activities won’t have credit value, except as included in the modules descriptions (like a Field mentor in Module 6 starting at the beginning of the program, etc.)
Up to two approved courses (for a maximum of 8 credits) from other AGST Alliance programs or other accredited institutions may replace our modules. Cross-credited courses need to be at the appropriate academic level.
B. Dissertation (12 credits)
The dissertation is designed to demonstrate your competence to integrate the theory of the various disciplines drawn on for Christian ministry with your ministry practice. It will comprise an original applied research project that demonstrates sound Christian reflection and which is designed to enhance informed and improved personal and organisational practices.
The length of the dissertation will normally fall in the range of 30,000–45,000 words (excluding references and appendices, but including footnotes), depending on the nature of the research. The dissertation is likely to have a significant quantitative or qualitative element to it.
The dissertation will probably require 15–18 months work after you complete the coursework. A supervisor will be with you through the dissertation process. Two competent external examiners will be appointed to examine the submitted dissertation.
5. Module topics
Ministry practice and Christian perspectives are integrated in all the components of the program, rather than having separate theology and professional practice modules. Critical engagement and spiritual formation components are also woven into each module.
The module topics are likely to be drawn from this range:
This Seminar Module will be done face-to-face in the classroom.
Seminar Module Description:
This module is designed to enable pastors and leaders in Christian ministries to reflect theologically and critically on the nature of their ministry and the issues that arise out of it, especially in the Asian context. The module brings together three strands: the nature of vocational ministry, approaches to reflecting Christianly within that calling, and biblical hermeneutics as the foundation for thinking theologically. Part of the reflection includes application into our lives and ministry. Consideration of the role of culture, contextualization, and systems thinking about the church and other organizations are included in this.
This Seminar Module will be done in a Zoom call context.
Seminar Module Description:
This seminar is the practical follow-up to the first seminar module. The seminar module is a study of the biblical, theological and practical concepts of examining the ministry context, engaging the culture, and developing a mission strategy for holistic community transformation in the ministry setting of the student. In this seminar module the student will learn skills in assessing the needs of the community of their ministry, doing a cultural exegesis, and discovering the “blind spots” of culture and needs that need to be addressed by the principles of Christ. This awareness might lead to the candidate’s ministry being engaged holistically to represent Christ in a tangible way.
This Seminar Module will be done face-to-face in the classroom.
Seminar Module Description:
This module is designed to provide the ministry leader with a greater systemic awareness of their part in the construction of an ethical, encouraging, and effective organizational culture.
Leadership is about seeing, acting and knowing oneself so as to be aware of the impact of self on the whole group. The expected major outcome of this module is that participants will have a greater sense of self-awareness as leaders and be more sensate to the mutual impact of their leading upon the mood and culture within their church or organization and the demands of that organization upon themselves as persons.
This Seminar Module will be done in a Zoom call context.
Seminar Module Description:
One of the greatest challenges facing the church is appropriately focussing on its Kingdom mission. This module is designed to introduce students to a theology of the Kingdom and from that how the church and society can and do interact with the Kingdom. Starting from the biblical texts the module will examine a biblical theology of the Kingdom, theological and sociological views of the church as well as theological and cultural responses to the society around you. This will culminate with you being able to evaluate your interactions with the society around you in a way that ensures you are bringing the Kingdom near in the midst of where you are.
This Seminar Module will be done face-to-face in the classroom.
Seminar Module Description:
This module is designed to prepare students to research, write and defend a ministry-project DMIN dissertation. Students will be introduced to all the phases of the DMIN contextually-applied ministry project dissertation process. This includes getting started on: a research design, a literature review, data collection and analysis, presentation and writing the final product. This is a skill-based module and will incorporate practical work on each of the skill sets. Time will be given to familiarize students with the use of electronic databases for ministry project research
This Seminar Module will be done in the Zoom call context.
Seminar Module Description:
This DMIN program has “holistic formation” imbedded in the DNA of the program. At the beginning of the program, each candidate in the cohort will choose a qualified field mentor to guide them through the DMIN journey. This field mentor will be approved by the Cohort Director (currently that would be Dr. Allan Karr). If the candidate does not know a qualified field mentor, the cohort director has people to recommend to the candidate, but the candidate can decide if it is a good match. For the duration of the seminar modules, the candidate will meet at least once monthly with the field mentor, in person or by Zoom. The field mentor will have some small “homework” to assist in the holistic formation of the candidate during the three years of seminar modules. The Seminar Module will be the conclusion of the entire holistic process for the candidate in this program. It will conclude with a final meeting of the candidate, their spouse, the field mentor, the cohort director, and the professor of this seminar module. It could include any other person that might be significant in the candidate’s ministry, like a pastor or supervisor if applicable. The candidate will benefit from the observations from those who care about them in a holistic way.
This module is designed to explore and constructively critique current understandings of our evangelical Pastoral Theology. We have counted on preaching, teaching, and knowledge or information to form faith in the hearer, and have counted on faith to form the inner life and outward behaviour of the Christian. But, for whatever reason, this strategy has not turned out well. The result is that in many areas of societal life, Christians fare no better than non-Christians. In this seminar module we will therefore be attempting to discover what are the causes for the ‘disconnect’ between our profession of belief and the actual practice of our faith. In our time together, we are going to learn from experienced pastor-theologians, the nuts and bolts of what it means to be an ‘apprentice’ of Jesus Christ, and what it means to help fellow apprentices to be conformed after the image of Christ.
6. Module Dates
The modules for the coursework will run on this schedule:
- Jun-Sept (on-campus intensive late August/early September)
- February-May (on-campus intensive late March/early April)
There may be some variation in the dates, e.g. in order to fit with facilitators’ availability.
Specific dates for the modules will be confirmed soon.
7. Academic expectations
What level and quality of study is expected for our D.Min? This question may be answered in two parts.
A. Generic expectations
As a doctorate, our D.Min is an advanced degree which will be recognized internationally. The academic expectations are close to those for the AGST Alliance PhD, except that whereas the PhD tends to have universal application (i.e. it contributes to the theory of the field), the D.Min tends to have local application (i.e. it addresses concerns in a specific, local setting).
Think of the expectations as “becoming a full professional in your field”. In practice this means:
- You have something to say your peers want to listen to.
- You have a command of what is happening in your subject so that you can evaluate the worth of what others are doing.
- You have the astuteness to discover where you can make a useful contribution.
- You have mastery of appropriate techniques that are currently being used, and also be aware of their limitations.
- You are able to communicate your results effectively in the professional arena.
- All this is carried out in an international context your professional peer group is world-wide.
(adapted from Phillips and Pugh, How to get a Ph.D, Buckingham: Open University Press, 1987, pp. 18-19)
B. Expectations in an evangelical Christian institution
The above guidelines are generic. But there is another essential dimension to bear in mind in your doctoral study through CTS and AGST Alliance.
Doctoral study within an evangelical Christian institution is founded on an understanding of knowledge that is more than academic. In the Bible, acquiring and exercising wisdom involves a combination of faith, reason and action. It requires
- right belief and committed trust in the living God (“the fear of the LORD is the first principle of wisdom”),
- creative and humble use of the rationality God has granted to humans made in his own image, and
- appropriate living in the world to reflect God’s calling and participate in God’s mission.
Doctoral study, therefore, pursued on such a foundation, will be confessional, rational and missional. For a Christian, doctoral study is one dimension of what it means to “love the LORD your God with all your heart and mind and soul and strength.”
Within such a framework of Christian identity and commitment, it is assumed that our doctoral students will be recognized as Christians maturing in faithful discipleship and having leadership skills as experienced practitioners in aspects of ministry. The following qualities of their doctoral work will be demonstrated through appropriate examination:
- Comprehensive understanding, having demonstrated a breadth of systematic understanding of a field of study relevant to an aspect of Christian ministry, and mastery of the skills and methods of research and applied reflective practice appropriate to that field and ministry context.
- Critical skills, faithfully exercised, having demonstrated their capacity for critical analysis, independent evaluation of primary and secondary source materials, ability to integrate academic insights and professional practice in their ministry context, and their commitment to exercise such skills on the foundation of biblical faithfulness to Jesus Christ and his church.
- Serious inquiry with integrity, having demonstrated the ability to conceive, design and implement a substantial project of inquiry into professional practice, and to do so with Christian and scholarly integrity.
- Creative and original contribution, having produced, as a result of such disciplined inquiry, a creative and original contribution that extends the frontiers of knowledge, or develops fresh insights and generates new perspectives on professional practice, some of which merit national or international refereed publication.
- Contextual relevance, having shown their capacity, in the course of their doctoral program and in their expectation of its future potential, for biblically-informed critical engagement with the realities of their professional ministry contexts.
- Ability to communicate, having shown an ability in communicating about their area of expertise to peer-level academic and professional audiences, and, where appropriate, to non-specialists in local Christian communities and the wider society in culturally relevant ways, including their mother tongue, for example through teaching, preaching or writing.
- Missional impact, having demonstrated that the doctoral work produced promotes the kingdom of God and advances the mission of the church (both local and global), especially through significant enhancement of professional practice and leadership for transformational service.
All these seven elements are expressed to the glory of God.
(The section above has been adapted from The Beirut Benchmarks for Professional Doctorates, developed by ICETE, 2010/2011.)
If this seems daunting, don’t despair! We will help you acquire and sharpen your ability in these areas, as you bring diligence and discipline to the learning process.
Don’t hesitate to seek help early to cope with the expectations.
8. Assessment Criteria
A. Coursework: MTh/ Postgraduate Diploma, EdD, and D.Min
Typically, six main areas are considered when work is assessed for higher education programs. These categories and the following criteria have been adapted from R. Ackroyd and D. Major, Shaping the tools: Study Skills in Theology, London: Dartman, Longman & Todd, 1999.
- Evidence of knowledge & understanding of the subject and/or texts
To what extent does the assignment demonstrate breadth of knowledge, coverage of the topic, depth of understanding of issues, accuracy of information?
- Evidence of reading and use of other appropriate resources
To what extent does the assignment show appropriate use of relevant, well-chosen and both classic and up-to-date literature and/or other source material, and an appropriate and accurate method of referencing?
- Quality of critical analysis and interpretation
To what extent does the assignment demonstrate the ability to identify and analyse underlying issues, problems and questions and relate these to one another; to evaluate arguments and the evidence for them and examine their implications; to identify and to evaluate different perspectives?
- Quality of argument and structure (planning) of the assignment
To what extent does the assignment answer the question in a dear and direct way; form a coherent argument; develop in a logical and convincing way, relating the introduction to the conclusion?
- Evidence of critical reflection, personal or ministerial application
To what extent does the assignment demonstrate critical reflection on evaluation of personal and/or ministerial practice?
- Quality of communication skills and presentation
To what extent does the assignment reflect appropriate standards and academic conventions in relation to the mode of presentation, including clarity of expression, spelling, grammar and syntax, referencing and bibliography?
B. Dissertation: EdD/D.Min/ PhD
- Awarded with distinction: The dissertation fulfils the requirements of an AGST Alliance EdD/D.Min/ PhD, and the originality of the research and the quality of presentation is significantly superior in demonstrating the criteria for an acceptable AGST Alliance EdD/D.Min/ PhD (as outlined in the PhD/EdD Handbooks).
- Awarded: The dissertation fulfils the requirements of an AGST Alliance EdD/D.Min/ PhD, and the originality of the research and the quality of presentation adequately demonstrate the criteria for an acceptable AGST Alliance PhD/EdD (as outlined in the EdD/D.Min/ PhD Handbooks).
- Fail: The dissertation fails to fulfil the requirements of an AGST Alliance EdD/D.Min/ PhD, and the originality of the research and the quality of presentation fails to demonstrate the criteria for an acceptable AGST Alliance PhD/EdD (as outlined in the EdD/D.Min/ PhD Handbooks).
9. Fees & costs
Total fee for full program:
121,800 THB (not including 500 THB/year administration fee and 3000 THB/year continuation fee for dissertation deadline extension)
Fee per credit hour:
3300 THB per credit hour (each module is 4 credit hours & dissertation in 12 credit hours)
Fee Schedule (CTS D.Min) | |
Application fee (non-refundable) | 1000 THB |
Coursework (24 credits) | 79,200 THB (3300 THB per credit) |
Dissertation (12 credits) | 39,600 THB |
Graduation fee: | 2000 THB |
Total | 121,800 THB |
Administration Fee | 500 THB per year |
Continuation fee per half year | 3000 THB |
10. Application Procedures
To apply, please click the button below to download the required forms. Select “save link as” to save a .zip file containing the following forms:
- Application form
- Ministry Foundations Assessment
- Commendation form (3 commendations required)
- Student Support MOU form
- Student Support MOU guidelines
We require commendation forms from:
- a senior leader in ministry
- a leader in your church/Christian network; and
- the principal or a lecturer of the tertiary educational institution in which you studied most recently.
If you prefer to have a set of application papers to be posted to you, please email us. Make sure you include your full postal address.
We prefer that initially you email your application papers to us, in soft-copy format (i.e. as e-documents). When scanning transcripts, photos, etc., please set the resolution to standard/medium, so that files are not too large. As we process your application, we may request hard-copy (i.e. paper) copies of items.
11. Contact
General Enquiries
Program Director (CTS): Dr. Allan Karr
Email: Allan.Karr@EthneGlobalServices.org
Submit Application
Program Registrar: Mrs. Katee Goode
Email: kgoodregistrar@outlook.com