Doctor of Ministry

Agenda of Concerns

D.Min. study combines integrative learning about ministerial dynamics (using the Dimensions of Ministry as an analytical tool) with special attention to a particular area of ministry that interests an individual candidate. This focal area is to be identified at the time of application from the Agenda of Concerns, a list of critical subjects that represent some of the primary concerns in ministry today. The Princeton D.Min. program is therefore both "general" and "specialized" at the same time.

With the special focus feature we also hope to provide a unique educational opportunity for ministers who already have a commitment to or experience in an aspect of ministry represented in the Agenda of Concerns. Often ministers will have developed such a "specialty" in practice and from previous education, and they now seek to cultivate it further at the professional doctoral level. The Princeton D.Min. program provides a context and an opportunity for achieving such a goal.

The Agenda of Concerns does not consist of activities or "problems" in ministry, or even of "issues" themselves. Rather, it contains areas of human experience which in various ways give rise to more particular operations or questions in ministry. Each of the eight Agenda entries offers a candidate wide latitude for locating his or her particular needs and interests. The aim is to provide a manageable boundary for choosing which ministerial experiences to concentrate on for D.Min. purposes. The concern a person chooses will guide the selection of material for ministry experience reports, the design of the Individual Study Program, and the topic of the Final Project.

The Agenda is under ongoing review by the faculty, and it changes periodically. Questions of interpretation or clarification about the Agenda entries and how they relate to a person's own situation should be raised with the director of the D.Min. program at any time (and particularly during the application process).

1. Family patterns and needs

2. Lay ministry and leadership

3. Ethnicity and racial justice

4. Addictions and dependency

5. Economic disparity and injustice

6. Gender, sexism, and sexuality

7. Ministry in a multi-religious society

8. Religious experience and practice in a secular and pluralistic world

To illustrate how the Agenda of Concerns work, suppose a minister has a particular interest in the subject of ministering to aging people. The appropriate concern would be "Family patterns and needs." Or, if the interest were aspects of worship in the spiritual development of church members, the appropriate concern would be the last, "Religious experience and practice."