Doctor of Educational Ministry Aims of the Program THE GOAL OF THE DOCTOR OF EDUCATIONAL MINISTRY DEGREE PROGRAM IS TO ENHANCE THE PRACTICE OF THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION ON EDUCATIONAL MINISTRY FOR PERSONS WHO HOLD THEIR FIRST PROFESSIONAL DEGREE IN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION OR ITS EQUIVALENT AND HAVE ENGAGED IN EDUCATIONAL MINISTRY LEADERSHIP FOR AT LEAST THREE YEARS OF FULL-TIME SERVICE IN THE PRACTICE OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATIONAL MINISTRY AFTER THEIR STUDIES.
The program offers a course of graduate study for educators who serve in churches, church governing bodies, schools, community organizations, and other educational ministry settings. The program focuses on (a) an advanced understanding of the nature and purposes of educational ministry, (b) enhanced capacity to reflect theologically on issues and practices related to educational ministry, (c) acquisition and refinement of skills and competencies for more effective ministry, (d) an understanding of emerging models in educational ministry and ability to critically evaluate those models, and (e) continued growth in spiritual maturity. Incorporating a variety of pedagogical methods, the Doctor of Educational Ministry program provides advanced-level study of the theological, educational, and administrative disciplines including: • An advanced and critical study of Christian formation from theological, historical, behavioral science, and social science perspectives; • An advanced and critical study of organizational and leadership development and the social contexts for ministry;
• An advanced and critical study of educational
theory and practice as it relates to congregational and other ministry contexts; and • The development of skills and competencies necessary for research, planning, and evaluation of the practice of educational ministry in congregations or other settings. The DEdMin program includes the design and completion of a doctoral level original research project. Such a project addresses the nature and practice of educational ministry and should be of sufficient quality that it contributes both to the student’s and the profession’s understandings of the practice of educational ministry. The ministry project demonstrates the candidate’s ability to identify an educational ministry need, organize and carry out research methods that address that need, interpret the data, and implement and evaluate any ministry model that emerges from the research. While the first reader for the report will likely be one of the faculty members in Educational Ministry, the second reader must come from outside the field of Educational Ministry. Columbia also requires a public presentation of the original research project, in which the candidate demonstrates an advanced capacity to reflect theologically on the practice of educational ministry, to identify critical issues in the context of the ministry project, and to think constructively and imaginatively about the educational and administrative aspects of congregational life and other contexts of educational ministry practice.
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