Seminary Launches Doctor of Ministry in Urban Ministry Leadership

Dr. Soong-Chan Rah to lead program

North Park Theological Seminary, in partnership with Fuller Theological Seminary, is launching a new doctor of ministry in urban ministry leadership this academic year. The doctoral degree program is designed for ministerial leaders to develop the theological foundation and practical skills for effective urban leadership.

The program’s cohort model allows students to learn and build relationships with peers also committed to urban ministry. Applications for the program are being taken now, and the first cohort will begin coursework in April, blending online learning throughout the year with face-to-face intensive courses. Students will meet annually in June in three different cities—Chicago, Los Angeles, and Atlanta—for one week. This combination of online and in-person courses allows students to continue serving while they study, and immediately apply what they are learning in their ministry setting.

After completing three cohort years, students work with faculty on an independent study project, then begin a two-to-three-year doctoral project that focuses on individual ministry interests. The doctoral project will culminate in a paper that represents individual learning, theological reflection, and response to a significant issue in ministry.Dr. Soong-Chan Rah, the Seminary’s Milton B. Engebretson Associate Professor of Church Growth and Evangelism, was approached by Dr. Kurt Fredrickson, associate dean for the doctor of ministry program at Fuller, about developing a joint program. Rah and Frederickson, both ordained ministers in the Evangelical Covenant Church, share a belief that urban ministry is of growing importance to the University’s sponsoring denomination.

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