麻豆视频

Doctor of Ministry in Formation and Soul Care

Doctor of Ministry (DMin) in Formation and Soul Care

The Doctor of Ministry (DMin) in Formation and Soul Care at 麻豆视频 is a doctoral- level program seeking to equip Christian practitioners with a comprehensive biblical, theological, and practical paradigm for Christian formation and soul care for a 21st century context. The program is four-years total with three-years devoted to the core curricular schedule examining biblical theology (鈥渁wareness of God鈥�; year one), self knowledge and soul care (鈥渒nowledge of self鈥�; year two), and its implications for mission and engagement in the world (鈥渕ission to others鈥�; year three). A fourth year will be devoted to writing and finalizing a doctoral project.

Doctor of Ministry in Formation and Soul Care

Dr. A. J. Swoboda (PhD, Birmingham) is the lead mentor for the Doctor of Ministry program at 麻豆视频. He is the associate professor of Bible, theology and World Christianity at Bushnell University. For nearly ten years, he served as a college pastor on the campus of the University of Oregon. Then, for another decade, planted and pastored an urban church in Portland, Oregon called Theophilus that continues to worship to this day. He has taught at Southeastern University, Northern Seminary, Portland Seminary, Multnomah University, London School of Theology, and LIFE Pacific University.

AJ Swoboda, Lead Mentor
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Program Highlights

Become a “Doctor of the Church”

There is no greater need than now for the church of Jesus to be reformed around the person of Jesus.

A Doctor of Serving

A DMin program is not a research doctoral program. More broadly, it is a program that serves practitioners in and for the church (i.e. 鈥淒octors of the Church鈥�).

Helping Fulfill the Mission of God

The purpose for the Doctor of Ministry in Christian Formation and Soul Care is to help the 21st century church organize itself for the purpose of fulfilling the mission of God.

Restoration and Healing

鈥淒octors of the church鈥濃�攁s they have been known in Christian history鈥攈ave been those tasked with the work of healing and restoration, leading the church back to the heart of Christ.

Awareness of the Holy Spirit

Cultivating a deeper awareness of the work of the Holy Spirit in the history of the church, the work of formation, ministry. Challenge some of the ideological forces that have captivated the church in the late modern era.

Life-Long Formation

You will be able to connect the knowledge of God to the knowledge of self as a paradigmatic construct for life-long formation and discipleship鈥攑articularly through spiritual direction.

Developing a Vision

Develop in the student a comprehensive biblical, theological, and historically- rooted vision of Christian formation for a 21st century context.

Earn your Doctor of Ministry.

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Program Outcomes

Program outcomes for the Doctor of Ministry program are below:

  • Develop in the student a comprehensive biblical, theological, and historically- rooted vision of Christian formation for a 21st century context.
  • Cultivate a deeper awareness of the work of the Holy Spirit in the history of the church, the work of formation, ministry.
  • Challenge some of the ideological forces that have captivated the church in the late modern era.
  • Connect the knowledge of God to the knowledge of self as a paradigmatic construct for life-long formation and discipleship鈥攑articularly through spiritual direction.

There is no greater need than now for the church of Jesus to be reformed around the person of Jesus. The need for the church to be formed into the image of Christ is not something that we can get to when we get around to it. This is the core issue of our day. It is, in the timeless words of Dallas Willard in his classic Renovation of the Heart, the essential aspect of Christianity:

鈥淭he spiritual life is a life organized around God…[and] can only happen as each essential dimension of the human being is transformed Christ likeness under the direction of a regenerate will interacting with constant overtures of grace from God.鈥�

Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart

麻豆视频 Requirements

The Doctor of Ministry program at 麻豆视频 admits students who show evidence that they:  

  • have at least three years of vocational or bi-vocational Christian ministry experience since receiving their first graduate theological degree, 
  • are involved in an ongoing ministry setting, 
  • have an academic record that demonstrates superior ability and shows promise of success in doctoral studies (3.25 graduate GPA) and 
  • hold an accredited Master of Divinity (MDiv) or Master of Theology (ThM) degree, or a Master of Arts (MA) degree in Formation or a similar field. Students admitted with an MA will be requested to demonstrated (a) the ability to thoughtfully interpret scripture and the theological tradition of one鈥檚 ministry context, (b) the capacity to understand and adapt one鈥檚 ministry to the cultural context, (c) a basic self-understanding of one鈥檚 ministerial identity and vocational calling.

Applications received for the Fall 2026 cohort will now be considered for a spot on the waitlist.

If you have any questions regarding the application process, please reach out to Kristin Wilson at kristin_wilson@friends.edu.

Featured Faculty

Beth Jones

Dr. Beth Felker Jones

  • Guest Lecturer
  • B.A., DePauw University; M.T.S., Duke Divinity School; Ph.D., Duke University
Keas Keasler

Dr. Keas Keasler

  • Associate Professor of Spiritual Theology; Program Director, Master of Arts in Christian Spiritual Formation and Leadership
  • Theology & Humanities
  • B.A., Baylor University; M.Div., Princeton Theological Seminary; Ph.D., Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Keith Matthews

Dr. Keith Matthews

  • Guest Lecturer, Distinguished Scholar of Christian Spiritual Formation
  • B.A., California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; M.Div., Fuller Theological Seminary; D.Min., Fuller Theological Seminary
Josh McNall

Dr. Josh McNall

  • Adjunct Professor of Theology
  • B.A., Oklahoma Wesleyan University; M.A., Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary; Ph.D., University of Manchester
Christine Osgood

Dr. Christine Osgood

  • Adjunct Professor of Wellness and Self-Knowledge
  • B.A., Bethel College; M.A., North American Baptist Seminary; M.Div., Bethel Seminary; D.Min, Bethel Seminary
Jim Smith

Dr. Jim Smith

  • Professor of Religion; Dallas Willard Chair for Christian Spiritual Formation
  • Theology & Humanities
  • B.A., 麻豆视频; M.Div., Yale University Divinity School; D.Min., Fuller Theological Seminary
Mandy Smith

Mandy Smith

  • Adjunct Professor of Leadership and Formation
  • B.A., Cincinnati Bible College and Seminary; D.Min., Eugene Peterson Center, Western Theological Seminary (Candidate)
A.J. Swoboda

Dr. A.J. Swoboda

  • Program Director, Doctor of Ministry in Formation and Soul Care; Adjunct Professor of Church History
  • Theology & Humanities
  • B.A., New Hope Christian College; M.A., Portland Seminary; Ph.D., University of Birmingham
Curt Thompson

Dr. Curt Thompson

  • Guest Lecturer
  • B.A., Malone University; M.D., Wright State University School of Medicine
Casey Tygrett

Dr. Casey Tygrett

  • Adjunct Professor of Spiritual Formation
  • B.A., Mount Vernon Nazarene University; M.Div., Lincoln Christian University; D.Min., Lincoln Christian University
James Watson

Dr. James Watson

  • Research Coordinator
  • B.A, Portland State University; PhD, Baylor University

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