George Fox Evangelical Seminary

The Leadership in Emerging Culture doctor of ministry program includes the design and completion of a doctoral-level project during the third year of the program that addresses both the nature and the practice of ministry. The goal of the project is not to offer a unique contribution to ministry in general, but to apply theological research skills to a significant real-world ministry problem.

Track 01: This approach allows students to write a traditional-style "dissertation," comprised of 6-7 chapters and 100–150 pages in length. It includes an abstract, addresses a ministry problem in depth, interacts with relevant data and literature concerning the nature of the problem and other proposed solutions, delineates the biblical, theological and theoretical framework that underpins the proposed solution, and offers closing reflections concerning potential future developments of the ministry problem and proposed solution. The dissertation will include three essential components:

• Identifying an issue: The student focuses on a problem or issue in the practice of ministry.
• Formulating a theoretical stance: Although the dissertation is practical in nature, the student must formulate a comprehensive theoretical framework as a foundation for critical analysis of a problem or issue.
• Choosing appropriate research methods: The student appropriates an analytical approach that corresponds to the problem or issue at the heart of the project.

Track 02: This approach allows students (individually or in teams) to implement a project in one of the four media forms that incarnates a practical, real-world solution to a stated ministry problem. It also includes a "written statement" of 45-60 pages that incorporates rigorous investigation, clarity and coherence of thought and quality of writing, and delineates the biblical, theological and theoretical framework that underpins the multimedia project.