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The Public Ministry of the Hispanic American Church

Dates:	May 16-27, 2005
Campus:	Boston
Primary Faculty Mentor:	Dr. Eldin Villafañe

The Purpose

The Public Ministry of the Hispanic American Church D.Min. track gives students:

• A strong biblical-theological foundation for the engagement of local congregations in the public life of the community
• Basic skills and knowledge essential for dealing with public issues and policy relevant to the community of faith
• The opportunity to contribute to the field of public policy-making through research and writing on the public ministry of the local church

The Plan

Year One: Social Analysis and Holistic Leadership

You develop the ability to do proper social anaylsis. Using the social sciences, you seek a contextual and comprehensive picture of "la realidad." You learn to discern the historical and structural relationships of social situations as they are taught by Dr. Eldin Villafañe and Dr. Jesse Miranda during the first residency.

Year Two: Biblical and Theological Principles and Jesus' Example for Public Ministry

In the second residency, you read Scripture and understand theology in: context, community, and company of believers (past and present). You develop an understanding of Scripture and the rich theological tradition that informs today's social witness and ministry of the church. You also examine the ministry of Jesus for lessons of public ministry for today.

Year Three: From Anaylsis To Action: Strategies for Effective Public Ministry

During the last residency, you move from clarification and conceptualization to formulating strategies and action plans to guide your congregations to intentional and effective public ministry. You also develop social witness policies and practices consistent with your congregation's public ministry.

The Requirements

As a student in the Doctor of Ministry program, you attend three two-week intensive residencies (seminars), one each year for three years. The residencies consist of lectures, case studies, participant reports and individual consultations. The class sessions are collegial in style and stress down-to-life learning within a community context. There is a strong mentoring component to the program. In preparation for each seminar, you read widely in books and periodicals, and this reading and research contributes to each residency. Following the first two seminars you complete a project that relates what you have learned to your ministry. After the third seminar, you complete a major thesis-project.

Please also see general information on the overall D.Min. program and admissions.