Northwind Theological Seminary
Courses of Study
Master of Pastoral Ministry - 60 Credits
(Prerequisite: BA or BS degree)
Two transfer credits per Course from the ‘UM Course of Study’ up to 40 credits
One ministry experience credit per year of local church service up to 8 credits
(NOTE: Total Transfer and Ministry Credits not to exceed 42 credit hours)
Capstone Experience: 18 Credits
Capstone Research Course:
Tutorial with a faculty mentor – 6 credits
Capstone Ministry Project
with a faculty mentor – 6 credits
Capstone Ministry Thesis
with a faculty mentor – 6 credits
Doctor of Pastoral Ministry - 36 credits (Prerequisite: Master of Pastoral Ministry)
Christian Traditions
with Dr. Michael Christensen – 3 credits
neXt Church
with Dr. Carl Savage – 3 credits
Christian Futuring
with Dr. Robert J. Duncan, Jr. – 3 credits
Oxford Style Elective
with a Faculty Mentor - 3 credits
Portfolio Experience: 24 Credits
Portfolio Methods
with a Faculty Mentor – 6 credits
Portfolio Research
with a Faculty Mento – 6 credits
Portfolio Project
with a Faculty Mentor – 6 credits
Portfolio Paper
with a Faculty Mentor – 6 credits
Northwind Seminary is offering a radical new way to provide theological education for UMC Local Pastors.
This new educational path is led by three colleagues who served as administrators and faculty in Drew Theological School (one of the official UM Theological Schools). Working together, this team created the first Online Global Doctor of Ministry Degree under the leadership of Len Sweet. Now they are creating the first online Master’s and Doctoral Degree programs in local church ministry designed specifically for UM Local Pastors.
In September of 2015 the United Methodist News Agency reported that:
“United Methodist elders are declining in number in the U.S., but licensed local pastors are on the increase. “Elders” above includes ordained elders and provisional member elders appointed to churches, as opposed to extension appointments. ‘Local pastors’ includes full-time and part-time local pastors.”
An article on https://www.ministrymatters.com addresses this growing trend:
“There are several annual conferences that now have more local pastors appointed to churches than seminary-educated elders.”
“If local pastors (especially part-time local pastors) are going to become the primary way churches have clergy leadership, do we need to radically rethink how we educate them?”
The Master of Divinity has been the defining difference between UM Ordained Clergy and UM Local Pastors. It has also been the ‘gate’ blocking access to a Doctor of Ministry degree for Local Pastors. Northwind provides a path for you to transfer your Course of Study credits toward a Master of Pastoral Ministry degree and then pursue a Doctor of Pastoral Ministry
Core Faculty:
Robert J. Duncan Jr. DMin
President & Founder - Professor of Ministry
Retired Elder – Greater New Jersey Annual Conference
Retired President and Professor of Religion at Bacone College
Retired Administrator and Faculty of Drew Theological School
- Director of Institutional Advancement
- Director of Admissions
- Core Faculty and Special Advisor – Doctor of Ministry Program
Michael J Christensen. PhD
Academic Dean - Professor of Religion
Retired Elder - California-Nevada Annual Conference
Retired Administrator and Faculty of Drew University
- Director of Doctor of Ministry Program
- International Director of Communities of Shalom
- Director of the Center for Prophetic Ministry and Community Development
- Affiliate Faculty in The Casperson Graduate School
- Associate Professor of Spirituality and Ministry
Carl Savage, DMin., PhD
Associate Dean of Doctoral Studies
Professor of Archaeology and Biblical Studies
Retired Elder – Virginia Annual Conference
Retired Administrator and Faculty of Drew University
- Director of Doctor of Ministry Program
- Associate Professor of Biblical Archaeology
Retired Christian Ministry Division Chair at Bacone College