Concordia Seminary, St. Louis invites all The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) pastors who are interested in earning an advanced degree and deepening their ministry knowledge to a special one-hour virtual Doctor of Ministry Program preview.

This free Zoom meeting will be held from 1-2 p.m. CDT Monday, Sept. 9, and aims to cover valuable information about the online Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) Program’s structure and requirements. The preview also will share insights on how the degree can be a blessing to a pastor’s current ministry.

“The Doctor of Ministry Program is for pastors looking to reinvigorate and deepen their vocational calling,” said Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program Dr. Mark Rockenbach. “The program equips pastors with enhanced leadership skills by applying rigorous scholarship and theology to contemporary issues within their ministry context.”

In 2022, the program was moved fully online. Today, this advanced, professionally oriented degree continued to equip pastors to learn and better serve within their own ministry contexts.

Students often praise the degree program for its practical benefits.

“The Doctor of Ministry Program really has helped me learn how to serve better in ministry,” said D.Min. student Rev. Aaron Hutton (M.Div. ’09). “It allows me, while being right where I’m at, in my context, to learn and grow.”

Interested pastors should register for this event by Sept. 7. For more information, contact Admissions Officer Jessica Thompson at thompsonje@csl.edu or 314-505-7222.

The program preview is a precursor to a D.Min. sample class that will be in October. Details about the class will be posted at csl.edu when they become available.

“If you are considering enrolling in the Doctor of Ministry Program, I would encourage you to be creative and curious,” said D.Min. student Rev. Joshua Errer (M.Div. ’11). “Be curious about those things that you already enjoy studying and creative in the ways that you think about them.”

Applications are now being accepted for Concordia Seminary’s D.Min. Program for the 2025-26 academic year. The application deadline is Feb. 28. For more information, visit csl.edu/admissions or contact the Seminary at 800-822-9545 or admit@csl.edu.

About Concordia Seminary

Concordia Seminary, St. Louis provides Gospel-centered graduate-level theological education for pastors, missionaries, deaconesses, scholars and other leaders in the name of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). To learn more, visit csl.edu.