Doctor of Ministry in Leadership, Innovation, and Theology

Launching January 2027!

We are living in a fast-changing, high-tech, pluralistic, spiritual-but-not-religious world. Church and ministry leaders must deepen their theological commitment to truth and the gospel of Jesus while learning to navigate the challenges and strategies needed for effective ministry. There is no better place to learn this than in the heart of global innovation in the Bay Area and Silicon Valley.

Western Seminary’s Doctor of Ministry degree will focus on what innovative missional leadership looks like in today’s world, and enable you to dive deeply into advanced studies in specific areas of ministry such as:

• Preaching in a Post-truth Culture
• Next Generation Ministry
• Worship, Music, and Arts Ministry
• Apologetics and Theology for the Missional Church
• Pastoral Counseling, Spiritual Formation, Chaplaincy
• Multicultural Ministry
• or develop a personalized concentration of study in an area of Christian Leadership

Sign Up for Updates

Learn From Scholars, Innovators, and Ministry Leaders

Our program will combine top-level scholars in theology and Bible, leaders of fruitful ministries in the heart of Silicon Valley, and regional Christian technology innovators, who will bring advanced leadership principles that can be applied in today’s churches and ministries. Leaders will be equipped to serve Jesus faithfully and theologically in a rapidly changing, technology-driven, spiritually searching culture.

Part of our studies will be exploring cities and cultures in the New Testament and early church to analyze how Christianity and the message of Jesus spread and what principles may give us opportunities to use in today’s pluralistic world.

Develop Deep Relationships

We also will be forming cohorts in this degree and connecting you relationally with other students and mentors who are studying in your niche area.

Cohort Structure and Options

We will gather three times for 5-day experiences together over two and a half years to attend core classes taught by scholars and leaders in their fields of expertise. During these days together we also will have specialization classes in ministry-specific concentrations chosen by students and led by seasoned ministry mentors who guide students’ progress towards dissertations in areas of practical ministry. Throughout the rest of each year, students continue studies through online meetings and training.

Over our three-year degree program, we meet in three locations:

• Year 1: San Jose - the heart of Silicon Valley, multi-ethnic, multi-faith, tech-industry, and center of world innovation.
• Year 2: San Francisco – according to some studies, this is one of the most unchurched and dechurched cities in America. Yet, God is doing some wonderful things that will be explored as we learn from leaders in this city.
• Year 3: Santa Cruz – a Silicon Valley beach-town environment, artistic community with a large, very progressive university.

Sign Up — Stay Connected

This new Doctor of Ministry offering will launch in January of 2027, under the direction and curation of Dan Kimball, DMin. On this webpage, we will be posting updates such as specific dates, course descriptions, sequences, names of faculty, lecturers and specialty mentors, and details on areas of specialization.

If you would like to receive email updates about the degree or begin the process of applying for admission now, please complete this short form below and we will be in contact with you! We are here for answering any of your questions, to pray with you in the process of discerning joining in this degree class.