OVERVIEW

"Leaders need a safe place to wrestle with the challenges ahead and a structure to draw forth their unique leadership contribution."

William E. Pannell, D.D.

The focus of this DMin Cohort will be planting, leading and developing transforming churches in the 21st century, with an emphasis on leadership of predominantly African American congregations. An empowered church that engages in transforming ministry is a church that makes a quantifiable qualitative difference in the lives of its members, its community and city by leading a biblically based ministry. An empowered transformative ministry is engaged in biblical preaching / teaching, biblically based social activism and political engagement.

This cohort will survey the historical foundation of the African American religious experience with careful consideration of its African roots, history throughout the Diaspora with a firm planting in this peculiar land called North America. The historical survey will serve as a foundation for a careful assessment of the present theo-socio-psychological state of African American religious life as compared to the past with the intention of such an assessment pointing to the prophetic future of the African American church.

Major Themes Covered…

•     Empowering churches and leaders to make a real difference
•     The changing context of ministry
•     The prophetic future of the African American church
•     Diversity in ministry (socio-economic, age, gender, and ethnicity)
•     The keys to growing thriving ministries
•     Balance in life and ministry
•     Strategic planning

Applications are now being accepted for this new cohort.  Please contact the DMin office for more information on applying: email: dmin@fuller.edu  phone: 800.999.9578.

If you would like to view the Year 1 course description click here  

Media

- Video of Dr. Ralph Watkins discusses the struggles of the African American Church
- Video of Jason Barr reflects on action and contemplation
- Link to video of Jason Barr's "A TIme To Remember Celebrate and Act"

INSTRUCTORS

 

Ralph Watkins is the assistant dean of African-American Church Studies and associate professor of Society, Religion and Africana Studies in the School of Theology. His work is focused on building bridges between urban youth and the Church and mentoring future leaders for the African-American church.

With over twenty years of pastoral, teaching, and administrative experience, Watkins is an active teaching scholar and has over 250 publications and conference presentations to his credit. His chapter Rap, Religion and New Realities: The Emergence of a Religious Discourse in Rap Music in the book Noise and Spirit: The Religious Sensibilities of Rap Music is considered an outstanding treatment of hip hop and theology. He is author of the book I Ain’t Afraid to Speak my Mind and The Gospel Remix: Reaching the Hip Hop Generation. He is presently working on his next book Redemption in Hip Hop: Finding God in the Music and the Message which is scheduled to be published by Baker Academic Press in 2008.  He currently serves as the executive pastor at First AME Church of L.A. (FAME LA) .

In recent years, Watkins has received a Governor’s Teaching Fellowship, Lilly Teaching Fellowship, Fulbright Hayes Fellowship for a study in Ghana, a Wabash Teaching Fellowship, and various awards in the University System of Georgia.

Pastor Barr is a Chairman of the Board of Directors of Macedonia Family and Community Enrichment Center, an organization he founded to help the church more effectively reach out to the community.  He is also a member of the Board of Directors of The Urban League of Pittsburgh.