Mercy Leadership Cohort
Equipping Chaplains and Leaders for a Ministry of Holistic Healing
Application Deadline: July 25, 2025
Overview
Description
When vulnerable people turn to the church in their suffering, they hope to find solace and understanding. But what happens when their pain is unintentionally minimized or misunderstood? Instead of finding comfort, their anguish can deepen, leaving them confused, shamed, and questioning God’s presence and care. In today’s fractured world, where personal crises and societal tensions amplify pain, and where religious affiliation is waning, the church must be ready to meet people in their suffering, not with quick answers, but with wise pastoral skill and comprehensive knowledge that allows suffers to be seen and heard in their human fullness as image bearers of God. This requires a ministry grounded in God’s mercy and aligned with the healing ministry of Jesus.
The Mercy Leadership DMin cohort is designed for those who care for suffering people in diverse contexts within and outside the church walls with extensive knowledge and advanced pastoral skills to develop a compassionate ministry of mercy in their place of service. The cohort is designed for chaplains, pastors, and leaders who want to deepen and expand their ministry to suffering people. Over the course of the cohort, students will explore biblical texts that are foundational to ministries of mercy and learn how the early church alleviated and redeemed suffering with both compassion and competence. Students will delve into chaplaincy concepts that join people where they are and allow space for lament and questions through honest, respectful, and emotionally resonate conversations about suffering, leaving room for the Spirit to illumine and heal. In addition, students will gain expertise in the needs of the specific population within their ministry context—whether it is in a secular setting such as hospitals, prisons, or the military; students will have the opportunity to delve deeply into the unique needs of their focus population and gain an understanding of the nuances of the forms of suffering and then form a pastoral approach designed to heal rather than compound suffering.
Schedule
Year One
Theology and History: God's Heart for the Suffering
(16 units)
Fall 2025 Reading/Online Seminar: Sep – Dec, 2025, Online (6 units)
Winter 2026 Doctoral Project Research: Jan – Mar, 2026, Online (4 units)
Spring 2026 Writing Course: Mar – Jun, 2026, Online (6 units)
In the first year, students will explore key biblical texts and theological principles that underpin a ministry of mercy, ensuring that those seeking solace are cared for in ways faithful to God’s character. Students will delve into stories of trauma and suffering in the Old Testament to understand how God cares for sufferers and study the healing ministry of Jesus and the practices of the early church to build their competency in caring for those in pain. Additionally, students will glean ministry insights from core chaplaincy concepts to deeply understand and come alongside those who are suffering with compassion and skill. Core chaplaincy skills include meeting people where they are, as they are in all their diversity, and using tools such as reflective listening to deeply understand the root of their spiritual pain and discover intentional ways to respond to suffering that promote healing rather than causing unintentional harm. By the end of the first year, students will have a solid foundation for providing redemptive care in various ministry settings, both within and outside the church. The pastoral approach will be designed to heal rather than compound suffering, bringing suffers closer to God.
Year Two
Prophetic Dialogue: Engaging Medical Culture for God's Mission
(16 units)
Fall 2026 Reading/Online Seminar: Sep – Dec, 2026, Online (6 units)
Winter 2027 Doctoral Project Course: Jan – Mar, 2027, Online (4 units)
Spring 2027 Writing Course: Mar – Jun, 2027, Online (6 units)
Building on the theological foundation established in Year One, Year Two offers the opportunity to gain specialization in the specific populations. This will allow students to tailor their doctoral project by focusing on the unique needs of that population. For example, those in hospital settings could focus on behavioral health patients, palliative care, or staff care. Those in congregational settings could focus on grief and loss, or in military or prison settings students might focus on trauma informed care. Whichever population within the student’s ministry setting they will focus on, over the course of the year, gaining a greater understanding of the psychological, sociological and cultural dimensions of suffering and develop strategies for spiritual and emotional support drawn from best chaplaincy practices, ensuring that those in their care experience God’s healing in profound and meaningful ways. By interacting with fellow students from diverse ministry contexts, students will gain new perspectives in considering: the vital role of holistic care to ensure people feel seen and understood; the importance of community building; cultural humility in providing care; various forms of moral injury, trauma informed care, and restorative justice; and the role that ritual plays in healing. By engaging in a collaborative learning environment with diverse perspectives, students will refine their pastoral care skills and become more effective in their ministry, positioning themselves as a thought leader who shapes the quality of care for suffering individuals.
Year Three
The Work of the Chaplain: How Theology Informs Function in Community
(16 units)
Fall 2027 Reading/Online Seminar: Sep – Dec, 2027, Online (6 units)
Winter 2028 Doctoral Project Writing: Jan – Mar, 2028, Online (6 units)
Spring 2028 Doctoral Project Writing: Mar – June, 2028, Online (4 units)
In Year Three, students will design a comprehensive ministry plan tailored to meet those specific needs for holistic healing. This plan will integrate the theological, psychological, pastoral, core chaplaincy skills, and practical insights students have gained over the course of two years, along with the insights gained from their peers, students will create a ministry strategy that effectually addresses the unique needs they have identified to bring mercy, justice and healing in tangible and operative ways. By implementing their ministry strategy, students will enhance their leadership abilities to guide and inspire others to provide quality care, ensuring that those who are suffering truly find solace and understanding rather than confusion or shame. This will foster a culture of care in their ministry context that aligns with God’s mission of healing and restoration, making a significant Kingdom impact within and beyond their ministry setting.
Instructor
Dr. Annette Gildemann is passionate about restoring holistic healing in medical settings that can be dehumanizing. In her course, Innovations in Healthcare Chaplaincy, she invites chaplains to explore how they might promote holistic healing in their ministry context so that patients would be seen, not only as a disease to be cured, but in their human fullness, with the compassionate gaze of God. She currently serves as Director of Spiritual Care of a healthcare system in WA state.
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