DGL Fall 2023 Cohort: General Missiology Cohort
Fall 2023
Early Application Deadline: June 1, 2023
Final Application Deadline: July 28, 2023
Designed for practitioners and organizational leaders seeking more effective ways to represent Jesus in postcolonial cultures shaped by the major religions, this cohort will strengthen participants’ leadership capacity by drawing on scholarship in the arenas of biblical theology, missiology, spiritual formation, and leadership theory, then offering the opportunity to apply this knowledge to a critical research project in their own context. The cohort model also lends itself to students building a community of mutual support and formation as they move through the program together.
Utilizing insights from hermeneutics and anthropology, participants will develop their capacity to reflect on the biblical, missiological, and historical foundations of their own faith and its expression as well as reflect on what it means to interact in transformational ways with members of other faiths and form Jesus-centered communities with them. Attention will be given to spiritual formation and the relational aspects of servant leadership needed to facilitate local theologizing, meaningful discipleship, and community formation within the existing cultural context.
Students will learn the skills necessary to do a literature review and research design, and their work will culminate in a contextualized applied research dissertation.
Year 1: Missiological Foundations for the Contexts of the World Religions (12 units)
Fall Quarter: Sep 26 - Dec 15, 2023
(4 units, Live Zoom Sessions)
Students synthesize course work and reading on missiological foundations and research design in this first course.
Important note: Students in the cohort will be meeting weekly for synchronous live Zoom sessions every Saturday on the following days. Please note the times and dates:
Time: 5:00am - 7:00am Pacific Standard Time (U.S.)
Dates: Sept 30; Oct 7, 14, 21, 28; Nov 4, 11, 18, 25; Dec 2
Winter Quarter: Jan 2 - Mar 15, 2024
(4 units, Online)
Students take an online Research Design course and are coached by faculty. Students will practice academic writing and produce a literature critique on a portion of their dissertation. Students engage with the historical and theological themes and read from the selected winter reading list.
Spring Quarter: Mar 25 - Jun 7, 2024
(4 units, Online)
Students read focused literature pertaining to their dissertation and write a portion of their dissertation with faculty feedback and direction.
Year 2: Contextual Analysis and Praxis: Culture, Theologizing, and Community Formation
(12 units)
Fall Quarter: Sep 23 - Dec 13, 2024
(4 units)
Culture, Theologizing, and Community Formation
Students synthesize course work, reading, and writing
Location: TBD
Winter Quarter: Jan - Mar 2025
(4 units, Online)
Students take an online Research Methods course and are coached by faculty in their field research methodology. Students will write their research proposal which will be reviewed by faculty and dissertation advisor.
Spring Quarter: Mar - Jun, 2025
(4 units)
Students focus on writing with faculty feedback and direction.
Year 3: Shaped to Serve God: Leadership and the Spiritual Life (12 units)
Fall Quarter: Sep - Dec, 2025
(4 units)
Students synthesize course work, reading, and writing. Students conduct further reading and writing.
Location: TBD
Winter Quarter: Jan - Mar 2026
(4 units, Online)
Students take an online Research Analysis course and are coached by faculty in qualitative field research methodology. Students will consider research analysis, findings, and recommendations.
Spring Quarter: Mar - Jun, 2026
(4 units)
Students wrap up field research and continue to write portions of their dissertation. During this stage the faculty provide students with feedback and direction.
Year 4: Dissertation writing phase (18 units)
Dissertation writing and the dissertation defense will be conducted online. Students will undertake an integration of theoretical knowledge, course competencies, and research results, together with contextualized applied research dissertation writing. Faculty will support the student’s dissertation process.
Integration Course (6 units)
Dissertation Writing Course A (6 units)
Dissertation Writing Course B (6 units)
Cohort Mentors
Patrick Krayer
Dr. Patrick Krayer with his wife, Joan, worked in the South Asian region for almost 28 years. Dr. Krayer’s focus was to represent Christ and facilitate the formation and growth of Christ-centered communities. During those years Dr. Krayer earned his PhD in Intercultural Studies from Fuller, an MA from Wheaton College, and a BTh from Bethany College. Dr. Krayer was also the executive director of the US office of Interserve for 8 years. Dr. Krayer has taught graduate courses at Missio Seminary and Dallas International University. In addition, Dr. Krayer has published articles in the Bible Translator, the Evangelical Missions Quarterly (EMQ), and the International Journal of Frontier Missiology (IJFM).
Claire T.C. Chong
Claire Chong and her husband Dr Kevin Lowe lived in Cambodia and Myanmar for 15 years and established self-sustaining churches and businesses. Claire’s work and passion revolve around the crafting of Asian missiologies. She is a Research and Training Associate with the Singapore Centre for Global Missions, an innovation catalyst with ‘Christ in Theravada Worlds t.co.lab’ of Frontier Ventures, and serves in the leadership teams of Asia 2020 & Beyond and WEA Mission Commission. Claire is also a PhD candidate with the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies, UK, researching on the use of a Buddhist epistemological approach in studying Cambodian ritual and religion. Her reading interests include Theravada Buddhism, ancestral practices, religious nationalism, contextualization.
Important Dates
Early Application Deadline: June 1, 2023
Final Application Deadline: July 28, 2023
Year 1 Begins: September 25, 2023
Location: Online with in-person intensives in the Fall for Years 1–3
Contact
Chat with a Welcome Center and Student Service Team representative
Office Hours
Monday – Friday
8 am – 5 pm (Pacific Time)
To view in-person welcome center hours for Pasadena, Arizona and Houston, click here.