Doctor of Ministry
Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) in Spiritual Formation and Leadership
“Spiritual formation in the tradition of Jesus Christ is the process of transformation of the inmost dimension of the human being, the heart, which is the same as the spirit or will. It is being formed (really, transformed) in such a way that its natural expression comes to be the deeds of Christ done in the power of Christ.”
Spiritual formation is the foundation upon which all Richmont programs are built, empowering ministers and counselors to impact churches, organizations, clients, and communities.
Richmont’s Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) offering is focused on the two dimensions most integral to the career of a minister of the gospel: spiritual formation and leadership. With a blend of rigorous theological study and practical ministry projects, this program goes beyond the master’s level to equip a new generation of ministry leaders to serve their congregations and communities in transformative ways.
Doctor of Ministry at a Glance
Develop spiritually formative strategies for engaging issues of justice and cultural engagement in today’s church.
The Doctor of Ministry is a cohort-based program, consisting of 33 credit hours, including a capstone project. The first two years cover five core classes (15 credits with four onsite seminars and one online) in Spiritual Formation and Leadership:
Core Classes
Spiritual Formation and Scripture
This course begins the Doctor of Ministry in Spiritual Formation and Leadership by rooting the field within the overarching metanarrative of the Bible. Students will learn to articulate a biblical theology of spiritual formation from the Torah, the Historical Books, the Prophets, the Poetic Literature, the Gospels, the New Testament Letters, and the Apocalyptic Books, respectively. The practical emphases of the course include preaching for personal and corporate transformation and programmatic discipleship / congregational formation.
Spiritual Formation and The Gospel of Grace
This course is a survey of Christian theology’s most basic truth-claims by an examination of Reformation primary source texts which explicate the gospel of grace. Emphasis is placed on the spiritually-formative significance of the doctrines of trinity, incarnation, and atonement. Special attention is paid to Reformed, Lutheran, and Anglican catechisms as well as modern theological debates (such as the New Perspective on Paul) that highlight various approaches to gospel preaching. Application is made from the Reformation gospel of grace to a spiritually formative approach to perennial questions of suffering, evil, and theodicy. Psychological trauma is used as a special and urgent contemporary test-case to expedite this analysis. The problem and origin of evil is explored, and the merits of various approaches to theodicy are assessed according to basic criteria of the Reformation gospel, such as the goodness and power of God in Jesus Christ, the goodness and telos of the created order, and the person and work of Jesus Christ against the absurd forces of evil. Pastoral implications are drawn for spiritual formative dispositions toward the aftermath of violence in light of the gospel of the triune God of grace.
Helping Relationships for Pastoral Care
This course is an introduction to basic counseling methods with emphasis on the helping skills of attending, responding, and personalizing as presented in the Carkhuff model. Students will develop empathy and self-awareness skills essential to the helping relationship. There will be opportunities provided for students to experience themselves in therapeutic relationships with clients of different ages, gender, and/or backgrounds.
Relating Faith and Spirituality in Counseling
This course trains students in the practical integration of spirituality into counseling. It examines the life impact of religion and spirituality and explores the crucial concepts of spiritual formation, soul care, and the Biblical basis for Christian counseling. It tackles the issues arising from several models of integrative counseling, surveys a variety of tools used, and highlights the crucial importance of the spiritual life of the counselor and counselee.
Theodicy and Trauma Counseling
This course examines theodicy in relation to the life of the counselor and to counseling, with special attention given to trauma and recovery. It emphasizes impersonal aspects of theodicy and the application of a theology of hope. Students will philosophically and biblically explore the nature of the problem of evil and examines ways of coping with evil and suffering in human experience and in Christian life. It addresses the theological and philosophic effects of crises, disasters, and other trauma-causing events on persons of all ages, as embodied in the theological/philosophical problem of theodicy.
Trauma-Informed Theology and the Church
This explores how theology can be trauma-informed. It covers concepts of God-image, redemptive violence, power-and-control, and constructive method in theology. It reviews the history of trauma studies and trauma theory. It emphasizes constructive explorations for cultivating trauma-safe spiritual communities.
Year 2: Ministry Project Proposal
This course engages students in constructing the prescribed sections of the Capstone Ministry Project Proposal. This includes selecting the project type, a list of research sources, and chapter outlines/descriptions. The student will work toward proposal approval from the Director of the Doctor of Ministry program and the Dean of the School of Ministry. This is an online course in the standard School of Ministry 8-week format.
“I could not be more thrilled serving as the Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program at Richmont Graduate University. This degree signifies our ongoing commitment to Christ-centered spiritual formation which is at the heart of our institutional mission and identity. For too long, the disciplines of spiritual formation and theology have been set at odds with one another. In our Doctor of Ministry Program, we are experiencing the exhilarating truth that they are ancient friends in the ministry of holistic transformation.”
The Doctor of Ministry program is built around four onsite retreats over a two-year span at the Wings Center outside of Atlanta. The Wings Center’s Christ-centered environment, peaceful surroundings and innovative services are designed to strengthen relationships, expand knowledge, and refresh the soul.
School of Ministry Faculty
Chris Green, Ph.D, D.Min
Chris Green earned a B.S. and an M.M. at Southwestern Christian University, an M.S.T.S at Southwestern Assemblies of God University, a D.Min. at Oral Roberts University, and a Ph.D. at Bangor University. Dr. Green has served as faculty at Pentecostal Theological Seminary, Southwestern Christian University, Mid-American University, and Oral Roberts University. His research and writing focus on the relationship of vocation, holiness, and scriptural hermeneutics. Dr. Green presently serves as Professor of Public Theology at Southeastern University (Lakeland, FL) and Director for St Anthony Institute of Theology, Philosophy, and Liturgics. He is the author and editor of a number of books, including most recently, All Things Beautiful: An Aesthetic Christology.
Chris Green, Ph.D, D.Min
Steve Hall, D.Min.
Steve attended Lee University where he met his wife La Don. They served in Pastoral roles on the west coast until 1992 when he decided to further his education in counseling and return to Maryland. Upon returning, he joined the team at Heritage Community Church and focused on Christian Education and Pastoral Care.
He attended Loyola College in Baltimore, graduating in 1998 with a Master's in Pastoral Counseling. He attained his license to practice Mental Health in Maryland and started the Heritage Pastoral Counseling Center. He received his Doctorate of Ministry in Spiritual Formation from Ashland Theological Seminary and has served as Pastor with Heritage Community Church for nearly three decades.
Steve Hall, D.Min.
Preston Hill, Ph.D.
Dr. Hill serves as Assistant Professor of Integrative Theology at Richmont and the Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program. ln 2021 he completed a Ph.D. in Theology at St Mary’s College, University of St Andrews, having previously completed an MLitt degree in Analytic and Exegetical Theology from the Logos Institute at St Andrews. He has released his first coauthored book with Scott Harrower and Joshua Cockayne entitled Dawn of Sunday: The Trinity and Trauma-Safe Church (Cascade) and is releasing his first edited volume entitled Christ and Trauma: Theology East of Eden (Pickwick Publications). Dr. Hill is also ordained in the Anglican tradition and is a pre-licensed clinical pastoral therapist.
Preston Hill, Ph.D.
Gary W. Moon, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Christian Spirituality
Ph.D. Fuller Theological Seminary. Director of the Martin Family Institute and Dallas Willard Center for Christian Spiritual Formation at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California. Codirector of Fuller’s Doctor of Ministry degree program in Spiritual Direction. Founding Director of the Renovaré International Institute for Christian Spiritual Formation. His books include Becoming Dallas Willard, Apprenticeship with Jesus, and Falling for God.
Gary W. Moon, Ph.D.
Joshua Rice, Ph.D.
Dr. Joshua Rice serves as Provost and Dean of the School of Ministry at Richmont Graduate University. He holds degrees from Lee University (B.A.), Columbia Theological Seminary (M.A.), and the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (Th.M, Ph.D.). He is the author of three monographs, Paul and Patronage: The Dynamics of Power in 1 Corinthians (Pickwick, 2013), The Jewish Centaur: Adventures in Pentecostal Spirituality (Cascade, 2015), and The Patriarch: Essays from the Middle (Resource Publications, 2024), as well as numerous scholarly articles. A full-time pastor for 20+ years, his passions are at the nexus of students, the Church, leadership development, and biblical scholarship. He is also a current student in the MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Georgia State University where he also works on research projects in the HAPPI Lab.
Joshua Rice, Ph.D.
Samuel Youngs, Ph.D.
Samuel Youngs has been a part of The Mission Chattanooga community since 2012. As the Dean he is primarily responsible for shepherding the academic vision of the MSM. He also serves as the lead Lecturer in Theology & History for the MSM. Sam is a professor in the Christian Studies department at Bryan College in Dayton, TN. He has taught at Bryan since 2011. He earned his Ph.D. in Theology & Religious Studies at King’s College (London); his M.A. in Religion is from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. His teaching and research interests span philosophical theology, history of doctrine, world religion, and hermeneutics. He served as the Book Review Editor for American Theological Inquiry from 2013 to 2015 and has published reviews and/or articles in Reviews in Religion & Theology, Swiss American Historical Review, The Asbury Journal, Trinity Journal, American Theological Inquiry, The Journal of Religious History, Philosophia Christi, and The Journal of Comparative Theology. His first book is under contract, entitled: The Way of the Kenotic Christ: The Christology of Jürgen Moltmann.
Samuel Youngs, Ph.D.
Doctor of Ministry Guest Lecturers
Ernest Gray, Jr., Ph.D.
Ernest Gray, Jr. is the Senior Pastor of Keystone Baptist Church located in the West Garfield Park neighborhood of Chicago, and the Spiritual Care Director of the Lawndale Christian Health Center. He is a graduate of the Moody Bible Institute with a degree in Pastoral Ministries, and a graduate of Wheaton College with a Master’s Degree in Biblical Exegesis. He completed his PhD coursework at McMaster Divinity College and is currently completing his thesis within the corpus of 1 Peter. Dr. Gray has taught in undergraduate school of Moody in the areas of Hermeneutics, first year Greek Grammar, General Epistles, the Gospel of John and Senior Seminar. It is Dr. Gray’s hope to impact the African American church through scholarship. Teaching has been one way that God has blessed him to live this out.
Ernest Gray, Jr., Ph.D.
David McNutt, Ph.D.
The Rev. Dr. David McNutt (PhD, University of Cambridge) is Senior Acquisitions Editor at Zondervan Academic, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, and Associate Lecturer of Core Studies at Wheaton College. He is the co-author of Know the Theologians, an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA), and the co-founder of McNuttshell Ministries.
David McNutt, Ph.D.
Jennifer Powell McNutt, Ph.D.
The Rev. Dr. Jennifer Powell McNutt (Ph.D., University of St. Andrews) holds the Franklin S. Dyrness Chair of Biblical and Theological Studies at Wheaton College and is Associate Professor of Theology and History of Christianity with specialty in Reformation Studies and John Calvin. She is a Fellow in the Royal Historical Society, co-author of Know the Theologians, an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA), and the co-founder of McNuttshell Ministries.
Jennifer Powell McNutt, Ph.D.
Barbara Peacock, D.Min.
Rev. Dr. Barbara L. Peacock is the founder of Peacock Soul Care (PSC). PSC is an institution that offers a certificate of completion in Spiritual Direction and Spiritual Formation for persons seeking the deeper journey with God. PSC also offers special Soul Care Leadership classes.
Dr. Peacock is the author of the award-winning book Soul Care in African American Practice. She also wrote Psalm 119 Scriptural Journal and Called to Teach (Acronym C.A.L.L.E.D. means Commissioned As Leaders, Learners, Educations and Disciples). She is passionate about the disciplines of prayer, spiritual direction, soul care, and spiritual formation. In 2013 she founded Barbara L. Peacock Ministries. This ministry is committed to providing safe spaces for encounters with God. In 2022 she will launch The Soul Care Institute.
Barbara Peacock, D.Min.
Amy Peeler, Ph.D.
Amy Peeler is Associate Professor of New Testament at Wheaton College and Associate Rector at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Geneva, IL. Her primary areas of research are the Epistle to the Hebrews (You are My Son: The Family of God in the Epistle to the Hebrews, T&T Clark, 2014; With Patrick Gray, Hebrews: An Introduction and Study Guide, T&T Clark, 2020) and a theological interpretation of gender (Women and the Gender of God, Eerdmans, 2022). Mother of three, she is blessed to see the three vocations to which she has been called: professor, pastor, and parent mutually inform one another.
Amy Peeler, Ph.D.
Andrew Schmutzer, Ph.D.
Andrew is Professor of Biblical Studies at Moody Bible Institute and has been teaching full-time since 1998. Prior to teaching at Moody, Andrew served as a pastor of a 2nd generation Korean Church. His teaching focuses on Old Testament Bible (Genesis, Pentateuch, Minor Prophets, Psalms), Biblical Theology (1 Samuel, OT Theology, Theology of Suffering, Theology of Sexuality), and Hebrew Language (grammar, exegesis, and Hebrew reading courses). He has taught more than 30 different courses. In addition, he has served as faculty sponsor for student groups, including the Student Theological Society and the MK Fellowship. Andrew regularly speaks in Chicago-land churches. He has also served as an adjunct teacher at Wheaton College and Northern Theological Seminary.
Andrew Schmutzer, Ph.D.
Our Partnerships
Transforming Center
Dr. Ruth Haley Barton
Candidates who have completed these courses of study are eligible for a $2,000 scholarship into Richmont’s Doctor of Ministry program.
Sustainable Faith
Candidates who have completed these courses of study are eligible for a $2,000 scholarship into Richmont’s Doctor of Ministry program.
Renovare Institute
Candidates who have completed these courses of study are eligible for a $2,000 scholarship into Richmont’s Doctor of Ministry program.
Mission School of Ministry
Candidates who have completed these courses of study are eligible for a $2,000 scholarship into Richmont’s Doctor of Ministry program.
Jesuit Institute of South Africa
Richmont Graduate University has partnered with the Jesuit Institute of South Africa to afford 9 free credits into Richmont’s Doctor of Ministry in Spiritual Formation and Leadership through our Ignatian Spirituality course specialization.