DMin Progress Report

Dear Beloved Members of Our Congregation,

Thanks to your prayers and consideration, I have successfully completed two weeks of intensive coursework for my Doctor of Ministry (DMin) program from January 12th to January 23rd. I have now finished four semesters, and my final semester of coursework will take place in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, from late June to early July this year.

Once that is complete, the final step will be writing and defending my dissertation. If all goes well, I expect to wrap up this journey that began in 2024. Of course, the dissertation is the most challenging part! Do you think I’ll be able to graduate next year? 🙂

Some of you might wonder why I am traveling to different locations rather than staying on campus. The program I am enrolled in is the Global Leadership Track at Wesley Theological Seminary. A unique feature of this track is that it brings together Methodist leaders from all over the world—including the U.S., Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam, China, Mongolia, Nepal, and even Africa and Latin America.

The goal is to cultivate a balanced sense of “World Christianity” and to nurture students to become more faithful leaders in their respective local ministries. As part of this immersive curriculum, three out of the five semesters are held in various global locations. This is why I visited Korea last year and this past winter, and why I will be heading to Vietnam this summer.

While this journey requires a significant investment of both time and resources, I believe the learning experience is well worth it. Someone recently asked me, “Once you become a ‘Doctor,’ will you be leaving for a seminary position?” In some parts of the world where advanced degrees are rare, DMin holders do often go into teaching. However, in the U.S. and Korea, there are already thousands of Ph.Ds in Theology. Here, the DMin is primarily recognized as a professional degree designed to strengthen one’s ministry. In short, I am pursuing this degree to become a better pastor. This doesn’t mean one is a “lesser” pastor without a doctorate; rather, I want my ministry to be instrumental in envisioning the future of our church. The things I have learned so far have been incredibly valuable, and I am already sharing those fruits with you—and hope to share even more.

Please continue to support me with your prayers until the day I graduate!