Doctoral Alumni
Joe Wall (Th.M., Th.D.) Executive Vice President -Training Acting Director for Russia Field East West Ministries, International - I chose the Th.M. degree (with a major in New Testament Literature) and the Th.D. degree (with a major in Systematic Theology) because they provided me with effective tools for independent study of the Scriptures and a biblically based, comprehensive and unified theological system. At Dallas I was exposed to the importance of a biblically based spiritual life and a passion for Great Commission ministry. My studies at Dallas prepared me well for the various ministries God led me into as a pastor, college president, church planter, missionary, and writer.
Michael Easley (Th.M., D.Min.) President Emeritus, Moody Bible Institute - The Th.M. is a brilliant program that gave me the tools to study the original text, theology, history, and how to integrate it into daily life and ministry. Furthermore, after looking at several D.Min. programs, I returned to Dallas because I knew the outstanding quality of the professors.
What I enjoyed most about my studies at Dallas was the central role of the Bible. In almost every class I took, we were "in the text." Secondly, I appreciated many faculty who were knowledgeable and who equipped me "how" to serve Christ. I cannot imagine pastoring for twenty years or serving at Moody without the foundation of the Th.M. and D.Min. at Dallas. Rarely does a day go by that I do not thank God for Dallas Seminary.
Rick Bartosik (Th.M., D.Min.) Senior Pastor, Mililani Community Church (EFCA) - I chose the Th.M. program at DTS because I believed it would best equip me with the tools to study the Bible and preach and teach God's Word. I was not disappointed. It grounded me in Scripture and exposed me to godly mentors who immeasurably enriched my life and ministry. The Th.M. program produced in me a burden for expository preaching and teaching and equipped me with the skills to fulfill that burden.
I was attracted to the DTS D.Min. program because I wanted a program that would genuinely stretch me and help me grow, and the DTS program was the most rigorous that I could find. The D.Min. program was a very challenging and refreshing time of honing my ministry skills. It also helped me fulfill my desire to study and write in the area of my ministry passion.
Quentin Washispack (Th.M., D.Min.) South Area Advocate for Ministry Development, Evangelical Free Church of America International Mission- I wanted to be prepared for ministry in a church setting so I chose the Th.M. with a major in pastoral ministries. I was involved in several churches before attending DTS that were pastored by DTS graduates. I like the way they were prepared in the pulpit and how they exegeted the Bible. I felt that going to DTS would prepare me to have an impact in a church ministry.
After being involved in church ministry for 8 years I wanted to further my education so I pursued the D.Min. degree at DTS. I looked at other schools but choose DTS for several reasons: location, commitment to the inerrant Word, scholarship, and faculty.
I met some wonderful people while at DTS and I keep up with some of them even today. I also had relationships with several of the faculty and keep up with some of these relationships today. There was a camaraderie among the students from which I benefited.
I still use the methods and tools that I learned at DTS today. I also profited from the world mission emphasis every spring where for one week the school focused on reaching the world with speakers and seminars and workshops. Today, I am involved in a ministry to Asia. Having a degree from DTS has given me opportunities to teach and preach and it has opened doors in Asia for me.
Jeff Watson (D.Min.) Adjunct Professor; Director of Resident Life, Erickson Retirement Communities- After pastoring a Washington DCsuburban church for a few years and getting my feet wet as a rookie Bible College teacher, I grew even hungrier for guidance and expertise. I knew there was more mentoring out there than I was getting from my Senior Pastor and from the liberal University where I had begun to take classes. The D.Min. at Dallaswas the perfect fit for me.
My favorite part of the D.Min. was huddling with fellow ministers and students, five weeks a year. Ministers from all over the world—cross-cultural missionaries, military chaplains, and pastors of all sorts—gave me a niche for prayer and accountability that was strong and sweet. I liked zeroing-in on practical aspects of ministry that I could implement right away in my work, rather than throwing them in a file for “someday.”
The D.Min. prepared me for improved ministry by embedding me in a strong network of evangelical workers, a network that was trusted by my friends, my family, and my ministerial associations. This program also brought me back to my roots and helped me explore wider subjects, but in a more solid setting. Throughout my three years in the D.Min. program, I focused on pastoral gerontology/thanatology—eventually publishing several parts of my dissertation project. This specialized focus eventually led me to do consulting work in chaplaincy and bioethics and motivated me to complete an M.S., Ph.D., and Doctoral Certificate in Gerontology from a major university over the next 15 years. The deep foundation laid at Dallaswas sufficient to support a skyscraper of professional practice. Today, I coach the pastoral work for 16,000+ senior adults in the Erickson Retirement Communities and I teach as an Adjunct at a Bible College, two seminaries, and a University. Despite all the busyness, I still look at Dallas as the place where I had—and have--my mentors, people who know me, pray for me, and love me.
Imad Shehdah (Th.M., Th.D.) Founder and President, Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary - Desiring to be well rounded in theological and Biblical studies, to acquire exegetical skills, and to be grounded in Biblical languages are the reasons I choose the Th.M. Program at DTS. I continued on in the Th.D. program in order to be further trained in the above, and also to focus on the subject of my dissertation, which emphasized comparison and contrast between Islamic and Christian theology. The process of research, gaining confidence in knowing how to train Arab believers in the Middle East, and the camaraderie with other scholars helped to lay the groundwork in the formation of JETS. All of what I do today is the outcome of what took place at DTS: a life changing experience!
