Bonhoeffer for the Contemporary Church

Imagine a Doctor of Ministry program that propels you to strengthen your ministry and impact the church.

Scroll down to learn more about this unique Doctor of Ministry program, or fill out the form to speak to the admissions team directly.

What is a Doctor of Ministry?

The Doctor of Ministry program is designed to help participants develop their ministerial skills and understanding to the fullest extent in congregational, parachurch, or missionary service.

It is not a research nor an academic degree intended for those seeking a career in academic teaching; instead, it integrates active ministry, academic work, and disciplined reflection under the guidance of a mentor and in company with ministerial colleagues.

Three-year cohorts are designed around important themes, and new cohorts are introduced each year.

Once committed to a specific theme, the cohort of students journeys with their mentors, engaging in a curriculum designed for that particular area of ministry.

Working collaboratively with other students and faculty, you will have the flexibility to shape your learning around your particular ministry context.

About This Cohort

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was one of the most significant Protestant theologians of the twentieth century and, is in the twenty-first century North American context, one of the most popular among Protestant pastors and their congregations.

This cohort encourages its members to engage with Bonhoeffer's life, sermons, writings, and ministry.

We will ask two questions:

Who was Dietrich Bonhoeffer?
What message does this twentieth-century German Lutheran pastor-theologian have for 21st-century North American pastors?

Download Learning Sequence

Rev. Sam Hamstra, Jr., PhD

Rev. Dr. Sam Hamstra began his ministry in 1976. Between then and now, he has served as a Youth Pastor, Solo Pastor, Senior Pastor, Interim Pastor, Worship Leader, Church Planter, College Chaplain, Professor, and Church Consultant.

For thirteen years, he served Northern Seminary (Lisle, IL) as a Professor of Church History and Worship. He is currently an Executive Search Consultant with the Rukes Group.

He was first ordained as a Minister of the Word and Sacrament in 1980 by the Reformed Church in America. He earned his PhD from Marquette University (Milwaukee, WI) in Historical Theology.

His specialty is Mercersburg Theology, a movement within nineteenth-century Reformed Confessionalism. In recent years, his interests have gravitated to Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

His most recent publications include What’s Love Got to Do With It? How the Heart of God Shapes Worship (2016), One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic: John Nevin’s Writings on Ecclesiology (2017), and Practicing the Monastic Disciplines (2021).

Guest Lecturers

The cohort will be enriched by guest lecturers, each of whom is a notable Bonhoeffer scholar.

Rev. Dr. Mark Brocker

Lead Pastor of St. Andrews Lutheran Church

Beaverton, OR

Dr. Lori Brandt Hale

Professor of Religion for Augsburg University

Minneapolis, MN

Dr. Matthew D. Kirkpatrick

Lecturer in Christian Ethics and Doctrine

Wycliffe Hall, University of Oxford

Rev. Dr. Roger J. Newell

Professor Emeritus of Religion George Fox University

Newberg, OR

Rev. Dr. Jennifer McBride

Associate Rector of Formation

All Saints’ Episcopal Church

Atlanta, GA

Dr. Michael Mawson Maclaurin

Goodfellow Chair of Theological and Religious Studies

University of Auckland

Auckland, New Zealand

Important Dates

Apply by September 1, 2025

Applications are open now through September 1, 2025

The Doctor of Ministry application includes:

Three recommendation forms
One letter of ecclesial endorsement
Two personal statements
One academic writing sample
Official Transcripts from previous educational institutions

Confirm by October 1, 2025

Final admissions decisions will be made in September 2025, and all applicants will receive written and email notifications.

Those accepted will then need to pay their confirmation deposit

If you have questions about your application, contact our admissions team at admissions@westernsem.edu.

Seminar Schedule

This cohort launches with the first seminar at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, MI in January 26 - 30, 2026.

Seminar two will be in July 2026 in Berlin, Germany.

Four subsequent seminars will be scheduled in January and July each year until graduation in April 2029.

What was helpful early on was the sense of community and family that this cohort was to one another...That sense of being loved right where you were, especially as I was wrestling with all sorts of feelings that I didn’t measure up as a church planter and pastor.

- Pastor Mike Gorr

Doctor of Ministry, Class of 2021

Ready to take the next step?

Start your application today.

Apply Now

Western Theological Seminary

101 East 13th Street
Holland MI, 49423

admissions@westernsem.edu

800.392.8554