Clergy/Laity Training & Programs

Through a variety of seminars, programs, gatherings, lectures, and other offerings, the Divinity School seeks to help strengthen your faith and leadership by building your knowledge about the church and its practices. Also see our UMC Training & Programs.

Study Leave for Ministry Professionals

Find the time to read, reflect, research, or just relax with Study Leave for Ministry Professionals. Over the span of five to seven days, participants can immerse themselves in learning and renewal through self-directed study, worship and prayer on the Duke University campus.

Convocation & Pastors' School

Monday, October 8, 2018 - 8:00am to Tuesday, October 9, 2018 - 4:30pm

The annual Convocation & Pastors’ School is an intensive two-day conference that offers lectures, worship, and seminars for Christian leaders of all traditions. Led by scholars and practitioners from Duke and beyond, this event is a cooperative endeavor with the North Carolina and Western North Carolina Conferences of the United Methodist Church.

Retreat for Pastors Serving the Hispanic and Latino Community

Sunday, April 22, 2018 (All day) to Tuesday, April 24, 2018 (All day)

At this retreat, pastors serving Hispanic/Latino communite immerse themselves into the heart of the "Good Shepherd" through praise, worship, and theological reflection.

Small Membership Church Revitalization Event

Friday, May 13, 2016 - 1:00pm to Sunday, May 15, 2016 - 12:00pm

The Thriving Rural Communities Initiative at Duke Divinity School invites pastors and lay people to attend a weekend retreat at The Bladen Charge—Windsor UMC, Bethlehem UMC and Live Oak UMC—to experience their unique testimony of sustainability. Worship services, workshops and Sabbath time will resource and renew your ministry.

Caminantes

Through Caminantes, fellow sojourners encounter Christ while practicing and honing skills for ministry among Latinos. Caminantes for pastors meets periodically to practice and hone skills for ministry among Latinos, and there is also a group for students.

Institute participants engage each other on plenary break

Summer Institute for Reconciliation

Monday, June 4, 2018 - 4:30pm to Friday, June 8, 2018 - 9:00pm

Come expand your theological imagination, grapple with practical problems, and be equipped to continue a journey of reconciliation within a wider community at this annual institute.

Hispanic-Latino/a Preaching Initiative

Developed by Duke Divinity School’s Hispanic House of Studies, the Hispanic-Latino/a (H/L) Preaching Initiative provides an opportunity for H/L pastors to receive homiletical training in a peer group format.

Neighborhood Seminary

This pilot program provides robust theological, spiritual, and missional formation to equip lay people to engage in their home, neighborhood, workplace, and community and is led by a team of Duke scholars, community practitioners, and trained spiritual directors.