At Duke Divinity School, we form students for ministry in a variety of ways: through coursework, worship, workshops, field education, spiritual formation groups, Commissioning and Full Connection seminars, houses of study, and denominational associations.
In all of our programs, a thoughtful and imaginative engagement with Scripture and tradition, rigorous reflection, and interaction with people’s experiences and the dynamics of the contemporary world come together to form a community of reflective practitioners and leaders for the Church.
Formational and Denominational Support
Our houses of study help prepare you for service—and ordination—in the communities and denominations in which you’ll serve. They include the Baptist House of Studies, Anglican Episcopal House of Studies, Office of Black Church Studies, Methodist House, Presbyterian/Reformed House of Studies, and Hispanic House of Studies.
Field Education
We build paid field education internships into our three-year M.Div. program, so students receive practical experience and training as a complement to work done in the classroom.
Mentoring for Ministry Programs
Special Mentoring for Ministry programs provide opportunities for students to discern vocational calling, hear from and develop relationships with experienced ministers, strengthen leadership skills, practice spiritual reflection, and gain practical knowledge to aid in the transition from academic life to lay or ordained ministry in the church and wider world. Recent topics have included:
- Pastoral Care: Death and Dying
- New Approaches to Accessible Worship Language
- Leadership: The Holy Spirit in Ministry
- Finding Your Preaching Voice
- Self-Care and Community
- Pastoral Care for the Sexually Abused
- Inter-faith Dialogue
- Managing Conflict: Race, Gender, and Power
- Military Service and Moral Injury
- Ministerial Arts: Humour
Programs for Clergy & Laity
Duke Divinity School hosts a number of training programs, conferences, and workshops to help new and experienced clergy and laity grow in their vocations, including Full Connection seminars, the Institute of Preaching, and Study Leave for Ministry Professionals. See UMC Training Programs and Clergy/Laity Training & Programs.