Strengthened by a Cohort of Peers 

Kay Eck

From the beginning of the program, the Rev. Kay Eck, executive pastor at Lovers Lane UMC in Dallas, Tex., found that her ministry context was not set aside for academic work—it became the focus of it.

“The Duke DMin program has been very practical in challenging me to consider my current ministry context and apply learnings from each class to that context,” Eck said. “The class discussions, readings, lectures, and writings have all helped me to deepen my understanding of my own contextual leadership and how my leadership can shape other contexts.”

That practical focus led to a pivotal moment during her first semester.

“The first fall semester we were assigned an ‘adaptive challenge’ project with two other classmates in which we presented a challenge and then offered questions, listening, feedback, and advice to our group,” she said. “I asked my group a question I have been wrestling with for a couple of years, and processing it with them helped me to make a courageous decision that was hard, yet needed, and is now bearing fruit within our church.”

Even with the demands of ministry and family life, Eck says she’s deeply grateful for the experience. 

“All I can say is that it has been the most life-giving, fruitful, wonderful experience for me,” she said. “I have come to love my cohort, have been energized in ministry, and feel as though this is just what I needed after 20 years in ministry to prepare me well for the next 20.”

Grounded in a Larger Community 

Emily Rowell Brown

For the Rev. Emily Rowell Brown, associate rector at Christ Episcopal Church in Tuscaloosa, Ala., one of the defining strengths of the program is the way it fosters learning across diverse ministry experiences.

“A strength of the program is the learning that happens from fellow classmates as we compare our ministry contexts,” Brown said. “Not only do I learn new strategies and concepts from course reading, but I also discover fresh ideas and perspectives as I listen to my colleagues share about their own opportunities and challenges.”

That collaborative environment extends into the academic work since faculty and peers alike have experience working in ministry, and the coursework is ministry-focused. 

“I have appreciated that the DMin courses are both academically rigorous and practical in nature. Many of the instructors have served in congregational ministry themselves for many years, and they bring their real-world experience to the classroom,” she said. “Papers and projects often invite me to try something new in my own ministry setting. My DMin coursework is not separate from my ministry but enhances what I am doing in my parish.”

For Brown, her cohort, faculty mentors, and Divinity staff were a source of support in balancing responsibilities—especially the “fabulous library staff,” she adds. 

“It is demanding to balance doctoral work alongside a full-time ministry career and family responsibilities, but I am not doing it alone,” Brown said. “Walking through this experience with other dedicated ministry professionals makes all the difference.”

Leading with Intentionality 

Alvin Brown

For the Rev. Alvin Brown, who is responsible for evangelism at St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla., the program has sharpened his connection between theology and public life.

“The program has pushed me to see my ministry context not only as a site of service, but as a place of theological action,” Brown said. “Rather than separating faith from public life, the DMin has sharpened my conviction that justice-oriented work is an essential expression of discipleship. That perspective has helped me lead with greater intentionality and courage.”

In the classroom, that perspective is grounded in real-world challenges so that the learning is actionable. 

“The DMin program consistently invites us to bring real, unresolved challenges into theological conversation,” he said. “In my case, issues like housing inequity, digital access, and community displacement are treated as serious theological concerns, not side projects.”

For Brown, a simple shift in communication through tools he learned in the program drastically changed his ministry situation. 

“A class discussion on adaptive leadership and communication reshaped how I approached public advocacy around housing policy,” Brown said. “I learned to communicate it as a moral and theological concern rooted in dignity and belonging. That shift changed how community partners and decision-makers engaged the work. The classroom helped me see that how we communicate justice matters as much as what we advocate for.”

For Brown, the program proved to be sustaining by reframing what justice-oriented leadership could look like.

“The program has deepened my understanding of leadership as a shared, relational practice rather than a positional one,” he said. “The DMin does not pull you away from ministry; it refines how you engage it. Rather than adding disconnected tasks, it helps you think more clearly and faithfully about what you are already doing.”

The hope in Duke Divinity’s DMin program is that the classroom extends far beyond campus. It continues in congregations, communities, and public spaces where students are already leading. For these graduating students, the result is not simply a degree, but a stronger, more intentional practice of ministry—shaped in real time for the communities they serve.