Professional Dissertations DMin

Date of Award

1987

Document Type

Project Report

Degree Name

Doctor of Ministry

College

Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary

Program

Doctor of Ministry DMin

First Advisor

Robert M. Johnston

Second Advisor

C. Raymond Holmes

Third Advisor

Benjamin D. Schoun

Abstract

Problem

Current research demonstrates that we cannot assume that seminarians have received sufficient guidance in spiritual formation prior to the completion of their Seminary training. Therefore, there is a great need to explore ways of nurturing spiritual formation for those involved in pastoral ministry. It was the purpose of this present study to explore the potential of spiritual direction as a dynamic for nurturing the pastor's spiritual discipline of prayer.

Method

A spiritual friend, who had received training in spiritual direction, was selected with guidance from Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation. A twelve-month case study was established with the author of the present study as the directee. The experience was recorded in a spiritual journal.

Results

The process of spiritual direction proved to be a powerful dynamic in nurturing the spiritual discipline of prayer in the directee. The spiritual journal records a process of significant spiritual formation.

Conclusions

While no normative conclusions can be drawn, the recorded experience of the author is a testimony to the potential of spiritual direction as a dynamic for nurturing spiritual life in ministry.

Subject Area

Clergy--Religious life: Spiritual direction; Spiritual formation; Prayer

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

DOI

https://dx.doi.org/10.32597/dmin/203/

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