Greetings from the President

Hello.  I’m Carl Savage the newly-elected president of the Association for Doctor of Ministry Education (ADME) and I just returned from our annual meeting held this year at Austin Presbyterian Theological School in Austin, Texas.  But like the old commercials for the Hair Club for Men, “I am not only the president; I’m also a client!”  

My involvement with DMin education stretches back to my own time in the classroom in the 80’s when I earned my DMIN degree.  Now, at the Theological School at Drew University, I serve as a Director of the Doctor of Ministry program, and in this capacity I have come to value even more the mission of ADME. Through ADME and its Journal of Christian Ministry, directors from across the gamut of the over 140 programs in the US and Canada come together to discuss, exchange, and develop ideas to further the effectiveness and impact of this unique form of theological education.

At our annual meetings (usually held in April at participating seminaries), we have opportunities to meet and dialogue with distinguished keynote speakers whose research is relevant to our work. We participate in workshops to engage with fellow practioners about our discipline, present peer reviewed papers, and discuss matters related to ATS accreditation, the assessment of program outcomes, visa issues for international students or other hot topic issues that we face. We hear from ATS through its representative who attends with us to bring a perspective from our accrediting body on the state of DMIN education and to hear from us concerning the same.  We also can find training for those of us who are new to the director position at their institution in order to gain helpful perspectives from “veterans” on how to face the varied demands of this unique vocation. Whether you have “been in the business” long term or are just starting out as director, I think that you will find attendance at our annual meeting well worth it.

So, what is on the agenda for the organization in the upcoming year?  Well, first, our annual meeting for 2011 will be held in New Orleans at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary where our distinguished speaker will be Mary Clark Moschella. 

Second, look for continued improvements on the website— a members only section with articles and podcasts from the annual meeting, and contact info for networking with other directors. 

Third, we will begin work on visa issues.  We will be exploring options for ADME engaging as a possible third party to help member institutions garner J-1 visas for students and faculty as well as pursuing legislative action for a proposed F-5 visa.  Finally, we would like to hear from you about other issues that you feel we as an organization need to consider.

I am not only a client; I’m also the president.  As such, I would be glad to try to answer any questions or be of further assistance to you and your program. Please feel free to contact me at: csavage@drew.edu .

Grace and Peace
Carl Savage, D.Min., PhD.