Strengthening the Faithful
March 20, 2025
A DMin Teaches New Skills to Empower Black Church Leaders
“I’m here to think about how we help congregations rediscover or redefine their ‘Why!’” Rev. Conitras Houston Dickens’ face lights up as she talks about her Doctor of Ministry research. A second-year student in the Strategic Leadership for Black Congregations program track—one of two distinct DMin foci that Garrett offers—her project beautifully encapsulates the course of study’s broader intention. Directed by Rev. Dr. Reginald Blount, Garrett’s Murray H. Leiffer Associate Professor of Formation, Leadership and Culture and Director of the Center for the Church and the Black Experience, the degree equips pastors with tangible skills for ministry. “It’s been invaluable,” she says. “It’s not ‘I’ll get this degree and use it later.’ I remember one day I had a class with Dr. Blount, had a board meeting that evening, and was already using the information I was shown.”
The program dedicates particular focus to expanding churches’ social impact, grounded in an understanding that congregations’ collaboration with their wider community often determines the gospel’s reach. “The Black Church has always been more than a place of worship,” says Dr. Blount. “It is the heartbeat of the community. When we empower congregations to engage in social impact, we are not just preaching the gospel; we are living it.” It’s a sentiment affirmed by Rev. Cassius Rudolph, another DMin candidate in the program. “I grew up in the prophetic Black tradition where church is not just a congregation that meets on Sunday,” he says. “The unique history and culture of the Black Church impacts every aspect of community life.”
This distinctive approach benefits greatly from leadership and management courses offered alongside more traditional theological fare. Students often highlight the partnership with Northwestern University’s renowned Kellogg School of Business as an essential part of why they would recommend the DMin to other pastors. “I can’t say enough about the brilliancy in the marriage between Garrett and Kellogg,” Rev. Houston Dickens gushes. “Prior to entering the DMin program, our church was already in conversation about the need for a more impactful outreach arm, and the certificate of nonprofit leadership gave me all the tools I needed.” Rev. Rudolph shares his enthusiasm. “I wanted to find a program that was practical, one that spoke to the lived experiences of working in Black congregations,” he confides. “Pairing classes like stewardship, entrepreneurial church theories, or practices of nonviolent change with Kellogg courses is amazing. It gives you that push, and a foundation on which to build.”
This work to expand churches’ social impact ministries is particularly essential in a political climate where freedoms and public resources are under assault. “This is a very dangerous time,” Rev. Rudolph says. “The rights so many people bled and died for are being snatched away, government jobs are slashed, food programs cut, people deported—you can’t be a follower of Christ and not offer resources when Jesus tells us in the Bible, ‘I was hungry, you fed me. I was naked, you clothed me. What you do for the least of these, you do for me.’” Rev. Houston Dickens concurs about the urgency of meeting people’s needs, adding that it’s part of how churches proclaim God’s word. “We have the responsibility to speak hope when people find themselves in the space of hopelessness,” she says. “Part of rediscovering our ‘why’ is not just giving a message that the Lord will provide joy in the midst of your sorrow, but also, ‘Here’s a program that teaches you a new skill, or one that shows you resources that still exist while other resources are being threatened.’”
Both pastors are in the process of working with their churches to launch community non-profits to meet these pressing needs, a testament to how the DMin equips ministers to make change well before they receive their diplomas. Rev. Houston Dickens’ and the DuPage AME Church are starting The Harambee Initiative, Inc., named for the Swahili word that means “to pull together.” They intend to build a new center that will house a food pantry, an early learning center, physical activities for youth and elders, and skill-development programs. “We want to be a community hub for the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being for all of DuPage County,” she shares with joy. Rev. Rudolph and the Saints Memorial Community Church have kindred plans. “We’re in the process of creating a community development corporation because we have land by our church and we’re dreaming about what we can do,” he says. “Can we build a senior home or public housing? A community resource center? I want the Church to be a place where folks come every day—seniors doing Pilates or Zumba, students arriving in the afternoon to work on math and reading with retired professors.”
Together, Dr. Blount and the students pursuing Doctorates of Ministry in Strategic Leadership for Black Congregations are laboring for a world where Black Church expands its historic role as a center for thriving Black communal life. “Strategic leadership in ministry extends beyond merely managing a church; it focuses on making a positive impact on the lives of individuals and the wider community,” Dr. Blount explains. “Our goal is to empower pastors to be both inspiring spiritual leaders and compassionate social architects.”It’s what it looks like to live an embodied resurrection hope. “When things begin to go bad, folks turn back to the church,” Rev. Rudolph observes. “The Church can be the center of moral truth and understanding, and refuge to people in crisis.” While some might view this as a challenge, the program cultivates leaders who see this moment through the lens of opportunity and joy. “We can make our walls wider when we rediscover our ‘why,’” Rev. Houston Dickens concludes. “We can be an anchor space for our people, because that’s what the Black Church has always been.”