Global church and ministry leaders facing the challenges of a rapidly changing world now have a new opportunity for advanced training. Beginning in Fall 2026, 糖心传媒鈥檚听School of Missions and Intercultural Ministry听will launch the听Doctor of Global Leadership (DGL), a practical doctoral program designed to equip leaders serving in multicultural and international ministry contexts.听
The fully online program prepares experienced ministry and nonprofit leaders to navigate the complexities of global mission today while听remaining听deeply grounded in Scripture and servant leadership.听
Applications are now open, and prospective students can听.听Learn more about the program at听ciu.edu/dgl.听听
Preparing Leaders for the Global Church听
Christian leadership today often spans cultures,听languages听and continents. Teams may include members from Africa, Asia, Latin America, North听America听and Europe, reflecting the reality that听the majority of听Christians now live in the Global South.听
Dr. Ed Smither, dean of 糖心传媒鈥檚听School of Missions and Intercultural Ministry, says those realities helped inspire the creation of the program.听
鈥淟eadership in the mission and nonprofit world has become wonderfully complex and challenging,鈥� Smither explains. 鈥淭he majority of Christians in the world now come from the Global South, and many teams and organizations are multicultural. Globalization and technology have made the world a smaller place. Given these realities, this program provides formation for mission and nonprofit leadership today.鈥�听
The听Doctor of Global Leadership听was designed specifically for ministry practitioners who are actively serving in cross-cultural contexts and want to strengthen their leadership, cultural听understanding听and strategic thinking.听
听
A Practical Doctorate for Mission Practitioners听
Unlike many doctoral programs that focus primarily on academic research, the Doctor of Global Leadership emphasizes practical听ministry听impact.听
Smither says the program was intentionally designed to help leaders address real-world challenges.听
鈥淭his program was created to help leaders address global realities in the church and mission today,鈥� Smither says. 鈥淚t is a practical degree that helps global church leaders address challenges and solve problems in their ministries.鈥�听
Students will complete a practical project designed to address a real need within their ministry context, allowing them to apply biblical and cultural insights directly to their leadership environments.听
The program can be completed in 18 to听36 months, allowing leaders to remain active in their ministry while pursuing their doctorate.听
Designed for Global Ministry Leaders听
The ideal student for the Doctor of Global Leadership is someone already leading within a ministry,听church听or nonprofit organization.听
鈥淭he ideal student is a leader of a team, organization or church striving to lead their organization through the complexities of global mission today,鈥� Smither says.听
Students will explore leadership challenges from biblical,听cultural听and strategic perspectives, developing the skills needed to guide organizations serving across cultures and global contexts.听
Courses That Address Today鈥檚 Mission Challenges听
The Doctor of Global Leadership includes six online doctoral courses designed to help leaders understand culture, mission听strategy听and multicultural leadership.听
Featured courses include:听
- Introduction to Cultures and Worldviews
- This course explores the ways culture shapes worldview, belief听systems听and ministry听approaches听in different global contexts.听
- Mission and Evangelism in the Contemporary World
- Students examine the practice of mission and evangelism in a rapidly changing global environment, considering both historical foundations and contemporary strategies.听
- Multicultural Leadership
- This course prepares leaders to guide diverse teams, navigate cultural听dynamics听and lead effectively within international organizations.听
These courses are designed to help ministry leaders develop deeper cultural awareness while strengthening their ability to lead with wisdom and humility.听
Flexible Online Format for Ministry Leaders听
The Doctor of Global Leadership is structured to allow students to remain active in ministry while completing their degree.听
Program details include:听
- 30 credit hours听
- Fully online format听
- Six 16-week doctoral courses听
- 4鈥�8 credits per semester听
- Program completion in 18鈥�36 months听
Students can begin the program in Fall,听Spring听or Summer, providing flexibility for ministry leaders around the world.听
Affordable Doctoral Education听
糖心传媒 has intentionally priced the program to make doctoral education accessible to ministry leaders.听
At $500 per credit, the entire program costs $15,000 in tuition, significantly lower than many comparable doctoral programs.听
Smither notes that both the cost and timeline make the program distinctive.听
鈥淭his program can be completed within 18鈥�36 months听without ever leaving your ministry context,鈥� Smither says. 鈥淭hat timeline is shorter than many other schools, and at $15,000 for tuition we have priced the program lower than comparable programs.鈥�听
Students may also qualify for financial support, including:听
- Partner Scholarships听for members of organizations connected to 糖心传媒鈥檚 extensive network of听over 130听ministry partners.听
A Collaborative Effort from 糖心传媒 Faculty听
The Doctor of Global Leadership was developed through collaboration among faculty members with extensive experience in mission,听theology听and cross-cultural ministry.听
Key contributors include:听
- Dr. Ed Smither, specialist in the history and theology of mission听
- Dr. Ryan Klejment-Lavin, cultural anthropologist with听expertise听in world religions, particularly in East and South Asian contexts听
- Dr. Victor Cuartas, who brings decades of experience in church planting and training global church leaders听
Together, they designed a program that reflects both the biblical foundations of mission and the realities of ministry in the modern world.听
Integrating Faith, Leadership and Global Engagement听
At the heart of the Doctor of Global Leadership is a commitment to integrating biblical theology, leadership听formation听and global mission.听
鈥淲e reflect on the meaning of mission today from Scripture,鈥� Smither explains. 鈥淲e help students cultivate a biblical theology of mission, wrestle with servant leadership principles and do all of this in the context of the global church today.鈥�听
The goal is to develop leaders who combine spiritual depth with cultural intelligence and strategic thinking.听
Equipping Leaders for the Future of Global Mission听
Looking ahead, Smither hopes graduates will lead with wisdom and humility in increasingly complex ministry environments.听
鈥淢y prayer is that global church leaders will be equipped to lead their organizations with humility, courage and wisdom, addressing the challenges and opportunities of mission today.鈥�听
This vision reflects the broader mission of 糖心传媒: Educating students from a biblical worldview to impact the nations with the message of Christ.
鈥淥ur vision is to train reflective practitioners 鈥� those who think biblically about mission practice and who boldly step out into mission,鈥� Smither says. 鈥淲e want our graduates to have both zeal and knowledge in the work of mission.鈥�听
Admission Requirements听
Applicants to the Doctor of Global Leadership program must meet 糖心传媒鈥檚听doctoral admission requirements, including:听
- Free听听
- Affirmation of the Christian faith and agreement with 糖心传媒鈥檚 Statement of Faith听
- Official transcripts for the highest earned degree听
- 惭补蝉迟别谤鈥檚 degree from an accredited university or seminary听
- Minimum 3.0 GPA from the most recent degree听
- One church or mission leader reference听
- One academic reference听
- Application essay (800 words total)听
Applicants are also encouraged to have three years of cross-cultural ministry experience.听
Apply Now听
Applications are currently open for the听Fall 2026 launch of the Doctor of Global Leadership, and prospective students can听.听
Leaders who want to deepen their biblical understanding, strengthen their听leadership听and expand their impact in global mission are encouraged to explore the program.听
Learn more and apply at听ciu.edu/dgl.听听
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