3) Hood has a diverse student population, representing not only those
of the Wesleyan traditions, but also the congregational churches and
denominations. It is in this type of environment that I learn the most.
The pursuit of
advanced education:
a full-time pastor’s perspective
By R ev. Dr. Clay L. Barrow
Since earning my Master of Divinity, my calling and vocation have
taken me into Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE); police chaplaincy
in the Atlanta Police Department; Biblical Studies instructor of both
Old and New Testament at the Westminster Schools (Atlanta);
counseling in a mental health center (Sumter, SC); and to full-time
pastorates in South Carolina, Virginia and presently, North Carolina.
Over the course of my career in ministry, I felt the need and desire
to re-tool and re-equip myself for service in the present age.
I first heard of Hood Theological Seminary (HTS) and the quality
of its Doctor of Ministry program from Dr. J. C. Evans, a dear friend and
retired AME pastor, and one in the first class of the D.Min. Program in
2003. Two years later, I had the good fortune to meet Dr. Albert Aymer,
president of HTS, and to learn more about the school and the program.
Though my interest was stoked, I felt I needed more experience in the
pastorate before I could fully engage in a D.Min. program.
My interest in pursuing the D.Min. experience in the field of
ministry, and the opportunity to enroll, finally culminated in 2014
when I had the chance to meet Dr. Vergel Lattimore, HTS President
Elect. Based on our conversation, I was certain that Hood was the
ideal seminary for me and that now was the time. My concerns were
addressed and resolved:
1) I found the cost of each semester to be the most reasonable and
affordable option in comparison to other programs in North Carolina
and beyond.
2) The classes were taught by a denominationally diverse faculty
who had graduated from some of the leading and most prestigious
doctoral programs in the fields of philosophy and theology.
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CHURCH EXECUTIVE • C o n t i n u i n g E d u c a t i o n – H o o d T h e o l o g i c a l S e m i n a r y
4) The schedule for the D.Min. Program was the most pragmatic and
appropriate for my schedule as a full-time pastor, husband and father.
After having this dialogue with President Lattimore, I turned in my
application within one week, and enthusiastically read my acceptance
letter when it arrived.
In “Core I: Re-visioning Ministry,” taught by Bishop Staccato Powell
of the AME Zion Church, I was further convinced that now was the right
time and Hood was the right place for me as he challenged the cohort
to re-vision the Church and its missio Dei. I began reading materials
and books that pushed my notions of ministry. The resources, the class
interaction, and the feedback from the cohort confirmed the angst that
I felt regarding my desire to re-tool myself for ministerial service, and
validated some of the ideas I had relating to the move of the Church.
In my first Winter Intensive, I was challenged by Dr. Dora
Mbuwayesango to sharpen my exegetical skills in the class, “The
Nature of God in the Old Testament.” These two classes impacted
and altered my preaching where the exegesis of the text is “cleaner,”
and my challenge to the congregation has greater depth of vision and
sustainable energy to capture the idea.
“All three classes and instructors
stretched my vision, my mind, my
heart and my soul.”
In the Spring Semester, I took “Core II: Personal Transformation
for Effective Ministry,” taught by Dr. Vergel Lattimore, where he
invited us to engage ourselves. These three courses in the first year in
the program had the greatest impact on my journey at Hood. Bishop
Powell taught me how to capture the vision for something new, while
Dr. Mbuwayesango challenged me to drill down in my exegetical work
instead of basing my writings and reflections on inductive or deductive
rationales and assumptions. Dr. Lattimore forced me to look within my
soul and psyche to see myself, and to see myself in my work.
All three classes and instructors stretched my vision, my mind, my
heart and my soul. As a result, I opened to new and great possibilities
as I prepared for Core III.
I have seen significant changes in my pastoral counseling and
pastoral services as a direct result of the D.Min. Program and my
professional project, Implementing a Pragmatic Model for Teaching Pastoral
Care and Crisis Counseling to Candidates in the Western North Carolina
Board of Examiners of the AME Church — a project which completed my
specialization in Pastoral Theology and Care. This specialization in
the D.Min. program is designed to provide educational opportunities
for caregivers and clinical practitioners who seek advanced theoretical
and theological reflection on the contemporary practices of pastoral
care and counseling.
My pastoral care has changed in that I have found that I am more
present with my parishioners during their crises and in fellowship. The
D.Min. program at Hood Theological Seminary has brought out the best in
me, for which I am thankful and more useful in Kingdom building.
Rev. Dr. Clay L. Barrow is pastor of Clapp’s Chapel AME Church, Whitsett,
NC and an Itinerant Elder in the Western NC Conference of the 2nd Episcopal
District of the AME Church. He holds a B.A. in Psychology and Political Science
from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1993), a Master of Divinity from
Candler School of Theology at Emory University (1996), and a Doctor of Ministry
from Hood Theological Seminary (2017). Hood Seminary is fully accredited by
the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada.
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