Department Chair and Teaching Faculty of Pastoral Ministries

The successful candidate for this faculty position in the Department of Pastoral Ministries at Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) will assume the full responsibility of an academic department chair. The department chair is responsible for guiding the department in alignment with the seminary's mission and strategic goals, ensuring the delivery of high-quality educational programs, and managing faculty and staff within the department. The role demands a leader who is deeply committed to the principles of evangelical theology and education. The candidate will also fulfill the responsibilities of a teaching faculty member at the DTS Dallas campus and possibly at other external campuses as needed.

The purpose of the Department of Pastoral Ministries is to prepare biblically centered, Spirit-empowered servants with pastoral hearts and skills to reach God's world, preach God's Word, and lead God's church in order to conform all people to Christ. In light of the need for pastoral hearts and skills in a wide range of church and parachurch ministries, the Department of Pastoral Ministries invites all students to participate in its courses, regardless of academic program, ministry emphasis, or vocational aspiration. Courses in this department are designed to help students employ theology in a variety of Christian ministries.

As department chair, this person is responsible for the following:

• Strategic Leadership and Planning:
  • Develop, oversee, and evaluate the goals and objectives of the department to ensure they align with the broader academic and institutional goals.
  • Call and conduct regular departmental meetings to discuss strategies, address problems, and promote departmental initiatives.
• Academic Quality and Standards:
  • Maintain the quality of instruction and ensure the curriculum meets both the seminary's standards and the evolving needs of the field.
  • Balance and appropriate the course offerings, coordinating with the Office of Academic Affairs to manage faculty teaching loads.
• Faculty Oversight:
  • Evaluate faculty performance regularly, fostering professional development and growth.
  • Identify faculty needs and recommend candidates for new hires, promotions, tenure, sabbaticals, and other academic recognitions or leaves.
  • Supervise and support departmental faculty in their professional and academic responsibilities.
• Budget Management:
  • Prepare and manage the annual departmental budget, ensuring fiscal responsibility and cost-effectiveness.
  • Control and authorize expenditures within the approved budget, while actively seeking opportunities to enhance efficiency.
• Staff Management:
  • Oversee the recruitment, appointment, and termination of nonacademic departmental staff, ensuring effective support for departmental operations.
  • Supervise nonacademic staff performance, promoting a supportive and efficient departmental environment.
• Committee Involvement:
  • Serve as a member of the Seminary's Academic Affairs Committee, contributing to broader academic policy development and decision-making processes.

As a member of the teaching faculty, this person is responsible for the following:

• Teaching and Academic Responsibilities:
  • Teach a two-thirds course load, totaling 12 adjusted credit hours per academic year.
  • Maintain scheduled office hours for student mentoring and advising.
  • Supervise theses and dissertations within the department.
  • Guide and approve student internship plans.
• Faculty Development and Participation:
  • Actively make progress toward tenure and promotions as outlined in the Faculty Handbook.
  • Attend weekly faculty meetings held on the DTS campus.
  • Participate in student orientations, campus recruitment events, and other faculty-involved activities.
  • Attend chapel programs, the annual faculty workshop in mid-August, and commencement activities in early May.
• Committee and Community Involvement:
  • Serve on assigned faculty committees, contributing to the governance and academic policies of the seminary.
  • Represent the department and DTS through research and publications.
  • Act as a representative of DTS at external events such as conferences, camps, churches, and other ministries, promoting the seminary and its educational mission.

The ideal candidate will have a doctoral degree preferably in rhetoric, communication, homiletics, biblical studies, theological studies, or pastoral/practical theology.

The ideal candidate will have proven experience in pastoral ministry (ten or more years preferable) as well as in theological education with a commitment to expository preaching as taught by the faculty in the Department of Pastoral Ministries. Because of seminary's commitment to training pastors for the global church, the ideal candidate should be culturally aware and adept to navigate global theological education needs.

Each professor at DTS must indicate full agreement with the doctrinal statement of Dallas Theological Seminary in beliefs, teaching, and writing. In addition, each professor must affirm the following statements in beliefs, teaching, and writing: Statement on Marriage and Human Sexuality; Statement on Unity, Diversity & Community; and Statement on Men and Women Learning Together at Dallas Theological Seminary (available in the faculty handbook). Each professor is committed to living by the lifestyle standards stated in the faculty handbook.

Employment is contingent on the results of a criminal background check at the point of hire.