The Seminary to Early Ministry (SEM) Study

Timeline

2019 - Ongoing

Project status: In Progress

Description

How will divinity school impact students? We know surprisingly little about this topic, and so the SEM Study – the first ever long-term study of divinity school students – was born. 

This study uses surveys, in-depth interviews, ethnography, and biometric data to track who comes to seminary, what changes happen during their program, and what factors predict flourishing in ministry.

Through these rich data, we hope to paint a comprehensive picture of the student seminary experience

Team

Members

Josh Gaghan, M.T.S., Research Analyst

Kathleen Sellers, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Research Associate

Laura Hamrick, M.Div., Clergy Engagement Specialist

Whitney Carr, M.A., Communications + Engagement Coordinator

Fatimah Salleh, Ph.D., M.Div., Education Specialist

Leaders

David Eagle, Ph.D., Principal Investigator

Erin Johnston, Ph.D., Senior Research Associate

Erin Lane, M.T.S., Director of Research Translation

Sponsors

The Duke Endowment 

Contact

Josh Gaghan

Related Content

Related Links

• Introducing the Seminary to Early Ministry Study
• Adverse Childhood Experiences Among Seminarians: Personal Experiences of Trauma and Implications for Pastoral Well-Being and Ministerial Training
• “There’s theology and then there’s the people I love. . .”: Authority and Ambivalence in Seminarians’ Attitudes Toward Same-Sex Relationships, Marriage, and Ordination
• Expanding the Horizontal Call: A Typology of Social Influence on the Call to Ministry
• Seminary Students and Physical Health: Beliefs, Behaviors, and Barriers