About five years ago, when the Rev. Marlon Scott (a PCA minister) decided where to pursue his doctoral studies, he told his boss he probably hadn’t heard of the seminary where he wanted to enroll.

Not only had the Rev. Mike Stewart heard of it, he was planning to study there too.
On May 15, the two full-time chaplains for the Columbus Regional Healthcare System received their respective doctorate of ministry diplomas from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Boston, a non-denominational school with more than 2,000 students.

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Stewart’s focus was faith in the workplace; and Scott’s was marriage and family counseling.

“It was very demanding, and very taxing,” said Scott, who’s also the pastor of Emmanuel Christian Community Church. “Gordon-Conwell is a Christian, yet academically rigorous, institution,” Scott said.

For three years, each man took intensive, two-week classes on campus. Stewart traveled to the main campus in South Hamilton, Mass., and Scott to the one in Charlotte. Stewart was away the first part of each December, and Scott went the first part of each January.

Columbus Regional covered tuition costs for both chaplains. Stewart and Scott paid their own traveling expenses.

Stewart’s doctoral project focused on seeing vocations other than ordained ministry as a way to serve God…His project studied the integration of theology with one’s employment. He’s ordained in the Presbyterian Church in America.

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