Overview
The Doctor of Ministry Pastoral Thanatology tracks seeks to integrate the spiritual development of the student with their knowledge and skill in helping those who have experienced loss in various forms. Pastoral Thanatology explores the biblical and spiritual resources available in grief and bereavement and provides knowledge and skills for those facing or coping with grief and death from the perspective of both the dying and the bereaved.
As a graduate, you will have a deep understanding of spiritual practices and issues related to grief and loss, as well as the conceptual and methodological awareness necessary to effectively apply that knowledge in the real world. You will be equipped to make a positive impact on the lives of those around you, and to make meaningful contributions to your church, community and the wider world.
Next track begins:
May 2026
Application Deadlines
December 15, 2025 (International Students)
December 15, 2025 (Canadian & US Students Without an MDiv)
January 15, 2026 (Canadian & US Students With an MDiv)
Residency Dates
June 14-26, 2026
January 24-29, 2027
Certification
Students who have completed the academic program may apply to become a Certified Thanatologist Pastoral Specialist (CTPS) upon successful completion of the internship program.
Program Format
The Doctor of Ministry Pastoral Thanatology Track is a cohort model, with some sequenced courses. Students will complete 12 courses within 3 years, with distance learning and residency phases each year.
- The distance learning phase includes reading, writing, research, reflection, application, and collaboration primarily supported by teachers, personal growth coaches, and research portfolio advisors.
- The residency phase — two weeks in June and one week in January — includes worship and prayer, lectures, plenary discussions, group activities, small group meetings, and individual work.
Post-DMin Certificate
The Post-DMin Certificate is designed for people who already have a DMin but want to take additional courses as continued education. Students will complete 6 courses† within 3 years.
Certification
Students who have completed the academic programs of the DMin or Post-DMin Certificate (all 6 courses) may apply to become a Certified Thanatologist Pastoral Specialist (CTPS) upon successful completion of the internship program.
Notes
- Students who have already taken the Spiritual Formation Track cannot use the following course towards the Post-DMin Certificate: DMSF 0930 Journey through Suffering and Dying
- Students who want to pursue the CTPS should take all 6 thanatology courses
Courses
Year A: Formation of the Person
- DMPT 0902 Pastoral Care Through Grief, Transition and Loss†
- DMSF 0901 Listening to God: Discernment for Spiritual Formation
- DMSF 0941 Spiritual Autobiography: The Ways of the Spirit in a Life (Project Course)
- DMSF 0911 Space for God: Personalizing Sacred Practices
Year B: Formation of the Community
- DMSF 0905 Engaging Scriptures: Spiritual Formation for Information and Transformation
- DMPT 0903 Loss, Trauma and Resilience†
- DMSF 0930 Journey through Suffering and Dying†
- DMPT 0942 Grief and Bereavement: Theories and Models (Project Course)†
Year C: Applying Your Formation
- DMPT 0904 The Emotional and Spiritual Development of the Thanatologist†
- DMSF 0943 Ministry-Based Field Research (Project Course)
- DMPT 0905 Living With Loss: Finding Hope and Resurrection†
- DMSF 0947 Integration: Research Portfolio and Hearing
†Courses included in the Post-DMin Certificate and include all 3-6 DMPT courses to complete the certificate.
Course titles, descriptions and sequence may be modified when warranted after due process by the DMin Program Committee and Academic Planning Committee.
Pastoral Thanatology Faculty & Instructors
David Sherbino
Track Leader
dsherb@tyndale.ca
David Sherbino has been a faculty member at Tyndale Seminary since 1987. He has over 30 years of experience as a minister and in teaching pastoral and spiritual formation in seminars around the world. He is a popular speaker and church consultant, regularly addressing various church and ministry groups around the world.
Mark Chapman
Dr. Chapman is Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program and Professor of Research Methods. Dr. Chapman also serves as Lead Researcher for the Tyndale Intercultural Ministry Centre. He has wide experience in social science research and teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels. His most recent research is focused on flourishing congregations and multivocational ministry. He has also conducted research on religion and immigration including projects related to Canadians who are starting new churches, the relationship between faith communities and the settlement sector, and an exploration of the role of churches in immigrant settlement and integration. Other research projects have included studies of megachurches in Canada, an exploration of Canadian church attitudes to the visual arts, and networks among churches.
Kevin Livingston
Dr. Kevin Livingston is the Pastor of Clairlea Park Presbyterian Church. He is also a former Associate Professor of Pastoral Ministry. He has over 30 years of pastoral experience, is an ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church in Canada and has served congregations in Seattle, Scotland, Vancouver, and Cambridge.
J.L. Miller
Dr. J.L. Miller is the Chair of Religion and Associate Professor of Christian Ministry at Houghton University. Over the past 25 years, working with youth and young adults in the local church and on a college campus, JL has developed a deep passion for helping people of all ages discover and live into a thriving relationship with Christ. His primary research interests focus on healthy practices of spiritual formation through engagement with Scripture.
Ingrid Reichard
Dr. Ingrid Reichard is an instructor in the Tyndale DMin program, Spiritual Formation track. Ingrid has held pastoral positions in MB Churches in Canada, including a lead pastor role and national-level theological roles in her denomination. Ingrid has extensive preaching, church leadership, lecturing, and leadership development. She is currently serving in a rural church working with troubled and Indigenous youths. Ingrid is also a practicing spiritual director with a passion to see Christ’s people move toward the abundant life in Jesus. Ingrid lives on a farm on the Bruce Peninsula with her husband of over 35 years, where she looks after honey bees, Icelandic sheep, chickens and her three dogs.
Phil Reinders
Dr. Phil Reinders is an instructor in the Spiritual Formation track of Tyndale’s DMin program and serves as Lead Pastor of ClearView Church. He is the author of the prayerbook Seeking God’s Face, founded and leads the Habitus Community and writes a Substack newsletter called “Why not be a saint?”
Neal Siler
Neal Siler is the Senior Pastor of First Shiloh Baptist Church, a clinician and the founder of The Healing Place Center for Counselling and Spiritual Formation. He holds a PhD in Counselling Psychology and a DMin in Formal Counselling.
Sharon Siler
Dr. Sharon E. Siler is the Executive Director of The Healing Place Center for Counseling and Spiritual Formation in Mechanicsville, Virginia and has provided care for persons experiencing death and non-death losses for a number of years. Her work includes individual support, small groups, retreats, and workshops.