When Your Dissertation Cannot Be Your Specialization

Back years ago when I was attending Asia Baptist Graduate Theological Seminary (ABGTS), I wasn’t sure what my specialization would be. Actually, I originally thought about going with a Doctor of Missiology. Later, however, I decided to switch to Doctor of Theology (ThD) with a focus on Missions. Topically, I originally wanted to do my paper on Church-Initiated Community Development in the Philippines. The problem was that there were so few examples to study. I mean, well… there are examples of a sort. They are, however, usually relief-type projects, not development programs. If I had stuck with the DMiss, I could have done a missions project where I established a church-initiated community development project, see the project through, do the post mortem (if it is limited in length) and then write it up. However, it did not seem to be a promising topic for a ThD dissertation.

I decided to switch to what I knew best. I was involved in organizing and running short-term evangelistic medical mission events in different parts of the Philippines. I knew how to run them… but I wanted to look at how other people did it, and hoped to learn how to do it better… or more effectively.

But there was a problem. The more I read on the topic, the more I began to wonder if it is a form of missions that I want to promote. I certainly came up with a set of criteria that make this type of ministry better. However, the very nature of the ministry makes the type of medical car that could be done of limited value, and its activity really to quickly drift into ulterior motives.

I finished the dissertation. I feel I was pretty honest, and I definitely pointed out ways that it can be done well as done poorly. After my dissertation was done, I broke up the paper into 3 journal-type papers, and also produced a book on the topic. I feel good about the papers.

However, by the time I had turned in my dissertation, I had already almost completely stopped doing medical mission events. I wanted to be more involved in leader development, and in forms of care that are more relational an long-term.

Truthfully, I don’t feel this is a problem. Sure, if my dissertation was tied to my present passion and my present activity, I suppose I could be writing more books and giving seminars or coaching sessions on this topic. However, while this did not happen, it did help me to see the direction that I should go.

In many ways, my dissertation helped guide me to my new specialization. That is pretty important.