ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT:
- REV. DR. DEBBIE TANASIECUK
The Rev. Dr. Debbie Tanasiecuk here discusses her ministry as a prison chaplain in Canada, and how earning a Doctor of Ministry Degree at NTS has better equipped her for ministry. Before pursuing the D.Min., Debbie earned two Bachelor degrees from Canadian Nazarene College (’87 &’89), and an M.Div. from the University of Winnipeg (’93). In 1995, Debbie was ordained in the Church of the Nazarene. Prior to serving as a chaplain, Debbie served as an associate minister, Dean of Student Life, and as a senior pastor. Debbie also serves as the Regional Chaplaincy Coordinator for the CNUC/Canada Region. Debbie has been married to her husband, Don, for 20 years. Their daughter, Dori, is 14 years old.
Since 2001, I have served as the Protestant Chaplain at Saskatchewan Penitentiary, a men’s medium security federal penitentiary in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada. Prior to this, I had no previous chaplaincy experience. Little did I know that being a chaplain would be my God-designed space for ministry for this time in my life. My ministry involves providing spiritual and religious support to inmates at Saskatchewan Penitentiary. I minister through chapel services, counseling, facilitating volunteer groups, and teaching courses to assist inmates in understanding themselves and their relationships. I also journey with the inmates by listening, being present, laughing, accepting, encouraging, and inviting them into a future reality that can be different than their present reality.
The NTS Doctor of Ministry Degree program gave me resources with which continue to enhance my ministry. My coursework, experiences, and new friends all continue to shape me. I especially enjoyed the on-site seminars, because they had immediate application in my context. My pastoral research project involved researching, designing, and presenting a course called Being Adult which I offered to inmates and to the adult Sunday school class I teach in my local church. This research project contributed to my ministry in terms of broadening my theological interests, sharpening my skills as a teacher, and strengthening me to give better pastoral care.
I continue to use Being Adult in my ministry. It is proving to be life-giving to the inmates and me as we grapple with the issues of being an adult. I am also teaching the Nazarene Ministerial Course of Study modules in the penitentiary to both inmates and persons from my local church. My D.Min. experience contributes to how I teach, especially in terms of my understanding of holiness. I am now better equipped to respond to the future into which God invites me, and I am excited about living in response to God here and anywhere else God may lead.
To learn more about the NTS Doctor of Ministry Degree Program, see www.nts.edu/dmin.