Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 30 of 287

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Apologetic Knowledge: The Modern Church Planter, Matthew Dilley Dec 2023

Apologetic Knowledge: The Modern Church Planter, Matthew Dilley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project addresses a critical need within the ministry field, focusing on pastors affiliated with the church planting networks Excel Leadership Network and Transformation Ministries. The context is shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on church planting, with a shift to online services and emerging challenges in ministry. The problem is the significant lack of knowledge of apologetics among church planters, hindering their ability to effectively articulate and defend the Christian faith in today's postmodern world, particularly when engaging with non-believers. This DMIN action research project aims to create a concise video curriculum that equips pastors with fundamental apologetics knowledge. …


The Chiefs Of Chota And The Charles Town Merchants: A Vital Alliance That Ensured The Growth And Success Of South Carolina, 1692-1760, Nicola Symonds Dec 2023

The Chiefs Of Chota And The Charles Town Merchants: A Vital Alliance That Ensured The Growth And Success Of South Carolina, 1692-1760, Nicola Symonds

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The contributions of three generations of Overhill Cherokee and the Thomas Pinckney family played a significant role in the growth of Charleston, South Carolina, leaving a lasting impact not only on the American nation but also on the survival of their community and the prosperity of South Carolina. These legacies are essential parts of the rich history of the United States. This dissertation provides a unique perspective on the relationship between these men, offering insights that previous historians have yet to uncover. By examining the social, economic, and political histories of the early settlers of Charles Town, as well as …


A College Outreach Initiative To Connect Paine College Students With Thankful Baptist Church, Christopher J. Waters Dec 2023

A College Outreach Initiative To Connect Paine College Students With Thankful Baptist Church, Christopher J. Waters

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

College students’ declining attendance and participation at Thankful Baptist Church is a growing concern for the congregation and its leadership. For over one hundred years the church has had a strong outreach to the students at Paine College, a local HBCU and private Christian institution. However, over the last five years Thankful Baptist Church’s outreach to Paine College students has declined significantly. This research project implemented training for ten outreach volunteers and six weeks of mentoring for ten Paine College students to revive the declined college ministry to Paine College into an active ministry which attracts and retains college students …


A Correlational Study: Second-Chair Leaders' Level 5 Leadership Score And Church Growth Among Southern Baptist Megachurches, Martin Benjamin Lovvorn Dec 2023

A Correlational Study: Second-Chair Leaders' Level 5 Leadership Score And Church Growth Among Southern Baptist Megachurches, Martin Benjamin Lovvorn

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As the church strives to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges and navigate tumultuous times to fulfill its Great Commission, church leaders must strive to understand the type of leadership required to best accomplish their kingdom work. In researching the type of pastoral leadership that will most effectively build the church of Jesus Christ and advance his kingdom, much work has been dedicated to examining the leadership styles and influence of senior or lead pastors. However, few studies have explored the influence of second-chair pastoral leaders (SCPLs). This study is the first to quantitatively examine whether SCPLs who demonstrate the personal humility …


A Brief History Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints With Emphasis On The Charismatic Roots Of The Race-Based Priesthood Denial, Wayne A. Denton Dec 2023

A Brief History Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints With Emphasis On The Charismatic Roots Of The Race-Based Priesthood Denial, Wayne A. Denton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation provides an overview of the history of race relations and the evolution of authority in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). It traces the early charismatic leadership of Joseph Smith and his liberal racial views, which increased tension between the LDS church and broader American society. After Smith's death, Brigham Young instituted racist policies like slavery in Utah and a priesthood ban for black members to reduce tensions. In the Progressive Era, LDS scholars theologically entrenched the priesthood ban despite their progressive leanings. A push towards correlation and centralized control of doctrine in the twentieth …


The History Of Systemic Racism In The Texas Rangers, John E. Jordan Jr. Dec 2023

The History Of Systemic Racism In The Texas Rangers, John E. Jordan Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

White people dominated North American society from the first settlement of North America through the twentieth century and their own cultural norms dictated their actions, both good and bad. The Texas Rangers and other police officers in Texas played a major role in the discrimination of people of color, particularly the Hispanic population. Systemic racism is found in the militarizing of the police and how they interacted with people of color.


The Influences Of Music On The Confidence And Sense Of Belonging Of Children, Melinda Sue Mertz Dec 2023

The Influences Of Music On The Confidence And Sense Of Belonging Of Children, Melinda Sue Mertz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Human emotion is greatly affected by music. Both listening to and creating music influence a person’s emotions. Despite the research supporting this finding, there is a lack of research detailing how music influences the confidence and sense of belonging for the early childhood student. This issue is important because educators are concerned about the mental wellbeing of their students. The observation of how music effects the confidence and sense of belonging of a child may assist educators to improve the issue of mental health among the students in their schools. This qualitative case study, which takes place in South Africa, …


An Integrated Approach To Developing Pastoral Efficacy For Addiction Crisis Ministry, Matthias Ponce-De-Leon Dec 2023

An Integrated Approach To Developing Pastoral Efficacy For Addiction Crisis Ministry, Matthias Ponce-De-Leon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The current addiction epidemic has heightened human suffering in many ways globally. This action research project built and implemented a training system to prepare pastors for encounters with individuals and families in substance addiction crises. The primary focus of the training system was to integrate existing approaches to pastoral equipping while advancing the theological framing of addiction models. In doing so, pastors developed understanding and confidence for facing the logistical, personal, and theological challenges in ministry to addicts and their families. Twelve pastors participated in the designed intervention, a 3-hour training workshop, and their shifts in perspectives and strategies for …


The Necessity Of Spiritual Preparation In Short-Term Missions As It Correlates To Ministry Effectiveness, Brent Edward Allen Dec 2023

The Necessity Of Spiritual Preparation In Short-Term Missions As It Correlates To Ministry Effectiveness, Brent Edward Allen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There is a lack of resources available providing spiritual preparation training specifically for teams preparing for a STM with M4 Institute. The purpose of this action research project is two-fold. First, to develop a spiritual preparation resource for STM work in the Western Highlands of Guatemala. Second, to determine if providing spiritual preparation training for a team preparing for said STM work will improve the ministry effectiveness of the trip. An eight-week, five-phase intervention guide was created to implement with the focus group. This consisted of two in-person, on-site team trainings, three pre-trip Zoom team meetings, mid-trip communications with participants …


Retaining Students After Graduation With Biblical Servanthood, Carlos Henrique De Freitas Dec 2023

Retaining Students After Graduation With Biblical Servanthood, Carlos Henrique De Freitas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis addresses the inadequate understanding of the biblical concept of servanthood among high school students (grades 9-12) within the congregation of Macland Baptist Church in Powder Springs, Georgia. As a result of this problem, students gradually distance themselves from their faith, discontinue church attendance, and cease participating in church service activities. The thesis of this paper is that exposing these high school students to various dimensions of biblical servanthood will significantly impact their understanding of this concept. The underlying assumption posits that a profound understanding of biblical servanthood, coupled with knowledge and service opportunities, will cultivate Christlike character in …


A Qualitative Study Of Media Dependency Theory On Tiktok Citizen Journalists, Jaron David Paschke Dec 2023

A Qualitative Study Of Media Dependency Theory On Tiktok Citizen Journalists, Jaron David Paschke

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this dissertation was to determine the problem with depending on citizen journalism for news updates on TikTok during Hurricane Ian. To accomplish that, three types of qualitative content analysis were deployed to answer three separate but related research questions. First, a conventional content analysis was used to determine if the communicative roles of citizen journalists differed from their mainstream media counterparts during a crisis. Second, a summative content analysis was used to determine how effective crisis communications from citizen journalists were when compared to those produced by the mainstream media. Lastly, a directed content analysis was used …


The Political Evolution Of Howell Cobb On The Road To Secession In Antebellum Georgia History, Kathryn M. Haney Dec 2023

The Political Evolution Of Howell Cobb On The Road To Secession In Antebellum Georgia History, Kathryn M. Haney

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

“The Political Evolution of Howell Cobb on the Road to Secession in Antebellum Georgia History” examines how Howell Cobb, the Southern Democratic politician who fiercely advocated for the preservation of the Union, eventually capitulated to the secession of Georgia. The five-term congressman, Georgia Governor, and Secretary of the Treasury was a key figure in the political history of Antebellum Georgia on the eve of secession. Cobb sought compromise through legislative solutions to sectional issues, argued against a state’s constitutional right to secession without just cause, and advocated for the doctrine of popular sovereignty with regards to the institution of slavery. …


Tears Of Anger: The Compositional Function And Theology Of Imprecation In The Book Of Lamentations, Christopher William Peters Dec 2023

Tears Of Anger: The Compositional Function And Theology Of Imprecation In The Book Of Lamentations, Christopher William Peters

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Since the rise of redaction criticism as an area of scriptural exploration, much scholarship has centered on the composition of discrete biblical texts. Recently, research has expanded into treatments of canonical composition, determining how individual books unite into the larger Old Testament, New Testament, or biblical corpus. Given the lacuna surrounding these areas of research into the Old Testament Writings, this dissertation will explore compositional strategy and theology in the book of Lamentations. The thesis of this dissertation proposes that the imprecations of the book of Lamentations function textually as compositional seams to unite the poems into a cohesive whole …


The Salvation Testimony Of African-American Converts In The Protestant Faith: A Phenomenological Study, Tenielle Jones Cook Dec 2023

The Salvation Testimony Of African-American Converts In The Protestant Faith: A Phenomenological Study, Tenielle Jones Cook

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Humanity's frailty and mortal existence create the space for a spiritual conversion experience that resolves matters of life and death. However, spirituality is an abstract concept with an ambiguous definition, and activities surrounding the application of its concepts are interpreted differently from one religious group or community to the next. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the salvation testimony of African-American males and females in the Protestant faith. A semi-structured interview and Conversation analysis are used for data collection and analysis to identify emerging themes for the descriptive essence of the salvation testimony. At this stage in …


With Or Without The Table, We Gather: Reinforcing Innate Resiliencies In The African American Family, Jessica L. Stevens-Eddy Dec 2023

With Or Without The Table, We Gather: Reinforcing Innate Resiliencies In The African American Family, Jessica L. Stevens-Eddy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative study aims to determine whether food-sharing (gathering to eat) can be considered a suitable medium to facilitate increased cohesion within African American families. This study focuses on informal food-sharing as an extension of formal meal-sharing. Previous research links consistent formal meal-sharing to positive and secure identity development, better familial attachment, and improved family cohesion. These practices leave a lasting, detrimental impact on the African American family model. Additional barriers to some African American family meal-sharing practices include working extended and atypical work hours, food insecurity, and poor familial communication. There is a lack of research concerning the impact …


A Case For Offering An Associate Of Fine Arts In Music At Community Colleges In Rural Northwestern And Northern Regions Of North Carolina, Frieda Eakins Dec 2023

A Case For Offering An Associate Of Fine Arts In Music At Community Colleges In Rural Northwestern And Northern Regions Of North Carolina, Frieda Eakins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative method research paper with survey design identifies the need to implement an associate in fine arts degree in music at community colleges located in the rural northwestern and northern regions of North Carolina. A music degree would provide early college students with music courses comparable to those offered in traditional area high schools and greater accessibility for a diverse student population of community college students. At the inception of this study, early college high school programs in rural northwestern and northern regions of North Carolina did not offer music courses. Students in these programs relied on the community …


Worship And The Generational Divide: A Study Of Inclusive Worship In The Church, Willie S. Moody Dec 2023

Worship And The Generational Divide: A Study Of Inclusive Worship In The Church, Willie S. Moody

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Every generation has a different way of engaging in congregational worship, sometimes at odds with another generation. The current challenge for pastors and worship leaders of churches with multiple generations is planning worship services that consider the congregation's complex make-up and remain faithful to the principles of biblical worship. The purpose of this qualitative research project is to provide a worship model that facilitates the worship styles and preferences of multiple generations within a church congregation. An atmosphere of worship is desired for all persons attending weekly worship services whose hearts and minds are receptive to the move of God …


Toward An Analysis Of The Abductive Moral Argument For God’S Existence: Assessing The Evidential Quality Of Moral Phenomena And The Evidential Virtuosity Of Christian Theological Models, David Ochabski Dec 2023

Toward An Analysis Of The Abductive Moral Argument For God’S Existence: Assessing The Evidential Quality Of Moral Phenomena And The Evidential Virtuosity Of Christian Theological Models, David Ochabski

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The moral argument for God’s existence is perhaps the oldest and most salient of the arguments from natural theology. In contemporary literature, there has been a focus on the abductive version of the moral argument. Although the mode of reasoning, abduction, has been articulated, there has not been a robust articulation of the individual components of the argument. Such an articulation would include the data quality of moral phenomena, the theoretical virtuosity of theological models that explain the moral phenomena, and how both contribute to the likelihood of moral arguments. The goal of this paper is to provide such an …


John’S Complementing Of Mark’S Wicked Tenants Parable In His Metaphor Of The True Vine, John F. Cespedes Dec 2023

John’S Complementing Of Mark’S Wicked Tenants Parable In His Metaphor Of The True Vine, John F. Cespedes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The relationship between the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke is well known, but the question of John’s dependence has been researched by countless scholars since the first century without the formation of a consensus. This study seeks to enter this discussion through the examination of the relationship between Mark’s wicked tenants parable (Mark 12:1–12) and John’s true vine metaphor (John 15:1–17). John’s metaphor of the true vine is replete with images woven through the Old Testament and carried forward into the New. In John’s metaphor, Jesus presents himself as the true Israel and says that His followers are the …


Christological Application Of The Mosaic Law: A Hermeneutical And Exegetical Exploration, Nabeel Saqib Dec 2023

Christological Application Of The Mosaic Law: A Hermeneutical And Exegetical Exploration, Nabeel Saqib

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study is a hermeneutical and exegetical exploration of the Christological application of the Mosaic Law for Christians. It involves a clear understanding of the relationship between the continuity and discontinuity from the Old Testament to the New Testament, the relationship between Israel and the Church as people of God, and the relationship between the Old and the New Covenant. It also requires a clear understanding of the meaning and purpose of the law for the initial audience, and its current significance for Christians today. Romans 10:4 presents Christ as the culmination of the law as it sees him as …


The Need For A Spiritual Reboot In The Youth Of Great Commission Church, Jean Max B St Louis Dec 2023

The Need For A Spiritual Reboot In The Youth Of Great Commission Church, Jean Max B St Louis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The decline of the youth attendance is evident in many Protestant churches. This research paper examined forty-three young believers from three Haitian Baptist churches, respectively, located in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. These data results help develop a suitable spiritual program that includes the six key influencing factors for spiritual growth: discipleship, mentoring, parental influence, church attendance, personal devotion, and ministerial involvement. This spiritual program was tested on a small group of young people from Great Commission Church in Queens. This research uses a mixed-method methodology, which is a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze the data. The …


Beyond Sunday Morning: Communal Singing And Corporate Identity, Justin Aaron Mckinney Dec 2023

Beyond Sunday Morning: Communal Singing And Corporate Identity, Justin Aaron Mckinney

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Corporate worship singing long aided congregants in growing their communal identity and theological understanding of biblical principles. While modern singing trends help congregants grow their theological understanding, modern church singing trends suggest songs are not encouraging growth in communal identity mimicking cultural values of individualism in corporate worship song lyrics. Historically, individual first-person pronouns represented the individuals alongside the rest of the church; but with a rise in cultural individualism, first-person pronouns now represent individuals independent of one another. This individualistic focus can lead congregants to conclude they do not need the church and to remove themselves from the body …


Coveting Relationships Over Association: The Church's Response To The Millennial's Exodus, Erik W. Switzer Dec 2023

Coveting Relationships Over Association: The Church's Response To The Millennial's Exodus, Erik W. Switzer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project identified the reasons church-affiliated millennials in Tyler, Texas, have exited the church after reaching adulthood and have failed to return in significant numbers. To capture the reasons for this generational church exodus, area millennials were invited to participate in an anonymous online survey. To participate in the survey, millennials must have regularly attended an Evangelical or Catholic church during childhood and adolescence and stopped attending church after age eighteen. The survey invitation was distributed through emails and the social media platform Facebook. The invitation contained an embedded hyperlink that directed participants to Survey Monkey. All survey results reside …


A Provident Mindset To Impostor Phenomenon Of In-Service Music Educators, Jerry Mark Buttrum Dec 2023

A Provident Mindset To Impostor Phenomenon Of In-Service Music Educators, Jerry Mark Buttrum

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Impostor Phenomenon (IP) is a psychological construct that affects many high-achieving professionals to doubt their competence, intelligence, and self-worth. As a result, many with IP will overwork and self-sabotage as they constantly feel like a fraud within their profession or daily lives. Despite previous literature and research with pre-service and graduate students in music education, more data on the IP of In-Service Music Educators still needs to be collected. Therefore, the purpose of the current study is to examine the provident mindset of IP among In-Service Music Educators. A quantitative MANOVA design method evaluated this phenomenon. The study collected quantitative …


Teacher Perceptions Of The Benefits Of Duets In Private Trumpet Lessons: A Qualitative Survey Study Of University Teachers In South Carolina, Todd Edison Jenkins Dec 2023

Teacher Perceptions Of The Benefits Of Duets In Private Trumpet Lessons: A Qualitative Survey Study Of University Teachers In South Carolina, Todd Edison Jenkins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

While research exists surrounding trumpet pedagogy and utilizing duets in piano and string lessons, no studies currently focus on teachers’ perceptions of employing duets in private college trumpet lessons. Teacher perception is important because of the significant amount of trumpet duet literature available for teachers to implement as part of their curriculum to improve the dexterity and musicianship of their students. Ensemble skills, articulation, phrasing, style, transposition, and the introduction of piccolo trumpet and trumpets in other keys are important skills at all levels of trumpet performance. Trumpet teachers may utilize duets as a facet of their curriculum to teach …


The Transformation Of Rural Elementary Classroom English Language Teachers During Distance Learning: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Cecilia Frazier Salzer Dec 2023

The Transformation Of Rural Elementary Classroom English Language Teachers During Distance Learning: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Cecilia Frazier Salzer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the transformation of rural elementary classroom teachers who transitioned to distance learning with English learners (ELs) during the COVID-19 pandemic in the California Central Valley. The theory guiding this study is Mezirow’s transformative learning theory. At the same time the conceptual framework is Technology, Pedagogy, and Content Knowledge (TPACK), as both will ascribe meaning to how EL teachers transformed their perspectives, assumptions, feelings, and judgments while conducting distance learning. The research question guiding this study is: What transformation did teachers experience while providing distance learning instruction to rural elementary English …


Moral Injury: The Hidden Adversary Of War, Lashell Y. Davis Dec 2023

Moral Injury: The Hidden Adversary Of War, Lashell Y. Davis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of United States Army combat veterans who have supported combat operations at least once over the past fourteen years in either Iraq or Afghanistan who self-identified as suffering from symptoms of moral injury. This study was designed to elucidate the impact of faith on resilience and coping mechanisms and broaden previous research on moral injury and whether Army leaders should identify and mitigate moral injury within the ranks. Phenomenology focuses on the interpretation and meaning of how individuals experience their world within a given context. Seven …


How Successful Middle School Band Directors Display Supplemental Illustrations, Instructions, And Reference Material In Their Classrooms, Christopher Ryan Kristich Dec 2023

How Successful Middle School Band Directors Display Supplemental Illustrations, Instructions, And Reference Material In Their Classrooms, Christopher Ryan Kristich

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Although presenting visual information is commonplace in a learning environment, many music educators could do this more effectively. This grounded theory project aimed to determine how successful middle school band directors display supplemental illustrations, instructions, and reference material in their classrooms. School administrators often require teachers to exhibit material related to the curriculum. Music educators are typically permitted autonomy with their wall displays if they maintain the educational parameters. Despite the potential benefits of displaying quality visual information, not all middle school band directors ensure that the auxiliary material presented in their room is relevant and constructive. Available resources that …


African Influence In The Bible: A Sub-Saharan Response To The Gospel And The Divine Prerogative Of African Incorporation In God’S Redemptive Plan, Robert Milton Bugg Jr. Dec 2023

African Influence In The Bible: A Sub-Saharan Response To The Gospel And The Divine Prerogative Of African Incorporation In God’S Redemptive Plan, Robert Milton Bugg Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Bible presents God's magnificent divine plan, executed by chosen people for a specific purpose. There are illustrations of those from various regions impacting those worldwide throughout the Bible. While much of the Old Testament takes place in ancient Mesopotamia, the magnitude of God’s plan is global. This dissertation will examine sub-Saharan people groups in Africa, particularly the Kushites and ancient Ethiopians. The discussion will include the history of Africans in the ancient world, their migration and development parallel to recorded biblical history, and their role in the Bible. Scholars utilize many different terms when referring to Kushites, depending on …


Faith Comes By Hearing: Impact Of Expository Preaching In The Worldview Of Young Adults At Sda Church Plants, Kenneth Martinez Dec 2023

Faith Comes By Hearing: Impact Of Expository Preaching In The Worldview Of Young Adults At Sda Church Plants, Kenneth Martinez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In this thesis, expository preaching is proposed as the mechanism to communicate a biblical worldview to Adventist young adults (people ages 18 to 40). This thesis project engaged the young adults of two Adventist church plants: Refuge Church and Triumph Church. The project consisted of preaching Adventist biblical theology through expository sermons, with the thesis that it would be interpreted as a worldview by young adults. The preaching series delivered salvation history, broken down into eight pericopes, and used the Great Controversy as its metanarrative. The goal of each sermon was to expound the assigned passage and its place on …