Digital Commons Network^™

Development Of An Action Plan To Transform The Erwin Hills Seventh-Day Adventist Church Into A Family-Friendly Church For The Purpose Of Winning Families With Youth And Children, Eli Rojas

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Through a period of a few years the Erwin Hills Seventh-day Adventist Church went from a thriving congregation with members of all ages to a small group of faithful members who desired to see the return of the days when their church was thriving. As the new pastor took office a desire to change came upon the leadership, one that led them to think of ways to attract and retain families to their ranks. There was a lack in ministry that was inclusive of all the members of a household and thus unattractive to new members with young adults …

Transforming West Zambia Field Of Seventh-Day Adventists To Conference Status: A Case Study, Passmore Hachalinga

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Southern Africa-lndian Ocean Division (SID) experiences annua] baptized membership growth of 5-7 percent. This membership growth rate however has not resulted in church organizational self- support. Efforts implemented by the SID administration to bring local fields to the required level of self-support, or conference status, in a timely manner failed to yield expected results during the 2005-2010 periods. This study project seeks to address this challenge by conducting a case study of West Zambia Field of Seventh-day Adventists.

Method

An assessment was conducted in the West Zambia Field of Sev enth-day Adventists using …

A Historical-Contextual Analysis Of The Final-Generation Theology Of M. L. Andreasen, Paul M. Evans

Dissertations

Topic

This study analyzes the teaching of the early twentieth-century Seventh-day Adventist writer M. L. Andreasen regarding a final-generation perfection that vindicates God in the great controversy between good and evil, comparing Andreasen’s views with related concepts in the writings of previous Adventist writers.

Purpose

The study has the limited objective of attempting to trace possible antecedents for Andreasen’s final-generation theology in the writings of other Adventists, in order to determine the degree of uniqueness or variance in Andreasen’s views. By means of this historical-contextual analysis, relationships are clarified between Andreasen’s views and those of other prominent Adventist writers, such …

Motivating And Training The Laity To Increase Their Involvement In Ministry In The Ouaga-Center Adventist Church In Burkina Faso, Boubakar Sanou

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem.

In many Christian religious circles, the subject of clergy and laity has received much attention because of a sharp distinction between them. In Africa, the laypeople are expected to give allegiance to the clergy and also to depend on them for spiritual guidance and help. Although the New Testament teaches the concepts of the priesthood of all believers (1 Pet 2:5, 9-10) and the priestly ministry of the church as the function of the total church membership, there is still a persistent tendency to create a dichotomy between clergy and laity. This practice clearly shows two classes of believers: …

Stewardship Patterns In The North Katanga Field Of East Congo: Implications For Leadership, Mutombe N'Gili-Muloko

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (GC) has reduced funding in terms of the appropriation to the lower entities. The GC has encouraged all organizations to reduce debts and manage their income more effectively. This project was formulated to determine to what extent the North Katanga Field (NKF) can increase its tithes and manage its income adequately. From 1999 to 2003 tithe decreased in the NKF when at the same time it increased in the North-East Congo (NECAT) areas and these regions were compared.

Method

Substantial written materials from specialists were used to find strategies for tithe …

The History Of The Emergence Of The Seventh-Day Adventist Church In The State Of Manipur, India, Cornelius Kamei

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The Seventh-day Adventist church emerged in the state of Manipur, India, through a lay-led church planting movement. Currently, no written account exists of the early history of this work in Manipur. Today, the work in Manipur is clergy-dependent and growth in this region has stagnated. In order for the work to move forward successfully, there is a need to remember the early history of the work in this region.

Method

In the absence of earlier written works on the rise of Adventism in Manipur, oral sources were relied upon as primary sources for accuracy. The sources were gathered through …

Assessing Retention Patterns And Implementing Strategies For Membership Retention In The Zimbabwe Union Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Richard Sithole

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

This research project has investigated, identified, and assessed member retention patterns of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Zimbabwe, an entity usually referred to as the Zimbabwe Union Conference (ZUC). What prompted the research are two quinquenial reports (1998-2002; 2003-2007) which, as will be seen, show high baptisms as well as high membership losses (see Appendix B). Findings were made through surveys and questionnaires to pastors, elders, members, and former members; the researcher then designed an intervention program which was tried in two churches which were fast growing and at the same time poor in retention. The program was deliberate, …

Seventh-Day Adventist Leadership Recruitment And Training Program For Basarwa In Botswana, Africa, Boitirelo Kabo

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The Seventh- day Adventist church in Botswana, although being among the fastest growing churches in the country, has not been able to reach the Basarwa tribe since 1921. This is in spite of the church’s best effort. Among the contributing factors is the apparent failure by the church to develop a culturally relevant approach that considers the Basarwa unique lifestyle and a lack of Basarwa church leaders.

Methodology

Surveys were administered among the Basarwa in four districts to establish their awareness of the church and factors that hinder them from joining the church. Training on church leadership for the …

Performance Evaluation Of Pastors In East Zimbabwe Conference, Douglas Mutanga

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

There has been no consistent and effective way of evaluating the performance of pastors in the East Zimbabwe Conference. In most cases the evaluating is only done for the purpose of identifying ordination candidates and is based only on quantifiable goals that include baptisms, tithe returns, and submission of reports. Due to the rapid growth of the church in terms of personnel, number of churches and membership, and the vast geographical territory, the need for an evaluation instrument is critical.

Method

The study was descriptive and designed around research questions that helped determine the job description of the pastor. …

Creating A Culture Of Community Involvement In The Adventist Church In Gugulethu Township, South Africa, Jongimpi Papu

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Most Adventist churches in South Africa live in isolation from their communities. Christianity in general and Adventism in particular are becoming irrelevant to the needs of the church, with serious implications for church growth.

Methodology

Tembalethu Adventist church in Gugulethu Township in South Africa was used to pilot a community services program by adopting a school nearby. A mixed approach of both qualitative and quantitative methods was used. This consisted of structured interviews, both personal and by telephone, and questionnaires. An analysis of a government census was also done.

Results

Tembalethu started an after-care program which was attended by …

Developing Spiritual Formation And Mission Awareness In The Hill Portuguese Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Johannesburg, South Africa, Dilson M. Bezerra

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Between 1992 and 2007, the attendance of the Hill Portuguese Seventh-day Adventist Church has declined from 200 to 60 members and the church completely lost its sense of mission. This downturn requires investigation and study in order to reverse the situation. The project is an implementation of a program to revive the church in fellowship with God, and in action within the community. Further, Portuguese immigrant members display a tendency towards liberalism when removed from their native culture.

Method

An informal survey was created and administered to the church members in order to discover why membership had been declining …

Intercultural Faith-Based Mentoring Of Helderberg College Students, South Africa, Edward A. Appollis

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Many of the students of Helderberg College do not utilize the mentoring program fully and staff members lack the time and training for doing faith-based mentoring. Additionally, both staff and students have expressed the challenges that arise from a mentor-mentee relationship which is often intercultural.

Method

A mixed methodology study using the following instruments with two populations of Helderberg College: a survey-questionnaire by 93 fulltime registered student mentees present at a weekly assembly (3rd Nov. 2008); and a survey-questionnaire by 28 mentoring staff (4th Nov. 2008). Further, 6 interviews with mentors on 29th July- 3rd Aug. 2009 and 10 …

Developing Team Ministry Among Pastors And Elders In The Eastern Sector Of The Reunion Conference Of The Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Johnson Andriamanalina Razafimamonjy

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

In 2005, two of the churches in the eastern district of Reunion Island experienced severe conflict between the assigned pastor and elected local elders. The response of one church was the removal of its elders from their posts. In the other church, the church board expressed that they did not want the pastor. The result was minimal church growth during the two years that followed. The continuing confusion and conflict that has stymied the evangelistic potential of the congregations must be addressed in order to recover mission and witness.

Task

The task of this project is to develop and …

The Role Of The Pastor In A Multi-Church District In East Zimbabwe Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Robert Muzira

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Some Seventh-day Adventist Church members in Chiremba West District, Harare, East Zimbabwe Conference, complained that 1, the district pastor, was not ministering to them effectively. The district has a total of seven organized churches and a membership of 5.135 (E.Z.C. Church Membership Record Book, 2008). Despite the high membership, members' expectations are that I attend all family or church programs. The purpose of the project was to discover the professional role for the pastor in a multi-church district, and also to uncover the expectations that church members have of their pastor in a multi-church district. Defining those expectations enables …

A Strategy To Mobilize Seventh-Day Adventists In Lusaka In Response To The Hiv/Aids Crisis, Harrington Simui Akombwa

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

While Zambia is rated the 7th country worst affected by HIV/AIDS worldwide, the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church, an Faith Based Organization (FBO) well respected nationwide for its concern about people’s physical health because of its hospitals and clinics around the nation, is seemingly standing by doing close to nothing. What could be the problem?

Method

To uncover the possible causes of Adventists’ perceived noncommittal stance on the AIDS issue, a survey designed around a descriptive and exploratory social research model utilizing quantitative research techniques for data collection and analysis was conducted. The survey was conducted in 2 of the …

Programa Para Mejorar La Salud Espiritual De La Iglesia Adventista Del Séptimo Día De Gainesville-Florida, Byron Alexander Rivera Sr.

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Every church as a social group has the potential to grow and improve its spirituality, its cohesion, its commitment, its fidelity and its participation. The Gainesville Spanish Adventist Church is formed by members that have the ardent desire to improve in all these areas. This investigation aims to improve the spirituality of the congregation.

Methodology

The investigation began with the selection of 25 members of the Gainesville Spanish Church in Florida who were available to collaborate in the investigation in order to detect the spiritual deficiencies among church members. A questionnaire was used to discover the spiritual weaknesses and, …

Desarrollo De Un Seminario De Predicación Para La Iglesia Adventista Del Séptimo Dia Hispana De Charlotte En Carolina Del Norte, Carlos Gerardo Molina

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

On September 27, 2008, the body of fourteen elders from the Charlotte Spanish Seventh-day Adventist Church in North Carolina had a meeting where they indicated that it was necessary to develop a preaching seminar to prepare and train the twenty-three active preachers and church members willing to participate in such a program. These preachers had not had previous academic training or instruction on how to prepare and deliver sermons. This need, identified by the local church elders as urgent, provided the basis for the present D.Min. project.

Method

The procedure for the development of a preaching seminar took various …

The Transition Of The North Botswana Field To Conference Status: Three Critical Factors, Galenakgosi M. Orapeleng

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Since being organized in 1984, the North Botswana Field (NBF) has been aspiring to become a conference but had been hindered by a number of factors. However, in 2008 it managed to qualify for conference status. This project was to evaluate the prevailing circumstances in North Botswana Field between 2005 and 2008 to discover critical factors that contributed to the rapid growth of the work in North Botswana Field, resulting in it qualifying for conference status in May 2008.

Method

The methodology used for gathering information in this project was not intended to be scientific or to be used …

Dual Allegiance And The Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Africa: How To Address The Issue In An Open Dialogue In The West Central Africa Division, Gilbert Wari

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Africa in general, and the West-Central Africa Division in particular, has been facing the issue of dual allegiance or “split level Christianity.”

Method

The Bible, Spirit of Prophecy, and other related books and articles concerning the issue of dual allegiance were studied, then theological and religious-cultural data were analyzed, a strategy was put in place by using a Logframe Matrix and a Gantt Chart so as to address and deal with the issue from a biblical point of view.

Results

A spirit of dedication and commitment started manifesting itself among pastors, administrators, and church …

Mentoring And Coaching Executive Secretaries In The Zimbabwe Union: A Strategy For Change, Solomon Maphosa

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The Southern Africa Indian Ocean Division (SID) has never developed or implemented a program for coaching and mentoring newly elected leaders at any administrative level—division, union, or conference. Newly elected officers report personal and professional frustration as a result. It is reasonable to infer this has contributed to new leaders facing difficulty in delivering expected performance on the job, effecting their careers and service to the community of believers.

Methodology

The study followed the qualitative research paradigm. Qualitative research became a method of choice because it is descriptive in nature and it provides the researcher with the opportunity to …

Implementation And Evaluation Of The Jesus Loves Jeans Initiative To Evangelize And Retain Youth For The Houston International Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Kendall Turcios

Professional Dissertations DMin

The Topic

The Houston International Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church has had significant challenges baptizing and retaining its youth. In the last five years, only a few youth have been baptized and nearly 50% no longer attend church. A primary contributing factor seems to be the lack of training to develop genuine biblical discipleship in the youth and young adults. Eims (1978) describes the process of discipleship as ―[taking a] person from the time of his conversion and helping him become a solid, dedicated, committed, fruitful, mature disciple who could in time repeat that process in the life of another‖ (p. …

A Strategy For Effective Youth Ministry In The Bantama Seventh-Day Adventist Church Ghana, Kofi Opoku Acheampong

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Young people comprise two-thirds of the 1,500 members of the Bantama I Seventh-day Adventist Church in Ghana. Despite a continuing increase in the number of young people, only a few of them attend youth activities. It appears that there may be a lack of formal programming or clear directions for youth ministry in the church. The result is a lack of spiritual connections between the youth and the church. In addition, there are behavioral problems among the young people when they are left to their own activities; consequently, parents are not allowing their children to attend youth-initiated activities, resulting …

A Curriculum To Equip Lay Pastoral Candidates For Service In The Pennsylvania Conference, James Richard Wibberding

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

During the first decade of the twenty-first century, Pennsylvania Conference leaders nurtured a desire for lay pastoral development. However, a cohesive training program did not emerge. Although lay training programs with other foci and the efforts of some local salaried pastors had produced a few lay pastors, a streamlined, accessible, principle-driven, and competency-based program was needed. With an increase in pastor to member responsibility of 64% from 1970 to 2005 and no growth in the number of churches in the same period, the creation of a training program was deemed to have missional import.

Method

An eleven-month curriculum was …

The Transformational Effects Of Forgiveness In The Lives Of Members Of The Kingsboro Temple Congregation, Joseph E. Ainsworth

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Forgiveness is a crucial need within the congregation, and the lack of a greater practice of forgiveness is severely impacting the emotional, relational, and spiritual wellbeing of members. This present study investigated causes of hurt within the congregation, and designed a process to assist members in achieving forgiveness to empower them to live a forgiven life.

Method

The Pearson Correlations of Values measured 17 variables of spirituality and forgiveness against variables of avoidance, revenge, distancing, and feeling close. The ] 7 variables were reviewed and validated by Dr. Joan Atwood as a check and balance to personal biases. Forty-eight …

Developing And Implementing A Team Leadership Approach At The Alpha Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Gordon S. Jones

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Church life is not confined to a single or normative approach to leadership. Leadership must be decisively contextual The perennial challenge is developing, implementing, and practicing appropriate leadership. This project reports how this challenge was addressed at the Alpha Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Method

Cultural shift was fundamental to this challenge. The first step towards this transformation was establishing a theological and academic foundation. Next, four distinct phases were identified and employed in developing and implementing a team leadership approach for the Alpha Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Result

The project concluded with an evaluation instrument, which suggests that the new approach …

Developing And Implementing A Program To Retain Adventist Clergy In The Botswana Union, Paminus Machamire

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The membership of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Botswana has been growing at an average rate of 6% annually in the past ten years. Conversely over the same period of time the Botswana Union has been losing pastors at an average rate of 2% per year. Although members continue to increase they lack pastoral leadership.

Method

I used a mixed methodology to conduct a survey on former and frontline pastors, spouses and children of former and frontline pastors, union and conference officers. One group filled questionnaires independently and the other filled them under my supervision. I conducted some of …

Formation Of A Widows' Association: Empowering Women In The Local Church In The Kabwe East And West Districts Of The Central Zambia Conferance, Lubinda Ngenda

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The failure to meet the basic needs of life for the many widowed women in Kabwe East and West Mission District of the Adventist Church has affected the faith of widows in God’s ability to help them meet their physical needs and has eroded their confidence in the ability of the local church to help, as well as the genuineness of purpose the local church has in helping its needy members. The many widowed women in this region of Zambia, represented as 50% by some researchers, make responding to the problem urgent.

Method

Literature on leadership and community efforts …

The Historical Reflection Of The Integration Of The Minority Groups Within The Adventist Church In Zimbabwe Between 1985 And 1994, Jonathan Tapera Nzuma

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The integration of minority groups into the mainstream of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Zimbabwe has been resisted. In the power struggle that ensued, rooted in complex issues of multi-ethnicity and multiculturalism, the church has gone through a schism. Little reflective thought has been given to how this schism may have been avoided and how to address similar issues in the future, as well as seeking to embrace wounded members back into the larger Adventist Church.

The Method

A theological foundation was laid for this project by examining the biblical doctrine of unity in diversity as portrayed in both …