Arts and Humanities Commons^™

An Analysis Of Growth In The Euro-Asia Division (1985-1995) Leading To A Strategy For Developing Home Churches, Galina I. Stele

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The Euro-Asia Division is experiencing many challenges due to rapid growth in membership during the decade of 1985-1995. This study shows some of the main needs of the Division and suggests a strategy for developing home churches in order to meet the present challenges.

Method

A church-growth analysis of the Euro-Asia Division was conducted for the years 1985-1995 to discover problems and challenges. The advantages that a home-church approach would bring in solving many of the challenges is discussed. Guiding principles for organizing house churches and training home-church leaders are suggested.

Results

The church-growth analysis showed that the main …

Marketing Strategies For Seventh-Day Adventist Literature In Brazil, Mario Paulo Martinelli

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

There is a great need for the publishing work in Brazil to use different methods. Although several changes have occurred with the advance of technology and urbanization, the methods employed to distribute SDA literature have remained practically the same as those used in earlier times. Literature evangelists are facing greater difficulties in personally talking with people. The traditional door-to-door sales method is reaching fewer and fewer people and new approaches are required to support colporteurs in their work. In addition, sales of literature to church members in Brazil are low and give evidence to the fact that strategies are …

New Approaches For Seventh-Day Adventist Evangelism In Swaziland, Stephen Jacobs Masuku

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The Seventh-day Adventist church in Swaziland experienced slow growth from the time of its inception. Starting from 1920, when the first Adventist missionary arrived in Swaziland, to 1994 membership was 2075. This means that the Adventist church in Swaziland was the slowest growing church in the former Southern Union and among the Christian churches in Swaziland.

Method

This dissertation analyzes: Swazi traditional history, Swazi traditional religious beliefs, the introduction of Christianity in Swaziland, how the SDA church was planted in Swaziland, and the evangelistic methods utilized by the Adventist church and other Christian churches. This approach helped in the …

Footwashing As A Means Of Reconciliation With God And Man, Ronald G. Schmidt

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Presently there are seven major interpretations of the footwashing recorded in the Gospel of John 13. This study attempts to discover the true meaning and function of footwashing that is in harmony with Johannine theology, Christology, and Sola Scriptura.

Method

This study was conducted in the following fashion. It traced the function and meaning of footwashing in both secular and sacred history throughout the Bible, as well as Jewish and Greco-Roman history. In particular it focuses on the setting of footwashing in the Gospel of John, and the practice and meaning of footwashing in Church history, with emphasis on …

Strategy To Develop Small-Scale Income-Generating Programs Among Seventh-Day Adventist Lay Members In Ghana, David Sarfo Ameyaw

Professional Dissertations DMin

The call for self-reliance and self-support in the operation and mission of the SDA Church worldwide presents a great challenge to the churches in developing countries. Many of the members in developing countries such as Ghana are unemployed and fall within the low-income bracket. In order for such membership to contribute to support the church, there must be a program to improve members' standard of living and their contributions and commitment to the church. Making the church in Ghana self-reliant and self- supporting is not a matter of how to motivate members to sacrifice and give, but how to empower …

A Christian Response To Zambian Death Rituals, Cornelius Mulenga Matandiko

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Adventist Christians in Zambia wrestle with the tension between elements of their traditional religion and Western Christianity. Many of them, fearing spirits of the dead, participate in traditional funeral practices aimed at protecting them from spirit attacks. This presents a problem because many of these practices are contrary to what the Bible proclaims.

Method

In this study, a traditional understanding of death and death rituals is developed. This is followed by a biblical understanding of death and death rituals. An analysis and evaluation of cultural views in the light of the Bible teachings on death, death rituals, and spirits …

Improving The Assimilation Of New Members In Small Adventist Churches In Central Pennsylvania, Robert C. Williams

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The failure of many of our small Seventh-day Adventist congregations to fully welcome new members into their midst has been of pastoral concern for many years. This project is an attempt to build awareness among established church members of the need to assimilate and sacrifice for new members.

Method

The first part of the project involved research into the assimilation of new members in ten small Adventist congregations in central Pennsylvania. New members who had joined the church during a six-year interval were studied to see if they had maintained active membership status during that time. Interviews were also …

A Training Program For Grief Ministry For Singapore Seventh-Day Adventist Pastors, Chor Kiat Sim

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Many Seventh-day Adventist church pastors in Singapore are not trained in grief ministry. This results in some pastors who are insensitive to the grieving. Consequently, theirs and many church members' grief has been unresolved. This study was undertaken to develop a holistic pastoral perspective regarding grief and to compose a training program in grief ministry that will help pastors understand their own grief dynamics and that of their parishioners.

Method

This project attempts to present the principles of grief ministry through the following dimensions: (1) Singapore's need of grief ministry in the midst of socioeconomic development; (2) the study …

The Role Of The Pastor In Lay Development In The Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Papua New Guinea, Aaron M. Lopa

Professional Dissertations DMin

Statement of the Problem

The task of this study was to rethink the role of pastors as shepherd-equippers of lay leaders in view of the explosive growth of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Papua New Guinea.

Method

The dissertation has two parts. Part One covers: (1) institutional factors which provided the background for this study, (2) biblical and theological dimensions as the basis for the new pastoral paradigm in PNG, and (3) cultural and sociological factors as means to understand the local cultures in order to contextualize ministry to make it more relevant to the people. Part Two synthesizes the …

A Plan For Strengthening Expository Preaching By Korean Seventh-Day Adventist Pastors, Chongo Yang

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Adventist churches in Korea urgently need expository preaching to act as a counterbalance to the strong traditional emphasis on topical preaching. The greatest problem of preaching in Adventist churches of Korea seems to be a lack of biblical content. Complicating this is a widespread failure to correctly apply hermeneutical principles to biblical exposition.

Method

Two taped sermons preached by each of seven selected Seventh-day Adventist preachers in Korea were collected and analyzed in the light of the criteria established for authenthic expository preaching. The criteria were obtained from the review of biblical and current literature.

Results

It was found …

Understanding The Folk Islam Of The Dagbani-Speaking People: A Prerequisite To Evangelism In North Ghana, Sampson Kenneth Twumasi

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem. At the beginning of this century Islam was confined to some geographical areas in Asia, Africa, and Europe. Dr. Samuel Zwemer in his writings claimed that Islam was a dying religion because it had within it “the germs of death." This claim is no longer valid as Islam has experienced a resurgence and grown proportionately well in other parts of the world. Islam, along with animism, has gained roots in Africa, especially in North and West Africa. Both religions have grown tremendously among some of the people groups in North Ghana where Islam is mixed with hundreds of superstitions …

Job Satisfaction Among Teachers In Seventh-Day Adventist Schools And Its Relationship To Commitment And Selected Work Conditions, Athanase K. Rutebuka

Dissertations

Problem. The Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America has evidenced concerns over young people losing their commitment to the church, to SDA schools, and even to Christianity. Given the important role teachers play in the formation of young people, the purpose of this study was to determine the degree of teachers' job satisfaction and its relationship to commitment and selected work conditions.

Method. The population for this study included 261 elementary- and secondary-school teachers employed by the Lake Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists in 116 schools. A survey-research method was used to determine the degree of teachers' job satisfaction and …

The Empirical Development Of A Curriculum On Faith Development, Samir Selmanović

Dissertations

Problem. Professional and lay leaders in the Seventh-day Adventist church need to be sensitive to the dynamics of faith development as it interfaces with human development over the life span, and with its practical implications. Currently, there is no curriculum available, empirically developed or otherwise, to explore this issue.

Method. The underlining philosophy of the approach to curriculum design utilized in this study is that curriculum is likely to be more effective when it is developed in a cooperative spirit between an instructor and learners rather than written in isolation, and when there is emphasis on both the cognitive and …

Factors Related To Clergy Sexual Misconduct, Donald L. Totten

Dissertations

Problem. Clergy sexual misconduct creates credibility, marital, family, and financial problems in the general church. The purpose of this study was to determine, through a survey research methodology, personality and situational factors in the lives of active clergy that may be related to clergy sexual misconduct.

Method. Two hundred sixty-nine pastors filled out questionnaires pertaining to spiritual well-being, locus of control, burnout, social support, active pre-marital sexual conduct, erotic thoughts, naivete/lack of training, demographics, and sexual involvement with a non-spouse while in the ministry. Univariate, discriminant, and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the influence of each variable …

Discontinuance From The Ministry By Seventh-Day Adventist Ministers : A Qualitative Study, Smuts Van Rooyen

Dissertations

Problem. This study explored discontinuance from the ministry by Seventh-day Adventist clergy. The inquiry first investigated the general factors that led to discontinuance from the ministry, and then focused specifically on the cessation from the ministry for doctrinal reasons.

Method. In this qualitative study the initial data were obtained by means of a survey instrument and written responses. From these responses. three individuals were chosen for in-depth interviews. Seventy-one former Seventh-day Adventist ministers completed a questionnaire exploring factors that may have influenced discontinuance from the Seventh-day Adventist ministry. The areas the survey addressed were family life, the work environment, …

Development Of The Concept Of Salvation In Seventh-Day Adventist Children And Adolescents 7 To 18 Years Of Age Who Attend Public Schools, Bradley S. Booth

Dissertations

Problem. This study sought to explore how the concept of salvation and assurance of salvation develop in Seventh-day Adventist children and adolescents who have been educated only in public schools.

Method. Using a developmental, cross-sectional design, semi-clinical interviews were conducted with 91 subjects 7 to 18 years of age. Subjects also completed a demographic information survey and drawings. Parents were also interviewed. Data were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively.

Results. Three of the eight sub-concepts of salvation were age-related in their development (the impact of sin on one's relationship to God, baptism, and being saved). The most growth in understanding of …

The Empirical Development Of A Curriculum On The Issues Concerning The History Of Ancient Israel, Ruzica Gregor

Dissertations

Problem. An understanding of Israel's history is crucial to a Christian view of history, including its morals and values, and is a foundation stone of most conservative Christians including Seventh-day Adventists and their religious educational philosophy. There is a vital need for a curriculum that provides reasonable answers to the most frequently asked questions about Israel's early history and builds a solid base for the Christian/Adventist faith. The purpose of this study was to meet this need by empirically developing a curriculum for religion majors in Seventh-day Adventist colleges. Issues discussed include the Philosophical Background and Importance of History; the …

Marketing Seventh-Day Adventist Higher Education In Southeast Asia, Geoffrey A. Pauner

Dissertations

Problem

There has been a concern by educational leaders of the Adventist church in the Asia Pacific Division that a number of parents of Seventh-day Adventist students choose to educate their children in non-Adventist primary and secondary schools. This study sought to determine if this concern is prevalent in Adventist colleges in Southeast Asia. To find answers to this concern the following questions were posed.

1. What methods do these colleges use to promote or recruit SDA students?

2. How do these colleges attract SDA students?

3. What special programs are in place in the colleges to retain SDA students? …

Spiritual Nurture In The Local Seventh-Day Adventist Congregation Through The Spiritual Gifts Of Prophecy And Shepherding, Francy Duran

Dissertations

The purpose. The purpose of this research was to analyze the church as a nurturing entity, and the spiritual gifts that enable the church to develop a ministry of spiritual nurture.

Method. This study followed the documentary methodology. The Scripture data, in both Old and New Testaments, regarding the purpose of the church and the gifts of prophecy and shepherding were analyzed indepth. Secondary sources, including books, journal articles, and research reports, were used where applicable.

Conclusion. The church was called to accomplish a specific ministry. This ministry is much more than the Gospel proclamation that leads to conversion and …

The Empirical Development Of A Curriculum On Psalms Utilizing A Modified Form-Critical Approach, Ted Ewing

Dissertations

Problem. The purpose of this study was to empirically develop a curriculum on the book of Psalms for readers of the English text that would bridge historical, theological, cultural, and linguistic distance, as well as overcome literary challenges associated with Hebrew poetry including figures of speech, parallelism, and psalm forms.

Method. The instructional product development methodology employed in this study was based on the work of Baker and Schutz (1971) and Naden (1993). The need for the product was established through a literature review, the specific learners were described, behavioral objectives were constructed, an identical pre-test and post-test were prepared, …

The Empirical Development Of An Instructional Product On The Religion Of Islam From A Missiological Perspective, Raja D. Farah

Dissertations

Problem. There is considerable misunderstanding in the contemporary world about the religion of Islam. Its swift growth has been a challenge to Christianity, and efforts to share Christ's message with Muslims have been relatively fruitless. The purpose of this study was to prepare a pedagogical module to instruct Seventh-day Adventist college students about the fundamental beliefs and practices of Islam. Topics include the Judaistic and Islamic heritage, Jesus and Muhammad, Islamic fundamentalism, Islamic marriage and family, the Muslim worldview, and practical Christian channels of missionary outreach to Muslims.

Method. The methodology of this instructional product development followed the pattern of …

A Study Of The Concomitant Problems Facing Most Of The "At-Risk" African American Students In The Benton Harbor Elementary School System: A Case For An Alternative Model, Simon M. Honore

Dissertations

Problem

It would appear that the problem of school truancy, retention, and subsequent academic failure is a major educational crisis which puts most of the African American students at risk in the Benton Harbor area schools.

Purpose

The purpose of this study has been to determine the concomitant educational problems facing the "at-risk" African American students in the Benton Harbor Elementary School System and to suggest positive changes through an alternative model.

Results

The results of the survey indicated that approximately 90-95% of Benton Harbor educators agreed to changes. Administrators and teachers strongly agreed that the recommendations, based on the …

The Presence Of The Covenant Motif In Amos 1:2-2:16, Reinaldo W. Siqueira

Dissertations

The presence and use of the OT covenant(s) in the book of Amos has been a highly debated issue for the last century among OT scholars. The dissertation attempts to address this issue through an exegetical study of the "Oracles Against the Nations" of Amos 1:2-2:16. This pericope of Amos was chosen because it has played a central role in the argumentation that denies the existence of any notion of covenant in the book.

Chapter 1 introduces the controversy that surrounds the issue of the presence or absence of covenant in Amos, while chapter 2 surveys the scholarly debate and …

Resurrection In Daniel 12 And Its Contribution To The Theology Of The Book Of Daniel, Artur A. Stele

Dissertations

This study attempted to investigate the resurrection passages of Dan 12. The main concern was to discover the nature, scope, timing, and purpose of the resurrection in Dan 12:2 and 12:13, to establish the relationship between these two passages, and to determine the contribution of the resurrection of Dan 12 to the theology of the book of Daniel.

Chapter 1 offers a review of literature that presents the different and often conflicting opinions regarding the kind, extent, timing, and function of the resurrection in Dan 12.

Chapter 2 provides an exegetical study of the two resurrection passages in Dan 12 …

The Sacred Times Prescribed In The Pentateuch : Old Testament Indicators Of The Extent Of Their Applicability, H. Ross Cole

Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the sacred times prescribed in the Pentateuch and to determine if the Old Testament itself contains indicators of the extent of their applicability. "Applicability" refers primarily to ongoing applicability throughout time. However, whether a sacred time will be universally applicable in the future may be directly related to whether it was ever meant to be universally applicable in the first place. Accordingly, this study entails a close examination of many different features of the Pentateuchal sacred times and their applicability.

Chapter 1 reviews relevant literature and describes the present investigator's methodology. On …

Sociopolitical Structure Of Transjordanian Societies During The Late Bronze And Iron I Ages (Ca. 1500-1000 B.C.), Paul Z. Gregor

Dissertations

According to the biblical account the Transjordanian region was occupied with somewhat organized societies during the time of the Exodus (ca. 15th century B.C.). Unfortunately, archaeological excavations could not confirm this account, and as result, the biblical data have been dismissed as unreliable and historically inaccurate.

The purpose of this study was to provide the most recent archaeological data as well as to reinterpret the old data to see whether or not the biblical account bears any historical value. For this reason, this dissertation provides evidence from three fields: archaeological, anthropological, and biblical.

In spite of Glueck's claim that Transjordan …

The Colton Celebration Congregation: A Case Study In American Adventist Worship Renewal 1986-1991, Viviane Haenni

Dissertations

This study investigates the experience of Celebration Center (Colton, California), its milieu, and its impact on the North American Seventh-day Adventist Church through what has been perceived as the celebration movement and controversy, while addressing underlying historical, sociological, and philosophical/theological question.

The principal findings of the study reveal that Celebration Center has uniquely attempted to explore a more multilayered approach to church life and worship within White Anglo Adventism. The celebration experience has ventured into breaking up some old Adventist expectations through its congregational trend; its emphasis on love, acceptance, and forgiveness; its different church organization and more holistic worship; …