Arts and Humanities Commons^™

A Seventh-Day Adventist Understanding Of The Church And Its Mission, Viesturs Rekis

Professional Dissertations DMin

The purpose of this study is to investigate the biblical background of the Christian church and its mission, in order to better understand the implications for Adventist mission in the Baltic countries. This study is intended to equip ministerial students with basic knowledge and to stimulate further studies of the church and its mission. Implications are drawn from the findings of the investigation to stimulate the mission of the church in the Baltic Union Conference.

The first part of the dissertation deals with the origins, nature, and functions of the Christian church within a biblical and theological perspective. Consideration of …

"By Accident Or Design": A Seminar On Origins, John B. Kurlinski

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Evolution is the only accepted theory taught in the public educational systems and by the scientific community in general. The results of the promotion of this theory have had a negative impact on the church and Scripture in general and is in direct conflict with the message of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. However, the scientific data used to support evolutionary theory are highly suspect. There are credible scientific data that call into question the long-held theory of evolution and in fact support the biblical account of the creation and the flood. The purpose of this project was to write …

A Strategy For The Establishment Of Seventh-Day Adventist Chaplaincy In The Ghana Armed Forces, Peter Kwasi Omane

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

There are many Adventist military personal and their families in the Ghana Armed Forces. This has led to the establishment of two organized churches and two companies in the military barracks. Since most of the Adventist military personnel are enlisted persons (non-officers), there is a need for an officer as a spokesperson. The interest that non-Adventist military personnel had shown in the Adventist message, especially in the areas of marriage, health, and evangelism, calls for a well- established Adventist chaplaincy ministries not only to win souls but to retain them. The Ghana Armed Forces has made a request to …

Strategic Church Planting In The Central Zimbabwe Conference: Towards A Paradigm Shift In Church Growth, Nkosiyabo Zvandasara

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

This dissertation focuses on church planting in the Central Zimbabwe Conference. While impressive results have been achieved in evangelizing the lower classes of the society, there has been meager success in reaching the upper classes of the Black community as well as the White, the Indian, and the Colored minorities. A strategic church-planting approach to church growth hopes to not only target the least promising population segments served by the Central Zimbabwe Conference, but also to increase the effectiveness of the other church methods currently being employed to reach the more responsive classes in that conference.

Method

A diachronic …

A Strategy For Public Evangelism In Russia, Mikhail K. Morar

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

After Perestroika ushered in new opportunities for public evangelism in Russia, local and foreign evangelists have been baptizing thousands of new converts every year. The rapid growth resulting from these crusades has brought about new challenges. This study analyzes some of the challenges associated with public evangelism in Russia and suggests a strategy to improve the longterm results of these campaigns.

Method

A descriptive analysis of John Carter's 1992 evangelistic campaign in Nizhniy Novgorod city was conducted in order to suggest ways to improve long-term results from public campaigns. The strengths and weaknesses of evangelistic campaigns in Russia are …

Reaching The Unchurched: An Evaluation Of And Recommendations For Florida Hospital Seventh-Day Adventist Church's Downtown Community, Raymong Andrew Mcdonald

Professional Dissertations DMin

Task

The task of this project was to evaluate and make recommendations for the future of Downtown Community, the Florida Hospital Seventh-day Adventist Church’s contemporary, ongoing evangelistic ministry to reach the unchurched.

Method

After establishing the philosophical basis for the ministry, a careful review of the preparation for and initiation of Downtown Community was conducted. The effects of the ministry were ascertained by observations, focus groups, and surveys. In addition, comparisons were made with other area churches.

A number of unexpected effects from the ministry of Downtown Community were reviewed. This study is highly dependent on observations, testimonials, and opinions, …

A Longitudinal Study On The Essence Of Success Development As Seen By Caribbean Canadian Women In The Storied Landscape Of Their Lived Experience, Glenda-Mae Greene

Dissertations

Problem. Caribbean Canadians are often susceptible to negative stereotyping because of issues of social class and length of residence in Canada. This study describes how three Caribbean Canadian young women avoided stereotype vulnerability and journeyed to their definition of success. This narrative study focuses on themes which acted as catalysts for success in their lives. The data collection began with interviews conducted during their high school years and concluded with another set of interviews in the post-college years. The study records their stories as they strive to develop and achieve their idea of success in the non-school world.

Method. Through …

The Laws Of Clean And Unclean Animals Of Leviticus 11: Their Nature, Theology, And Rationale (An Intertextual Study), Jiří Moskala

Dissertations

The present dissertation attempts to fill the gap in Pentateuchal studies on the Mosiac dietary laws concerning clean and unclean animals by investigating the nature, theology, and rationale of the food regulations.

My study is divided into four chapters. After an introduction (where the problem of the topic, methodology, limits, purpose, and justification of the study are presented) chapter 1 deals with the chronological development of the interpretation of the laws of clean and uncle food. Chapter 2 reviews relevant explanations of these laws topically, analyzes them, and briefly evaluated the different approaches to the Pentateuchal dietary laws. Chapter 3 …

The Theology And The Function Of The Prayers In The Book Of Daniel, Paul Birch Petersen

Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the theology and the function of the prayers in the Book of Daniel.

The introduction reviews the scholarly literature in regard to the prayers of the Old Testament in general and the prayers in the Book of Daniel in particular. Recent studies of prayers in the Old Testament have focused on their theological function in their final literary setting. They have also turned their attention to prayer as part of a process of communication, of a divine-human dialogue, and consequently this study is structured from the aspect of interpersonal relationships.

Chapter 1 deals with Daniel and his …

Preparing Pastors To Train Laity For Church Growth In The Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Japan, Akeri Suzuki

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The annual number of baptisms in the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church in Japan has decreased from 426 in 1986 to 334 in 1995 despite increases in both the total membership and number of churches. During the same period of time, the number of pastors has declined from 118 in 1986 to 112 in 1995. Thus, the average annual baptisms per pastor has decreased from 3.61 in 1986 to 2.98 in 1995.

Method

Current literature was reviewed. This included books and articles on the principles, strategies, and programs which help pastors develop their abilities to equip the laity and to …

Teamnet Ministries: An Empowerment Paradigm For Every-Member Ministry In The Hamlet Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Amelia, Ohio, Loren L. Fenton

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The Hamlet Seventh-day Adventist Church, located near Amelia, Ohio, experienced a period of significant congregational decline during the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. Several contributing factors converged during this time frame to cause much discouragement and burn-out among the church members. Many left to join other congregations, or simply dropped out completely. Attendance dropped from the 120-150 range to an average of 35-40 at worship each Sabbath. By 1992 there was a serious leadership vacuum, coupled with a high level of mistrust, misunderstanding, and factional splintering permeating the church.

Method

In May 1992, I arrived as senior pastor for …

The Development And Implementation Of A Creative Approach In Training Hispanics For Evangelism In The Oregon Conference, Ramon J. Canals

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The rapid growth of Hispanics in the Oregon Conference of Seventh-day Adventists represents a challenge for evangelistic outreach. This project was to determine how a conference-sponsored lay evangelism school could enhance Hispanic lay participation in evangelism.

Method

Research was conducted to understand the role of lay people in evangelism, followed by the establishment of a school of evangelism for training Hispanic lay people in the Oregon Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Fifty-two lay evangelists graduated from the school.

Results

The Hispanic lay people who participated in the training program believe that their spiritual lives have been enhanced. They also indicated …

La Evangelización De La Clase Media Alta De Buenos Aires, Daniel Belvedere

Professional Dissertations DMin

The biblical instruction commands us to evangelize every person without discrimination. Nevertheless, the evangelization of the higher classes has not been highlighted enough. The purpose of this thesis was to prepare a manual that would enable pastors in Buenos Aires to accomplish this task. Throughout the Bible, different types of evangelistic methods to reach the higher social status people are described. The writings of Ellen G. White present health related evangelism, person-to-person and small group evangelism, and public efforts as effective methods to evangelize the higher classes. Very little has been written by Evangelical authors about evangelism of the higher …

Development Of An Adventist Community Services Center To Serve Navajo Residents Of Kayenta, Arizona, Dale A. Wolcott

Professional Dissertations DMin

The Problem

A decision had been made to establish a Seventh-day Adventist Community Services Center in Kayenta, Arizona, on the Navajo Indian Reservation, in connection with a church-planting initiative. Those in charge lacked experience and training in community services ministries and faced obstacles to implementation of the plan.

The Method

A combination of research and action was used to move the envisioned Community Services Center toward reality. Study of the Bible and related literature led to formulation of Scripture-based methodological principles. Demographic research and community needs assessment procedures were utilized to gain an understanding of the Kayenta community and especially …

A Strategy For Guiding Pastors And Congregations Through A Church-Building Project In Bermuda Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Carlyle C. Simmons

Professional Dissertations DMin

Many times pastors in their ministry face the task of leading their congregations through a church-building project. Often with little to no formal preparation for such a task, pastors and congregations experience challenges and pressures not anticipated. Sometimes the magnitude and extent of these challenges and pressures produce an adverse effect on the morale and spiritual conditions of the pastor and congregation. Since the emphasis in the Adventist Church in Bermuda is on evangelism and mission, one can expect that there will be an ongoing need for church buildings. The development of this strategy for guiding the pastor and congregation …

The Three Parts Of Babylon : Teaching A Historicist Interpretation Of The Leopardlike, Lamblike And Scarlet Beasts (Rev 13 And 16:19 As Reflected In Rev 17) Based Upon The Douglas Waterhouse Construct, William C. Taggart

Dissertations

Problem. In the field of religious education, a need exists for a broad teaching strategy through which the biblical three parts of Babylon (Rev 16:19) and the visual imagery of apocalyptic Babylon (Rev 13 and 17) might be taught effectively within the historicist tradition. This study was designed to present a teaching strategy based upon the historicist apocalyptic three-part construct developed principally by Douglas Waterhouse.

The Theoretical Organizing Principle of Geographic Relationships. The concept that helped guide and bring together this study was the understanding that Rev 17 is based on personification which were well known in the …

Analysis And Evaluation Of Vladimir Lossky's Doctrine Of Theosis, Eugene Zaitsev

Dissertations

This dissertation analyzes and evaluates the doctrine of theosis as it is presented in the work of Vladimir Lossky, one of the leading contemporary spokesmen for Orthodox theology. Two main questions set up the purpose of the study: Is Lossky's soteriological position biblical, and is Lossky's understanding of theosis in agreement with the tradition he belongs to.

The method of study is historical-analytical. First, the development of the idea of theosis is traced in the Greek Fathers, in the Byzantine tradition (mainly Gregory Palamas), and in Lossky's immediate antecedents in the Russian religious tradition. This historical background identifies two major …

Power In Religious Organizations: A Study Of Principals' Perspectives As Seen In Three Religious High Schools In Michigan, Patrick L. Allen

Dissertations

Problem. Power is a phenomenon that is known to almost everyone, and is evident in any relationship that involves at least two individuals. Despite its inescapability, not many individuals are aware of its nature and characteristics and how it displays itself, especially in the organizational setting. This study focused on how power displays itself in religious organizations, and described particular activities that occur in the context of three religious schools in Michigan.

Method. To accomplish the purpose of the study the literature on power was reviewed to identify the existing theories. This documentary approach was combined with case studies to …

The Relationship Between Treatment Programs And Recidivism With African American Delinquents Under The Age Of 14, Sonya D. Gray

Dissertations

Problem statement. African American youth are over-represented in the juvenile justice system, which fails to meet their needs. Research is necessary, therefore, to discover treatment alternatives that effectively address these delinquents' needs.

Methodology. This study examined the relationship between treatments and recidivism of 100 African American male delinquents under the age of 14. Recidivism was defined as any arrest, within a 3-year period, for either criminal or misdemeanor offenses, subsequent to the court's referral for the treatment programs named in the study. Only delinquents who were adjudicated for the first time in 1991 through 1994 were included in …

Key Administrative Decisions In The History Of The Seventh-Day Adventist Education In Bermuda, Leslie C. Holder

Dissertations

Problem. In 1993, during the celebration of fifty years of continuous Christian education in Bermuda, it became strikingly evident that the Seventh-day Adventist Church had no single literary, historical compilation of SDA education in the country. This research can help to fill this information void.

Method. Seven key administrative decisions have been identified as being of paramount importance in influencing the manner in which SDA education has developed in Bermuda: (1) the initial decision to found an SDA school, (2) the relocation of the school to the Sandringham property, (3) the expansion from eight grades to twelve, (4) the choices …

The Influence Of Social Integration, Religious Integration, And Religious-Social Regulation On Suicidal Behaviors Among Seventh-Day Adventist Youth, Elizabeth A. Hossler

Dissertations

Problem. Since Durkheim's classic 1897 study of differences in suicide rates between Catholics and Protestants in Europe, much research has focused on the relationship between religion and suicide. Pescosolido and Georgianna (1989) have suggested that Durkheim's Catholic/Protestant paradigm may not work well in the more heterogenous religious culture within the United States. This present study used Pescosolido and Georgianna's (1989) social network theory to examine the influence of social integration, religious integration, and religious-social regulation on attempted suicidal behavior in Seventh-day Adventist adolescents.

Method. The data used for this study came from the Valuegenesis (1989) survey conducted by the Search …

Quality Of Fathering And Its Relationship With Family Background, Demographics, And Characteristics Of Present Family : A Study Of Seventh-Day Adventist Fathers And Fathers From A National Sample, Ruth Depaiva

Dissertations

Problem . Fathers have been assumed to play an important role in the socialization and education of their children. The need to understand the influence and the role of effective fathers becomes especially important in a generation which views fatherlessness as one of the most harmful demographic trends. The Seventh-day Adventist Church considers fatherhood vital for the normal functioning of the family. The present study investigated how selected variables from family background, demographics, and characteristics of present family are related to fathering as measured by self-report of fathering dimensions, practices, and satisfaction.

Method . Two groups of fathers participated in …

The Role Of The Holy Spirit In Biblical Interpretation: A Study In The Writings Of James I. Packer, Samuel Koranteng-Pipim

Dissertations

Evangelical scholars have forcefully articulated their views on the Holy Spirit's supernatural work in producing an inspired and authoritative Bible. Yet, comparatively little attention has been given to the Spirit's role in biblical interpretation. Two vital questions are prompted by this apparent indifference to the Spirit's work in interpretation: (1) Should the Evangelical doctrine of Scripture be rested on the deistic concept that the Holy Spirit, having inspired the Bible, departed and left the church alone to wrestle with the problems of interpretation? (2) If one admits that the Holy Spirit plays a part in the interpretative process, what is …

Ammon In The Hebrew Bible: A Textual Analysis And Archaeological Context Of Selected References To The Ammonites Of Transjordan, James Roger Fisher

Dissertations

The study of the Transjordanian Iron-Age (ca. 1200-550 BC) state of Ammon is important to students of the Bible because of the numerous references to the Ammonites (bene 'ammon) included in the historical and prophetic sections of the Hebrew canon. The book of Genesis traces the ancestry of the "Sons of Ammon" to an eponymous ancestor named Ben Ammi--son/grandson of Abraham's nephew Lot (Gen 39:17).

Chapter 1 points out how Ammon--though often ignored or slighted in studies up to the mid-20th century--increasingly receives scholarly attention. It also shows a need for applying the results of archaeological research to facilitate a …

Developing Seven Bible Studies Related To The Atonement, Consistent With A Cosmic-Conflict Paradigm Of Salvation History, Richard Duane Smith

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

A new view of the atonement threatened to divide some local congregations of Seventh-day Adventists. Referred to in this study as the "trust-healing model" of atonement, the new paradigm proposed by A. Graham Maxwell was developed from a wide reading of Scripture and claimed additional support from the "great controversy" motif in the writings of Ellen G. White. However, because it seemed to call in question certain aspects of the long-accepted substitutionary model of the atonement, the new paradigm became a point of conflict.

Method

This dissertation seeks to clarify the issues by comparing the trust-healing model of atonement …