Arts and Humanities Commons^™

A Lay Preachers' Training Program At Reading West Adventist Church Focusing On Preaching That Connects With Second Generation Seventh-Day Adventist Young Adults, Trevor A. Thomas

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The pastoral team and church members observed that most teenagers at Reading West up to the age of 18 attended church with their parents. However, from 18 to 25 years, the pastoral team and church members saw a drop in their attendance. Many attended universities in other cities. However, Reading, being a university town, should have attracted more Adventist young adults from other churches, and the young adults of Reading West should have returned during university term breaks. Sadly, most did not. Instead, they either visited other churches following popular youth preachers, attended other churches with a contemporary style …

Finding A Voice: A Preaching Model To Address The Postmodern And Post-Soviet Young Adults At The Compass Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Tallinn, Estonia, Mervi Cederstrom

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

In Northern and Eastern Europe, probably more than in any other part of the world, the gap between the inner culture of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and that of the surrounding culture has grown large, hindering the church’s ability to share the Gospel to young adults (ages 16-29) in a meaningful and clear way. It is especially true about people who have grown up in the Postmodern and Post-Soviet context of Estonia and have very little biblical knowledge. This present study concentrates on homiletics and how this culture gap can be bridged via preaching.

Method

A five-part preaching series …

A Preaching Strategy Toward Spirituality, Renewal And Unity At The Cornerstone Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Normand Louis Cote

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

In September 2015, I was assigned by the British Columbia Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church as sole pastor of the Cornerstone Adventist Church. Upon arrival and surveying the congregation it was clear the church was in a state of decline. There was a high percentage of inactive membership, as evidenced in low Sabbath worship attendance, lack of ministry participation, and members failing to invite others to church. There was also conflict due to a lack of spirituality, unity, and renewal. This had also negatively affected the church membership.

Method

The professional dissertation project utilized conflict resolution literature, preaching …

Training, Equipping, And Deploying Teenagers For Preaching With A Prophetic Emphasis At The Plantation Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Iosif Salajan

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Teenagers were not integrated in the preaching ministry of the Plantation Seventh-day Adventist Church. Their involvement in the worship service revealed challenges in publicly expressing their faith and spiritual experience. The absence of training, equipping, and deploying teenagers for preaching ministry contributed to their low retention and their lack of representation in the leadership of the church.

Method

Between August 2018 and May 2019, under the coordination of the researcher, preaching mentors offered teenage mentees from the Plantation Seventh-day Adventist Church a complete learning cycle called sermonic process. It started with producing the sermon, continued with practicing the sermon …

The Development, Implementation, And Evaluation Of A Preaching Discipleship Training Program For Church Members In The Knoxville First Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Marcus Alden Swearingen Bates

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The Knoxville First Seventh-day Adventist Church has members endowed with the spiritual gift of speaking (preaching). However, no training program was available for these gifted members to develop and practice their preaching skills. The senior pastor, associate pastor, and guest speakers handled the preaching responsibilities, while these members were not edifying the congregation through the exercise of their preaching gift. The absence of a preaching training program also revealed a neglect of the pastoral responsibility to disciple members in the area of preaching. This project was an effort to train gifted members in the preaching craft for a potential …

A Strategy To Increase Cross-Cultural Preaching Ministry Among Seventh-Day Adventist Pastors In Southern Alabama, Dejuan Knight

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Southern Alabama's Seventh-day Adventist churches are mostly segregated across ethnic lines. Furthermore, most of the church pastors are of the same ethnic group as their members. One of the main reasons for the continued fears among laity, pastors, and conference administrators towards pastoral leadership from other cultures stems from the widespread idea that cross-cultural pastors cannot present their sermons in the cultural preaching style and with the content desired by the congregation.

Method

A project was designed and instituted in Dothan, AL between the two Seventh-day Adventist churches in the city. The Dothan First Seventh-day Adventist Church is a …

A Cross-Centered Evangelistic Preaching Strategy For The Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Canelas, Portugal, Daniel F. M. Gouveia

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The Bible reveals that evangelistic preaching must be Christ-centered and cross-centered (1 Cor 2:2). However, in recent years the evangelistic series in the Seventh-day Adventist Church of Canelas have been mainly of a doctrinal nature. As a consequence, my pastoral observation indicates that attendance, baptisms, and decisions for future baptisms at the end of the meetings are few. One of the factors that contributes to this condition is the lack of evangelistic preaching that focuses on the love of God revealed in the cross of Christ.

Method

A cross-centered evangelistic preaching strategy was developed in order to present the …

Connecting Daily Christian Living With Adventist Doctrines Through Christocentric Preaching At The Kingsboro Temple Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Donnett Mia Blake

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Kingsboro Temple Seventh-day Adventist Church was an active congregation; however, there was a disconnect between spirituality and the knowledge of and commitment to the distinct Adventist fundamental doctrines. Many viewed the distinct doctrines of Adventism as irrelevant to the Christian experience and daily lifestyle choices, resulting in a nonchalant attitude to the distinctiveness of the Adventist message and the purpose and mission of the church.

Method

The purpose of this dissertation project was to develop and preach a series of Christocentric doctrinal sermons that would impact spiritual growth, doctrinal knowledge, and foster personal evangelism at Kingsboro Temple. Based on …

Persuasive Appeals For Decision: Preaching The Distinctive Seventh-Day Adventist Beliefs In The Michigan Conference, Daniel Paul Towar

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Personal observations while serving as a pastor and evangelist indicate a need for more effective and persuasive appeals for decisions following sermons. This is especially important when preaching the distinctive truths of the Seventh-day Adventist church. It is both a challenging and rewarding segment of my own preaching experience. For this reason it is my desire to improve on the delivery of appeals by including "prophetic preaching" strategies for reaching the heart issues that most concern those attending the Discover Revelation seminar that I present as an evangelist for the Michigan Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

Method

This project was …

Factors Associated With Pastoral Preaching On Financially-Related Topics Within The Missionary Church, Terry A. Zeitlow

Dissertations

Problem

The Bible gives significant direction and insight concerning financial stewardship. One of the roles of pastors is to teach biblical principles, including these financial concepts and practices. While there have been a few studies on pastoral preaching and teaching on financial matters, no known studies examine factors related to pastoral preaching on finances in smaller evangelical communities. This study focused on senior pastors in the Missionary Church, and factors that predicted their frequency in preaching and teaching about financial topics. The Missionary Church was selected because its five theological traditions (Anabaptism, pietism, Wesleyan-holiness movement, Keswickian-holiness movement, and evangelicalism) value …

Utilizing H.M.S. Richards' Sermons And Writings In The Development Of Sermons That Focus On The Unique Aspects Of Seventh-Day Adventist Preaching As Implemented At The Kress Memorial Church In Winter Park, Florida, Eric M. Doran

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

H. M. S. Richards maintains that Seventh-day Adventist preaching should be distinct from the preaching of others. What guidelines does Richards provide for determining what should be included in Adventist preaching, and how can those guidelines be integrated into the preaching at the Kress Memorial Seventh-day Adventist Church?

Method

The books, articles, and sermons of H. M. S. Richards were researched for guidance on what Seventh-day Adventist preaching should include. On the basis of the principles developed from Richards, twelve sermons preached prior to the research were evaluated. Twelve new sermons following Richards’ principles were then written and preached …

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 …

Holistic Approach To Preaching: A Training Program For Lay Speakers Of Manhattan Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Victor V. Dyman

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Many congregations that are part of multi-church districts are presented with the challenge of motivating and equipping lay people with the skills they need for effective preaching in the postmodern world. This project sought to develop a compact and user-friendly preaching workshop, and preaching laboratory to train lay preachers to preach effectively.

Method

A Scripture and literature search was conducted on preaching. Principles were used to develop Holistic Preaching Workshop and Preaching Laboratory which were given to lay preachers of Manhattan Seventh-day Adventist Church in Manhattan, New York City. After the six-hour weekend workshop lay preachers delivered public presentations …

Equipping Lay People With The Spiritual Gift For Preaching In The Collegedale Community Seventh-Day Adventist Church To Preach, Jerry Douglas Arnold

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The Collegedale Community Seventh-day Adventist Church has never had a program to teach lay people how to preach. Preaching is one of God’s methods for sharing the gospel and winning souls for His kingdom. Teaching lay people to preach will increase the spread of the gospel.

Method

Spiritual gifts for preaching were used as the means of selecting lay people for the preaching class. They were taught how to study the Bible, discern sermon ideas, write out a sermon and how to present a sermon.

Results

The students learned how to study the Bible and share their findings in …

A Preaching Program To Instill Social Consciousness In African-American Churches In Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, Willie Edward Hucks Ii

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

In Adventist African-American churches in the Dallas/Fort Worth (D/FW), Texas, Metroplex, there has been a dearth of preaching to issues pertaining to social consciousness. This dearth is due to the utilization of preaching models that are incapable of addressing all the needs of African-Americans who are constantly buffeted by the stresses of life. The primary focus of preaching has traditionally been upon longterm salvation and spiritual formation, as opposed to community concerns—especially as they relate to preaching in the African-American communities of the D/FW Metroplex. As a result, many Blacks in this region are not being reached as effectively …

Preaching By Discovery: A Training Program To Help Lay Speakers Develop A Style Of Preaching That Motivates To Action, Michael A. Mnich

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Many Seventh-day Adventist congregants do not act upon the sermons they hear. Lay preachers often preach in small, rural, Seventh-day Adventist churches. This project sought to develop a six-hour seminar to train lay preachers to preach in a way that motivates hearers to action.

Method

A literature search was conducted on motivational principles in psychology, education, the Bible, and the writings of Ellen G. White. These principles were used to develop the Preaching by Discovery seminar, which was given to the lay preachers of three small rural Seventh-day Adventist churches in Kansas. After the six-hour weekend seminar, lay preachers …

Bipolar Preaching For Hispanic Evangelism In The North American Division, Eradio Alonso

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

This dissertation deals with the bipolar concept of preaching as it applies to Seventh-day Adventist evangelism in a Hispanic-American context. Bipolar preaching is preaching that focuses on answering human problems or needs by applying eternal truth to the human condition. In my experience bipolar preaching was missing for many years. This project attempts to make the homiletical theory of bipolar preaching better understood I hope that it will be integrated into the preaching ministry in general and into evangelistic preaching in particular. The Hispanic evangelistic sermon seems to be well-anchored in the Word of God, but it does not …

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 …

Towards Understanding Distinctive Seventh-Day Adventist Preaching, John Harold Hobart Mathews

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

As early as 1957 there has been concern by some church members that Seventh-day Adventist preaching has lost its uniqueness or as some have said, "the old Adventist ring." Are SDA preachers losing the church's mission in their preaching? That assertion continues to be a voice within Adventism.

Method

A study from the Bible, writings of Ellen G. White and other church publications helped me understand the mission of the SDA church and preaching's relationship to that mission. An analysis of sermons by J. N. Andrews, W. A. Spicer, and H. M. S. Richards, Sr. demonstrate how leading SDA …

Comparing Audience Perceptions Of Constructs Presented Expositorily With Those Presented Topically When The Same Method Of Bible Study Is Used, Rollin Laverne Shoemaker

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

As the literature shows, every preacher needs to develop his own guidelines for presentation of theological constructs (preaching). The literature also shows the importance of the letter to the Galatians for the church, especially during and since the Reformation. Thus, this study attempts to compare audience perceptions of theological constructs (derived from my study of Galatians) presented expositorily with those presented topically when the same guidelines are used.

Method

This study was undertaken to: (1) develop guidelines for exegesis, that would be useful for preaching, starting with the Greek text, (2) develop guidelines for audience and community analysis, (3) …

A Design For A Segment Based On The Methods Of Selected Old Testament Preachers To Be Included In A Course In Homiletics, Vilmar E. Gonzalez

Professional Dissertations DMin

This project attempts to discover some criteria (or characteristics) that can be used in contemporary preaching, based in the Old Testament. So I selected seven Old Testament preachers (prophets) and analyzed seven of their sermons (or messages) or parts thereof. Somehow they cover the history of Israel as a nation starting with Moses down to Haggai. The other five are; Joshua, Solomon, Elijah, Amos and Jeremiah. Once I discovered the contents of their messages, I tried to relate them to contemporary preaching. I believe it is useful and contains helpful materials for the use of ministers and preachers. Also, it …

Preaching To An Institutional Congregation: An Analysis Of The Needs And Expectations For Preaching In The Newbury Park Adventist Church, Daniel G. Smith

Professional Dissertations DMin

Purpose

The impetus for the research was a transfer from a rural parish to the Newbury Park Seventh-day Adventist Church on the campus of Newbury Park Adventist Academy. Because a majority of the congregation are employed by denominational institutions, it was presumed that the institutional character of the congregation would influence their needs and expectations for preaching. Therefore the research was designed to ascertain those needs and expectations, and to find any difference between institutional and noninstitutional members.

The Case for a Congregational Analysis

The study presents a case for congregational analysis. The first line of argument is based upon …

A Biblical Preaching Strategy For The Ministers Of The Seventh-Day Adventist Central Dominican Conference, Ramon Araujo C.

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The problem of preaching in the Central Dominican Conference seems to be one of sermon content. Weaknesses in hermeneutical principles as well as rules applied to the biblical sermon can be detected. Even when preachers quote the Bible and try to explain the message, the biblical text is not properly discussed or explained. This situation results in poor sermon content. To correct this anomaly, this study provides a guide on Biblical Preaching to help the minister produce a better sermon to feed the church.

Method

In order to investigate the content of sermons and the principles applied to preaching …

A Comparison Of Receptivity To The Deductive And Inductive Methods Of Preaching In The Pioneer Memorial Church, Dwight K. Nelson

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem. There are two basic methods into which all preaching falls, deduction and induction. Homiletical literature advocating either method extols the virtues of the one over the other. However, such literature offers little supportive data based upon listener responses and preferences. An historical survey of preaching reveals that the preaching of Jesus and the apostles in the New Testament was dominantly inductive, whereas the preaching of the post-New Testament church has been generally deductive. Therefore, it was the task of this project to seek listener response to deductive and inductive preaching in the Pioneer Memorial Church in order to ascertain …

A Biblically Based Instruction Program In Preaching For Local Church Elders And Lay Preachers In The Philippines, Archibald P. Tupas

Professional Dissertations DMin

This project sought to develop programmed instruction materials designed to guide laity of the Philippines in independent study in the art of preaching. Preaching is especially challenging to Filipino lay people-- particularly to the church elders--because of the lack of ordained ministers. Preaching the Gospel and nurturing members rest largely on lay shoulders. Unfortunately, the laity who do the bulk of the work in the Philippines are handicapped by lack of formal ministerial training. Thus Seventh-day Adventist church leadership is challenged to equip and instruct the laity to preach more effectively to meet the demands of a rapidly growing membership. …

The Cultural Shape Of Preaching: A Rationale For A Course In Biblical Preaching Emphasizing Culturally Contextualized Proclamation In East Africa, Per W. Naesheim

Professional Dissertations DMin

This project seeks to set out a rationale for culturally contextualized preaching in East Africa, with a specific focus on Kenya, and on this basis develops a syllabus for a college course in Biblical preaching. A survey of contemporary East African culture shows it to be still largely based on traditional African patterns but modified by many outside influences. When compared with the cultural context of the Bible or with Western society, East African culture shows significant differences. An understanding of this is necessary in order to preach effectively in Kenya.

Many preachers, both missionaries and East Africans 2 3 …

The Contextualization Of An Understanding Of Biblical Preaching Into The Jamaican Situation, Vassel George Kerr

Professional Dissertations DMin

Preaching has always been an important function of the Christian church. It is the generating source of the Christian faith, and Paul struck the mark when he declared, "Faith comes by hearing" (Rom 10:17). Martin Luther burnished that mark, making it a hallmark of the Reformation: "Faith is an acoustical affair." The contemporary preacher cannot lose sight of the centrality of the Protestant pulpit. The biblical Keryxon ton logon (preach the word), is a mandate, a command, not a temporary injunction or a recommendation. Not only should the preacher proclaim the Good News, he or she1 is to make it …

An Evaluation Of Selected Seventh-Day Adventist Sermons In Mexico Against Certain Criteria For Biblical Preaching, Samuel Donald Schmidt

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem.

Some of the Seventh-day Adventist sermons preached in Mexico appear to offer limited biblical content. It has been observed that overtaxed ministers often present material that does not correspond to some of the members' expectations. Since the word of God is central in the praise and adoration of God and constitutes the message to be proclaimed, it is important for preachers to understand better ways to preach the Good News.

Method

The purpose of this project was to explore current Seventh- day Adventist preaching in Mexico with respect-to sermon content. The theology of God's proclamation places great responsibility upon …

Preaching With Audio-Visuals, Ervin K. Thomsen

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The increasing usage of audio-visuals in modern communication has brought about an increase in communication efficiency, an efficiency that is sometimes lacking in sermons. Audio-visuals can be viewed by the Christian church as either legitimate or illegitimate means of communication in preaching. If the church accepts these media as genuine and valid vehicles of communication of its message, it must then discover ways of employing audio-visuals effectively and responsibly in preaching.

Methods

For the development of guidelines for the utilization of audio-visuals in preaching, data and information from the following areas have been studied and surveyed: (1) Scriptural data …

A Dialogical Evaluation Of A Series Of Eight Sermons Preached In The Benton Harbor Church Of Seventh-Day Adventists From April 6 To June 1, 1974, Carl Raymond Holmes

Professional Dissertations DMin

Introduction

From April 6 to June 1, 1974» a series of eight sermons were preached to the .Benton Harbor, Michigan congregation of Seventh-day Adventists under the theme FAITH TO FACE THE FUTURE. Homiletical preparation was based on the method suggested by Lloyd M. Perry in his book Biblical Sermon Guide, and harmonized with methods consistent with my own theology of preaching. The series was preceded by two training sessions in listening skills for the Treatment Group designated throughout this report as Group A.

Method

Methodology was two-fold: theoretical and empirical. Research was done in selected works on homiletics and the …