Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Creating A Mission-Focused Stewardship Plan For The Shiloh Bilingual French Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Brooklyn, New York, Herode J. Thomas

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

A review of administrative data reveals that Shiloh French Seventh-day Adventist Church has lost 25% of its members over the past 5 years, while only 15% joined by baptism. Most new members come from transfers and profession of faith. The purpose of the present work is to address the issue of lack of motivation to carry out the mission of the worldwide church by asking the following question: How can a mission-focused stewardship plan help church leaders and members refocus? --

Methodology

Based on the context, theological reflection, and literature review, the initiative was presented in four phases: Mission-Focused …

A Theory Of Virtuous Leadership And Its Influence On Organizational Performance In Christian Organizations: A Classic Grounded Theory Study, Simon Lasu, Carlos Ernesto Biaggi

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

Even though the leadership literature has studied the antecedents and outcomes of virtuous leadership, there is a scarcity of research on the influence of virtuous leadership on organizational performance in Christian organizations. Therefore, this study developed a theory of virtuous leadership and its influence on organizational performance grounded in the perceptions of leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Using classic grounded theory methodology, data was collected by interviewing eight leaders of the Adventist Church from the MENA region. The emergent theory of virtuous leadership revolves around the key role of spirituality (source) …

Cultivating Ethnically Diverse Leaders: An Exploration Of The Need For Ethnic Diversity In Leadership Positions And Its Potential Impact On The Mission Work Of The Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Guatemala, Benjamin M. Bonilla López

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

This article explores the issue of ethnic diversity in leadership, especially in the context of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Guatemala. Different conceptualizations regarding the contributions that ethnic diversity in leadership positions can bring into an organization will be analyzed. The analysis will be combined with my personal observations made from a fieldwork visit to Guatemala during the months of October and November in 2017. Moreover, it will be argued that based on observations made during that fieldwork, the Adventist Church in Guatemala has an issue with a lack of diversity among its leadership since its membership in some locations …

Adventist Church Leadership And Religious Liberty In India: Impact On Mission And Ministry, Santosh Kumar

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

India, consisting of several diverse communities, operates on various religious sentiments, norms, expectations, cultures, and worldviews. Each culture and worldview developed, nurtured, and was organized in a community that recognized the importance of religious tolerance—tolerances that keep India united and yet diverse. Religious tolerance in India respects and allows the various religions to exist and practice within the same community.1 However, if this norm is broken, the resulting actions can result in unexpected consequences. There are several cases where tolerance was breached due to religious standards, views, or beliefs, causing chaos in a community.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church has become …

The Decline And Recovery Of Apostolic Leadership In Adventist Ministry, Anthony Wagenersmith

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

There are broad patterns of growth: plateau, decline, and ultimately renewal or death among Christian denominations and networks. One of the factors that catalyze movement dynamics early on—as well as their potential renewal—is the degree to which a church’s founding leaders embody and transfer the apostolic function for future generations (cf. Saarinen 1994; Morgan 2017). This article traces the initial function and decline of apostolicity among Seventh-day Adventist ministers as a case study with implications for contemporary Adventism and beyond.

After providing an analysis of leadership in the New Testament—with particular emphasis on apostles, apostolicity, and their relationship with elders—an …

Mission Leadership Development In The Chinese Adventist Church: Reflections In The Light Of Traditional Chinese Philosophies Of Leadership, E P

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

Different schools of thought have emphasized multiples aspects of leadership, preeminently in the western hemisphere for the last decades (Bennis 1959; Greenleaf 1977; Malphus 2003). As China more decisively steps into the global arena through internationalization of its economy and political influence, scholars are only scratching the surface in exploring the pluralistic styles of Chinese indigenous leadership in both national and international organizations where the Chinese play significant leadership roles (Chen and Lee 2008: xv; Zhang, Chen, and Chen, and Ang 2014).

Contextual leadership is essential for the healthy development of any organization and that is equally true when it …

Exploring The Influence Of Racial Diversity On Church Growth: A Case Study Of Buffalo Suburban Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Lancaster, New York, Luis A. Mancebo

Dissertations

There is a growing phenomenon in the United States of America: multiracial churches. While earlier research indicates that church growth typically happens in more homogenous congregations, more and more churches are growing that are multiracial. This case study focused on the growth of Buffalo Suburban Seventh-day Adventist Church (BSSDAC), a multiracial church in Lancaster, New York. Data collection was done through focus groups of church leaders and members, and a review of any available church and membership records.

BSSDAC started as a White congregation in Buffalo in 1885 and moved to the suburbs in the 1980s where the initial transition …

Equipping Adventist Community Services Directors As Leaders For The Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Sung Kun Kwon

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The Adventist Community Services (ACS) broad scope of services increasingly demanded competent leadership that was not always readily found in local churches. For this reason, ACS leadership began to plan an advanced leadership development program for the ACS personnel, pastors, and church members at the union, conference, local levels, and worldwide. Up to that time leadership development programs within ACS tended to be haphazard and inconsistent. While there were several conferences that provided local leadership development for ACS leaders, there was no centralized leadership development program. To effectively lead the organizations that served the various communities, it was necessary …

An Evaluation Of Footwashing As Practiced By The Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Hadid J. Cortez

Honors Theses

My goal in conducting this honors thesis is to find the biblical, theological, and historical reasons for why Seventh-day Adventists perform footwashing and the Lord's Supper in the same ceremony. A more thorough analysis of the scriptural texts depicting footwashing and the Lord's Supper could help us discern whether there is a strong thematic connection that justifies their joining into one ceremony. Additionally, research into the origins of the practice of footwashing within the Early Christian Church and the Early Seventh-day Adventist Church will help us discern whether the way that the Seventh-day Adventist Church performs communion is based on …

Lideranca Servidora: Um Estudo De Saude Organizacional, Dos Estilos E Praticas Da Lideranca E Da Satisfacao Do Trabalho Segundo A Percepcao Do Ministerio Pastoral Da Associacao Mineira Sul Da Igreja Adventista Do Setimo Dia, Luis Gustavo Cava Sa

Master's Theses

Problem

Considering that Southern Minas Conference (AMS) growth rate is lower than other fields within the Brazilian Southeast Union (USEB) an investigation was conducted regarding the organizational health, the practices and styles of leadership, as well as the job satisfaction level among AMS pastors.

Method

The study was conducted among 46 pastors who represent three levels of leadership: Top Leadership, Management and Work Force as established by the research instrument Organizational Leadership Assessment (OLA) that analyses the perception of the participants regarding six key areas of leadership, six levels of organizational health, and job satisfaction level of the Work Force, …

Reducing Pastor-Dependency In The New Market Seventh-Day Adventist Church Through Self-Managed Ministry Teams, Shane N. Anderson

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Between 2004 and 2015, members of the New Market Seventh-day Adventist Church independently—that is, apart from the pastoral staff—initiated only a handful of new ministries (either for in-reach or outreach) and only occasionally attempted to substantially improve existing ministries. This stunted the church’s ability to reach, baptize, and mature new members. Two professional assessments of the church indicated that this problem was caused largely by an unhealthy dependence on the pastoral staff to make the majority of substantive ministry decisions.

Method

Self-managed ministry teams were implemented into a significant portion of the church over a period of 18 months …

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 …

Postmodern Teens And Twentysomethings In German-Speaking Europe, Alexander C. Schulze

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

"this article briefly summarizes the results of a pioneering study in faith development research. Based on the data gathered by Valuegenesis Europe, the study examined the relationship between family and church variables and the faith development of adolescents and young adults in Germany, austria, and Switzerland. Faith development was seen through the lenses of four new faith development dimensions: believing, belonging, caring, and doing. the article discusses the implications of this study to orient leaders to the faith development needs of the young generation in German-speaking Europe."

The St. Clair Family Story In America: John Sinkler (C1630-1700) To Fairy St. Clair Gibson, Lawrence W. Onsager

Faculty Publications

This book traces the St. Clair family from Scotland to the New Hampshire frontier in 1650. John Sinkler was sold by his English captors during the English Civil War as an indentured servant. The first five generations of the St. Clair family in America was spent in New Hampshire. James Sinclair/St. Clair (1757-1836) fought with Whitcomb's Rangers and the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. After the Revolutionary War, this branch of the family moved to New York State, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas , Oklahoma, and finally to the states of Washington and Oregon. Fairy St. Clair Gibson's family joined the …

The St. Clair Family Story In America: John Sinkler (C1630-1700) To Fairy St. Clair Gibson, Lawrence W. Onsager

Lawrence W. Onsager

This book traces the St. Clair family from Scotland to the New Hampshire frontier in 1650. John Sinkler was sold by his English captors during the English Civil War as an indentured servant. The first five generations of the St. Clair family in America was spent in New Hampshire. James Sinclair/St. Clair (1757-1836) fought with Whitcomb's Rangers and the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. After the Revolutionary War, this branch of the family moved to New York State, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas , Oklahoma, and finally to the states of Washington and Oregon. Fairy St. Clair Gibson's family joined the …

Engaging The Men Of Bethel Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Building Authentic Relationship With Other African American Men, Ronald Dave Williams Jr.

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

According to the Pew Study (2009), the majority of African Americans are Protestants (78%) as compared to 51% of the United States population as a whole. However, African American men (16%) are more likely than African American women (9%) to be unaffiliated with any religion. The Pew Study also noted that nearly one-in-five African Americans under age 30 (19%) are unaffiliated with any religion. Pastoral observation further reveals a disproportionate number of women attending regular church services compared to men at Bethel Seventh-day Adventist Church. This is a historical problem not only with the Bethel Church, but also in …

Teaching Self-Care To Pastors In The Western Nigeria Union Conference Of The Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Sunday David-Abiola Adelakin

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem and Purpose

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Nigeria, as well as those in other parts of the world, have genuine concern for their pastors’ physical and spiritual well-being. One of the fundamental teachings of the church that applies both to the pastors and the laity as well is to be temperate in all that we do. There is still concern, however, for those pastors that are not observing and keeping the laws of health to keep healthy physically, emotionally, and spiritually. This project explored concepts of self-care practices as they relate to pastors in Nigeria and a teaching manual …

Dance And Contextualization In The South Pacific Islands - Encounters With Adventist Christian Faith, Jennifer Jean Jones

Human Subject Research Archive

This dissertation investigated the attitudes and perceptions of the students and faculty towards dance for religious events at Pacific Adventist University (PAU) in New Guinea. It aimed to help in leading a climate for change within PAU towards a model for contextualizing traditional dance for God's Kingdom ministry. A directed study of the biblical precedents regarding dance served as a foundation to the rationale of engaging in dance for worship. Some sources in Adventist Church theology on dance in relation to their relevance in the South Pacific was discussed. The role of traditional dance and how it influences worship music …

An Analytical Review Of Christian Spirituality With Special Reference To The Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Gorden R. Doss

Gorden Doss

No abstract provided.

A Design For Learning And Developing Skills For Handling Interpersonal And Substantive Conflict In The Ardmore, Oklahoma, Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Jan Gary Johnson

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

While a great deal of attention has been given in conflict literature to the role of intra-church structures and the political/managerial processes and strategies for conflict intervention and/or management, this project is more concerned with relational matters. That is, the problem addressed in this project is the teaching of certain skills that would help church members preserve their interpersonal relationships even though engaged in conflict. The thesis is that an enlightened understanding of conflict and the development of certain communication skills can significantly affect how the parishioner perceives conflict and thus how he/she will behave in conflictive situations thereby …

Parley: Another Look At "Adventists And Politics", C. Mervyn Maxwell

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.