Christianity Commons^™

A Seat At The Table: Why The Seat You've Been Entrusted With Is More Vital Than The Position You're Entitled To, Donna Pisani

Doctor of Ministry

My NPO (The lack of understanding and framework of Biblical leadership as entrustment rather than an entitlement that empowers both genders to lead together has created a lack of female representation in strategic influence and leadership roles) was birthed out of my experience as a female in ministry for four decades leading with men, coupled with the lack of resources available to an upcoming generation of leaders. Through extensive research and interviews, the most viable solution that emerged was a published book written to empower a new generation of female leaders—one that addresses the theology of women in leadership with …

Strengths-Based African Leadership Training: A Comprehensive Guide For Empowering Grassroots Communities, Henry Gwani

Doctor of Leadership

This project portfolio addresses the following need, problem or opportunity (NPO): Hopelessness within African low-income communities highlights the need for equipping local agents with a Christian gospel that integrates discipleship with leadership development, vocational training, mental health and asset-based community development if we wish to see Shalom. Several insights emerged from this research. First, to foster holistic transformation within low-income communities, it is imperative for discipleship to include basic mental health and practical interventions such as vocational training. Second, each community, regardless of how impoverished, is blessed with assets (skills, experiences and relationships), that need to be leveraged for the …

The Church Surviving Crisis An Examination Of Leaders' Disaster Response, Joel A. Tudman

Doctor of Ministry

In March of the year 2020, the church would change drastically and quickly. In-person gatherings shifted to online worship. The pandemic fostered change for the church and it had to adapt to a digital era overnight. Abrupt change of such for churches and other organizations called for business meetings and a change in the application of the vision. Some churches upgraded audio and video equipment to facilitate their vision effectively and some closed their doors. The world has seen many crises and the church has always long suffered right along with the world. When a crisis strikes the world like …

Transgenerational Wellness: Trauma Informed Christian Spiritual Formation, Winford Amos

Doctor of Ministry

Certain mindsets, processes, and practices produce health inequities and disparities including poor spiritual health. Young adults between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five years old are experiencing challenges with mental health and substance use resulting in a high rate of suicides and overdose related deaths. Many are experiencing co-occurring substance use and mental health challenges and have a history of trauma. There are limited options available for integrated treatment. Accessibility to services is very difficult due to limited providers and limited resources at this age. Church attendance has decreased significantly for young adults which limits the capacity of the church …

Forming Anglican Wayfinders In Aotearoa: A Contextual Approach To Ministerial Preparation, Karen Kemp

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation begins with a Church in crisis and a story of vocation under pressure. It identifies the need for clergy who are resilient and adaptive in the face of change.

Using the four phases of Appreciative Inquiry, Sections Two through Six build a picture of what New Zealand Anglican leaders need today.1

Discover: Section Two surveys bright spots in ministerial education, and exegetes the Rule of Benedict using a leadership lens.

Dream: Section Three identifies key challenges, evaluates emerging models of leadership, and proposes a fresh approach to training.

Design and Destiny phases (Sections Four through Six) present the …

A New Koinonia: Rediscovering Community Through Online Communities Of Practice, Christal M. N. Jenkins

Doctor of Ministry

The 21st century American church sits in the crux of a paradigm shift. The shift is driven by the decline in community and the need to evolve in the manner and methods used to maintain fellowship with believers who are seeking community. The loss of community presents both a challenge and an opportunity. One way in which we, as the church, can expand our connection with one another is through incorporating communities of practice. Communities of practice consist of three main components: domain (shared interest), community, and practice. The conceptual framework of communities of practice can foster community and discipleship …

A Story, Metaphor, And A Matrix For The Truly Rural Church That Grows Christ Followers In An Uncertain Future, Lon Hider

Doctor of Ministry

The Church is always one generation away from extinction. There are larger trends that jeopardize the future of rural churches in my area. Evidence suggests there will not be enough Millennials to keep these rural churches viable. The rural churches built themselves on the “world-as-it-used-to-be.” But this world is fading with younger generations. Current approaches are unlikely to keep the ship afloat.

The “world-as-it-used-to-be” distorted the biblical narrative culminating in Christ. This story does not have weight with younger generations. If followers of Jesus in a rural context can embrace the correct biblical narrative, they can grow in their humanity …

Using Comedy To Build Community In Local Churches: How Laughing Together Can Bring People Together, Jason T. Deuman

Doctor of Ministry

Comedy is present in some form in every culture. Understanding humor theories and the effects of comedy on individuals and groups can help local churches foster community in their congregation as well as build bridges for non-congregants to join the community. Developing healthy community through comedy is one of the ways that church leaders can counter the isolation and disconnection occurring in American culture. This project examines humor in the Bible in order to help pastors teach on the value of humor. Church leaders have embraced and rejected humor throughout history. Understanding the various ways comedy has been used in …

The Melody Of Mutuality: Integrating Theological And Psychological Principles For Egalitarian Churches To Better Support Marriages, Jennifer J. Dean-Hill

Doctor of Ministry

The dynamic combination of the unique characteristics of man and woman have been described by author Carolyn Custis James as The Blessed Alliance. Yet power struggles, misunderstandings, and unmet expectations often plague the particular struggles of modern marriages therefore creating a demand for marriage therapists and psychological modalities that seek to rectify the conflictive divide among the genders. Marriage therapy has provided tools and methods for marriages to resolve their differences, strive for a relationship of equity, and develop a culture of mutuality. These new and improved marriages attend egalitarian churches, only to discover the gender wars are still being …

Exploring Leadership In The Middle: An Application Of Schon's Reflective Conversation—A Decision-Making Process For Assemblies Of God World Missions Area Directors, James A. Sabella

Doctor of Ministry

Middle leaders are an essential part of every organization. Their position in the organization’s structure places them at the center of the organization’s operations. From this middle position, the middle leader functions as both follower and leader, having a responsibility both upward and downward in the organization. In these capacities the middle leader becomes a critical link between the vision, goals and mission of the organization and the day-to-day carrying out of the vision, goals and mission. And yet middle leaders often go unnoticed. This dissertation focuses on those who lead in the middle: specifically, the Area Director in the …

Jesus' Cross-Cultural Model Of 'Leader As Servant' In Luke 22:24-30, Debby Thomas

Faculty Publications - College of Business

This article presents a model of leadership proposed by Jesus that contributes to outstanding leadership in cultures throughout the world. A review of the literature on servant leadership and power distance reveal that although resisted, servant leadership is a desired and appropriate form of leadership even in cultures with high power distance. A socio-rhetorical interpretation of Luke 22:24-30 is presented focusing on Jesus’ command to ‘lead as a servant’. The modern-day conception of servant leadership is found to parallel Jesus’ teaching of leader as servant. Power distance, one of the dimensions in the GLOBE Study (Chhokar, Brodbeck, & House, 2007), …

Overcoming The Unique Spiritual Formation Challenges Experienced By Large-Church Staff, Scott Whaley

Doctor of Ministry

Church staff encounter unique spiritual formation challenges that are not experienced in other vocations. In addition to managing stressors that are typical in every workplace setting, the church staff must also address the implications that arise because their pastor is also their employer, and their place of worship is also their workplace. These challenges are magnified in the large-church environment due an increased focus on employee performance and an emphasis on a corporate organizational structure. Over the last few decades, large churches have adopted best-practices from the corporate world, practices which focus scrutiny on increasing staff performance, further adding to …

Elder-At-The-Fire: Missional Generativity, Jo A. Harlow

Doctor of Ministry

Societies and cultures are changing at an unprecedented pace. In this time of uncertainty, how does the Church continue to advance God’s kingdom and nurture fully mature disciples of Christ? This paper will show that global shifts demand a new type of Christian leader—Elder-at-the-Fire—who is able to apprentice others to a life of Missional Generativity. The so-called ‘proven’ forms of discipleship are becoming ineffective. People in the world are floundering to understand their purpose; many seek spiritual guides and self-help solutions in search of spiritual meaning. In biblical times and in ancient tribal traditions, elders provided spiritual wisdom for life’s …

Theocentric Vision: A Model For The Discernment Of Congregational Vision As Spiritual Formation, Kurtley Elliott Knight

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation addresses the cultivation of a theocentric model of vision discernment that is spiritually formative for evangelical churches. This author will make the case that contemporary evangelical models of vision development possess an anthropocentric orientation that is individualistic, future-focused, and derived from business practices, thus subverting the spiritual formation of congregations. How then can congregational vision be shaped in a way that is spiritually formative for the faith community as a whole? This writer will posit that congregational spirituality will increase through the adoption of a theocentric model of vision discernment.

Chapter One sets the direction of the dissertation …

Toward A Corporeal, Biblical Narrative: A Study In Church Transformation, David C. Scafide

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation claims that church leaders can enact healthier church-wide transformation when changes are processed on the narrative level of culture. As the church’s narrative is transformed, the church lives out her new identity more readily and with less resistance. Chapter 1 defines key terms and examines the state of current transformation models and why they are not having widespread impact in transforming churches. Without understanding underlying narratives, church leaders face unnecessary resistance resulting from the attempt to impose changes that are not assimilated by the narrative of the church. Chapter 2 demonstrates how people always live out their perceived …

Serving And Following: Setting Aside Leadercentricity, D. David Kessler

Doctor of Ministry

For the past three decades, the evangelical church of America has welcomed and promoted a ministry ethos that is fad-driven, predominantly business-minded in its operation, and leadercentric in its implementation. This is the case even though there is no consistent definition of leadership and no Biblical mandate that justifies its continued reign. This dissertation argues that such a focal point is inconsistent with the example and mandate of Christ for those on a journey with him. He is the leader of the Church and all others that share differing levels of responsibly within his Kingdom are followers. He is the …

The Role Of Spiritual Formation And Ministry Governance In Developing Mission-Oriented Governing Boards, Allen Schoonover

Doctor of Ministry

Congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America have struggled over the last generation to reach out effectively to new members. This struggle is the byproduct of a changing ministry context leaders are trying to address. By the 1980s, those elements that had fueled the growth of the Lutheran Church the United States throughout the previous century had largely faded. An awareness of these changes and the corresponding decline in membership and contributions has prompted leaders to examine how to reach out more effectively to those outside traditional ethnic and cultural Lutheran enclaves. In order to improve their congregation’s effectiveness, …

Does The Presence Or Absence Of Virtues Define The Character Of A Leader And Impact Performance?, Glenn A. Williams

Doctor of Ministry

No abstract provided.

Preparing Men For Eldership In An Upper Middle Class Local Church Through Small Group Mentoring, Greggory Borror

Doctor of Ministry

No abstract provided.