Practical Theology Commons^™

Ellen G. White And The Secular Campus, William Cork

180 Symposium Publications

Ellen White’s statements about secular college campuses provide principles that can guide the development of Adventist campus ministry today. Remarks she made in 1891 and 1895 acknowledge the challenges of the secular campus, but also the necessity of a positive witness. Guided by the principles she outlines, Adventist campus ministry will both support students on the secular campus and live out a nonconfrontational ministry of presence in the heart of the university.

When The Canaries Stop Singing, Martin Weber

180 Symposium Publications

Concerned about attrition of Adventist students attending secular campuses, we seek ways of inducing them to remain with us—unaware that their departure is due to systemic dysfunction in churches throughout North America. The causative factor of young adult attrition is judgmentalism resulting from a lack of knowing how to love. We have forgotten a core insight into the Great Controversy—that love requires freedom of choice, despite the inevitable risks. Paradoxically, our very concern about safeguarding the spirituality of our young adults generates a judgmental counterfeit of love that drives them away in a spirit of toxic anxiety.

Taskforce Now, Michael J. Stevenson

180 Symposium Publications

The world is currently wrestling with an economic downturn. As life gets rearranged; plans have to change. The convergence of a sluggish economy, lack of jobs and fewer slots available means that more Adventist young people are out of a job. At the same time the huge needs for leadership, mentoring and global economic mix up, we can seize the moment, employ and deploy hundreds to nurture the needs of thousands through the revival and adaptation of Adventist Collegiate Taskforce (ACT).

Shall Thou Reincarnate Or Not? A Quest For Spirituality Among Czech "Irreligious" People, Petr A. Činčala

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

In Spite Of The Fact, Roy Gane

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Living Out The Principles Of The Ten Commandments, Trevor O'Reggio

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Transformational Effects Of Forgiveness In The Lives Of Members Of The Kingsboro Temple Congregation, Joseph E. Ainsworth

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Forgiveness is a crucial need within the congregation, and the lack of a greater practice of forgiveness is severely impacting the emotional, relational, and spiritual wellbeing of members. This present study investigated causes of hurt within the congregation, and designed a process to assist members in achieving forgiveness to empower them to live a forgiven life.

Method

The Pearson Correlations of Values measured 17 variables of spirituality and forgiveness against variables of avoidance, revenge, distancing, and feeling close. The ] 7 variables were reviewed and validated by Dr. Joan Atwood as a check and balance to personal biases. Forty-eight …

Performance Evaluation Of Pastors In East Zimbabwe Conference, Douglas Mutanga

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

There has been no consistent and effective way of evaluating the performance of pastors in the East Zimbabwe Conference. In most cases the evaluating is only done for the purpose of identifying ordination candidates and is based only on quantifiable goals that include baptisms, tithe returns, and submission of reports. Due to the rapid growth of the church in terms of personnel, number of churches and membership, and the vast geographical territory, the need for an evaluation instrument is critical.

Method

The study was descriptive and designed around research questions that helped determine the job description of the pastor. …

Desarrollo De Un Seminario De Predicación Para La Iglesia Adventista Del Séptimo Dia Hispana De Charlotte En Carolina Del Norte, Carlos Gerardo Molina

Doctor of Ministry Projects

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 …

Developing Spiritual Formation And Mission Awareness In The Hill Portuguese Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Johannesburg, South Africa, Dilson M. Bezerra

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Between 1992 and 2007, the attendance of the Hill Portuguese Seventh-day Adventist Church has declined from 200 to 60 members and the church completely lost its sense of mission. This downturn requires investigation and study in order to reverse the situation. The project is an implementation of a program to revive the church in fellowship with God, and in action within the community. Further, Portuguese immigrant members display a tendency towards liberalism when removed from their native culture.

Method

An informal survey was created and administered to the church members in order to discover why membership had been declining …

Dual Allegiance And The Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Africa: How To Address The Issue In An Open Dialogue In The West Central Africa Division, Gilbert Wari

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Africa in general, and the West-Central Africa Division in particular, has been facing the issue of dual allegiance or “split level Christianity.”

Method

The Bible, Spirit of Prophecy, and other related books and articles concerning the issue of dual allegiance were studied, then theological and religious-cultural data were analyzed, a strategy was put in place by using a Logframe Matrix and a Gantt Chart so as to address and deal with the issue from a biblical point of view.

Results

A spirit of dedication and commitment started manifesting itself among pastors, administrators, and church …

Intercultural Faith-Based Mentoring Of Helderberg College Students, South Africa, Edward A. Appollis

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Many of the students of Helderberg College do not utilize the mentoring program fully and staff members lack the time and training for doing faith-based mentoring. Additionally, both staff and students have expressed the challenges that arise from a mentor-mentee relationship which is often intercultural.

Method

A mixed methodology study using the following instruments with two populations of Helderberg College: a survey-questionnaire by 93 fulltime registered student mentees present at a weekly assembly (3rd Nov. 2008); and a survey-questionnaire by 28 mentoring staff (4th Nov. 2008). Further, 6 interviews with mentors on 29th July- 3rd Aug. 2009 and 10 …

The Development Of Leadership Competencies For Children And Youth For Implementation In Pathfinder Club, Hyungsik Ju

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Children and youth members in the Korean Adventist church have been steadily decreasing in numbers. Although there are many causes, the most serious problem is a lack of leadership development training for children and youth. And then, the lack of a leadership program for young people not only fails to promote an evangelistic passion, but also causes a deficit of training for future church leaders. In this sense, various leadership competencies should be applied and developed in order to nurture young people spiritually.

Method

Library research, a theological analysis, a contextual analysis of South Korea and the Korean Adventist …

The Role Of The Pastor In A Multi-Church District In East Zimbabwe Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Robert Muzira

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Some Seventh-day Adventist Church members in Chiremba West District, Harare, East Zimbabwe Conference, complained that 1, the district pastor, was not ministering to them effectively. The district has a total of seven organized churches and a membership of 5.135 (E.Z.C. Church Membership Record Book, 2008). Despite the high membership, members' expectations are that I attend all family or church programs. The purpose of the project was to discover the professional role for the pastor in a multi-church district, and also to uncover the expectations that church members have of their pastor in a multi-church district. Defining those expectations enables …

Servant Leadership: A Strategy To Retain Human Capital In Malawi Union Health Institutions, Baxter Dickson Chilunga

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Statistically the Malawi Union and its institutions are showing a negative labour turnover for the past five years. The problem is very pronounced in the health institutions where there were 104 employees lost at Blantyre Adventist Hospital and 106 employees at Malamulo Hospital. This is a drop from 645 to 435.

Method

I identified the supervisors, heads of institutions and health employees in Blantyre Adventist Hospital and Malamulo Hospital, both unmarried and married employees. Data was collected from these employees concerning human capital turnover from 2004 to 2009 through questionnaires, workshops and interviews. The data concerning worker retention was …

A Paradigm For Cell Church Ministry In The Seventh-Day Adventist Church In South Korea, Won Moo Song

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Small group ministry, known as the cell church, was thought to be the best response to the slow growth of membership in the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church in South Korea. However, the attempt to develop effective cell church ministries has failed to attract new, or even current, members. Yet, there are three non-SDA churches that have had success in setting up model cell churches. The purpose of this study is to explore possible reasons for the failure, examine the successful programs, and identify those steps the Korean Adventist church could adopt in order to establish a positive paradigm for …

Motivating And Training The Laity To Increase Their Involvement In Ministry In The Ouaga-Center Adventist Church In Burkina Faso, Boubakar Sanou

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem.

In many Christian religious circles, the subject of clergy and laity has received much attention because of a sharp distinction between them. In Africa, the laypeople are expected to give allegiance to the clergy and also to depend on them for spiritual guidance and help. Although the New Testament teaches the concepts of the priesthood of all believers (1 Pet 2:5, 9-10) and the priestly ministry of the church as the function of the total church membership, there is still a persistent tendency to create a dichotomy between clergy and laity. This practice clearly shows two classes of believers: …

Dynamical Similarity And The Problem Of Evil, Brad Kallenberg

Theology and Religious Studies Faculty Publications

Discussions of evil commonly fault God for not “doing something.” Defenders of God respond that God had good reasons for not “doing something.” Detractors observe that if a human being can snatch the toddler from the path of the oncoming bus, why does not God snatch the bus from the path of the oncoming toddler? The underlying assumption in such discussions is that God’s “doing something” is similar to humans’ “doing something.”

If human beings bear the image of their Creator as the Abrahamic faiths maintain, it is natural to suppose that divine action is similar to human action. But …

Adventist Engaged Encounter Rebirthed At Andrews, Keri Suarez

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Deep Preaching: Creating Sermons That Go Beyond The Superficial By Kent J. Edwards, Lloyd Grant

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.