Digital Commons Network^™

Church-Based Qualitative Research, David R. Dunaetz

Great Commission Research Journal

Qualitative research is collecting, analyzing, and interpreting subjective data to answer an important research question. It can be contrasted with quantitative research, which focuses on collecting numerical (relatively objective) data to test specific hypotheses. It is an attractive form of research in church contexts because it does not require training in statistics and can be conducted in almost all ministry settings. It is especially appropriate for topics that are under-researched, poorly understood, or involve concepts that are difficult to measure. Common problems associated with church-based qualitative research include overly broad research questions, weak descriptions of what has been observed, shallow …

My Pilgrimage In The Growth Of The Church, Charles Van Engen

Great Commission Research Journal

I have lived a life invested in the growth of the church and forming leaders who would mobilize the church toward growth. I have sought to pay forward what others did for me. Born of missionary parents, I was raised in the state of Chiapas, in southern Mexico. From 1973 to 1985, my wife, Jean, and I served the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico in Chiapas, Mexico, in leadership formation, training evangelists, pastors, and teachers of rapidly growing churches. In 1981, I received a Ph.D. in missiology under Johannes Verkuyl at the Free University of Amsterdam. I taught Mission Theology …

How Did We Get Here? Examining 70 Years Of The Church Growth Movement By Todd Wilson, Mike Morris

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Outside The Church Walls: An Empirical Exploration Of Organizational Culture And Pastoral Leadership In Two Urban Churches, Althea P. Gordon-Scott, Joshua D. Henson, Bethany D. Peters, Katrina Hutchins

Great Commission Research Journal

A mini-ethnographic case study explored the interconnections of organizational culture and pastoral leadership with sustainable outreach in two very different churches that focus on ministry to people with life-controlling issues and economic need: a small, primarily Black church in the Great Lakes region and a large, primarily White and Hispanic church in the western United States. Despite their differences, the churches shared similar espoused values and leadership characteristics that facilitated their outreach initiatives. Themes derived from the data include altruistic foundations, the value of relationships, exemplary pastoral leadership, organizational challenges, agile organizational systems, and the centrality of God.

Formed Together: A Value-Based Model Of Mutual Spiritual Formation For Pentecostal Pastors And Churches Under 500, W. T.A. Mcmillan

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

“Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock” (Acts 20:28) is both a warning and an invitation. It insists that the pastor's inner life and the congregation's shared life cannot be pulled apart without doing damage to both. This dissertation grows out of that conviction and out of years of pastoral ministry in Pentecostal churches where the pressure to perform often overwhelms the slow work of being formed. It asks a simple but searching question: How do Assemblies of God pastors serving congregations under 500 in attendance understand the connection between their own spiritual health and the spiritual …

Church Revitalization In A Southwest United States Retirement Community Church: A Case Study, Donald L. Fraser

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Eighty percent of churches in the United States are either plateaued or declining. Across all denominations, as many as 7700 churches permanently close their doors each year. Pastors of once-vibrant churches transition to survival mode rather than continuing to build their churches. However, there are bright spots where a declining church reverses the downward trend and begins a renewed cycle of growth. This case study examined church growth and revitalization of Southwest Community Church (the name has been changed to protect the identity of the participants), a revitalized church in a dedicated retirement community. For this research, revitalization has been …

A Virtual Coach Model For Christian Leaders: Addressing Burnout And Other Mental Health Challenges, Hillary Arlene Hinds

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The demands placed on pastoral leaders have increased immensely, and according to Eser (2025), this has caused emotional exhaustion, declining mental health, and feelings of isolation that threaten their well-being and ministry. Data on pastoral leadership burnout and the extent to which a coaching approach is used to assist them in addressing mental health challenges in Canada are limited. This research reported on the use of Whitmore’s (1980) GROW model contextualized within a biblical worldview to mitigate burnout with a group of pastoral leaders (N = 5) in Saskatchewan, Canada. Findings from this research, though from a small population, were …

Intelligence-Based Missionary Preparedness, Barry Marbach

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This Dissertation in Praxis applies Biblical imperatives, theoretical research on leadership, relevant training models, and leading with intelligence to improve missionaries’ overall effectiveness. The dissertation supports CLUB1040 as a relational missionary movement created to contribute to the fulfillment of the Great Commission. CLUB1040 trains and mobilizes indigenous church leaders throughout the Middle East and North Africa. This mission includes inspiring the church to make this generation the one that reaches every unreached nation. Recognizing the possibility of hostility to the Gospel due to religion and culture, the intent of the training is to introduce intelligence to mitigate the danger and …

On Thursdays, We Wiggle, Beth Evers

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

Churches of all stripes, including Roman Catholic, mainline Protestant, and non-denominational churches, have early childhood learning centers (sometimes called daycares, preschools, or child development centers) as part of their ministry profiles. Many of these churches are missing an important opportunity to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ by not intentionally ministering with the children and adults of their early learning centers.

In September 2019, University United Methodist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, began a worship gathering specifically designed for the infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and adults of their Child Development Center. While the specifics of University UMC’s decision to begin Wiggle …

The Neo-Monastic Invitation : A Rule For Church Multiplication In South Georgia, Andrew Robert Anderson

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Clergywomen, Cliftonstrengths, And Spiritual Formation : A Leadership Development Study In The Kentucky Annual Conference, Tamara H. Coleman

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Witness Beyond Technique: Gospel, Conversion, And The Moral Formation Of The Church, Christopher Flanders

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

Technique, efficiency, and measurable outcomes typically govern contemporary Western approaches to evangelism. Such approaches presume a thin account of the gospel, a punctiliar understanding of conversion, and an instrumental view of the church’s witness. This article argues that these assumptions represent not merely pragmatic missteps but theological distortions. Drawing on Scripture, historical theology, missiology, and practices of Christian initiation, I contend that evangelism is best understood as ecclesial witness oriented toward the moral formation of persons and communities under the reign of God. Conversion, on this account, is not a discrete decision secured through persuasive technique but a transformative journey …

Creating An Adaptable Discipleship Training Guide To Address The Absence Of Young Adult Ministry Leaders At Church A, Braeden Fleck

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This guide was designed to address a lack of young adult ministry leaders within the researcher’s local church. This thesis project serves as a witness to the development and implementation of an adaptable discipleship training guide. The project proclaims that a flexible discipleship curriculum is the key to cultivating spiritual formation in young adults, specifically those belonging to the Z generation. The primary strategy behind implementation was to use short term intervention through a period of five consecutive weeks to assess spiritual growth of young adult congregants who attend a hybrid satellite church campus. The research project was catalyzed by …

Utilizing A Small Group In Bible Studies To Bring About The Reconciliation Of All The Groups Of An Ethnic Community Church In Brooklyn, New York, Anthony Ukasoanya E Uwakwe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Many local churches in America today have problems in their ministries. The problems may stem from the untimely action or inaction by the church leaders, including ordained pastors and laity. Other problems are simple misunderstandings, such as a congregant not being reimbursed for funds used for a church event. This thesis research project will present biblical teachings on reconciliation, provide a framework for resolving financial misunderstandings in the church, and foster unity among its groups. It is important to know God’s reasons for being reconciled in the fellowship of the church. The triangular methodology employed uses specific scripture passages that …

Book Review: The Unwavering Pastor: Leading The Church With Grace In Divisive Times By Jonathan Dodson, Jordan Ickes

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Developing A Church Growth Strategy For Church Revitalizations In Suburban Communities Within The U.S. Assemblies Of God, Thomas A. Galban

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Suburban communities are experiencing demographic and socioeconomic shifts that have presented challenges for the local church. These changes have correlated with the decline and plateau of many suburban churches within the U.S. Assemblies of God. This dissertation explores which successful models of church revitalization can be adapted, learned from, and created for suburban church contexts within the U.S. Assemblies of God. Using a qualitative research approach utilizing interviews, this study examined seven suburban churches and the pastors who successfully led through a revitalization process. Each pastor was interviewed concerning their leadership approach, strategies that were employed, contextual realities, funding models, …

Haitian Protestant Leaders’ Perceptions Of Social Media Use For Discipleship, Cherubin Dorcil

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

This qualitative descriptive study explores how Haitian Protestant church leaders in a large urban area of the northeastern United States describe the influence of their use of social media on promoting discipleship. The study addresses a gap in understanding how digital ministry practices are interpreted within Haitian Protestant diaspora contexts and how these practices inform both theory and ministry application. Using a qualitative descriptive design, data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 12 Haitian Protestant church leaders selected through convenience sampling. The data was analyzed using thematic analysis, which resulted in the identification of five primary themes: social media as …

Digital Discipleship And Whole-Person Flourishing: A Mixed-Methods Study At Celebration Church, John W. Wyatt

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

This study examines how digital participation influences whole-person flourishing within the context of Celebration Church, a contemporary American megachurch, addressing a critical gap in empirical research on digital discipleship and its theological implications. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, quantitative data from the Barna ChurchPulse survey compared in-person and online participants, while qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with leaders from eighteen American megachurches were analyzed thematically. Findings indicate that flourishing outcomes are largely comparable across digital and in-person cohorts, challenging assumptions that embodied participation is inherently superior for spiritual formation; however, statistically significant differences emerged in leadership involvement, serving, and engagement …

Welcoming Hospitality, Adam Cheney

Doctor of Leadership

This project seeks to cultivate a deeper practice of welcoming hospitality. It addresses the core problem that the community of Rochester, Minnesota, lacks welcoming hospitality between Evangelical Christians and Somali Muslims, minimizing our common humanity. The project aims to invite Christians into a biblically grounded posture of hospitality toward their Somali neighbors.

Rooted in both research and lived experience, this work sits at the intersection of Evangelical ministry, support for refugees and immigrants, and community engagement. Throughout the research process, I observed the deep need for marginalized voices to be heard and understood. The study identifies four primary barriers contributing …

Betrothed To Jesus: Embracing Uncertainty As The Key To A Lasting Romance, Kyle H. Chase

Doctor of Ministry

NPO:

Churches are not giving college students the tools they need to navigate uncertainty with Jesus.

Key Insights:

For college students who decide to follow Jesus, the experience of uncertainty after college can result in a deconstruction of faith. Church leaders often respond by equipping students with tools aimed at eradicating uncertainty (biblical and cultural apologetics, catechisms, formulaic practices, etc.). The solution is more elegant: If students are to remain adaptable and resilient for a lifetime, they do not need to eradicate uncertainty but to embrace it—not as an occasion for explanation but as an opportunity to encounter the living …

Re-Imagining Church As A Spiritual Family, Abraham Acosta-Newball

Doctor of Ministry

The contemporary Christian church faces a crisis of belonging; many members are opting out for non-theologically related reasons or differences. The claim for this exodus is a lack of genuine community that serves as an extended spiritual family. Modern churches function as event-centered gatherings, and less like a multigenerational community, reflecting instead a culture of individualism and spiritual consumerism. The purpose of this project is to explore strategies for churches to assume a more biblical role of a spiritual family. Particularly focusing on practical ways for building stronger community within multigenerational and multiethnic Worship settings. The project culminates in three …

Pastors In Crisis: A Proactive Prayer Life As A Measure Against Pastoral Burnout, Seth W. Hinrichs

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This Doctor of Ministry project examines the relationship between a proactive prayer life and pastoral burnout among senior pastors in Converge North Central churches. Addressing the increasing prevalence of burnout in vocational ministry, the study reframes burnout as a fundamentally theological issue rather than merely a psychological or organizational problem. Drawing on the work of Ray Anderson and others, the project argues that burnout reflects a misalignment between a pastor’s lived theology—particularly in identity, calling, and dependence on God—and the realities of ministry practice. The research integrates biblical-theological reflection, a review of contemporary literature, and quantitative field research through a …

Leadership Pathways Foundations: Developing Women In Alliance Missions, Melissa Lynne Singfiel

Doctor of Ministry

The project was developed to address the NPO: Women in Alliance Missions have unmet developmental needs, are often overlooked in the first decade of service, and underutilized for leadership opportunities.

A key insight of the research was a twofold obstacle facing women in ministry. First, the fundamental theological disagreement over women’s participation in leadership results in pervasive patriarchal preference and predominance of male leadership voices in the organizational culture. Second, a general lack of preparation and mentoring for women in the areas of leadership and formation results in an absence of women in the leadership pipeline and an additional layer …

A Better Way: From Pyramids To Gardens: Recovering God's Design For Leadership, Accountability And Renewal, Tara Naomi Korpi

Doctor of Ministry

This doctoral project emerges from my vocational context as a consultant and pastor working with senior pastors and executive leadership teams within evangelical contexts. Across these settings, I encountered patterns of abuse and unethical and immoral behavior that were not rooted in isolated mistakes but embedded within organizational cultures that normalized pastoral isolation, protected institutional image, and lacked effective structures for accountability. These observations shaped the project’s conviction that, when empowered with appropriate tools for integrity and accountability, leaders can cultivate healthier churches where righteousness is prioritized, harm is prevented, and pastors are supported to finish well for lasting Kingdom …

Leadaptive: A Leadership Framework That Equips Pastors To Discern Ministry Season And Flex Leadership Styles With Wisdom, And Effectiveness, Glyn Barrett

Doctor of Leadership

This doctoral project, Leadaptive, addresses the following NPO: inflexible leadership style in Pentecostal and Charismatic churches stifles growth, leading to stagnation and reduced gospel impact. The project addresses this challenge within my vocational context as the Senior Pastor of a multisite church in the United Kingdom, a national denominational leader, and the Chair of Global Church Planting for a worldwide Pentecostal fellowship of more than 460,000 churches. In these settings, leaders often face a tension between spiritual conviction and adaptive responsiveness. The project seeks to design and implement a replicable, Christcentered framework to help pastors lead effectively through the diverse …

What Church Planters Need : How Community, Training, & Intentional Relationships Fuel Church Growth, Carolina G. Miller

Heritage Material

No abstract provided.

What Church Planters Need : How Community, Training, & Intentional Relationships Fuel Church Growth, Carolina G. Miller

Academic Books

No abstract provided.

Prayer Presence Patience: How The Church Multiples Around The World, Carolina G. Miller

Books

No abstract provided.

Patterns, Pressures, And Pathways : An Ethnographic Study Of Discipleship In Nepali-Speaking Immigrant Churches In The United States, Ram Kumar Budhathoki

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Review Of Becoming A Missionary Church: Lesslie Newbigin And Contemporary Church Movements. By Michael W. Goheen And Timothy M. Sheridan., S. Slade Hogan

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Review of Becoming a Missionary Church: Lesslie Newbigin and Contemporary Church Movements. By Michael W. Goheen and Timothy M. Sheridan.