Digital Commons Network^™

Hanging Out On The Block(Chain): Decentralized Autonomous Organizations For Small Groups And Faith Communities, Lyle Notice

Journal of Adventist Youth and Young Adult Ministries

T he future of organizations is changing from a top-down leadership model to a shared autonomous approach. Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) will revolutionize governance structures, groups, and organizations of any kind. In what way could this influence and improve churches and ministries within those churches such as small groups? This paper explores the impact that Blockchain Technology, cryptocurrency and DAOs can have on small groups and faith communities.

Cultural Folk, Political Lore: The Politics Of Folklore During The United States Occupation Of Haiti From 1915 To 1934, Cheyla G. Muñoz Ramos

Honors Theses

My project focuses on Haitian folklore in the early twentieth century in connection to the first United States’ occupation of Haiti. The United States’ Marine Corps occupied Haiti from 1915 to 1934. This nineteenth-year occupation brought violence and racial stereotypes towards the Haitian population, especially the peasantry. United States Americans coming to Haiti intensified these stereotypes. During this period, Haitian upper-and middle-class members heavily politized Haitian folklore and used it to defend Haiti against these stereotypes. Scholars have long discussed the anthropological works of ethno-anthropologist Jean Price-Mars as someone who tried to show the value of Haitian folklore, especially the …

Purposely Changing Church Culture When A Pandemic Forces Church Change: How The Covid Pandemic Impacted One Large Sda Church, Steve Case, Benji Ferguson

Journal of Adventist Youth and Young Adult Ministries

T he Carmichael SDA Church, located in the suburbs of Sacramento, California, seemed to be a gem in the Northern California Conference, with the largest membership, highest tithe, and largest pastoral staff. The pandemic put a halt to most of this church’s ministry, exposing some weaknesses and preventing the ministry it had developed over the years. Simultaneously, new forms of ministry sprung forth because of the sudden changes. The long-term impact of the pandemic challenges this church to move forward in new ways rather than attempting a restart as though nothing happened. This is a case study of how one …

A Community Centered By Love: A Linguistic Approach To The Theology Of Paul's Instruction For The Corinthian Body, Cadence Moore

Honors Projects

This article appropriates elements of M.A.K. Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) to analyze the Apostle Paul’s communication with the Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians 12-14. The linguistic evidence of the text reveals that Paul’s instructions guide the Corinthians to order their community through love, imitating the Trinity’s nature of diversity and unity. The final section translates Paul’s teachings to a modern context using Richard B. Steele’s article, “Disability and the Beloved Community,” a reframing of how Christian communities interact with and not only include persons with disabilities but fully incorporate their diverse gifts into the church body.

Commencement Program 2023, Loma Linda University

Commencement Programs

CONTENTS

1 | Message from the President

3 | 2023 Events of Commencement

5 | The Academic Procession

6 | Institutional Administration

7 | Board of Trustees

8 | Significance of Academic Regalia

9 | University History Highlights

11 | Criteria for Institutional Awards

13 | Loma Linda University Health and Loma Linda University Honorees

25 | The Program, The School Honorees, and The Speakers

• School of Medicine, 26
• School of Pharmacy, 52
• School of Dentistry, 69
• School of Public Health, 93
• San Manuel Gateway College, 108
• School of Allied Health Professions—Allied Health Studies, Cardiopulmonary Sciences, Clinical Laboratory Science, Communication …

A Critical Review Of Brock And Sutano's Neo-Calvinism: A Theological Introduction, Eduardo Echeverria

Pro Rege

Reviewed Title: Neo-Calvinism: A Theological Introduction by Cory C. Brock and N. Gray Sutanto. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Academic, 2022. 322 pp.

Artificial Intelligence: Its Impact On Christian Education, Youssry Guirguis

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association

In recent years, the world has witnessed a resounding revolution in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and today there is no field where AI is not employed. These institutions have a major role in developing policies, curricula, and strategies to keep pace with the modern artificial revolution. The aim of this research is to find out how current developments in this ��eld are likely to impact education in the future, and how such developments in Edtech might impact on future graduates, colleges, universities, societies, and cultures.

On The Roads: Catholic And Buddhist Pilgrimage, Madera Allan, Constance Kassor

Convocations

Madera Allan, associate professor of Spanish, called her visit last summer to the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal stunning and beautiful, a glimpse into a way of life “infused with a frenetic, spiritual energy.”

Constance Kassor, associate professor of religious studies, called her visit to Camino de Santiago in northwestern Spain last summer an incredible journey—a 100-kilometer pilgrimage leading to the awe-inspiring cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.

The two Lawrence University professors made those journeys together, and on Friday afternoon they shared the experience in Memorial Chapel at Lawrence’s Honors Convocation, the third and final Convocation of the 2022-23 academic year. …

Flores, Rigoberto Flores

Masters Theses

My name is Rigoberto Flores and I was born in Guerrero, Mexico. The work I make involves politics, immigration, cartel violence and religious themes. I’m interested in presenting these challenging and difficult concepts, to have them remain in the public consciousness. The work I produce involve charcoal drawings, textiles, print, and painting. The work I create is intended to address inconstancies in established ideas, usually involving government violence. Throughout history art has been used to promote institutional propaganda. I am searching to do the same, but to oppose those structures.

Irrigating Imaginations: The Centrality Of Beauty For Culture Care, Justin Bailey

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

No abstract provided.

Laughable At Best, Criminal At Worst: Why Adventist Clergy Leave Pastoral Ministry, René Drumm, Petr Cincala

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association

This presentation highlights Findings from a qualitative, study of former Adventist pastors. The analysis reveals a number of conditions that lead clergy to leave pastoral ministry for other endeavors. These findings are important in stabilizing the pastorate in North America. We conclude with recommendations to Church administrators and educational institutions.

Genesis 9:6: The Noahic Covenant And The Divine Blood Redeemer, Seth Kenan Pryor

Masters Theses

This thesis analyzes Gen 9:6 and its theological context in Genesis to determine the most exact interpretation of this passage. Chapter one focuses on an exegesis of Gen 9:1-7, arguing for a beth pretii (price or exchange) in Gen 9:6a. This argument is based on an accumulative analysis that considers overarching themes, lack of details, speech patterns, statistics, parallels, and structure. The conclusion is that v.5 presents God as the investigator and reckoner of bloodguilt, v.6a establishes a new principle of justice, and v.6b provides the theological rationale for a serious punishment. Chapter two places Gen 9:1-7 within its theological …

Embedding The Theology And Principles Of Worship In Pastoral Training And Sermon Preparation, Janicka E. Newbill

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A current literature investigation exposes a deficit in encouraging pastors and preachers to embed theology and principles of worship in their sermon preparation and pastoral training. This presents a concern when churchgoers gather in person or virtually to hear a sermon to strengthen their Christian walk each week. In addition, each year, seminary students and local church organizations graduate ministry leaders trained and prepared to deliver sermons designed to meet the spiritual needs of churchgoers. Yet, upon closer examination, there exist underpinning issues. Churchgoers are lacking in their understanding of worship. The Association of Theological Schools exposes a noticeable gap …

Rediscovering The Protestant Reformation In African American Worship, Eddie Anthony Robinson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Foundations are fundamental. Whether in the structure of a building, developing the mind, or establishing the faith, foundations are critical. The five solas of the Protestant Reformation are foundational to the Christian faith. When thinking of the Reformation and the five solas it produced, Psalm 11:3 comes to mind. This passage reads, “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do” (Psalm 11:3, King James Version)? Today’s church needs to return to its foundations. This study argues that the five solas are a firm and solid foundation for the church. During the turbulent times of the Reformation, they held …

A Case Study On Leadership And Digital Media Strategy For Prolonged Absences, Blake Michael Harcup

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The COVID-19 pandemic created difficulties for the Western Church to meet together as it had normally done for generations. The question that arises is, “How is the church to continue its mission of reaching people with the Gospel and make disciples that make disciples when it is not able to gather together in the same manner as before?” This project will seek to determine the best strategies and tools that the modern Western Church can use to fulfill its mission through an online digital media strategy during these prolonged absences. A case study of Bedrock Church Sarasota and the strategies …

Worship Leadership From The Beginning: A Comparative Study Of Exodus 15:1-21 And Judges 5, Vivian Ann Petties

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Although many excellent books, commentaries, and journal articles have been written on worship leadership, no framework for worship leadership has been developed based upon Exodus 15:1-21 or Judges 5. The purpose of previous research has not been to discover principles of leadership, praise, and worship, or composition of music for use in ministry nor to develop a consensus about the roles played by the males and females in these texts. To develop a proposal for filling this lacuna, the present thesis will study Exodus 15:1-21 and (comparatively) Judges 5. This qualitative study will employ the exegetical methods of socio-rhetorical analysis …

Understanding The Sources Of Hurt And Wounded Members In The Church Of Pentecost Norfolk, Jehu Kwame Gyimah

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Church hurt is an emotional feeling that disconnects a person from reality, and remains a neglected topic in many Pentecostal churches. In the church setting, hurt members who are broken inside often portray an attitude of wholeness on the outside, even if the physical, spiritual, and physiological atmosphere of hurt prevents them from fully connecting or interacting with others. That hurt eventually hinders their growth, the growth of others, and the potential of the whole church. In this thesis, the researcher investigates the causes of church hurt experienced by members of COP Norfolk, a US subsidiary of the global Christian …

"Praise Him With Instruments" The Successful Implementation Of Orchestral Ensembles In The Modern Contemporary Worship Service, William Armour

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the high demand for contemporary worship musicians to lead contemporary worship services, there remain classically trained orchestral musicians who desire to worship God with their instruments. Biblical evidence reveals, God, who highly values diversity and creativity, desires these traits in worship. Likewise, this evidence suggests God accepts and is pleased with all who offer Him true worship, regardless of their instrument. As such, there must be ways to accept these classically trained orchestral musicians into contemporary worship contexts and utilize them to enhance worship. Based on biblical evidence, industry resources, and music education materials, this qualitative study identifies the …

Becoming Who You Already Are In Christ: An Eight-Week Discipleship Plan To Equip Members Of Crossline Church To Live Out Their Identity In Christ, John Paul Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This action-research project focused on equipping members of Crossline Community Church to live out their identity in Christ. The intervention was an eight-week discipleship plan, “Becoming who you already are in Christ.” The action-research project aimed to evaluate the impact of equipping believers with their identity in Christ upon their transformation into Christ-likeness. The project incorporated biblical, theological, and devotional content with a comprehensive pedagogy designed for maximum influence toward progressive sanctification. The twelve participants in the intervention engaged in sermons, training classes, small groups, and personal Bible studies as a part of the action research. Triangulated evaluation tools were …

The Prophets’ Use Of The Shepherd Motif And Its Contribution To Their Presentation Of The Character Of God, Deanna L. Huff

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The shepherd motif provides one of the most significant portraits of God in the Old and New Testaments. Various research on the historical metaphor within these studies frequently focuses on the relationship between rulers and leaders in the ancient Near East. The shepherd motif provides a tangible picture of the characteristics of deities and kings in their world. Therefore, it is a natural step for the prophets of the Old Testament to utilize a commonly used metaphor. In modern research, numerous studies in Ezekiel 34 have explored different facets of the shepherd motif. Several studies are related to leadership roles. …

Small Groups That Fuel Active Service In The Local Church, Stephen Jerel Love

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Manna Church prioritizes empowering and developing leaders as an imperative objective of the local church. Such development is fueled through various avenues, including small groups. This thesis project will survey the purpose of small groups within Manna Church and how newly designed groups can address the problem of low voluntary participation in weekly services. The need for more active serve team members problematically exists among six site locations in the Fayetteville-Fort Bragg region. Furthermore, each ministry leader seeks innovative strategies to initiate and maintain involvement during weekly services. However, numbers are at an unprecedented low point. The effects of these …

A Phenomenological Examination Of Church Leaders' Perceived Impact Of Executive Coaching On Organizational Culture, Jerrell Stokley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The trajectory of the seminary training curriculum has evolved pedagogically at projecting adequate church leadership education and hands-on development. However, empirical research reveals that the seminary struggles with preparing generations of church leaders for modern church responsibilities including executive leadership, tactical performance, administration, and church organizational culture (Crowson, 2021; Costin, 2008). Hicks (2012), as cited by Smith (2017) states, “Recent studies have begun to explore the need for management training for pastors” (p. 2). Graduates as well as current church leaders report feeling ill-equipped for the increasing duties for today’s church culture. This qualitative, phenomenological study evaluated mid-to-senior level Christian …

Commissioned: A Mixed-Methods Study Of Evangelism Beliefs, Practices, And Results, Shane Redding

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Although Jesus clearly commanded His Church to spread His gospel to the world and make disciples of all nations, the modern American Church has struggled to evangelize effectively, resulting in declining church attendance. While many churches claim to value evangelism, the results indicate a need for churches to reevaluate their current evangelism approaches. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to determine if a relationship exists between the levels of importance that churches place on evangelism, the churches’ tangible evangelism practices, and their new believer baptisms. The target population for the study was lead pastors from non-denomination, baptistic, evangelistic, Christian …

Social Media: A Tool For Discipleship, Allen James Williams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this DMIN action research project is to equip students within The Next Generation Ministry at Christ Community Church Pinehurst with social media as a tool for discipleship. The academic literature reviewed reveals that social media introduces significant levels of influence, causes addictive habits, and often results in overconsumption of content. To determine if these aspects could be overcome, an intervention was developed to train and equip a group of thirteen participants to avoid those traits and instead use social media as a tool for discipleship. The research shows that it is possible for social media to be …

Enhancing Effective Discipleship Recruitment In The Local Church, Anna Patrice Shanklin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study evaluates effective discipleship recruitment in the local church. The overarching goal of this thesis research project is to increase the transition of new members completing new members’ orientation to discipleship training. Through the result of this research, the researcher will design and implement an enhanced recruitment campaign in the local ministry context and target it to new members to increase the population of membership committed to formal discipleship training.

A Phenomenological Study Of Church Growth Strategies Used By Pastors Of Digital Churches During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Nicholas D. Cole

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the digital church growth methods that pastors of digital churches in the United States used to increase church attendance during the 2020-2022 COVID-19 pandemic. For the purpose of this study, pastors of digital/online churches were studied. Since the 1950s, the church growth strategy for many Christian churches has been to attract as many people as possible for in-person worship services. However, in-person church attendance has declined consistently for the past 20 years. The shutdowns of churches worldwide during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic amplified this trend. The only option available …

A Phenomenological Study Of The High-Tech, High-Touch Pastor: Maximizing Personal Ministry In A Digital Age, Shirley Groce

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to explore how high-tech, high-touch senior pastors who practice servant leadership establish and maintain personal contact with their church members and lead them using digital technology. This research was particularly relevant in an era of social distancing required by the COVID-19 pandemic. The theoretical framework for this study was Greenleaf's servant leadership theory. Ten experienced pastors were interviewed to determine how they balanced the impersonal nature of streaming worship services while maintaining personal contact with their congregations. These interviews were transcribed, and important themes were identified to determine best practices for using technology while maintaining …

Restoration Of Key Middle Age Demographic Can Save The African Methodist Episcopal Church, Geromy D. Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

St. Luke faced years of struggles resulting in a dwindling ministry and membership with specific impacts resulting in missing generations within the church. The missing generations include Generation X who were born between 1965-1980, Generation Y who were born between 1981-1996, and generation Z who were born between 1997-2012. There are many methods used to combat church decline and incentivize membership growth including evangelism, mega facilities, appealing ministry, and church legacy attracting the community. This research sought to prove that if ministries were developed specifically targeting the wants and needs of the missing generations souls would be won for Christ …

Dealing With The Problem Of Lack Of Interest In Evangelism At Freedom Hill Community Church, Max Prudent Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

To deal with the problem of lack of interest in evangelism at Freedom Hill Community Church, a curriculum was designed as an intervention. Given the existence of many barriers to evangelism, this curriculum aimed at addressing only two of them, namely fear and biblical illiteracy. The curriculum was taught to ten participants over the course of six weeks over Zoom. Data collection tools that were used include a pre-course survey, a post-course survey, and a feedback survey. Analysis of the data has shown a positive change in attitude post-intervention in the areas of the relevancy of the intervention to participants’ …

The Historical And Modern Significance Of The Choctaw Hymnody, Angela M. Boatner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Working with the Native Choctaw populations of early America, missionaries did much in the way of music and composition. One result was a compilation of original hymns written by English missionaries in the native Choctaw tongue, but there were also Choctaw composers and contributions. Singing these hymns in church services, gatherings, and social situations remains an activity where the Oklahoma and Mississippi tribal members participate today. The recorded history of the known hymns and composers is scarce and is disappearing daily in favor of teaching the ancient cultures rather than the religion of the white colonists. The research chose a …