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The Deaf Catholic, Spring 2022

ICDA The Deaf Catholic

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in USA

ICDA The Deaf CatholicFinding Aid

Counteracting Systemic Racism The Role Of The Multiethnic Church, Janice Wilson

Doctor of Ministry

The study explores how the multiethnic church can be a healing agent to counteract systemic racism in a multiethnic church in Richardson, Texas. Systemic racism is a critical issue confronting human society today. In recent years, the global community has united in condemning any form of racial discrimination, particularly against persons of African heritage.

The multiethnic church encourages ecumenism that transcends the racial barriers that have been inherent in Christian worship in the United States. For one, the study suggests that church officials could ease the advancement of the multiethnic church by increasing awareness of systemic racism to members of …

Deliverance Ministry Among Adventists In The North American Context, Conrad Vine

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

Deliverance Ministry (DM) among Adventists in North America is a rarely discussed topic. In North American Adventism, it is uncommon for those who do experience demonization to openly discuss their spiritual plight with fellow Adventists, or even with their pastors. Empirical feedback from those who seek deliverance, and from the participants at the International Fellowship of Adventist Mission Studies / Swallen Mission Conference organized by the Department of World Mission at the Adventist Seminary, Andrews University (September 2015) indicates that many Adventist pastors and seminarians in North America feel relatively unprepared to respond to requests for deliverance from members.

Footholds And Strongholds, Kelvin Onongha

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

At creation God made humans in His image and likeness, endowing them with powers and abilities akin to their Creator. One distinguishing quality which humans alone possessed, unique from all other creatures, was the power of choice—the will. This unique attribute made humans the only creatures with the ability to say yes or no to God. Since the devil’s fall from glory, it has been his mission to deceive and enlist others in his rebellion against the sovereignty of God. Continuing the work of deception and rebellion he began in heaven before he and his confederates were forcefully expelled, he …

Achieving Racial Unity And Oneness Through Biblical Authority And Application, Nolen Spencer Wood

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The problem is that secular models for achieving racial reconciliation threaten the unity of Life Church. The true remedy for unity is found in biblical authority and application. The intervention research project addressed this problem by observing the negative impacts of methodologies such as Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality. Seven members of Life Church were recruited to participate in the group study. The first three phases of intervention were replete with survey questions and interviews that ascertained their worldview on understandings of race and how personal experiences have shaped the way they view people. The phase four intervention provided a …

Factors Leading To Student Ministry Retention In Mid And Large Sized Southern Baptist Churches: A Phenomenological Study, Baylor Clark Whitney Sr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Over the past 15 years, the exodus of students from the church after high school graduation has emerged as a pressing issue in Christian leadership and education. Much research has focused on the quantitative rate of students leaving church after graduation (Barna, 2011; Earls, 2019; “Reasons 18- to 22-Year-Olds Drop Out of Church,” 2007; Trueblood, 2019). Researchers have cited the need for qualitative research to better understand the student ministry retention phenomena (Shields, 2008). The purpose of this phenomenological study was to discover some factors which led to post-student ministry retention among young adults who participated in student ministry at …

An Assessment Of The Millennial Body And Its Place In The Local Church, Jonette L. Camp

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Millennial members’ waning attendance and involvement at Simon Temple African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church is a growing concern for the church universal. This project focuses on Simon Temple’s ability to attract and retain millennials and draw on their church programs and leadership gifts. This study’s purpose was to understand better why millennials do not become or remain active members at Simon Temple. If the church implemented a strategic evangelism and discipleship plan for millennials, could it help attract, retain, and involve millennials? This study evaluates the concerns of Simon Temple leadership and millennial members as they relate to millennial involvement …

Rescue Mission: Transformational Recovery Through Expository Preaching And Teaching, David Allen Mayes Ii

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The declining church stands in desperate need of regeneration, recovery, and revitalization. The primary goal for this thesis project is to lead Unity Missionary Baptist Church to a Christ-oriented, gospel-centered, and fruit-focused ministry. This endeavor implements an eight-week reconciling gospel program consisting of the sermon series Rescue Mission, eight small group discussions focused on the early church in the book of Acts, and forty-eight devotional verses for the congregation to experience spiritual growth and health. The church will discover that God’s Declaration is essential for a kingdom ministry. Ultimately becoming doers of the Word and not simply hearers. The quantitative …

Newsletter Catholic Deaf Of Detroit, March 2022

Newsletter Catholic Deaf of Detroit

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in Detroit, MI

Newsletter Catholic Deaf of Detroit Finding Aid

Hand In Hand, Spring 2022

Hand in Hand

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in Milwaukee, WI

Hand in Hand Finding Aid

Hand In Hand, Spring 2022

Hand in Hand

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in Milwaukee, WI

Hand in Hand Finding Aid

A New Paradigm For Ministry In The World: Spiritual Care Services Of Maine, Lori H. Whittenmore

Doctor of Ministry

With dwindling church attendance in the State of Maine, people’s spiritual needs are often unattended to, especially in times of struggle. Clergy are serving shrinking congregations with shrinking budgets, leading to reduced hours. They don’t often have time to provide pastoral care to their flock, let alone people outside of their flock. This project creates a mechanism to organize a chaplain team and make them available by contract to organizations and their staff and clients. I have conceptualized, designed, and birthed a community-based per diem chaplain/spiritual care organization that can match the world’s soulful need with professional, competent chaplains.

The …

Complete Spring Issue

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

No abstract provided.

Cultivating A Friendship With God, Petr Cincala, Craig Carr

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

No abstract provided.

Dust To Dust ... But What About The In-Between? An Examination Of Physical Health And Leaders, Angeline Brauer, Stanley James, James Kyle

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

No abstract provided.

Pastoral Wellness And Turnover: Costs, Consequences, And Considerations, Throstur Thordarson

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

No abstract provided.

Review Of Mending Ministers On Their Wellness Journey, Edited By Ivan Willams, Petr Činčala, & René D. Drumm, Duane Covrig, Judith Bernard-Fisher

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

No abstract provided.

Dissertation Notices

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

Freeman, K. L. (2022). Examination of the Great Commission: Discipleship that fosters reconciliation and affirms the deity of Christ. PhD, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 29069382.

Nelson, M. M. (2022). Perceptions of conflict within Christian leadership: A generic qualitative inquiry study. PhD, Capella University. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 28968975.

Saad, J. M. (2022). The self-health movement: Changing for good health. PhD, University of Rhode Island. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 29065665.

Strange, C. J. (2023). Strategies to retain employees in the mental health workplace. DBA, Walden University. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 29397069.

Thomas, A. B. (2023). Clergy spirituality: A spiritual balance construct …

African-American Pastors' Mental Health Literacy, Leadership And Counsel: A Systematic Review, Michelle A. Townsend

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

The African-American pastor is a trusted provider of leadership and counseling within the Black church and community. Pastors and ministry leaders are often the first responders of mental health issues faced by their congregants and community members. As a trusted and sought-after source for counseling, the African-American Pastor is a mental health provider to a community who often does not pursue professional mental health counseling. Although the community is susceptible to the same mental illness as other ethnic groups, there is mistrust for the medical and mental health community and inequality in the available resources. This study 1) examined what …

The African Worldview And Belief In The Demonic, Kelvin Onongha

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

The African continent displays rich diversity in geography, culture, history, and language. In spite of this heterogeneity in several respects it still has many similarities. These similarities are to a great extent evident in its rich cultures, but especially in its religious worldview. For that reason, the debate still rages whether the religion appertaining to the region should be referred to as African Traditional Religion (ATR), or African Traditional Religions. The arguments on both sides are compelling. A close examination of the worldviews held by a large portion of Africans however reveals amazing similarities. The African worldview associated with the …

Discerning The Condition: Disease Or Demonic, Ugochukwu Elems

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

Psychologists, psychiatrists, psychotherapists, anthropologists, some pastors, and other related professionals tend to go to the other extreme and dismiss the reality of demonic manifestations. They often explain that the Bible narratives of demonic encounters are myths, hence the need to demythologize the Scripture’s claim. Yet it is not possible to deny the historicity of the biblical claims, nor can any objective reader of the Scriptures ignore the existence and influence of demons among people today. In fact, the Bible clearly asserts the reality and existence of demons.

The dividing line between disease and demonic possession is very thin, which poses …

An Abductive Argument From Depression And Anxiety To Christian Personal Holiness, Kelly Douglas Burchett

Masters Theses

The science on pathological depression and anxiety (D&A) describes religion and spirituality's (R/S) insulating and immunizing effects in roughly 72 to 85 percent of all relevant articles. But the descriptivism of science cannot assign any normative value to a theological worldview. Deductive logic favors theism via Leibnizian contingency, Kalām cosmology, objective morality, fine-tuning of the universe, and abstract conceptualism. The information in DNA, the irreducible complexity of intracellular machinery, the improbability of folded proteins, and the support for common modular design over common ancestry establish a design inference for all of life. Unguided naturalistic simulations fail to surmount the complexity …

The Effects Of The Global Covid-19 Pandemic On Pastors In The Church Of The Nazarene, Beth Bleadingheiser Heath

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experience of living through and ministering during the global COVID-19 pandemic for Nazarene pastors in Ohio. The theoretical framework that guided the research was Hope Theory and Resilience. The Conceptual Mapping Task was used to conduct interviews of eight ordained Nazarene pastors. Pastors described their experience and then worked with a researcher to create a concept map to organize their story. Pastors were asked to describe their story of living through and ministering during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Pastors were also asked how the global COVID-19 pandemic affected their church …

"Till Sickness Comes:" The Importance Of Holistically Healthy Christian Leaders, Petr Cincala

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

No abstract provided.

Health-Enhancing Endeavors Learned Through Life, Calvin Rock, Petr Cincala

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

No abstract provided.

Connecting Youth To The Gospel: The Role Of Theology And Apologetics, John Wesley Sales Iv

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Connecting youth to the Gospel sounds like a basic undertaking. However, evidence shows students know very little about the Gospel. While they grow up in church and attend Sunday school, there is still a lack of desire from students to want to know who God is. There needs to be a path to teaching students the genuine and deep teachings of the Gospel. This topic is important because as students grow older, they may grow apart from what they learned in Sunday school. When they are challenged and distracted by the world, they need a strong anchor to keep them …

Investigating The Impact Of Spiritual Gifts On Church Growth, Johnnie James Finkley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis project uses spiritual gifts found in scripture as teachable models for church growth to address a decline in church attendance at Friendly Missionary Baptist Church. The research assumes that if church members are aware of their spiritual gifts, they will use them to build a healthy church. Therefore, the question that this thesis project asks is, “Will an understanding and development of spiritual gifts grow Friendly Missionary Baptist Church?” The Bible is the primary literary resource for God’s provision in transforming believers into His image. It is the foundation for church members’ spiritual growth. The book of Acts …

The Five Ministries Of The Church That Have Changed In Post-Covid-19 [To Compare The Church's Five Ministries Before And During Covid-19 And To Predict The Ministries Of The Church In Post-Covid-19], Euntaik Kim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this thesis project is to find answers to what is the appropriate response to the post-Covid-19 era for the church. To achieve that purpose, this thesis project attempted to predict the direction of the church's ministry after Covid-19 by comparing changes in five important ministries of the church in pre-Covid-19 and during Covid-19. The five major ministries of the church—worship, education, fellowship, evangelism(mission), and service— have been explained in detail in the literature, and the impact of Covid-19 on these five ministries has also been closely investigated. In determining the direction of church ministry in the post-Covid-19 …

Increasing Church Growth Potential Through Education And Implementation Of The Biblically Defined Roles Of The Pastor And The Body Of Christ, Gregory Alan Kincaid

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This action research project focuses on church growth. It posits that if a congregation is taught and implements the biblical roles of the pastor and the church Body, then the church should grow quantitatively and qualitatively. To test this assumption, the roles of the pastor and that of the Body were delineated, taught, and practiced throughout a year-long study. Emphasis was placed on how God equipped every member of the Body to perform ministry within the church and outreach from the church. To reinforce the differences in the roles, study participants were required to actively participate in life groups with …

What We Mean When We Say "Religion": The Q'Ero Migrants Of Cusco, Peru, Autumn J. Delong, Mirtha Irco

Journal of Gender, Ethnic, and Cross-Cultural Studies

This article is based upon ethnographic research conducted with Q’ero Indigenous migrants living in Cusco, Peru in the fall of 2018. The Q’ero community originates from the village of Paucartambo and the surrounding areas, about a three days’ trek northeast of the city. These stories collected from the migrants emphasize the centrality of their spirituality and worldview in defining their sense of identity apart from that of greater society. In their rituals, these migrants draw upon an experience of the sacred which is manifest through performance, discipline, and practice – often more so than through belief, faith, or intellectualism. Based …