Digital Commons Network^™

Universal Leadership Model, Derwin Lamont Hickman Sr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Great Commission is the call of Jesus to his people to go out into the world and make disciples. The universal leadership model presents an opportunity for disciples/leaders to step up and fulfill the Great Commission. The church should be involved in discipleship training, outreaches and supporting the issues that are aligned with Christian ideology and important to people in the communities they serve. An effective universal leadership model should include diversity, training, desired change, accountability and effectiveness of change. In so doing, the church can then find parishioners within the church who may be transformed into disciples/leaders and …

Book Review: Remission: Rethinking How Church Leaders Create Movement By Gary Comer, Jim Roden

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Buddhist Meditation Effects On Emotion Control, Sarah Battiston

IRIS Exemplary Undergraduate Research

There has been a surge in popularity of meditation in medical research. Meditation is being considered an alternative to pharmacotherapy or a supplement to treatment of both mental and physical ailments. Two popular forms of meditation practices are being studied. This includes mindful meditation which finds it roots in Buddhist meditation techniques and the meditation practice of Zen Buddhism. Both forms outline a specific activity of meditation in order to achieve a goal. Mindful meditation and Zen Buddhism similarly partake in a sitting meditation with focus on breath and present awareness. Mindful meditation challenges the practitioner to become aware of …

Religious Schism: A Case Study Of Social And Political Critique In Sāmoa, Alexis M. M. Zilen

Student Publications

Examining religious schism within Sāmoa in order to demonstrate that schism of Christianity within Sāmoa, of charismatic-Pentecostal churches from traditional mainline churches, represents a social critique. By unifying under a reformed church environment, which mimics existing religious and cultural systems, Sāmoans are challenging their economic, social, and political positionality, while upholding the traditional framework of the fa’aSāmoa, Sāmoan way of life. This work highlights how individuals within Sāmoa navigate increasingly complex social, political, and economic power dynamics. Much of the focus of explores how individuals exercise religious agency, formulated through a created Sāmoan cosmology, to challenge larger structures of oppression …

Roman Catholicism In Ukraine: The Contemporary Situation, Social Acceptance, And Social Service, Tetiana Havryliuk, Maryna Lukashenko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article investigates the historical peculiarities of the formation and specificity of the current stage of development of Catholicism in Ukraine. It considers the spiritual, socio-cultural, economic, and political prerequisites for the resumption of the activity of the Roman Catholic Church during the revival of Ukraine's independence in the 1990s. A quantitative comparison of dioceses since the end of the last century has been undertaken and their patterns of growth have been identified. The main achievements of the largest Catholic churches in the country since Ukrainian independence have consisted in building its ecclesiastical structures and expanding its community networks and …

Development Of The Greek Catholic Church In Independent Ukraine: Persons, Historical Heritage, And New Trends, Mykhailo Kobryn, Olena Lyovkina, Hennadii Khrystokin

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article analyzes historical features and tendencies of the development of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (the UGCC) in the period of independence of Ukraine. It considers the prerequisites in which this church has begun its revival in the early 1990s after the official ban on church activity in the Soviet Union. Three stages of the development of the UGCC have been identified which correspond to the times of the various church leaders’ management. The first stage in the development of Greek Catholics corresponds to the time when the community was governed by Ivan-Myroslav Lyubachivsky. The main tasks of that …

A Man-Made Disaster: A Yogic Response To The Environmental Crisis And Its Religious, Political, And Economic Origins, Grace Ludwing

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This work explores the religious, political, and economic origins of the environmental crisis and offers tangible solutions by applying various religious and philosophical teachings from Yoga.

That All May Hear: How Indigenous Church Music Encourages Church Growth In Africa, Trevor Yoakum

Great Commission Research Journal

This article demonstrates how indigenous church music can be an effective tool in promoting healthy church growth. After defining indigenous church music through the insights of ethnodoxology, the author explains how it engages local hearers through their own conceptual categories. This cognitive interaction is relevant in that it augments comprehension of biblical themes and content. But it also impacts hearers through the various levels of their worldview. The article ends with a case study of how a consortium of African theological institutions and IMB missionaries are developing orality-based indigenous music to teach, refute heresy, and evangelize the continent.

The Song Of Cuba’S Great Awakening: Music In Baptist Worship And Witness, Michael Sharp, Ed Steele

Great Commission Research Journal

From the 1990s to the present, Cuban Baptists have witnessed a time of unparalleled church growth. During that time frame, musicians have participated in ministries aimed at church growth by organizing largescale public musical events, compiling a Cuban hymnal that included indigenous Cubano worship songs, developing new programs of leadership training for church musicians, and employing music in missionary projects both at home and abroad. This article explores what can be learned from the Cuban Baptists’ experience regarding music as an effective tool in evangelism, the value of musicians reaching musicians as a mission strategy, the importance of ethnodoxology in …

Evaluating The Role Of Empowering Leadership And Church Health, Brent Colby

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of empowering leadership on overall church health. This quantitative study evaluated data collected by Natural Church Development from Assemblies of God churches in the United States between 2006 and 2016. Examining results from 361 churches and 9,619 surveys, this research answered questions relating to the statistical significance of empowering leadership on overall church health, the statistical significance of empowering leadership as a predictive domain of church health, and the most statistically significant predictor of church health. The one sample t-test, binary logistic regression test statistic, and multiple linear regression test …

Clark Memorandum: Spring 2020, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Byu Law School Alumni Association, J. Reuben Clark Law Society

The Clark Memorandum

• Of Rights and Responsibilities: The Social Ecosystem of Religious Freedom
• I am the Woman Who Can
• Flashes of Light: Thoughts on Circumstantial Evidence
• Capital Markets and Human Flourishing

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Episcopal Sermons In The Library Of Appalachian Preaching, Robert Ellison, Larry Sheret

English Faculty Research

The Library of Appalachian Preaching provides online access to sermons preached in Appalachia, or elsewhere by preachers with ties to the Appalachian region. This article, in a newsletter published by the Historical Society of the Episcopal Church, discusses Episcopal sermons that are currently in the Library, and some that will be added in the very near future. 

The Pauline Concept Of Discipleship As A Model For Addressing The Youth Dropout In The Twenty-First Century United States Of America Church., Jacob Al Hassan

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

The dropout rate of more than five million young adults from faith and church in the last decade, who were originally born and raised in Christian homes, has reached a critical point. The Christian community must rethink its discipleship methods in order to impact the youth of today.

The researcher explored the root causes of the problem and identified that the current discipleship assumptions and strategies, rooted in modern mechanistic mass production paradigm do not work. Therefore, these assumptions and strategies must give way to a personally crafted one-on-one relational fatherly mentorship interconnected approach for the faith formation of the …

Healthy Church Multiplication In Modern Churches, William J. Burns

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Jesus’ command in Matthew 28:19 leaves no room for interpretation. The role of the followers of Jesus and of the church is decidedly clear. We are called to make disciples of all nations. An honest assessment of my local ministry context, Access Church, reveals that we, as a church, have fallen short of Jesus’ Great Commission. The intention of this research project is to understand the biblical mandate to make disciples as taught throughout Scripture, study Jesus’ discipleship methods in the book of Matthew, and, ultimately, create a new rubric to help Access Church—and other churches—understand how to measure its …

Denominational Influence In Church Revitalization, Donald J. Immel

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Many churches and denominations in North America have been experiencing plateau or decline for the past sixty years. In recent years, the Assemblies of God has experienced trends of plateau or decline in a majority of their churches. The PennDel Ministry Network, one of sixty-four districts within the Assemblies of God USA, has also observed that a majority of its churches are also in a state of plateau or decline. The primary intent of this dissertation is to explore denominational influence in revitalizing churches. Specific attention is given to the church’s participation in the missio Dei as well as the …

A Theology Of Compassion: Encouraging Local Church Ministry To Children In Foster Care, Allen Griffin

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Compassionate care within the local community of a church is of vital essence to a thriving church ministry. For centuries church leaders have endeavored to make an impact in the lives of the people living in their vicinity through outreach efforts. The compassion of the local church is needed in the area of children in foster care. Through the analysis of two church programs focused on serving the spiritual, educational, and social needs of teens in the foster care system, this dissertation will examine how to assist local churches in establishing a program to serve the children in their local …

A Strategic Plan To Assist Pastors In The Succession Between A Mentoring Lead Pastor And His Or Her Mentee, Glen Wolf

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Within the next decade, thousands of churches in America will be transitioning the lead pastoral position from one generation to the next. Most lead pastors are not prepared for this succession. The primary research question driving this project is: Can a strategic plan be developed that will assist pastors in the succession between a mentoring lead pastor and his or her mentee? This question is worth researching for the following reasons: 1) most literature written on the subject focuses on principles and/or practices; 2) most literature written on the subject looks at succession as a whole (congregation, board, et cetera), …

Developing A Church Planting Growth Strategy For Growing Metropolitan Communities In The United States, Aaron R. Burke

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

The United States is becoming increasingly urbanized. The metropolitan areas are thriving with new residents and new industries. While the cities are growing, the church is declining. The church has a problem to solve. How do we plant rapidly growing churches in growing metropolitan areas? The focus of this doctoral dissertation is to present rapidly growing church plants as a solution to the declining church attendance in the metropolitan areas of the United States. Not only do new churches need to be planted, but these new churches need a strategy for growth. I found this strategy by researching five rapidly …

Looks That Kill: White Power, Christianity, And The Occlusion Of Justice, Wesley Sutermeister

Dissertations (1934 -)

One of the most prominent, destructive, and long-lasting forms of racism in the United States and elsewhere is that which stems from the eyes of white people’s personal and social bodies. Their looks have been mobilized and deployed to exclude, exploit, put down, police, manage, intimidate, mark, and kill people of color at both an interpersonal and organizational level for the purpose of securing their own substance and future. Such exercises of power are rooted in human embodiment and suggest that justice and injustice are also rooted in our flesh, in how we relate to each other both corporeally and …

The Sword & The Mask: Toward A Confessional Lutheran Account Of Spiritual Warfare, Jon Furgeson

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Furgeson, Jon C. “The Sword and the Mask: Toward a Confessional Lutheran Theology of Spiritual Warfare.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2020. pp. "[Number of pages]"

This dissertation, a work in Trinitarian & ecclesial theology, seeks to recover the foundations of a full doctrine of spiritual warfare. Considering seeming disparate voices such as Walter Wink, C. Peter Wagner, John Kleinig, Gustav Wingren, and Leopoldo A. Sánchez, this dissertation asserts a constructive and integrative approach to spiritual warfare wherein the warfare is only enacted by the fallen powers of the sinful nature, the fallen world, and the fallen angels. This warfare is …

The Origins Beliefs Of Christian College Students, Emily Wilkinson

Senior Honors Theses

Many studies have focused on creation and evolution in academia, origins beliefs and biblical interpretation, and how students respond to origins challenges. The author then conducted a phenomenology of Christian college students’ origins beliefs, factors that influence those beliefs, and impacts that the beliefs have on students’ lives. Methods included a 44-Item Big Five Inventory and semi-structured interviews. Participants were eight residential undergraduate students at a Christian university who were currently or previously in a creation studies course. Results indicated that all participants held to young-earth creationism, and that family, Christian faith, education, personality, and academic major influenced the development …

Development Of Mass Communication Strategies For Church Growth: Engaging American Culture, Abby Hines

Senior Honors Theses

In this analysis, methods of mass communication employed by the church throughout its history will be reviewed. The context for this church study is specifically within American culture. Strategies for the most effective form of mass communication have evolved drastically within the past few years. For the church to properly engage in culture, it must understand the communication strategies that have intentionally or unintentionally been utilized throughout its history. An effective method of mass communication for the church is proposed.

“Lift Up Your Eyes”: Case Study Of Journey Church, Tucson, Jim Roden

Great Commission Research Journal

The receptivity principle of church growth discerns who in the local population is generally responsive to the gospel. The biblical warrant for this principle is seen in Jesus’ instructions to his disciples (Mark 5:11) and in Paul’s ministry (Acts 14:19-20). Donald McGavran emphasized, “Evangelism can be and ought to be directed to responsive persons, groups, and segments of society…. Correct policy is to occupy fields of low receptivity lightly.” The experience of anxiety typifies gospel-receptive groups; when their anxiety dissipates, their gospel receptivity diminishes. The special-needs population and those who are close to them experience unrelieved chronic anxiety that predisposes …

Igniting Hope Among Gen Z, Billy Mcmahan

Great Commission Research Journal

Generation Z is the future of the Church. We need to begin equipping followers of Jesus to welcome them home. This article explores the seven common characteristics of Generation Z. It will also dive into research done among current youth workers from around the country and then provide some strategies on how to engage Generation Z based on that research. About 90 million young Americans fit into the age bracket of Generation Z. As the Church, we need to understand their worldview. As they emerge into adulthood, it will be vital to the health of the Church overall to equip …

Examining “Empowerment”: Insights Into The Murshidat Program In Morocco, Hannah Mckenzie

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Following the 2003 terror attacks in Casablanca, the Moroccan government issued a series of reforms, including the introduction of the new program in Rabat that would train murshidat, women religious guides who would then go on to work in mosques and other public spaces all across the country. The intention of this program, the state claimed, was to 1) promote a moderate Islam and 2) empower women. In this research, I have consulted existing literature and conducted interviews with scholars and activists in the realm of women’s rights to explore various sides of this question: How does the work of …

A Mixed-Methods Case Study Of Spiritual Formation And School Induced Stress In Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists During Hospital Residency, R. Dawn Whybrew

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Student registered nurse anesthetists in hospital residency undergo a rigorous schedule. For Christian nurse anesthesia students, spiritual formation may suffer due to the stressors of anesthesia residency. The purpose of this mixed-methods case study sought to understand and describe the perceived influence of participation in spiritual formation opportunities during nurse anesthesia hospital residency on students’ spiritual formation level as well as their ability to handle stressors of hospital residency. In phase one of the study, the researcher conducted a purposeful convenience sampling of 54 Junior and Senior students in a quantitative quasi-experimental design. In phase one, the participant's spiritual formation …

Enhancing Pastoral Care And Support By Providing Opportunities For Spiritual Growth And Transformation To Crisis And Trauma Sufferers, Angela Roberts Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Trauma experiences are becoming more prevalent in today’s society. For example, each day, the media reports the widespread impact of war, gun violence, domestic and international terrorism, violent crimes, sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, mass shootings, and natural disasters in the general population. The church has long been considered a place of refuge, hope, and healing for people who suffer from crises and trauma. It is often the first place Christians and the surrounding community turn in times of distress. Because pastors and churches are often the first responders when people experience crises and traumatic events, there …

Comforting The Grieving Through Worship, Thomas Wayne Doss

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

One of the most challenging aspects of the human experience is dealing with the loss of a loved one. Although death marks the end of human life, it can affect the life of the ones closest to the deceased. Often, the griever is left in a sea of pain, which can produce doubts, isolation, and emotional conflict. Although the grieving believer may turn to the church for support in his/her time of grief, the church body may find itself unsure of how to respond best and support the needs of the bereaved. This qualitative historical study examines the literature pertaining …

A Multiple Case Study Identifying Factors Influencing Church Attendance And Engagement With Unchurched And Dechurched Families, Jason Robert Waters

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Many medium-sized churches experienced significant growth followed by years of declining attendance (Haskell et al., 2016). Many of them are in locations that could allow for significant growth. It seems as if some once growing churches no longer recognize how to best reach their communities and how to minister to the needs of the families making up their surrounding communities. The purpose of this multiple case study, a comparative analysis, is to identify factors that positively and negatively influence church attendance and engagement among unchurched and de-churched persons and families. At this stage in the research, regular attendance and engagement …

Smooth Transitions: An Examination Of Succession Planning And Leadership Continuity Among Directors And Associate Directors Of The Potomac Conference Corporation Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Fred-Richard T. Warfield

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Far too many organizations fall short of the strategic task of succession planning. The absence of satisfactory solutions in this area stifles the ability of an organization to achieve its mission and vision. Lack of planning in this area also contributes to a negative impact on overall morale, staff performance, and effectiveness as these turnovers ensue. The purpose of this thesis project is to explore the perceived absence of intentional succession planning and leadership transitioning among director and associate director-level leadership positions within the Potomac Conference Corporation of Seventh-day Adventists. In this project, surveys and one-on-one interviews are conducted among …