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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 …

The Role Of The Prophetic Commissioning Formula In Matthew’S Gospel, Marcus N. Wilson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Scholars have long examined Matthew’s Gospel for its fulfillment quotations and theological emphases but have often overlooked its structural dependence on the Old Testament (OT) prophetic commissioning formula. This formula—divine encounter, mission mandate, prophetic objection, divine reassurance, and a sign of validation—serves as a critical framework throughout Matthew’s narrative, linking Christology, discipleship, and mission. This study addresses the gap by demonstrating how Matthew integrates these commissioning motifs to present Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment of Israel’s prophetic tradition and to emphasize the continuity between Israel’s covenantal promises and the mission inaugurated by Jesus.

While the Limited Commission (Matt 10:5–42) and …

A Hybrid Generation: Globalization, Migration, And Cultural-Theological Reconfiguration Among Second-Generation Ghanaian Pentecostal Immigrants In The United States--Toward A Diasporic Mission Theology, David Osei-Nimoh

College of Theology and Ministry Dissertations, Projects, & Theses

This dissertation investigates how globalization, migration, and Pentecostalism shape the cultural and theological of second-generation Ghanaian Pentecostals in the United States. Using Mark Cartledge’s four-stage empirical theological cycle, it interprets participants’ lived experience as theological data in critical dialogue with Scripture, the doctrine of The Church of Pentecost (COP), and Pentecostal theological method. The study is based on 26 weeks of multisite fieldwork in three COP U.S.A. congregations—Washington, D.C., Dallas, and Tacoma—and draws on participant observation, 55 semi-structured interviews, three focus groups, and archival materials. The analysis yielded three interrelated findings. First, participants negotiate a bicultural Ghanaian American identity within …

A Globally Informed Theological Method For Locally Lived Pentecostal Theology: Worship, Witness, And Work, Kenneth J. Archer

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This article advocates for a globally informed yet locally experienced “Pentecostal theology” rooted in a specific theological approach. This Pentecostal approach shapes and re/shapes lived theology. Lived spirituality-theology is relational, emphasizing proper worship of the living God (orthodoxy), effective witness (orthomartus), and productive work (orthoergon). This represents a lived theology that is both personal and communal. All of this is expressed through labor (orthoergon) and witness (orthomartus), which form our “missional work” with the Lord God for the betterment of all creation. It proposes a method focused on worship, witness, and work, which are organically connected to the spirituality of …

Spiritus 11, No. 1 (2026), Spiritus Editors

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This is the full Spring issue of Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology 11, no. 1 (2026).

An Interdisciplinary Approach To Understanding The Social Ministry Of The Orthodox Church Of Ukraine In The Context Of Christian Theology And Socio-Humanitarian Sciences, Rostyslav Didukh

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article presents a comprehensive interdisciplinary scientific and theological analysis of the social ministry of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) in the context of Christian theology and socio-humanitarian disciplines. Modern approaches of Orthodox theology to the social mission of Christianity ensure the integrity of the development of the human and society. The need to ensure the coherence of theological concepts of the Orthodox Church social teaching with the existing church and parish life, church educational mission, theological education, and social work is emphasized. Special attention is paid to the interdisciplinary connections of Orthodox theology, religious studies, psychology, pedagogy and …

Hope, Liberation, And The Search For Shalom: Embracing A Spirit-Led Mission As The Cornerstone Of Hispanic Pentecostal Missiology, Misael Cornelio-Arias

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This study examines the critical missiological contributions of three influential Hispanic Pentecostal theologians: Eldin Villafañe, Samuel Solivan, and Sammy Alfaro. It also explores the work of two additional notable figures, Darío López and Bernardo Campos, whose impact extends beyond traditional missiology into practical faith application. Each of these individuals has uniquely fused his distinct cultural contexts and biblical understanding with the broader mission of the Hispanic Pentecostal faith, guided by the Holy Spirit. Their work has significantly shaped and expanded the landscape of Hispanic Pentecostal missiology, demonstrating a truly contextual approach to understanding and engaging in the kingdom’s mission. Through …

Book Review: Canoeing The Mountains: Christian Leadership In Uncharted Territory By Tod Bolsinger, Jason Ballard

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Street Smarts: Using Questions To Answer Christianity’S Toughest Challenges By Gregory Koukal, Daniel Suter

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Seeing Through The Incense Smoke: Understanding The Meanings Of Ancestral Rites In Vietnam For The Sake Of A Pastoral Approach In Christian Mission, J.P. Cima

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Cima, J.P. “Seeing Through the Incense Smoke: Understanding the Meanings of Ancestral Rites in Vietnam for the Sake of a Pastoral Approach in Christian Mission.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2025. 285 pp.

The veneration of ancestors at family altars has long been a defining feature of everyday Vietnamese life that poses a critical missiological problem for Christian mission in Vietnam. May Christians participate in ancestral veneration rituals? Current and historical responses to this question, among Protestants and Catholics alike, have not been uniform. Moreover, many responses have been based on assumed or oversimplified understandings of the rites’ meaning which recent …

Book Review: Equipping For Global Mission: Theological And Missiological Proposals And Case Studies Edited By Linda P Saunders, Gregory Mathias, And Edward L. Smithe, Mark D. Wood

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

2025 Vol 17(1) Complete Issue.Pdf, David R. Dunaetz

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

The Calvin Forum: Winter 2025, Calvin Theological Seminary

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum (2002- )

CONTENTS - Vol. 35., WINTER 2025

Main Features: 2 - Letter from the President

6 - Where are the Pastors?

10 - Formation of Leaders in a Liminal season

16 - Where do Pastors come from?

23 - The minister as a manager of the mysteries of God

29 - Pastors are there and will be there

34 - Who will disciple the next generation of Disciple-makers?

39 - Raising up Ministry Leaders from the next generation

42 - Training Ministry leaders from the next generation

48 - Hope in the ruins

55 - A journey through Seminary in …

The Calvin Forum: Summer 2025, Calvin Theological Seminary

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum (2002- )

CONTENTS - Vol. 36., SUMMER 2025

Main Features: 2 - Letter from the President

6- How John Calvin Shaped Modern Seminary Education BY KARIN MAAG

12- Why Calvin? Naming a Seminary After a Theologian of Consolation BY SAM HA

18- Reformed Roots in the Global South: Indonesia’s Calvinist Heritage BY YUDHA THIANTO

24- Why Bavinck and Kuyper?

26- Herman Bavinck and the Mission of Calvin Seminary: Theology That Glorifies God BY JESSICA JOUSTRA

30- Why Abraham Kuyper’s Vision Still Shapes Reformed Theology and Education BY JORDAN BALLOR

34- Carrying Calvin’s Legacy: How Calvin Theological Seminary Equips Culturally Engaged Ministry …

Guarding The Faith Or Resisting Dialogue?: Anti-Ecumenical Tendencies In Bulgarian Orthodoxy, Ioannis Kaminis

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This paper explores the historical, theological, and ideological roots of anti-ecumenical tendencies within the Bulgarian Orthodox Church (BOC), especially in the post-communist period. It examines whether the BOC's resistance to ecumenical dialogue genuinely reflects a defense of Orthodox tradition or represents a reactionary posture shaped by national, political, and ecclesiastical factors. Tracing the development of anti-ecumenism from the 19th-century schism with the Ecumenical Patriarchate through the communist era to the post-1990s resurgence of neo-traditionalist rhetoric, the study reveals how the convergence of ecclesial nationalism, ideological manipulation under communism, and theological exclusivism has produced a deep mistrust of ecumenical engagement. Influential …

Book Review: Mission In Praise, Word, And Deed: Reflections On The Past And Future Of Global Mission Edited By Edward L. Smither And Jessica A. Udall, Nathaniel (Than) Veltman

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Discerning The Missional Implications Of Context: A Demographic Study Of Great Falls For The Great Falls Church Of Christ, Matthew C. Burleson

DMin Project Theses

The purpose of this Lipscomb University June 2024 Doctor of Minstry project thesis was to discern the missional implications of GFCC’s (Great Falls Church of Christ) context. Three components comprised the larger purpose. First, the purpose was to survey the mission of God in Scripture with a team made up of members from GFCC. This survey would facilitate the missional aspect of discerning the missional implications. Second, the purpose was to acquaint this team with practices and principles of spiritual discernment. Acquainting the team with these practices would facilitate the discerning aspect of discerning the missional implications. Third, the purpose …

The Calvin Forum: Summer 2024, Calvin Theological Seminary

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum (2002- )

CONTENTS - Vol. 34., SUMMER 2024

Main Features: 5 - Letter from the President

8 - Calvin Theological Seminary: A living tradition of service for the 21st Century

12- Virtuous reasoning

15 - Why on Earth look to the church for help in society?

19 - Bringing the trouble to church: the call to Christ-Centered mental health support

22 - The need for effective leaders: Competency-based education on the rise

24 - A challenging journey: Preaching through competition, wariness, and trauma

Calvin Seminary News: 28 - Calvin Theological seminary partners with Missional training center

31 - Calvin Theological …

Oral Roberts And Billy Graham: A Friendship That Influenced The Christian World, John Paul Thompson

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

No abstract provided.

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 …

Missional Renewal In A Large And Established Suburban Western Church, Michael Stevens

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This thesis addresses the topic of missional renewal at Clovercrest Baptist Church (CBC), specifically focusing on participating in the mission of God through simple, memorable, and reproducible missional practices. The identified problem is a lack of process or framework for enhancing participation in God’s mission and churchwide missional renewal at CBC, a large suburban Western church. The purpose of this project intervention is to develop a resource guide of missional practices that facilitate participation in the mission of God at CBC towards missional renewal. This intervention is guided by the theological foundation that God is a God of mission. He …

Review Of Intergenerational Missiology: An African Pentecostal-Charismatic Perspective, Vincent Anohene Appiah

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

No abstract provided.

God Our Neighbor: Discerning Our Calling By Discovering God's Life In Our Neighborhood, Wayne D. Beason Ii

DMin Project Theses

This April 2023 Doctor of Ministry project thesis at Lipscomb University presents the results of research completed with congregants and neighbors of Parkside Church of Christ in Dearborn Heights, MI. The research question driving this project is: How might a congregation’s missional identity be reshaped by attentiveness to God’s activity among their neighbors? The missional activity of the Holy Spirit makes God’s future accessible in the present both within and beyond the church; thus, the Spirit is discernible in the particularity of a neighborhood. For this reason, the local neighborhood functions as an arena of the Spirit’s activity, a source …

Constructing A Theological Framework That Revitalizes The Missional Nature Of Churches Of Christ In South Australia, Mark Daniel Riessen

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This thesis addresses the need for a theological framework that revitalizes the missional nature of Churches of Christ in South Australia. The problem identified within this ministry context was a lack of clear theological principles that informed a common understanding of identity for missional engagement. The purpose of the project was to create a study guide that informs common theological commitments and grounds congregations for missional vitality. A research and development team made up of seven Church of Christ ministers from different backgrounds was assembled to design a curriculum that addressed the problem. Through eight two-hour sessions over four months …

Book Review: Motus Dei: The Movement Of God To Disciple The Nations Edited By Warrick Farah, David H. Campbell

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Development In Mission: A Guide For Transforming Global Poverty And Ourselves By Monty Lynn, Rob Gailey, And Derran Reese, Nathaniel Veltman

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Turning Points In The Expansion Of Christianity: From Pentecost To The Present By Alice Ott, David Thiessen

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

An Analysis And Comparison Of The Missional Doctrinal Hermemeutics Of Kevin J. Vanhoozer And Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, With Emphasis On Their Notions Of God, Eschatology, And Mission, Elmer Guzman

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is a dissertation abstract by Elmer Guzman.

The Continuity Mindset For Christian Mission, Jack T. Davison

Great Commission Research Journal

Missionaries from the Global North regularly serve as trainers for Christians in the Global South. From personal experience, missionaries are regularly seen as being qualified to do this work simply because of their position. Rather than missionaries assuming they are competent purely on the basis of their titles, I believe they should instead practice the Continuity Mindset for Christian Mission, a mindset that emphasizes the continuity of one’s identity and ministry in one’s home culture with one’s identity and ministry in the host culture. This practice includes elements of vulnerable mission, nonresidential mission, tentmaking, cultural intelligence, and authentic leadership. I …

Sustaining Spiritual Change In Wesleyan-Holiness Systems Of Discipleship In Selected Congregations In Illinois, U.S.A., Stephen J. Descalzo

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.