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A Phenomenological Understanding Of A Calling With Implications For Pastoral And Vocational Education, Thomas R. Connors

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of calling for seasoned pastors. Guiding the research were four related sub-questions: (a) How do seasoned pastors describe their initial experiences of calling? (b) How do they describe the ways in which they have critically reflected on their experiences of calling ? (c) How do seasoned pastors describe their subsequent actions that have resulted from their calling? (d) HAnd, how do seasoned pastors describe the development of their calling? A purposeful sampling of 11 pastors who have for six or more years functioned as a full-time pastor were engaged …

The Grand Narrative Worldview: A Narrative Inquiry Into The Impact Of Biblical Metanarrative Teaching In Liberty University’S School Of Divinity Global Studies Program, Chesed Anne Dent

Masters Theses

There is limited research and literature on the effectiveness of narrative-centered academic learning environments that utilize biblical metanarrative as a tool for teaching. Literature exists showing that story is an effective tool within education, within discipleship, and within training for cross-cultural effectiveness. This narrative inquiry research study focused on Liberty University’s Global Studies Program, a program that overlaps these distinct areas into one platform. Global Studies uses the power of story through the Grand Narrative of Scripture to teach students academic content, equip them as messengers of God’s Story, and help them assess and understand their own narratives within a …

The Theological Implications Of Κατάπαυσίν And Σαββατισμὸς In Hebrews 3:7–4:11, Sean M. Best

Masters Theses

This thesis will argue that rest in Hebrews is entering into humanity’s rightful place, ruling over creation with God, in the full image of God, as intended by God since the seventh day. Rest in the book of Hebrews is a vitally important theme. The word for rest in Greek is κατάπαυσίν and is used eight times in Hebrews 3–4. The definition of rest determines the crux of understanding the warning passage by the author of Hebrews. The basic lexical definition of this word is “rest” or “resting place.” While a basic gloss of the Greek term κατάπαυσίν is easy …

Believers But Not Followers: The Unstoppable Misconduct And Neglect Of Christians Outside Ministries Duties, Fabio Delgado

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Christianity is embedded in moral conduct, values, and norms which require believers to project a Christ-like nature. While the whole concept of Christianity is embodied in faith and righteousness, the current generation of believers has exhibited an increased state of secularism which contradicts biblical morals and drifts them further from the religious faith. This research stems from the increasingly common notion of “believers but not followers,” where Christians wittingly abandon their ministerial duties and engage in misconduct. The selection of this topic emanates from the deep concern regarding the rising trend of hypocrisy among believers and mainly propagated by events …

Evaluating Discipleship Program Effectiveness Of Liberian Churches In Worcester, Massachusetts, Jesse G. Gibson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project is evaluating discipleship program effectiveness of Liberian churches in Worcester, Massachusetts. The goal of this thesis is to develop a strategy and effective program for the Liberian churches in Worcester, Massachusetts as a tool to train and educate the Liberian churches for effective and adequate discipleship programs. This project will survey Liberian Christians residing in Worcester, Massachusetts who are members of churches that are dominantly Liberians. This research will help others to understand their religious background, social lifestyles and commitment to discipleship. Implementation of the 12-step training proposed in this project will enable the Liberian churches to be …

The Effect Of Ethnic Identity On Biblical Unity In Its Role As An Apologetic, Caroline Boozer

Masters Theses

This thesis will consider the effect that ethnicity has on identity formation as it impacts church unity. Unity is the chief form of evidence by which the Christian church is supposed to be recognized. The way that believers love one another is how Jesus teaches people will know that they are His disciples (John 13:35). Ethnic tensions are a cause of disunity in both the Old and New Testaments. The issue of ethnic identity and relations and the impact that they have on unity in the church is an apologetic for the power and counter-cultural teachings of Jesus. The purpose …

The Rise Of The Part-Time Worship Leader In The Mid-Size Southern Baptist Church, Donald Oren Blakeney

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this paper is to explore the prevalence of part-time, bivocational, semi-retired and volunteer worship leaders within mid-size Southern Baptist church and the need for further training and education through a denominationally-driven mentor program. The known decline in attendance and financial giving that most Southern Baptist churches have experienced has affected the moneys available to fill staffing needs and thereby require a reassessment of staff positions; the percentage of the budget allocated for staffing and continuing education. Most of these part-time worship leaders are already educated in another field and cannot allot the resources for a return to …

A Case Study Of The Culturally Diverse Worship At The Florida Hospital Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Richard Edwin Hickam

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Florida Hospital Seventh-day Adventist Church (FHC) is a multicultural, multigenerational church in Orlando, FL. This case study will examine the history of the worshiping community with particular attention to the change in the culture of the worship services enacted in 2014 and its ongoing impact. The church moved from a traditional and a contemporary service to two identical culturally conscious worship services. This format is unusual in the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) denomination. Seventh-day Adventism was named in a Pew study as the most diverse religion in the United States, but that does not mean its people are racially worshiping …

Animal Heads: Exploring Christian Themed Solutions And Mental Health Through Comics, Mariannette Oyola-Perez

Masters Theses

The second leading cause of death for the ages of 10-24 is suicide, a statistic that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows has steadily risen since 1999. Although it is seldom spoken about in mental health circles, an enmity seems to exist between Christianity and modern psychology in regards to mental illness and how it should be treated; this enmity could be preventing helpful Christian-based principles from being shared with the at-risk population while simultaneously excluding Christians from a conversation they need to be a part of.

Interestingly, further research shows that the at-risk demographic overlaps significantly with …

The Passion Project: Furthering A Holistic Biblical Theology Of Passion And Purpose Through Visual Storytelling, Annaclaire Schmiedel

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Creative and Artistic

Incorporating A Pedagogy Of Worship In The Community Group Ministry Of Grace Bible Church, Jeremy G. Sauskojus

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Many local church fellowships have embraced small groups (life groups, community groups) as a means of connecting people with one another from within the larger church body. These small groups are a means of building community. Furthermore, many churches testify to the importance of pursuing worship as much more than music in the corporate worship gathering that takes place once a week. However, very little has been done to connect these two components together in the small group ministry environment. As will be presented, people have written concerning each one of these important elements of church body life. Yet, connecting …

Discipling Children And Youth: Helping The Church Enable Parents To Lead, Angela Hazel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Parental apathy in the discipleship of children has become a worrisome issue in the Protestant churches of the United States. Where once the home was the foundation of Bible learning and character building, now parents have placed the responsibility of spiritual formation of children squarely on the shoulders of the church. The church, however, is ill-equipped to fully disciple a child or youth during this transformational time in their lives. This study sought to examine the issues that lead to parental withdrawal from discipleship training of their offspring and develop a method for the church to equip and enable parents …

The Influence Of Ethical Leadership And Ethical Culture On Faculty Engagement, Douglas J. Lange

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In this non-experimental correlational study, the researcher examined the combined influence of ethic leadership behavior and organizational ethical culture on employee engagement, where ethical behaviors acts as a mediating variable. The investigator extended the applicability of prior studies by examining a well-educated, professional working population, the faculty of colleges and universities in North and South Carolina. The study employed a survey methodology utilizing reliable and valid instruments developed by others in previous research. The findings demonstrate that ethical leadership behavior in managers acts to mediate the influence of organizational culture within the study population without regard to age, gender, or …

Implementation Of A Basic Exegetical And Hermeneutical Class For Students: To Interpret God’S Word Exegetically And Apply God’S Word Hermeneutically, Casey Whiteis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A course to use in student ministries that addresses the capabilities of students in being able to interpret and apply the Bible for themselves. The rationale for choosing this topic is that students are aging out of the student ministry without a basic understanding of how to read, interpret, and apply God’s Word for themselves. All too often, while attending the student ministry, students understand topics that relate to what they are experiencing in high school; however, are they receiving the tools required to continue applying God’s Word to their lives? Tools are provided to students that will guide them …

Helpmeet: The African American Pastor's Wife As An Extension Of The Pastor In Pastoral Care And Counseling - A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Of The Ministry Helping Experiences Of Black Pastors' Wives In Predominantly Black Churches, D'Juana Chantel Pittman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The position of pastor’s wife presents itself as a unique role. For the African American Pastor’s wife, this role takes on an even more interesting dynamic, considering the cultural back drop of the population many pastor’s wives serve. A hermeneutic phenomenological research study was conducted to understand the phenomena of helper among African American pastor’s wives who serve alongside their husbands in ministry, particularly in pastoral care and counseling. The study included a total of seven African American Pastors’ wives from the state of Texas. The pastors’ wives participated in structured interviews that were extensive in nature. Answering thirty-six questions …

An Exploration Of Musical Influences Throughout Worship: Enhancing Worship Experiences Via Hymns Encompassing Spiritual Gifts, Nina Marie Tedeschi

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

One of the most important aspects of the role of worship leader, is that of choosing relevant worship materials. The use of hymns has enhanced worship for ages. The trends of the current age have precipitated a concern and need for conscientious selection of music, along with appropriate application of the singing of hymns, psalms, and spiritual songs. A major consideration in worship planning is to utilize music which reaches all generations. The impetus of this study is primarily based upon biblical, historical, theological, philosophical, methodological, and observational practice of worship. The research focuses upon the importance of planning and …

Fostering Hope: The Christian Healthcare Chaplain In A Caring Relationship, Felix O. Otuorimuo

Masters Theses

In 2017, the data from suicide prevention resource center (National Survey on Drug Use and Health) showed an increasing rate of 10.6 million persons between the ages 18-65 that have had suicidal thoughts, a precipitating factor from hopelessness that triggers the goal of killing themselves. Given this challenge, the study seeks to understand how the Christian healthcare chaplain in a caring relationship, fosters biblical hope as spiritual care intervention to persons with suicidal thoughts to promote recovery, repair and restoration. The research was designed to use purposeful sampling to collect responses by anonymous online survey from 35 Christian healthcare chaplains …

An Expositional Approach To The Parables Of Jesus And Applications For Unchurched Korean-American Christians, Junyong Cha

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Korean-American churches like many immigrant churches often play a role as the ethical and cultural refuge for members. This failure to be a faith-based spiritual community causes ripple effects, in a negative sense, that pastors should not preach uncomfortable messages to the congregation and not to focus on spiritual matters and that this spiritual downspin leads to conflicts and frustrations in church and ultimately to numeral declining in either form of a church split or leaving church. While the reasons for leaving the church are varied, the ultimate source of individual believers’ healing, restoration, and growth is the Word of …

The Matthew 16:13-18:20 Chiasm As The Fountainhead Of Matthean Proto-Ecclesiology, Nicholas A. Dodson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The only two instances of the Greek term ἐκκλησία (usually translated “church”) found in the Gospels are in Matthew 16:18 and 18:17. These two passages have been examined, debated, and interpreted in a number of ways by various scholars. The present dissertation presents considerable exegetical evidence that these two uses of ἐκκλησία are actually part of a larger literary structure called a chiasmus, which connects the passages in which Matthew 16:18 and 18:17 are found. Because these are highly significant ecclesiological passages, this study further develops the connection of the chiastic structure to other foundational ecclesiological passages, namely the Matthean …

The Unifying Theme Of The Mind Of Christ In Philippians Demonstrated By Paul's Use Of Rhetorical And Linguistic Devices In An Oral/Aural Culture, David Alan Posey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Among the debatable issues arising from Paul’s epistle to the Philippians are questions concerning the structure, integrity and thematic emphasis of the letter. This dissertation argues that the “Christ Hymn” (2:6-11) is the central point of a chiastic structure of the letter, establishing the “Mind of Christ” as the primary and, thus, unifying theme of this correspondence. Four primary fields of research lend support to this hypothesis. First, rhetorical criticism seeks to understand the meaning of the biblical text through recognized persuasive devices utilized within first-century literature and speech. Second, linguistic studies, in its simplest form, examines the selection and …

Toward A Biblical Theology Of Leadership: Followers Who Shepherd And Serve Others To Follow, Benjamin Forrest

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Christian leadership as a subset ofleadership is unique. It is unique because ofthe modifier of “Christian.”1 The meaning ofthis modifier, however, is often unclear in the minds ofthose who use it. Most authors who write on this topic have thought long and hard about what this means, but the average Christian still wrestles with the question of “what makes leadership Christian?”

The Ancient-Future Of Worship Education: The Evangelical-Sacramental Movement's Effect On Modern Worship Education, Jordan Miles Covarelli

Masters Theses

This thesis looks at developments in evangelical/Pentecostal contemporary Christian worship music (CWM) in response to its theological critiques and analyzes the effects they are having on what training worship leaders will need. CWM has grown into a global phenomenon that largely either disregards or is ignorant of its theological critics. The rapid rate of churches adopting CWM practices in their services has led to numerous universities creating post-secondary degrees in Worship Leadership focused specifically on modern expressions of worship. This thesis uses a convergent parallel mixed methods research model to analyze how worship practices are changing in key evangelical-turned-sacramental churches …

A Study Of The Sermon As Bible Study Materials For Small Group And Church Growth: With A Focus On Singing Hope Church, Ki Young Jeong

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study will suggest that the Sunday Service sermons are essential elements for church growth and the sermons can be used as Bible study materials in the small group meetings. Korean churches kept on growing after the Pyeongyang Great Revival in 1907. However, Korean churches stopped growing since 2000, at which point they started to decline in numbers. One of the reasons is that the congregants do not live according to the Word of God that is proclaimed from the pulpit. There are various reasons for church growth. The researcher observed that continuously applying Sunday sermons to church members is …

Leadership Matters: The Process Of Leading A Declining Church To Revitalization Utilizing Early Church Principles, Jarvis Baker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A review of current literature that exist details the perpetual decline that is occurring in the local church. Nevertheless, the leadership a pastor provides must not be ignored, when there is an attempt to lead a church from decline to revitalization. The purpose of this project is to assist pastors who lead declining churches to revitalization by examining the principles of the early church, which was a church that was vibrant in the area of growth and spiritual life. Based on questionnaires sent to pastors and other ministry leaders, the project will reveal the need for a practical Biblical plan …

Leveraging A Massive Open Online Course In The Local Church To Teach Hermeneutics, Howard Dale Tryon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The increase in massive open online course (MOOC) offerings in theological higher education presents unique equipping opportunities for local churches, providing high-quality instruction from authoritative scholars. The purpose of this project is to facilitate participation in a MOOC to equip members of Calvary Baptist Church, Lynchburg, Virginia, with basic hermeneutic principles in order to enrich personal Bible study and prepare for teaching the Bible. A pretest and posttest assess the effectiveness of the program to impart knowledge of hermeneutical concepts and skills. A concluding survey determines the extent to which participants plan to use learned hermeneutic methods and principles in …

Pastoral Burnout Of African American Pastors: Creating Healthy Support Systems And Balance, William E. Johnson Iii

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Pastoral self-care is critical in minimizing the symptoms of burnout in ministry. Caught up in the daily demands of ministry, pastors are under tremendous stress as they try to serve God’s people in multiple roles in ministry. Often, pastors are called upon to be counselors, preachers, project managers, students, social activists, and a moral compass for those they lead. Too often, pastors are expected to perform duties with superhuman perfection, life and ministry can get so crowded with obligations and emergencies that pastor’s maintenance of a healthy lifestyle can become unbalanced or cease to exist. This research study will complement …

Christ-Centered Worship: Five New Testament Principles For The Korean Church, Hallellu Choi

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Protestant church of South Korea witnessed remarkable growth since the Gospel was first preached in Korea in the nineteenth century; growth in the second half of the twentieth century was particularly strong. The Presbyterian church in South Korea, however, experienced decline since 1995: this was mainly due to Christians’ lack of good influence toward the non-Christians in their lives. Their good influence on non-Christians in the world can be restored first by re-educating them with biblical principles of worship and by encouraging them to live out those principles. The purpose of this thesis is to suggest five principles of …

Situational Hermeneutics In The New Testament's Use Of The Old, William Boyd

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The New Testament’s use of the Old Testament presents some unique hermeneutical challenges. New Testament authors utilize Old Testament texts in ways that do not seem to strictly adhere to modern interpretive methods, and they seem to exhibit multiple hermeneutical methods in their usage of scripture. This study seeks to explore the relationship between these various ways of interpreting scripture, and to propose a consistent way of evaluating the hermeneutical validity of varying usages which can apply to the New Testament’s use of the Old as well as to modern interpretation of the Bible. It begins by discussing the problem …

An Evaluation Of The Masterlife Christian Discipleship Program's Influence On The Disciple Of Christ, Leon B. Newton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Important to realize, is the absence of spiritual transformation in the lives of some Christians within the membership of Simon Temple African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. The purpose of this study was to discover if the program’s influence on those participants in the experimental group transform into Christlikeness faster than those participants in the control group. This study evaluated transformation of participants in both groups. There were five areas evaluated. These areas included attitudes, behaviors, relationships, ministry, and doctrine. The findings from this study provided credible and convincing evidence which can be used to encourage mass participation in the MasterLife …

A Study Of Apostasy Through Scripture: A Biblical Theological Approach, Marissa Fast

Senior Honors Theses

Apostasy is a subject that has been an intriguing question for many biblical scholars. This thesis examines apostasy from a biblical theological approach, meaning the Bible, and not Systematic Theology, has priority. First, the subject of apostasy within the covenantal context of the Old Testament is examined. Examples are given and discussed while the themes that can be gathered from this discussion are also be touched upon. Then texts addressing this issue within the New Testaments are examined and expanded upon. Finally, a conclusion of what the Bible has to say on the subject of apostasy is made.