Digital Commons Network^™

Pornography Addiction: A Cognitive Approach In Combating The Lies Christian Males Believe, Farid Awad

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Pornography addiction has grown in epidemic numbers. Its bondage is evident within and outside the church walls. While sex and sexually explicit images saturate our daily lives, God continues to call His people to be holy as He is holy. Freedom from pornography addiction can be achieved only through intimate relationship with Jesus Christ and by accepting the atoning work of His cross for all believers. This thesis will redefine pornography through the lens of the Scripture and primarily focus on cognitive lies regarding oneself and others, which are crippling and ensnaring men into the trap of pornography. This study …

Ministers Of Education 50 Years Of Age Or Older: Changing Titles, Positions And Responsibilities?, Benjamin Farley Haygood

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The traditional role of the Minister of Education in many Southern Baptist Churches appears to be changing. For those Ministers of Education who are 50 years of age or older, there is a need to understand what is taking place so that they can continue to use the skills, gifts, and experiences obtained in years of service. The purpose of this thesis is to study what is taking place across the Southern Baptist Convention and provide help for Ministers of Education who may be exploring vocational shifts in ministry. Also, this thesis hopes to provide help for churches in how …

Forged By Conviction: An Historical Overview Of The Southern Baptist Conservatives Of Virginia, Jeffrey Reid Pinder

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to capture the history of the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia (SBCV). The information presented in this dissertation can benefit other state conventions engrossed in overwhelming bureaucracy. The SBCV also serves as a model assisting other state conventions in reclaiming their convention's conservative theological moorings. The organization, structure, and example of the SBCV can help other state conventions in need of either restructuring or revitalization. This project reveals how God providentially guided the SBCV, and as a result of their faithfulness and efforts, the world and prevailing culture has been impacted by the power …

Coaching Bivocational Ministers For Greater Ministry Effectiveness, Dennis Bickers

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to explore the benefits of coaching as a technique to better equip bivocational ministers for greater ministry effectiveness. The author of this project was a bivocational pastor for twenty years and has written on bivocational and small church ministry. Five bivocational ministers in the United States and Canada were coached as part of this project, and this paper will describe the issues that were addressed in the coaching relationship, the benefits the bivocational ministers enjoyed as a result of coaching, and the lessons learned.

An Analysis Of Rev. Oak, Han-Hum's Sermons, Dae Shik Yoo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

An accomplished preacher, teacher, and church-planter, Rev. Oak, Han Hum was the pastor of Korea's famous Sarang Community Church, which he founded with less than 50 members but grew under his leadership to over 80,000. In an attempt to better appreciate Rev. Oak's success, this thesis will analyze Rev. Oak's sermons, giving special attention not only to his preaching techniques and style but also his mindset, philosophy, and attitude toward his pastoral responsibility. Unquestionably, his passion for and commitment to preaching the Word of God, was a significant part of his ability to connect to his congregation through his sermons. …

The Influence Of Pastor Dongwon Daniel Lee’S Preaching On The Growth Of Global Mission Church, Eun Bok Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There were many studies on the preachers and preaching styles, but only a few were done by analyzing one preacher. In his analysis method for the preaching style, Sung Young Chung presented three critical measuring parts: Interest, Clarity, and Dynamic Influence. The researcher selected a pastor, Daniel Dongwon Lee, as a sample of the current study because he is one of the leading preachers in Korea. The researcher analyzed 26 of his sermons with the measuring parts listed above. As a result, Pastor Daniel Lee had good results for each element. For the Interest part, his using illustrations with humor …

The Development Of Student Care Office Assessment Procedures, Matthew Stephen Swain

Senior Honors Theses

Most universities offer counseling services for their residential students. To answer accrediting bodies, such non-academic departments are now asked to assess the effectiveness of their services. Often, this requires skill sets and time that counseling centers do not possess. A collaborative effort was established with a student services office at a private university in the Southeast and the undergraduate Psychology Department to assist them in the development of new assessment procedures. An intake procedure was created to fulfill this goal. The assembly of appropriate psychometric tests as well as the designing of a computer administered version of the intake process …

The Senior Pastor's Role And Responsibilities In Leading A Pastoral Staff, Keith Robinson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Senior Pastor's position innately requires that he be able to lead his pastoral staff effectively. Current--and potential--Senior Pastors often enter their ministry assignments with no specific preparation for leading a pastoral staff. The purpose of this project is to enable a Senior Pastor to lead well from both a relationship-oriented perspective and a task-oriented perspective. The content of this project is based on research/literature review and personal interviews with Senior Pastors. In essence, this project might be compared to a manual, providing theoretical information and how-to help for the Senior Pastor.

Study To Show Thyself Approved: The Case For Continuing Clergy Education, Dan R. Jividen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There has been little study focused upon the role of the pastor's personal growth and how it may relate to growth or the lack thereof in the local church. Although the problem of ministerial competence as a whole can not be fully addressed in the limited scope of this project, it is this writer's contention that much of the plateau in church growth experienced in Southern Baptist Churches today may be predicated by the lack of ministerial training in the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention as a whole. It is the intent of this project to determine if there …

When Calling A Pastor To Succeed A "Legend" Pastor, Ronald Kovack

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Dr. D. James Kennedy founded the world famous Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. His ministry spanned fifty years and he launched a number of separate related ministries: schools, seminaries, television ministry and a personal evangelism program known as Evangelism Explosion.

The church discovered that calling a pastor to succeed a very influential pastor was not going to an easy task. This paper looks at the process and problems that resulted into the search and selection of a new pastor. The research examines the experience of seven other churches that had influential pastors leave and documents their results.

Transitioning The Local Church From A Rural To Suburban Context, Jeremy Paul Roberts

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A review of current literature demonstrates that very little material is available to assist pastors and church leaders in transitioning their churches from a rural to suburban context. This project will serve as a tool to assist pastors in leading their churches to transition from a rural to suburban context. Based on demographic studies, an historical analysis, the development of a plan to move the church forward, analyzing potential disruptions, and seeing the end result of the rural to suburban transition, the goal of the project will be fulfilled.

A Study Of Pastoral Burnout Among Korean-American Pastors, Young Sun Jin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this dissertation is to provide a resource of prevention and overcoming from pastoral burnout to Korean-American pastors. This project is born out of the author's five year journey in ministry as a senior pastor of Korean-American church. This study is performed from literature research, survey observation, and personal experience. Especially, the case study was based on research targeting the pastors who belong to the Capital Presbytery of KAPC, and conducted through analysis of the statistical data obtained from a questionnaire survey. In that view, this dissertation presents the definition, various factors and symptoms of burnout among the …

An Educational Methodology And Program For The Mitigation Of Compassion Fatigue For Combat Deploying Chaplains, Paul Brian Greer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Combat deployment presents unique challenges to military chaplains. One such challenge relates to the Vicarious Traumatization, often called "Compassion Fatigue," faced by chaplains who minister to service members experiencing combat-related trauma. There is minimal literature addressing compassion-related stress for clergy, especially those working with combat trauma survivors. Much of the research and literature available has been limited to those in emergency services, medical and mental health professions. This groundbreaking project will draw upon the latest literature, research and empirical data, culminating in an educational methodology and program for compassion stress management for military chaplain combat deployment rotation care.

Scripture As A Source Of Hopefulness For Adult Christian Men And Women, Max Grayson Mills

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The primary focus of this study was to evaluate the effect of a Bible study intervention on increasing the levels of hopefulness in a non-clinical population of adult Christian men and women. Using a randomly assigned pretest-posttest eight-week control group design, data was obtained from a sample of 60 adult Christian men (N=25) and women (N=35). Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) revealed that the bibliotherapeutic intervention was effective at (p. < .01). The study also revealed a positive correlation between hopefulness and spiritual maturity at (p. < 01). Of the 31 participants in the treatment group, 20 individuals (64.5%) made a meaningful change in their levels of hopefulness at post treatment.

A Strategy For The Balanced Discipleship That Integrates Emotional Health And Spiritual Maturity Within The Korean Presbyterian Church, Kwang Shik Seo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to understand the biblical basis for a balanced discipleship that integrates emotional health and spiritual maturity within the Korean Presbyterian Church. This project reviews historical research and provides an analysis of the emotional issues in the Korean Presbyterian Church. Based on the survey, this project defines current reality and offers a vision for the Korean Presbyterian Church. Through the evaluation of biblical models and churches, this project suggests effective principles for developing a balanced discipleship that incorporates both emotional health and spiritual maturity.

The Value Of The Navy Chaplain In The Fleet Marine Force Environment, Bruce Crouterfield

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As a result of interviews, it was found that many Naval Chaplains serving in the Fleet Marine Force fail to have an accurate sense of worth as they serve the people God has called them to serve. Because Marines and Sailors don’t share with their chaplains how they really think of the chaplain, the chaplain is left wondering about his significance. Through interviews and questionnaires, Marines and Sailors serving in the Fleet Marine Force were queried regarding their concept of the value of the Naval Chaplain serving in the Fleet Marine Force. In short, it was found that for the …

Lay Christian Counseling And Client Expectations For Integration In Therapy, Fernando L. Garzon, Everett L. Worthington, Jr., Siang-Yang Tan, R. Kirby Worthington

Faculty Publications and Presentations

As lay approaches to Christian counseling have multiplied and become increasingly sophisticated, we hypothesize that these might affect expectations of conservative Christian clients for professional integrative psychotherapy. Accordingly, we review several models of lay counseling, broadly categorizing them into active listening, cognitive & solution-focused approaches, inner healing, and mixed models. We consider how client expectations for psychotherapy may be altered through their experiences with these approaches. Subsequently, we make recommendations for clinicians who deal with lay-counseling-experienced clients. These include doing a more detailed assessment of client lay counseling experiences and considering ethical aspects of treatment (informed consent and competency to …

Do Lay Christian Counseling Approaches Work? What We Currently Know, Fernando L. Garzon, Kimberley A. Tilley

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Paraprofessional counseling has received empirical evidence of its effectiveness, yet the status of lay Christian counseling models remains unknown. The authors review the current research on such approaches. A few models evidence practitioner surveys, client satisfaction research, quasi-experimental studies, or outcomes- based case studies. One eclectic approach had a randomized waiting list control group study. Preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of Freedom in Christ (the Neil Anderson approach) and Theophostic Prayer Ministry was noted. In all studies reviewed, the authors identified methodological limitations; therefore, the broad need for well-designed efficacy and effectiveness research on every model is clear. With current …

Holism And Tentmaking Ministries, Don Fanning

Trends and Issues in Missions

The following trends and issues are faced everyday on the foreign field and need to be analyzed and evaluated before getting involved so as to know how to plan and react. This is a vital area of training for the contemporary foreign missionary.

Stealing Sacraments: What Protestant Educators Can Learn From Other Religious Traditions, Mark A. Lamport

Christian Perspectives in Education

This somewhat provocative article is not a treatise on theological doctrine and interfaith dialogue, but addresses how adherents of various faith traditions practice their faith in ways that can enhance their witness in the world and from which Protestants should learn. The author calls these faith-building religious practices sacraments. He proposes that Protestant educators – whether in faith-based or in public schools which teach religion classes in their curriculum – would be wise to adapt the most effective means of nurturing faith in subscribers to other religious traditions; these means should be incorporated as a supplement to those practices most-commonly …

Forced Terminations Among Clergy: Causes And Recovery, Thomas A. Powell Sr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to bring attention to the issues that surround forced terminations among clergy. We will look at the available statistics, investigate the causes, read testimonies of those who have been forced out and look at plans for recovery. The author will incorporate his own testimony relating to his voluntary forced termination and describe how it affected his whole family and the recovery that followed.

Living Through The Tension: Religion And Public Policy In The Thought Of Gilbert Meilaender, Mark W. Foreman

Faculty Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to examine and evaluate the position of Gilbert Meilaender on the appropriateness of appealing to religious reasons as support for one's position on issues of public policy. The dissertation establishes that, while Meilaender often discusses public policy issues directly or indirectly from a distinctively Christian perspective, he argues that such discussions are unavoidable, appropriate and consistent with toleration for other views in a pluralistic democracy. While this may create a certain amount of tension within pluralistic democracy, it poses no serious threat to social stability and can be both civically virtuous and respectful of …

Developing A Lay Ministry Team Led Student Ministry, Stuart W. Cox

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to demonstrate the process of how one church developed a lay ministry team in both principle and practice which now provides effective leadership for its student ministry. The church is Nall Memorial Baptist Church of Graham, North Carolina. The author of this project serves as the church’s senior pastor. The ministry team as developed in this project is designed to not only provide quality ministry, but also to build effective ministers through the wedding of the task-oriented characteristics of traditional church committees to the relational and transformational qualities of contemporary cell groups.

The Twenty-First Century Pastor: His Calling, Character And Competencies, Seth Nathan Polk

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This paper defines modern ministry utilizing timeless and unchanging biblical principles, thereby providing a guide that pastors can utilize in fulfilling their God given responsibilities. It discusses, outlines, and synthesizes the calling, character, and competencies of the twenty-first century pastor. Directives related to calling and character come primarily from biblical and historical research. Based on surveys sent to pastors of middle sized churches, the project researches how modern ministry is being practiced related to the competencies of preaching, pastoral care, and church administration. Directives are then given concerning how modern ministry should be practiced based on the Word of God.

A Study Of The Care Ministry, Jeffrey Eugene Mims

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

CARE is total church ministry that places people into service based on their spiritual gifts. It was started at Mud Creek Baptist Church in Hendersonville, North Carolina, by Mark Hunnicutt. This project seeks to determine if CARE can be implemented successfully in a small, rural church setting. It also documents the changes made during the implementation process. Finally this project evaluates whether or not the CARE ministry has been successful at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Dillwyn, Virginia, and at other churches of varying size.

Pastoral Leadership Problems In Small, Established Churches Of Under 100 People, Brian Keith Miller

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

ABSTRACT PASTORAL LEADERSHIP PROBLEMS IN SMALL, ESTABLISHED CHURCHES OF UNDER 100 PEOPLE Rev. Brian K. Miller Liberty Theological Seminary, 2007 Mentor: Dr. Homer Massey A review of current literature demonstrates that very little material is available regarding small churches and the leadership problems that the pastor will face. The purpose of this project is to shed light on some of these problems, and provide insight and helpful advice to those pastors serving in small churches. Based on the literature available, this project reviews the most common leadership problems faced by small church pastors, and gives advice and suggestions for dealing …

Pastoral Leadership For Local Church Growth In The Korean Church, Gi In Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this thesis project is to help Korean pastors, and other pastors who want to become better leaders. It presents pastoral leadership from a biblical perspective which includes meaning, principles, disciplines, ministries, qualifications, and portraits of pastoral leadership. The project shows that the pastoral leader must lead, must guard, must feed, must equip, and must love. Pastors should lead with servant leadership, keep praying, keep the vision alive, and be a change agent.

The Role Of The Pastor In Southern Baptist Churches: A Biblical View Versus A Prevailing View, Wilford A. Stone

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project will address the role of the pastor by looking at the Biblical view of the role of the pastor and the prevailing view of the role of the pastor in the Southern Baptist Church. Biblical research will be conducted and will be presented in the Biblical view of the role of the pastor. Based on surveys sent to Southern Baptist pastors, Southern Baptist seminary students, and laity in Southern Baptist Churches, perspectives on the prevailing view of the role of the pastor will be presented. Then, the two views will be compared.

“Waltzing With The Monster,” Interventions With The Substance-Abusing Adolescent For Pastors, Treatment Providers, And Family, Philip A. Watkins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The biblical story of the "Prodigal Son" is a universal experience made significantly more precarious by the use of mind altering chemicals. A review of the literature reveals that approximately half of all problems impacting American families are caused or exacerbated by the abuse of alcohol or other drugs. This project's focus is the impact of substance abuse on the developing adolescent. Chemical "hijacking" of the brain's pleasure centers and resultant dysfunction is examined. Primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention are discussed. Interventions which facilitate the young person's "homecoming" and implications for the community of faith are integrated.

Internet Training For Lay Leaders To Meet Pastoral Care Needs, David W. Peterson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A review of current literature and ministry websites demonstrates that very little material is available online to assist ministry leaders and teachers with the pastoral needs issues they face in their ministries. Most ministry websites are information based rather than education based. Based on surveys and questionnaires sent to leaders and teachers, the project reviews educational website material and takes the reader though the process of developing a ministry educational website for their own ministry. The result is an educational website that may be further developed to equip for meeting pastoral care needs encountered in ministry.