Digital Commons Network^™

Collaboration: Seeking An Organizational Model To Maximize Inter-Congregational Cooperation Within The North American Division Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Paul Campoli

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. Current organizational structure within the North American Division (NAD) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church appears to be relatively inefficient and allow for little or no collaborative efforts among Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) congregations within any given local ministry area. This situation encumbers the ministry effectiveness of local SDA churches. The redundancy present in the current organizational system, with large and often overlapping local conferences, results in substantial waste and inefficiency. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether an alternative organizational model could foster greater levels of cooperation among neighboring SDA churches, and if such a change would correspond …

Trinitarian Leadership As A Seventh-Day Adventist Perspective On Empowering Leadership In Local Churches In Western Ontario, Alex Golovenko

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. Most Seventh-day Adventist churches in Western Ontario are not growing. Elders are present in every Seventh-day Adventist church. However, practices and responsibilities of elders differ from church to church. There is no network among elders for support and leadership development. The expectation is that the vocational pastor will solve problems and produce church growth, yet, contradictory, indecision exists among elders about whose responsibility it is to grow a church. Elders do not have certainty about biblical expectations laid upon them. They do not entirely function according to the job description outlined in the denominational handbook. Ideas about what the …

Toward Enhanced Military Chaplaincy Education At Andrews University Seventh-Day Adventist Theological Seminary, Michael A. Chester

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. Military chaplains who are graduates of the Master of Divinity (MDiv) program at Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary (SDATS) will require enhanced military chaplaincy training to identify and cope with the rapidly changing needs of modern military chaplaincy. Information relating to the United States (US) Navy Chaplain Corps will be presented within this project to illustrate the broader need within the military chaplain community. The needs within the US Navy are largely due to the implementation of four programs: The revised Chaplain Command Program within Secretary of the Navy Instruction (SECNAVINST) 1730.8B, Professional Naval Chaplaincy within SECNAVINST 5351.1, …

A Comparison Of Certain Doctrinal Views Of Martin Luther And Seventh-Day Adventists In The Context Of Present-Day Dialogue, Kenneth L. Knosp

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Martin Luther stood on the principle of Sola Scriptura or “Scripture Alone.” Based on this principle Luther declared the Reformation tenet of justification by faith. While both faiths, Lutherans and Adventists base their source for their beliefs and practice on Holy Scripture, Lutherans, however, have a strong respect for certain traditions. Careful research was done to fully investigate a thorough comparison of Luther’s beliefs with that of the Seventh-day Adventist beliefs.

Retaining Young Adults Through A Wholistic Formational Discipleship Program At The Immanuel Temple Seventh-Day Adventist Church, John S. Nixon Ii

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. The Immanuel Temple Seventh-day Adventist Church is located in the University-saturated city of Durham, NC. As such, it has the potential for a thriving young adult population of active churchgoers. Instead, the young adult attendance at ITSDA mirrors that of most American Christian churches as it is in decline. The result is an increasingly aging church with few youngsters energetically engrossed in the life of the congregation.

Method. Research was conducted and a wholistic formational discipleship program was tested as a means of addressing the issue of young adult attrition at ITSDA. The program included these steps: 1. An …

A Pilot Project To Increase Member Participation And Revitalization Of The Coffeyville And Independence, Kansas, Seventh-Day Adventist Churches In The Central States Conference, Andre M. Trofort Jr.

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Mt. Moriah and South 18th Street Seventh-day Adventist Churches, located in Coffeyville and Independence, Kansas, had not experienced membership growth in the ten years of 1987-1997. These two churches were part of a three-church district, which also included a church 145 miles away in Springfield, MO. That church was active in developing outreach and evangelistic strategies whereas the Kansas churches were not. The two Kansas churches were headed toward closing due to stagnation. Unless revitalization and consistent leadership training took place, a turnaround would never happen for these two small churches.

Method

This project explored the Coffeyville and …

Teaching Disciples To Pray: Improving The Understanding And Practice Of Prayer At Calvary Baptist Church Of Floyd, Virginia, Randy Thomas Mcdaniel

Doctor of Ministry Projects

This project was undergirded by a theory that intentionality and discipline in prayer will yield valuable benefits. Growing more knowledgeable in prayer practice as well as learning to faithfully set aside time for prayer were two components of specific importance in this project. Such components can be engaged by the individual in private study. However, the position of this ministry experiment is that the greatest gains regarding knowledge and practice with prayer are to be found from intentional study with the additional element of a dialogical small group experience.

A University Course's Influence On Students' Perpectives Regarding Sabbathkeeping As Spiritual Discipline, Ifeoma I. Kwesi

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Although most students who attend Oakwood University are self-identified Seventh-day Adventist Christians, from general observation of their activities, conversations, and attitudes displayed on any given Friday night and/or Saturday (i.e., Sabbath), it would be easy to conclude that many neither enter nor exit their collegiate experience with a holistic understanding or experience of Sabbath and Sabbathkeeping.

Methodology

1. As part of the research for this project I used a pre- and post-test methodology to determine the cognitive, behavioral and affective realms of Sabbath and Sabbathkeeping among students enrolled in RP131: Spiritual Formation for Ministry. The intervention was the aforementioned …

Priesthood Of All Believers: A Catalyst For Change In The Ephraim Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Reginald R. Barthelemy

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. The Ephraim Seventh-day Adventist Church has experienced a significant declined over the last seven years. Nearly half of the membership was missing; however, one of the main reasons for this decline is the fact that church members failed to understand their calling to ministry and as a result they failed to assume their responsibility as disciples.

Method. A series of six seminars were given. The participants were taught the concept of the priesthood of all believers, the duty, and the responsibility of a disciple. Pre- and post-seminar surveys were administered by the researcher to measure understanding and growth acquired …

A Marriage Program To Strengthen And Support Marriage Relationships At The Multicultural Community Of The Milton Keynes Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Augustus Cafuema Lawrence

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. Marriage is an important institution and adjusting to it may be a challenge. More so, intercultural married couples have their own set of challenges. Here, like any other marriage, intercultural married couples face instability by endeavoring to accommodate each other’s style of life derived from the family of origin. Intercultural married couples are dyads that are made up of male and female couples with different cultural background. Moreover, settling in a new location or uprooting from one country to another poses an ever greater likelihood of encountering problems because intercultural couples hold even more diverse value systems, beliefs and …

Promoting Spiritual Growth Among Camp Counselors Through Camping Ministries, Edmund E. Heinrich

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. Many churches realize that large numbers of their young people are not engaged in their congregations. In response to this trend, churches look to local conferences for help. Unfortunately, few conferences have developed models for engaging, equipping, training, and retaining young people.

Method. Develop a program at Leoni Meadows camp to increase the effectiveness in developing leaders who are more fully committed to Jesus Christ through camping ministries.

Result. Increased the spiritual awareness among camp counselors, creating a desire for many to develop a deeper relationship with God and share His love with others.

Conclusions. Camping ministry is unique …

A Christian Servant Leadership Model And Training For The Adventist Church In France, Olivier Rigaud

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. French history (the French Revolution) has shaped a country considered as one of the most secular in the world. The Seventh-day Adventist Church in France is profoundly affected and challenged by this environment. With 11,617 members among over 65 million French in 2010, the penetration ratio is very low (0.0185%) and a deep malaise is felt in the French churches. Reports indicate a lack of consecration, internal conflicts, discouragement of isolated churches, a lack of vision, and spirituality in decline. Today, the Adventist Church is unknown, despite its efforts in communication and visibility. Many change efforts have also been …

An Equipping Strategy For Numeric Growth At The Denver Korean Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Young Uoo Suh

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. The numeric growth of the Denver Korean Seventh-day Adventist Church has been stagnant at best for the last seven years (1997-2004), with an annual growth rate of about 3 percent during this period. Yet, during this same period the Korean immigrant population in the city of Denver has grown to approximately 20,000; thus, the church is failing to reach a growing target population. A primary contributing factor to this lack of numeric growth seems to be the church’s reliance on the pastor to do all of the evangelistic work. And the lay leaders were not properly equipped and trained …

Developing A Discipleship Strategy For The Dunamis Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Brooklyn, New York, Donnieval Walker

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. The Dunamis Seventh-day Adventist Church has evolved from a church that, historically, was passionately spiritual and nurturing to one that seems to have lost its sense of identity and mission. The result is an inertia that manifests itself in a breakdown in communication, the inability to translate the gospel into the “language” of the community, and a general decline in spiritual commitment. Although some progress has been made in the recent past, there is still a gap between missional demands and practice. This appears to be symptomatic of the deeper issue of failing to experience the meaning of discipleship …

Helping The Parents Of Middle School Students Communicate Biblical Truths Of Sexuality At The First Baptist Church Of Lenoir, North Carolina, Thomas Russell Hinton

Doctor of Ministry Projects

An educational program was developed to discover the role of the church in promoting healthy parent/child communication about sexuality. Believing scripture affirms sexuality as a blessing from God, parents and middle school youth were recruited and led through the study. Surveys measured attitudes, opinions, and understanding of biblical knowledge, anatomy, and communication levels. After the program the families were given two months to observe parent/child communication. Final surveys indicated that the church can play an active role in promoting parent child communication about sexuality, and participants reflected a positive outcome by recommending the continuation of this program as a part …

Implementing A Training Manual For Adventist Local Church Leaders In The Gauteng Region Of South Africa, Eugene L. Fransch

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The youth department of the Southern Affican-Indian Ocean Division of the Seventh-day Adventist church (SID) has noticed a growing trend of frustration and ineffectiveness among local church youth leaders in their yearly church planning. This has lead to a high turnover rate among them due to a lack of adequate materials, poor program planning, and a clear knowledge of the department’s objectives to guide them in their planning.

Methodology

The purpose of the research was to implement a Youth Leadership Training Manual for church youth leaders that would help them overcome their current frustrations and assist them in planning …

Development And Implementation Of A Small Group Program To Foster Numeric Growth At The Fresno Spanish Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Antonio Huerta

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem The Fresno Spanish Seventh-day Adventist Church has a 65 year history in the city of Fresno. From the year of 1995 until the year of 2005 when I became the pastor for this church, I realized that the numeric growth rate in this congregation had dropped significantly. I soon became aware of the urgent need for a comprehensive analysis that would enable the Fresno Spanish Church to regain its growth momentum. Method The solution and the vision to solve the problem was the development and the implementation of a small group program that would help train, equip, and mobilize …

Proposed Solution To The Problem Of Member Retention For The South Sao Paulo Conference, Nilson S. Ferreira

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. The South São Paulo Conference loses an average of 32 percent of its members per year as a result of dissatisfaction with the church. According to the Office of Archives and Statistics of the Central Brazilian Union, the South São Paulo Conference baptized 2,057 people in 2004 and 797 dropped out of the church, resulting in a 38 percent church dropout rate in that year. In 2005, the conference baptized 2,516 people and 1,000 dropped out, for a disaffiliation rate of 39 percent. In 2006, 2,746 were baptized and 456 dropped out, for a disaffiliation rate of 19 percent. …

Discipleship Master Plan: A Disciple-Making Strategy For The South Flint Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Melvin S. Santos

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The lack of a disciple-making plan and irregular leadership training for members in the South Flint Seventh-day Adventist Church resulted in undeveloped and ill-equipped members operating in a reactive and survival mode leading to frustration and leader “burn outs.”

Method

The Discipleship Master Plan was developed and implemented in the South Flint Seventh-day Adventist Church in Burton, Michigan, which consisted of two major formats: (1) Four Levels of Discipleship Training, and (2) a Discipleship Master Plan Infrastructure. The four levels of discipleship focus on the development of all members. This training took place primarily during Sabbath afternoons and worship …

Industry-Based Ministry: A Pilot Project At The New Dimension S.D.A. Church, Sednak Kojo Duffu Yankson

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Seventh-day Adventist Church, from my pastoral observation here at the New Dimension Seventh-day Adventist congregation in Brooklyn, has not been as successful in retaining the unskilled and uneducated urban poor as other ministries (for example, the Nation of Islam). We preach evangelistic messages to change the lifestyles of the poor and in the process we either lose them or leave them on government assistance because we have no viable economic program to sustain them in our faith.

Purpose

The purpose of this project was to develop and implement a model of industry- based ministry by which members could …

A Movement Of Authentic Christianity: An Embrace And Integration Of Biblical Fundamentals In A Seventh-Day Adventist Church Plant Among The Echo Boomer Culture Of The 21st Century In Keller, Texas, Michael R. Cauley

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. The median age of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America is increasing due, in part, to the small percentage of echo boomers (millenials) who are currently present. Their absence reveals the need to approach North America as a mission field and teach biblical truth grounded in classical spiritual disciplines in the language of the culture of the 21st century.

Method. The development of the spiritual life as the foundation for mission in the Seventh- day Adventist Church in North America will be explored through an echo boomer church plant in Keller, Texas.

Results. Currently seventy-four people are involved …

A Prescriptive Model For Utilizing Character And Personality In Assessing Leadership Effectiveness Amongst Departmental Directors Of The Ontario Conference, Wayne Martin

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. The Ontario Conference is growing rapidly, from 10, 970 in 1980 to its current membership of 29,174 in September 2010. The exponential growth has placed increased demands and challenges on the conference leaders. From a constituency of primarily black West Indians and white Canadians this conference is now multi-cultural and multiethnic in its composition. Membership growth and diversity has added to the complexity of the decision-making process. Consequently, it may be expedient for the executive officers of the conference to tap into the expertise of selected departmental directors to access additional support for conference administration.

Methodology. This study explores …

Developing A Cross-Generational Life-Transforming Worship Service: An Approach To Involving And Empowering Youth And Young Adults At The San Diego Filipino-American Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Demetrio F. Robles

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The Problem. The worship services at San Diego Fil-Am were traditionally led by the older generations where most of the time the younger generations felt neglected to and left out in the planning and from experiencing a life-transforming worship. For some time, the younger generations sought opportunities to be involved in worship but the traditional practice of worship did not favor it. Advocates for children and young people in the congregation urge separate worship services for the youth and young adults but this is strongly opposed by the majority of leaders and senior members, many of whom hold leadership positions …

Development And Implementation Of A Seminar To Combat The Effects Of Pornography On Marriage In The Madison Community Sda Church And Strategies For Prevention, Abraham L. Swamidass

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. Recent statistics in the nation, research among Christian couples, and my own counseling experience with couples, “particularly men” who were addicted to pornography, revealed that pornography is one of the leading causes of divorce and family breakdown today. Thus, it needed to be addressed at the Madison Community Church in Madison, Wisconsin. The purpose of this research project was to develop, implement and evaluate a seminar on The Effects of Pornography on Marriage and Strategies for Prevention. The intent of the seminar was to help couples, and “particularly men,” to understand the harmful effects of pornography on marriage, and …

Developing And Implementing A Team Leadership Approach At The Alpha Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Gordon S. Jones

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Church life is not confined to a single or normative approach to leadership. Leadership must be decisively contextual The perennial challenge is developing, implementing, and practicing appropriate leadership. This project reports how this challenge was addressed at the Alpha Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Method

Cultural shift was fundamental to this challenge. The first step towards this transformation was establishing a theological and academic foundation. Next, four distinct phases were identified and employed in developing and implementing a team leadership approach for the Alpha Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Result

The project concluded with an evaluation instrument, which suggests that the new approach …

Creating A Culture Of Community Involvement In The Adventist Church In Gugulethu Township, South Africa, Jongimpi Papu

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Most Adventist churches in South Africa live in isolation from their communities. Christianity in general and Adventism in particular are becoming irrelevant to the needs of the church, with serious implications for church growth.

Methodology

Tembalethu Adventist church in Gugulethu Township in South Africa was used to pilot a community services program by adopting a school nearby. A mixed approach of both qualitative and quantitative methods was used. This consisted of structured interviews, both personal and by telephone, and questionnaires. An analysis of a government census was also done.

Results

Tembalethu started an after-care program which was attended by …

Ordination Training For Bi-Vocational Clergy In The United Cornerstone Churches International, Inc. Of Thomasville, North Carolina, George Bernard Jackson

Doctor of Ministry Projects

In many rural communities there exists a stereotype about clergy education perpetuated since slavery. This project offered bi-vocational clergy opportunities to be equipped, empowered and certified for servant leadership. Data captured from 2006 through 2008 was taken from the 25 ordinands. Questions that guided this study were grouped into two sets: examination by quantitative measurements through the passing of a catechism; and by qualitative measurements from personal and telephone interviews. The results of the research revealed a discrepancy in the ordination process where prerequisites and retention studies must play a greater role for future ordinands.

Encouraging Hispanic Fathers To Become More Effectively Involved In Their Children's Lives, Enoch Aguilar

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

When Hispanic people immigrate to the United States, they come with their own traditions, ideas, and values. Many of these values and teachings are different from North American values, however, each system strives to achieve similar goals in forming functional families. Many of these values conflict with traditional North American values. This natural conflict can make the transition from their native countries to the United States difficult, especially when analyzing the different ways each country’s government intervenes on behalf of children. If parents are unable to modify the social norms of their native country to allow the child to …

Programa De Formación Espiritual Para La Preparación De Líderes En Universidades Adventistas, Walter Alana

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Theological Seminary of the Adventist Technological Institute of Ecuador (ITSAE) provides a practical theoretical education to its students. Its fundamental purpose is to produce spiritual leaders that might appropriately cope with the different ecclesiastical challenges they may find in the field, once their career is completed. To accomplish this goal, students visit the local churches on weekly bases to integrate theory and praxis and to develop their leadership skills in a progressive way. Preliminary observations suggest that in spite of students accomplishing the assigned hours of their pre-professional practicum in different local churches, they have difficulty understanding how …

An Evaluation Of The Implementation Of Natural Church Development Within Seventh-Day Adventist Churches In The United States And The Resulting Church Growth, Rodney Jon Mills

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The Problem

Natural Church Development (NCD) is a church health paradigm that is being used in Seventh-day Adventist churches across the United States as a tool for increasing both church health and growth. One question that needs to be addressed is whether the implementation of NCD within Seventh-day Adventist churches results in church growth.

The Purpose

The purpose of this dissertation is to establish a validation of the NCD process by evaluating the church growth experienced at the Milwaukee Central Seventh-day Adventist Church and compare that growth with Seventh-day Adventist churches across the United States which have participated in taking …