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A Strategy For Reaching Secular People, Ernan Alpin Norman

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Secularization is a process that has effected and continues to effect massive changes in the cultural, social, and religious experience of many people. It is characterized by a loss of the influence of religion on society’s institutions and peoples. It came about when the scientific method became the principal means of discovering truth, while the biblical and theological perspectives became increasingly sidelined. People have become increasingly secular in their thinking, and many currently view the church as archaic, irrelevant, and boring. This presents a problem for the church and its mission in our contemporary society. Because of the lack …

Development And Implementation Of A Stewardship Program At The Calhoun, Georgia, Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Paul S. Hoover

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Task

The task of this project was to increase the participation among the membership of the Calhoun Seventh-day Adventist Church with the financial stewardship need of the congregation. The study was to determine the number of families involved and to implement factors to increase church family involvement.

Method

A family giving unit was defined as a family within the Calhoun Seventh-day Adventist Church. A family unit is made up of a household whether the member is single, married, or married with dependents. Family involvement was measured in three giving areas of tithe, church budget, and debt reduction to the Calhoun …

A Church-Growth Strategy For Revitalizing The Kolhapur Church, Bhupal R. Chandanshive

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The task of this dissertation was to study the factors that have affected the growth of the Kolhapur church in south Maharashtra and to develop a strategy to revitalize the church. Twenty-five years ago, Seventh-day Adventist churches in Maharashtra were spiritually lively and active. But in recent years the churches have become weak; the attendance is nominal and there is little vibrancy.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Kolhapur was viewed through the dynamics of church-growth principles, especially those applicable in the Indian context. The history of the church, together with membership statistics, provided information on the church over the last …

A Strategy For Pastors To Mobilize And Equip Lay Members For Evangelism In Tanzania, Herry Mhando

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. The Seventh-day Adventist church membership in Tanzania is only over 200,000 while the population is more than 32 million. There is a need of a strategy to reach these millions with the gospel. Second, there are about 250 pastors, each taking care of an average of six to ten churches. This heavy pastoral responsibility makes it difficult for them to fulfill their evangelistic responsibilities. The only solution appears to be motivation and equipping of the lay members for evangelism.

Method. With the help of biblical resources and selected literature on the subject, this project focuses on the theology, theories, …

Moving Seventh-Day Adventist Churches Beyond The Two Hundred Barrier, David Ripley

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. Seventh-day Adventist churches have found themselves largely unable to grow beyond the 200-in-attendance barrier. Book membership may continue to increase, yet attendance plateaus. Outside of the institutional setting, there are very few Anglo Adventist churches that have grown beyond the barrier.

Method. The pastors of ten churches that were chiefly Anglo, 300-400 in attendance, and not in an institutional setting were surveyed. Ten churches with less than 220 in attendance and having a book membership of at least 350 were also surveyed. These were compared, looking for features that would make a difference.

Results. Differences do occur between the …

Development Of A Strategy To Reach The Folk-Buddha Lepcha Community Of Sikkim, Joseph Tudu

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The majority of the Lepchas who live in the land of Sikkim are unreached with the gospel message. A preliminary investigation of current literature indicated that 70 to 80 percent of the Sikkimese are followers of folk-Buddhism.

The purpose of this dissertation is to develop a strategy to reach the Folk-Buddhist Lepcha community of Sikkim with the gospel message.

The dissertation traces the historical development of the Lepcha community in Sikkim,,its culture, economy, health situations, and education. Chapter 3 details the beliefs, practices, and world view of the Lepchas, discusses government restrictions against Christianity in Sikkim, and describes the growth …

Proyecto De Capacitación Laica Para La Iglesia Local, Hector Solera

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The Christian Church has the duty of evangelizing all nations. This task requires that all church members participate actively in evangelism. However, not all church members get involved because they do not know how. This research initiated and evaluated a project to train the members of the Spanish Seventh-day Adventist Church in Atlantic City, New Jersey, with the purpose of enabling them to evangelize the city.

The project was developed in five different seminars during five consecutive weekends. The topics covered were the following: the priesthood of all believers, how to present the gospel in a Christ-centered fashion, the art …

Strategic Church Planting In The Central Zimbabwe Conference: Towards A Paradigm Shift In Church Growth, Nkosiyabo Zvandasara

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

This dissertation focuses on church planting in the Central Zimbabwe Conference. While impressive results have been achieved in evangelizing the lower classes of the society, there has been meager success in reaching the upper classes of the Black community as well as the White, the Indian, and the Colored minorities. A strategic church-planting approach to church growth hopes to not only target the least promising population segments served by the Central Zimbabwe Conference, but also to increase the effectiveness of the other church methods currently being employed to reach the more responsive classes in that conference.

Method

A diachronic …

Development Of An Adventist Community Services Center To Serve Navajo Residents Of Kayenta, Arizona, Dale A. Wolcott

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The Problem

A decision had been made to establish a Seventh-day Adventist Community Services Center in Kayenta, Arizona, on the Navajo Indian Reservation, in connection with a church-planting initiative. Those in charge lacked experience and training in community services ministries and faced obstacles to implementation of the plan.

The Method

A combination of research and action was used to move the envisioned Community Services Center toward reality. Study of the Bible and related literature led to formulation of Scripture-based methodological principles. Demographic research and community needs assessment procedures were utilized to gain an understanding of the Kayenta community and especially …

A Strategy For Public Evangelism In Russia, Mikhail K. Morar

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

After Perestroika ushered in new opportunities for public evangelism in Russia, local and foreign evangelists have been baptizing thousands of new converts every year. The rapid growth resulting from these crusades has brought about new challenges. This study analyzes some of the challenges associated with public evangelism in Russia and suggests a strategy to improve the longterm results of these campaigns.

Method

A descriptive analysis of John Carter's 1992 evangelistic campaign in Nizhniy Novgorod city was conducted in order to suggest ways to improve long-term results from public campaigns. The strengths and weaknesses of evangelistic campaigns in Russia are …

A Study Of The "Grassroots Integrated Development Agency" In Uganda, John B. D. Kakembo

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

When poverty in Uganda deepened due to the miseries and destabilization caused by economic mismanagement, turbulent politics, and the incessant civil wars in Uganda up to 1985, all public, private, and religious organizations were adversely affected. At the end of 1985, conditions in the Seventh-day Adventist church were characterized by massive poverty among its rural membership, a slow church-growth annual rate of 4.9 percent--the lowest tithe per capita in the Eastern Africa Division (EAD)--and the lowest remuneration scales for pastors in the EAD. In 1986, an indigenous, grassroots organization sprouted in the SDA church under the leadership of a …

A Strategy For Church Planting Among The Ewe-Speaking People Of The Volta Region, Ghana, Emmanuel Osei

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Since the Seventh-day Adventist Church came to Ghana over one hundred years ago, there has not been any concrete and coordinated plan to establish SDA churches among the Ewe-speaking people of the Volta Region, Ghana. Unconsciously or otherwise, the Volta Region has been left unentered by the church, particularly the area from Ho southward to the sea. This study was undertaken to develop a strategy for reaching the Ewe-speaking people group (of the Volta Region Ghana) through church-planting ministry by which converts won would be gathered to form congregations of the Seventh- day Adventist Church.

Method

In an attempt …

A Suggested Methodology For Establishing Evangelistic Contact With The Upper Classes In Jamaica, Denton W. Rhone

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. The Seventh-day Adventist Church was established in Jamaica in 1903. Since then, the church has grown with membership totalling 162,831 by 1995. In 1995, there were 2,500,000 inhabitants in Jamaica, with 1 in 15 claiming to be a Seventh-day Adventist. Jamaicans can be divided into nine social classes; the Seventh-day Adventist Church has been successful in reaching mainly two of these classes, the poor and the lower-middle. Presently the SDA Church and the upper classes are insulated from each other. This dissertation suggests an approach to establish contact with the upper classes so that they can be reached with …

A Strategy To Reach The English-Speaking People Of The Bay Islands Of Honduras, Stavely P. Elwin

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The English-speaking Seventh-day Adventist church in the Bay Islands has experienced slow growth over the last ten years. An evaluation reveals that some of the problems include poor evangelistic methods, few well trained pastors and workers, the churches' lack of support from the local mission and pastors, and no material provisions for the departments of the church. In addition, programs are lacking to help members come in contact with secular-minded people, and the methods used to improve the retention rate of newly- baptized members indicate there is a tremendous need for change in the style of evangelism in the …

Development Of A Program For Intentional Growth In The Antioch Seventh-Day Adventist Congregation, Long Island, New York, Trevor Saint Aubyn Forbes

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Antioch Seventh-day Adventist congregation was started in 1988 and grew steadily; however, for the last four years membership growth has plateaued. This lack of church growth has caused much concern among the church’s administration. The original hope and intention that the congregation would establish a growing church was founded on the premise that in order for the congregation to grow, it must implement intentional church growth programs.

Method

In order to learn how churches grow, I surveyed literature on church growth. I also interviewed six pastors of growing churches — three who are Seventh-day Adventists and three who …

Understanding The Folk Islam Of The Dagbani-Speaking People: A Prerequisite To Evangelism In North Ghana, Sampson Kenneth Twumasi

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. At the beginning of this century Islam was confined to some geographical areas in Asia, Africa, and Europe. Dr. Samuel Zwemer in his writings claimed that Islam was a dying religion because it had within it “the germs of death." This claim is no longer valid as Islam has experienced a resurgence and grown proportionately well in other parts of the world. Islam, along with animism, has gained roots in Africa, especially in North and West Africa. Both religions have grown tremendously among some of the people groups in North Ghana where Islam is mixed with hundreds of superstitions …

The Role Of The Pastor In Lay Development In The Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Papua New Guinea, Aaron M. Lopa

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Statement of the Problem

The task of this study was to rethink the role of pastors as shepherd-equippers of lay leaders in view of the explosive growth of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Papua New Guinea.

Method

The dissertation has two parts. Part One covers: (1) institutional factors which provided the background for this study, (2) biblical and theological dimensions as the basis for the new pastoral paradigm in PNG, and (3) cultural and sociological factors as means to understand the local cultures in order to contextualize ministry to make it more relevant to the people. Part Two synthesizes the …

New Approaches For Seventh-Day Adventist Evangelism In Swaziland, Stephen Jacobs Masuku

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Seventh-day Adventist church in Swaziland experienced slow growth from the time of its inception. Starting from 1920, when the first Adventist missionary arrived in Swaziland, to 1994 membership was 2075. This means that the Adventist church in Swaziland was the slowest growing church in the former Southern Union and among the Christian churches in Swaziland.

Method

This dissertation analyzes: Swazi traditional history, Swazi traditional religious beliefs, the introduction of Christianity in Swaziland, how the SDA church was planted in Swaziland, and the evangelistic methods utilized by the Adventist church and other Christian churches. This approach helped in the …

The Augusta, Maine, Church-Planting Project, Michael D. Steenhoven

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. There has never been a SDA church in Augusta, the capital city of Maine. The purpose of this project was to plant a healthy SDA church there, develop a church-planting plan, and create a vision for further church planting in the Northern New England Conference.

Method. Twenty-one members from an established congregation, four miles south of Augusta, became the nucleus for the Augusta Church. In conjunction with this group, a ten-part church-planting plan was developed. Northern New England church.-planting vision is progressing as the successful impact of the Augusta, Maine, church-planting project is unfolding.

Results. The church plant has …

The Methods Of Selected British Pastors Evaluated In The Light Of The New Testament And Ellen G. White For Their Usefulness To The Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Paul R. Smith

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Since the early 1950s immigrants have been arriving in Britain in large numbers from the Caribbean and from Asia. Some immigrants from the West Indies have joined Seventh-day Adventist churches. Currently, statistics indicate that although Seventh-day Adventist membership has increased in Britain since 1950, the Black percentage has risen considerably while the White percentage has dramatically declined. This study was undertaken in the hope that by examining the methods of four successful non-Seventh-day Adventist pastors in England and comparing their approaches with instructions found in Scripture and the writings of Ellen G. White we could find pointers which could help …

A Strategy For Lay Involvement In Urban Evangelism And Geographical Advance In The Territory Of The North Mexican Union Of The Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Mexico, David Velazquez

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The Global Mission thrust initiated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) in 1990 envisions a specific length of time for all the world to be covered with the SDA message. An important challenge of Global Mission is reaching the inhabitants of the cities. This project report contains a strategy for lay involvement in urban evangelism.

Part One of this project attempts to provide a theoretical framework by developing a theological perspective of the city, as shown in four areas:

1. An analysis of the phenomenon of urban growth around the world, as well as in Latin America and Mexico is …

An Approach To A Holistic Ministry In A Seventh-Day Adventist Urban Church In Uganda, Nathaniel Mumbere Walemba

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. The SDA church in Uganda started in rural areas among rural people. But the situation has changed. Although the majority of the church membership nationwide is still rural, a large percentage is now urban in the real sense of the word. Moreover, it is estimated that by the year 2000, membership in city churches will have doubled. This urbanised membership requires an urbanized approach to ministry. Furthermore, as in any developing country, Ugandan urbanites have many needs which can be met only by a holistic approach to ministry. This study is undertaken to make a contribution toward achieving that …

A Study Of Factors Related To The Numerical Growth Of The Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Iceland From 1950 To 1980, Steinthor Thordarson

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The rate of growth in the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Iceland has not been previously analyzed. This study was undertaken to discover, through historical and numerical analysis, what may have contributed to or hindered growth in the church since 1950, and to analyze the programs of the church and the patterns of growth.

Method

A survey of records of the Iceland Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, i.e., the church paper, executive minutes, constituency reports, membership lists, and accounts of outreach emphasis for several decades, presents a clear picture of the methods used in an attempt to achieve church growth. In …

A Biblically Based Instruction Program In Preaching For Local Church Elders And Lay Preachers In The Philippines, Archibald P. Tupas

Doctor of Ministry Projects

This project sought to develop programmed instruction materials designed to guide laity of the Philippines in independent study in the art of preaching. Preaching is especially challenging to Filipino lay people-- particularly to the church elders--because of the lack of ordained ministers. Preaching the Gospel and nurturing members rest largely on lay shoulders. Unfortunately, the laity who do the bulk of the work in the Philippines are handicapped by lack of formal ministerial training. Thus Seventh-day Adventist church leadership is challenged to equip and instruct the laity to preach more effectively to meet the demands of a rapidly growing membership. …

A Study Of Church Planting And Growth Patterns Of Eight Korean Seventh-Day Adventist Congregations In The Eastern North America, Hai Chong Pak

Doctor of Ministry Projects

NOTE: This Doctor of Ministry Project falls in a category described in the Andrews University Theological Seminary Bulletin as "Project II" in fulfillment of requirements for an alternate curriculum plan under which the candidate prepares two related papers—a theological position paper that addresses some issue or problem that exists in the church in a theological setting and a professional paper that addresses that issue or problem from a standpoint of ministerial practice.

(No abstract)

Toward The Development Of A Church Planting Strategy For The Local Seventh-Day Adventist Church In North America, Larry R. Evans

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Historically the Seventh-day Adventist Church has been a mission-oriented movement. In harmony with this emphasis church planting is beginning to gain a higher p rio rity in some parts of North America. Very little evidence has been gathered, however, which supports this practice as being an effective means of evangelism. Furthermore, v irtu a lly no guidance has been offered to local SDA churches explaining why church planting should be considered or how it should be accomplished.

Empirical data are gathered from various denominations, including the Adventist denomination, regarding the relationship of new church development and membership growth. With positive …

Toward The Development Of A Theological Critique Of Church-Growth Principles From A Seventh-Day Adventist Perspective, Terence G. Joshua

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Seventh-day Adventist Church perceives itself as having a unique eschatological mission. Numerical growth is an important part of the objective of the SDA Church. To attain this aim, the principles of the church-growth paradigm developed primarily at the "School of World Mission and Institute of Church Growth" at Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California, has begun to be incorporated into the North American SDA mind-set.

There is minimal documented theological reflection upon church growth done from an SDA perspective. The analysis of the distinctive issues involved yields some concepts that are theologically consistent and some that are inconsistent with …

A Study Of The Growth Of The Seventh-Day Adventist Church In The Metropolitan Area Of Sao Paulo, Brazil, Joel Sarli

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Over seventy-two years have passed since the first Adventist church was organized in the metropolitan area of Sao Paulo, Brazil. During those years the church leadership has noted that the rate of Adventist Church growth there has been one of the highest in the world. In spite of this unique phenomenon of growth, no serious research has been undertaken to determine what the factors are that have helped the people to make their decision to accept the Adventist message. An evaluation of the Seventh-day Adventist outreach during the last five years (1975-1979) is necessary to determine which methods should …