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Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

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A Non-Experimental Quantitative Correlational Study Of Emotional Intelligence As An Effective Tool For Pastoral Leadership, Louis Brown Aug 2024

A Non-Experimental Quantitative Correlational Study Of Emotional Intelligence As An Effective Tool For Pastoral Leadership, Louis Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Pastoral leadership must understand their obligation to provide and promote healthy relationships in their personal, professional, and church ministries by utilizing the effective tool of emotional intelligence (EI) to become more effective (Goleman et al., 2013; Hendron et al., 2014; Chavous et al., 2023). The concept and usage of EI have experienced continued growth within the secular and academic organizational fields. However, there is little research on EI among the Christian pastoral leadership, the church, its associated ministries, and its educational institutions (Hendron et al., 2014). As noted by scholars, this gap in the literature and the credibility crisis of …


A Lifestyle Who Is Christ: An Integrative Model Of Spiritual Formation, Katherine L. Pang Jul 2024

A Lifestyle Who Is Christ: An Integrative Model Of Spiritual Formation, Katherine L. Pang

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The field of spiritual formation is replete with models, ways, and processes, including many that propose the integration of psychology and Christianity and have further examined the psychology of Paul. Yet, none emphasize the impact of neuroscience, our brain function, neurochemistry, and neurobiology integrated with the tools and techniques of psychological science facilitated by the Holy Spirit and scripture-based truths derived primarily from Pauline theology in the Christ-follower for growth in spiritual maturity. A model formulated from Pauline theology, psychology, and neuroscience, as such, is novel within the field of spiritual formation. Therefore, the claim stems from the need for …


Missional Leadership: An Instructional Program To Cultivate Leaders Of A Missional Church, Conner Mathias Brew Jul 2024

Missional Leadership: An Instructional Program To Cultivate Leaders Of A Missional Church, Conner Mathias Brew

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this action research project is to design, execute, and evaluate a small group instructional framework that cultivates a missional culture focused on communal discipleship at MVMNT Church, a local church in the Association of Related Churches network, while also addressing a gap in scholarship surrounding the interrelation of discipleship and the missional church. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study leveraged inductive thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with survey data to validate the lack of discipleship activity at MVMNT Church and moderate-to-low comprehension of topics related to mission, discipleship, and leadership in the church. This project recommended and …


The House That Love Builds: An Allegorical Interpretation Of The Song Of Songs, Tricia Lee Kline Jul 2024

The House That Love Builds: An Allegorical Interpretation Of The Song Of Songs, Tricia Lee Kline

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Over the last two hundred years, natural interpretations of the Song of Songs have become predominant among scholars. Shying away from the earlier, sometimes fanciful, allegorical interpretations of ancient Jewish and Christian interpreters, these modern-day scholars have argued that the plain sense of the text is of an ideal marriage relationship between a man and woman, and that the Song of Songs is simply a picture of the beauty of love and sex. This dissertation challenges this more modern view and argues again for an allegorical interpretation in which the man represents God and the woman represents His faithful covenant …


Becoming A Disciple-Making Disciple Through A Written Guided Plan In A Handbook, Benjamin T. Morrell Jul 2024

Becoming A Disciple-Making Disciple Through A Written Guided Plan In A Handbook, Benjamin T. Morrell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis addresses the lack of disciple-making at Richland Heights Baptist Church by implementing a disciple-making plan through a handbook. Churches needing revitalization often lack a disciple-making plan. Historically, Richland Heights had not implemented any New Testament training to develop disciple-makers. The project utilized triangulated methods consisting of a survey, questionnaire, interview, and observations. The observations took place during the implementation of opportunities before and after the sessions in the handbook. These incorporated the researcher's knowledge of the responses in the survey and questionnaire. By having a plan to make disciples with tools, training, and opportunities to implement the lessons …


Redeeming Pastoral Evaluation: A Comprehensive Approach To Annual Pastoral Evaluation In A Congregation-Led Church, Drake Andrew Caudill Jul 2024

Redeeming Pastoral Evaluation: A Comprehensive Approach To Annual Pastoral Evaluation In A Congregation-Led Church, Drake Andrew Caudill

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Surrendering to the biblical mandate and God's call to pastoral ministry produces profound joy. However, pastoral burnout intensifies, and pastors leave the ministry at a staggering rate. Adding to the pressure of pastoral ministry, many churches implement an annual pastoral performance review policy. Imitating secular employment performance reviews, many churches base successful pastoral ministry on numerical metrics, performance goals, and preaching effectiveness. The researcher evaluated various pastoral evaluation forms across different denominations. Additionally, the researcher investigated the biblical theology of pastoral leadership. The action research project aimed to design a comprehensive, intentional, and biblical pastoral evaluation strategy for a congregation-led …


Pastor's Cultural Intelligence And Personal Character Influence Within Youth Ministries, Linwood J. Sealey Iii Jul 2024

Pastor's Cultural Intelligence And Personal Character Influence Within Youth Ministries, Linwood J. Sealey Iii

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Within this study, the logic was to understand the natural development of cultural Christlike character traits among youth pastors who serve in the 6th-12th grade youth ministry loneliness environment. The sample population comprised between 22 church pastors within the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The sample included participants with different experience levels in pastoral and bi-vocational pastoral ministries. The guiding rationale was that the pastor's cultural Christlike character should be a positive factor in their ministry in the loneliness environment of the youth they serve. The sample covered the geographical settings within rural, suburban, and city environments. A purposive …


A Correlational Study Between Spiritual Bible Reading And Spiritual Formation Of Leaders Of Pentecostal Churches, Mark Kwablah Buku Jun 2024

A Correlational Study Between Spiritual Bible Reading And Spiritual Formation Of Leaders Of Pentecostal Churches, Mark Kwablah Buku

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study aimed to understand the nuances of spiritual Bible reading and how it connects to the spiritual maturity of Christian leaders. The lack of spiritual formation in Christian spiritual leaders motivated this research. Literature abounds with spiritual reading, biblical engagement, interpretation methodologies, and the spiritual formation of Christian leaders. However, only a few studies exist on how people engage with the Bible. There is no empirical data on how biblical interactions impact spiritual development. The theory that guided this study was Jack Mezirow’s Transformative Learning Theory. With a quantitative survey methodology and non-probability sampling, data was collected from 91 …


God Of The Whole Earth Ministry Church Project: Equipping Church Members To Engage Their Community, Christopher Stevens May 2024

God Of The Whole Earth Ministry Church Project: Equipping Church Members To Engage Their Community, Christopher Stevens

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The God of the Whole Earth Ministry (GWEM) Church study investigated how church members can gain confidence to share their faith when properly equipped. Sharing the gospel with others can be a problem for some people. Generally, the lack of skills and knowledge is the biggest problem for some people to share their faith. GWEM Church members were not equipped to share their faith. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to equip participants to share their faith. Skills were taught to help participants develop and use those skills to start meaningful and practical conversations to open up a dialogue …


Proactive Pastoral Counseling: A Christlike Integrative Therapeutic For Creating Christian Intrapersonal Formation In Believers At First Baptist Church Of Harmony, Me, Yaron I. Kohen May 2024

Proactive Pastoral Counseling: A Christlike Integrative Therapeutic For Creating Christian Intrapersonal Formation In Believers At First Baptist Church Of Harmony, Me, Yaron I. Kohen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This action research project introduces Proactive Pastoral Counseling (PPC) as a Christian Integrative Therapeutic (CIT). PPC, combined with its counterpart, Christian Intrapersonal Formation (CIF), offers a proactive pastoral counseling approach to assist others in coping with intrapersonal conflict while guiding them toward Christian intrapersonal formation. The impetus behind the study addresses the need for pastoral counseling with members of First Baptist Church (FBC) in Harmony, ME. Chapter One lays out the history, background, and beliefs of FBC and the Maine culture dating back to the late 1700s. Chapter Two addresses the nature of pastoral counseling, its tenets, and applications described …


The Book Of Ruth: Its Didactic Wisdom Themes, Brian Corn May 2024

The Book Of Ruth: Its Didactic Wisdom Themes, Brian Corn

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation proposes and argues that the Book of Ruth is better situated in Wisdom literature because of its didactic wisdom themes. Prominent wisdom themes will be analyzed and compared intertextually with the Book of Ruth, which provides Ruth’s understanding of YHWH. The research methodology evaluates the intertextuality, or inter-themes, between the Book of Ruth and the Wisdom literature (Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes), the primary source. Peer-reviewed sources (scholarly commentaries, academic peer-reviewed journals, and scholarly biblical dictionaries) are used to evaluate and support the findings uncovered in the primary source. Semantic field and range studies are performed with the help …


Yhwh’S Covenantal Dealings With Abraham: A Redemptive-Historical Perspective, Nathan A. Hoefer May 2024

Yhwh’S Covenantal Dealings With Abraham: A Redemptive-Historical Perspective, Nathan A. Hoefer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Evangelical Christianity is broadly divided into two ways of thinking about biblical covenants. In particular, the division is set in terms of the continuity of the old and new covenants. With this comes the distinction between old covenant theocratic Israel and the New Testament Church. Dispensationalists argue for discontinuity between the covenants and the separation of old covenant theocratic Israel and the New Testament Church. On the other hand, traditional Reformed covenant theology finds a significant amount of continuity between the covenants and less distinction between old covenant theocratic Israel and the New Testament Church. However, beliefs about covenant theology …


Biblical Literacy: A Theological Exploration Of What God Says About Women Called To Pastor, Shannel K. Williams May 2024

Biblical Literacy: A Theological Exploration Of What God Says About Women Called To Pastor, Shannel K. Williams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This Doctoral Research Project aims to answer the question, Is there biblical awareness among the congregation about God’s acceptance and call of female pastors? The problem presented identifies a gap in biblical knowledge about women in church leadership due to the lingering effects of patriarchal influence. There may be resistance to church growth due to the uncertainty of the Scriptures, which sanction women to the call of God. This research project proposed to improve the Bible literacy of ten Christian men and women to cultivate spiritual growth and strengthen their theology. Historically, the conservative church taught that the Bible forbids …


The Evidential Problem Of Assurance: Textual Approach From The Johannine Literature, Derick A. Adu May 2024

The Evidential Problem Of Assurance: Textual Approach From The Johannine Literature, Derick A. Adu

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Assurance of salvation is an existential issue that has occupied the center stage of theological deliberations in the Church's history. This dissertation is a quest for epistemic justification. The dissertation examines the conditions that justify and validate claims of assurance of salvation. The research is partly an epistemological quest as well as a textual inquiry. This study utilizes evidentialism, the epistemological concept that what provides epistemic justification is evidence, to reach a reasonable conclusion. The data for the analysis consists of the Johannine literature, that is, the Gospel of John, the three Epistles of John, and the book of Revelation. …


Christ’S Hallel And The Christian’S Hallelujah: A Comparative Analysis Of Jesus’ Last Supper Hymn With Contemporary Worship Songs, Maria Rica Silbol May 2024

Christ’S Hallel And The Christian’S Hallelujah: A Comparative Analysis Of Jesus’ Last Supper Hymn With Contemporary Worship Songs, Maria Rica Silbol

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Last Supper of Jesus Christ and his disciples is one of the most iconic events in Christendom. One of the fewer talked-about scenarios in this historical event is Matthew 26:30 and Mark 14:26, when Jesus and his disciples sang a hymn before his crucifixion. This study examines the Hallel or Psalms 113–118, which Bible scholars believe was the hymn that Jesus sang with his disciples. The primary themes and emphases of these psalms are identified and coded. The goal of this research is to provide a metric for how the teachings from the Hallel may serve as a reference …


A New Testament Theology Of God As Father (Abba) As The Hermeneutical Key To The Teaching Of Christ On Prayer In The Gospels, John Joseph Schmelzer May 2024

A New Testament Theology Of God As Father (Abba) As The Hermeneutical Key To The Teaching Of Christ On Prayer In The Gospels, John Joseph Schmelzer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

When Jesus of Nazareth lifted His eyes to Heaven in Matthew 6:9 and taught His disciples to address Yahweh, the covenant God of Judaism as Father (πατήρ, אַבָּא), this was an offense of blasphemy and presumption culpable of death for His Jewish audience; unless it was true (John 5:18). Not only was Father the distinctive and unique term given to God by Jesus, but there is almost universal scholarly consensus that behind the Greek πατήρ is the Aramaic Abba (Αββα, אַבָּא) (Mark 14:36). In both the ANE and Jewish contexts of the Old Testament and first-century Israel, it was unparalleled …


Paul’S Admonition Of False Teaching: A Pattern To Follow, Jeffrey William Hossler May 2024

Paul’S Admonition Of False Teaching: A Pattern To Follow, Jeffrey William Hossler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation considers Paul’s admonition of false teaching in the Pastoral Epistles and how the instructions and warnings given to Timothy and Titus reveal a pattern of not just corrective measures, but also preventative measures aimed at averting the spread of false teachings to help ensure the church remains grounded in the truth. The apostle Paul instructs Timothy and Titus to appoint qualified elders and deacons, to teach sound doctrine, and to rebuke those who contradict it. The warnings also serve as a corrective measure, urging the leaders to address issues firmly and promptly.


The Impact Of Psalm Singing In Corporate Worship In The Canadian Reformed Churches: Perspectives Of The Congregants, Jan Frederik Ezinga May 2024

The Impact Of Psalm Singing In Corporate Worship In The Canadian Reformed Churches: Perspectives Of The Congregants, Jan Frederik Ezinga

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Canadian Reformed Churches1 have a rich history of Psalm Singing, which originated in the 16th-century Reformation, continuing the early church and biblical tradition. Their first Synod in 1954 prioritized singing psalms, initiating the development of an English Psalter containing all 150 Psalms.2 After almost seventy-five years, Psalm Singing characterizes worship in over seventy congregations and church plants in Canada and the USA. Despite this tradition and culture of singing psalms in multigenerational worship, General Synods of the Canadian Reformed Churches have received continuous requests to add more hymns or other songs in the past twenty-five years. The arguments tend …


Community Formation And Effective Leadership In African American Churches In High-Poverty Communities, Kevin Laron Moore May 2024

Community Formation And Effective Leadership In African American Churches In High-Poverty Communities, Kevin Laron Moore

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

African American church traditions were reputable for serving “the least of these" (Matthew 25:35 - 46) (TLOT) through intentional, Bible-based community fellowship and relationship. However, African American churches are moving away from community ministries to inside worshiping that does not fulfill God's agenda. As a result, the phenomenon of serving in isolation versus serving through community formation is incrementally deviating from the biblical worldview. This qualitative phenomenological study explores, community formation and effective leadership in African American churches in high-poverty communities in the aggregate city of Newark, NJ. This research aims to explore community formation and effective leadership in African …


The Canonical Significance Of Mindset In Romans 8:5–14 (Φρονέω And Its Cognates): Implications For Biblical Interpretation, Application, And Evangelism, Denise Anne Pass May 2024

The Canonical Significance Of Mindset In Romans 8:5–14 (Φρονέω And Its Cognates): Implications For Biblical Interpretation, Application, And Evangelism, Denise Anne Pass

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The term mindset is common in today’s vernacular, but its significance in the canon has scarcely been explored. Cultures throughout time have viewed mindsets as something that human volition alone can affect. Yet the inability to maintain the mindset God requires of his people has prevented them from faithfully keeping the covenant and rightly interpreting Scripture. Mindsets are habitual or innate mental attitudes that determine how one will interpret life situations and the Word of God, impacting relationships with others and one’s ability to love God and walk in obedience to His Word. Paul’s extensive use of φρονέω echoes back …


Ego Eimi And The Surpassing Greatness Of Jesus Christ In The Gospel Of John, Keith Kekoa Pang May 2024

Ego Eimi And The Surpassing Greatness Of Jesus Christ In The Gospel Of John, Keith Kekoa Pang

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

When it comes to the "ἐγὼ εἰμι" statements (translated as "I am" in English), in the Gospel of John, there has been a heavy emphasis from scholarship on the seven declarations which contain a metaphor. These are the ἐγὼ εἰμι statements such as “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35, English Standard Version) or “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). However, there are seven other ἐγὼ εἰμι statements in John’s Gospel which do not contain a metaphor, such as, “I who speak to you am he” (John 4:26, emphasis mine). Consequently, scholars have tended to separate …


An Inquiry Into The Perceived Effects Of Historical Revivalism On The Corporate Worship Behaviors Of Modern-Day Fundamental And Independent, Baptist And Bible Churches, Jeremy David Yowell May 2024

An Inquiry Into The Perceived Effects Of Historical Revivalism On The Corporate Worship Behaviors Of Modern-Day Fundamental And Independent, Baptist And Bible Churches, Jeremy David Yowell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Modern-day, independent Bible and Baptist churches continue to structure their corporate worship services after the pattern of the American revivalists of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The purpose of this qualitative study with an ethnographic design is to examine the lived experiences of pastors and church leaders from independent Bible and Baptist churches and seek to understand their perceptions of (1) the purpose of corporate worship, (2) the place of evangelism in corporate worship, and (3) the influence of revivalism upon corporate worship practices. Additionally, historical research about the revivalist movement and its influence on worship behaviors is considered. Several …


A Defense Of The Neronic Date Of The Book Of Revelation, Jason L. Quintern May 2024

A Defense Of The Neronic Date Of The Book Of Revelation, Jason L. Quintern

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There are two primary dates for Revelation that are generally accepted: the early or Neronic date (A.D. 64-68) and the late or Domitianic date (A.D. 95-96). In this dissertation, the early date of the book of Revelation is defended against the commonly accepted late date. The study engages with two major texts: Kenneth L. Gentry Jr.’s Before Jerusalem Fell, supporting the Neronic date, and Mark L. Hitchcock’s dissertation “A Defense of the Domitianic Date of the Book of Revelation,” defending the Domitianic date. This present study discusses the central arguments of both Gentry and Hitchcock as it defends the Neronic …


Sacred Music Of African American Catholics: Understanding Usage In High Liturgy, William S. Harrison May 2024

Sacred Music Of African American Catholics: Understanding Usage In High Liturgy, William S. Harrison

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite steady progress toward honoring cultural identity in liturgy, the Roman Catholic Church has historically ignored the vast musical contributions of African Americans in the celebration of the Holy Mass. This study explores the historical, theological, and cultural application of music from the African and African American diaspora in urban Catholic churches that employ high liturgy as a practice in corporate worship. While many post-Vatican II documents govern culturally inclusive liturgical practices, little is known about the challenges in implementing and maintaining authentic Catholic African American corporate worship traditions in these spaces. The universality of the Roman Catholic faith is …


Challenging The Cancer Of Consumerism Ravaging The American Protestant Church, John A. Thompson Ii May 2024

Challenging The Cancer Of Consumerism Ravaging The American Protestant Church, John A. Thompson Ii

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The American Protestant church is sick and, in some cases, dying. The primary factors adversely influencing the church contribute to church members’ warped view of Christianity. The American church is suffering from individualism, consumerism, and uncommitted Christianity. The church may be described as critically ill, and in the I.C.U. The purpose of this study was to address the effects of this cultural illness as it has impacted the people and ministry of Kingdom Life Community Church. This topic is chosen because of the researcher’s experience serving as the church’s lead pastor, observing members approach the church with a consumer bias. …


Expanding The Apostolic Mission: A Biblical-Theological Analysis Of Peter's Epistles As Evidence Of His Universal Apostleship Beyond The Jewish Context, Peter J. Ireland May 2024

Expanding The Apostolic Mission: A Biblical-Theological Analysis Of Peter's Epistles As Evidence Of His Universal Apostleship Beyond The Jewish Context, Peter J. Ireland

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Paul’s designation of Peter as the apostle to the Jews suggests that Peter’s mission was restricted and impacts the interpretation of his Epistles. Scholarly neglect of Peter and critical scholarship’s rejection of the Petrine Epistles’ authenticity result in the underutilization of the context of Peter’s complete life in the analysis of the Petrine Epistles. However, categorizing Peter as always being the apostle to the Jews does not fit the rest of the biblical evidence. Using a biblical-theological approach to the biblical texts supplemented by extrabiblical evidence to understand the biblical authors’ contexts while considering the passage of time, this dissertation …


How To Create Things With Words: Identifying The Performative Speech Acts Of God’S Spoken Words In The Genesis 1 Creation Account, Ivan C. Yu Apr 2024

How To Create Things With Words: Identifying The Performative Speech Acts Of God’S Spoken Words In The Genesis 1 Creation Account, Ivan C. Yu

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Speech Act Theory is a branch of linguistics that explores not only how language is used to convey meaning, but also how it is used to perform actions or functions. In recent decades, it has been applied as a viable hermeneutical tool to aid biblical interpretation and defend the inerrancy of Scripture. Identifying the speech acts of the biblical author or speakers in the biblical narratives can be useful to understand the meaning and intention of the utterances, phrases, and words spoken. In the Genesis 1 creation narrative, God spoke words to create the universe. While adopting a canonical approach …


Providing Biblical Knowledge To Women Ages 25–70 To Place Women In Ministry And Leadership Positions In The Church, Evelyn Diane Scott Apr 2024

Providing Biblical Knowledge To Women Ages 25–70 To Place Women In Ministry And Leadership Positions In The Church, Evelyn Diane Scott

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to provide biblical knowledge to equip women to assume scriptural roles in church ministry and leadership. The project was conducted at The Word Ministry Church in rural Dallas County, Alabama. The writer reviewed women’s challenges and issues in the Christian community dominated by patriarchal theories. This project provides an overview of the study group and the training criteria for preparing women for ministry and leadership. The goal was to educate women not serving in leadership or ministry positions to obtain biblical knowledge to give them the confidence and support to accept their gift of …


A Phenomenological Study Exploring What Integrating Adolescent Identity Means To Christian Public-School Counselors, Todd Christopher Houchin Apr 2024

A Phenomenological Study Exploring What Integrating Adolescent Identity Means To Christian Public-School Counselors, Todd Christopher Houchin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Adolescence is a numinous stage of self-discovery fraught with challenges and obscurities that threaten a healthy trajectory. Religion and spirituality are proven coping resources and school counselors can provide identity and meaning-making resources to aid adolescent development. However, religion and spirituality are often avoided in the public-school setting. Exploring what integrating adolescent identity means to Christian public-school counselors is important toward clarifying roles and ensuring best practices. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore what integrating adolescent identity means to Christian public-school counselors. Guiding questions include how Christian school counselors navigate identity and meaning making issues with adolescents, …


Do Not Neglect To Show Hospitality To Strangers: Developing And Implementing A Program Of Home Hospitality At Furnace Creek Baptist Church, Philip D. Bramblet Apr 2024

Do Not Neglect To Show Hospitality To Strangers: Developing And Implementing A Program Of Home Hospitality At Furnace Creek Baptist Church, Philip D. Bramblet

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The researcher identified the lack of intentional interaction for the sake of the gospel between members of Furnace Creek Baptist Church in Rocky Mount, VA and people in the local community as an issue that should be addressed. This problem was addressed by developing and implementing a program of home hospitality with members of FCBC. Hospitality in private homes was identified as an important and biblical method of increasing interaction between the church and the community that has been neglected in doctoral action research. Many hospitality projects have addressed the corporate hospitality dynamic, but few have dealt with Christian hospitality …