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From Tradition To Transformation: Cultural And Musical Inclusivity In Sda Worship Practices, Alicia Raquel Jones-Lumbuz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examines worship inclusivity within multicultural Seventh-day Adventist congregations in the greater Houston, Texas, area, focusing on the experiences of migrants, first-generation Americans, and long-standing members. It highlights how their diverse cultural backgrounds, theological beliefs, and worship expectations shape congregational life. The study fills a gap in Adventist worship scholarship by exploring the lived experiences of worshippers in multicultural settings, particularly the perspectives of migrants whose attitudes toward worship are influenced by cultural heritage and traditional views of reverence. Data were collected through surveys, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and ethnographic observations. Thematic analysis reveals eight interrelated themes, showing that …

Towards A Missiological Model For Reaching East Indian Muslims For Christ In Kwatta Of Suriname, Kenneth Rigobert

Dissertations DIS

The presence of Seventh-day Adventists in Suriname dates to 1894, but there is no evidence, either in literature or field research, of any specific plan or missional thinking focused on the Adventist mission among East Indian Muslims in Suriname. The field research highlights some significant missiological challenges faced by the Seventh-day Adventist mission in Suriname that account for its slow numerical growth. These missiological challenges include: (1) a lack of committed and dedicated indigenous leaders; (2) inappropriate training given to the indigenous people for the mission in Suriname's multicultural and multilingual dynamics; (3) unsuitable missional methods for Suriname’s multicultural and …

An Urban Discipleship Model For Young Adults Of The New Jersey Conference Of Sda Churches, Carl Rodriguez

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem.

The New Jersey Conference Young Adults Department presented three challenging areas to resolve before becoming a vibrant ministry: (1) a leadership succession pathway to train and develop state and area coordinators to plan regional and Conference-level events and initiatives; (2) training, nurturing, and discipling local church young adult leaders to discover their spiritual gifts while providing opportunities to serve; and (3) uniting the different young adult cultural groups to work together as a community of believers.

Method

A new urban approach was used to aid in changing the course of the Young Adults’ ministry for the New Jersey Conference. …

Volunteering And Spiritual Practices: A Cross-Country Analysis In The Seventh-Day Adventist Context, Elbert Kuhn

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Although the number of Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) volunteers worldwide has increased dramatically, the Church continues to face challenges in engaging people, particularly young adults, in volunteer and mission projects on a global scale. While interest in volunteering is growing, especially in countries within the southern hemisphere, the percentage of participation remains disproportionately small in comparison to the global church membership. Given this disparity, there is a pressing need to research the impact of the volunteer experience on spiritual practices and discipline. Understanding how volunteering influences young adults’ spiritual growth is critical to developing strategies that can effectively engage more …

Teologia A Serviço Da Missão: Uma Análise Da Conexão Entre A Teologia E A Prática No Seminário De Teologia Do Unasp Campus Engenheiro Coelho, Evandro Carlos Favero

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

This dissertation investigates the possible dichotomy between academic theology and pastoral practice, questioning whether there is, in fact, a separation between the role of the theologian and that of the pastor, as well as between the formative ideals of the seminary and ministerial reality. If such a division is confirmed, formal theological study could be considered secondary for the exercise of pastoral ministry. However, if theory and practice are understood as integrated and inseparable dimensions, theological training becomes essential for all who aspire to ministry, requiring training institutions to provide preparation that unites knowledge, vocation, and mission. -- Assuming …

Effectiveness Of Training Jacksonville Church Of God Seventh Day To Minister Biblical Truth To Seventh-Day Adventists, Dirk E. Anderson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study addresses Jacksonville Church of God Seventh Day’s lack of understanding of how to communicate biblical truths effectively to local Seventh Day Adventists. The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent a training program could improve the confidence of church members to share biblical truths with Seventh-day Adventists. The method of study involved training eleven members of the church. These members were from different races, ages, and genders. The training program consisted of seven one-hour training sessions. The data collection methods included interviews and surveys. The results of this study indicate that a training program can …

Childhood Trauma And The Faith Maturity Of Seventh-Day Adventist Pastors And Seminarians, Pete A. Palmer

Dissertations

Problem

Unfortunately, Childhood Trauma is a fact of life. For instance, children lose parents/guardians through death or divorce. Children grow up in impoverished situations. Children have parents who suffer from mental illness and/or commit suicide. In addition, more unfortunately, some children are mistreated, neglected, and/or abused. The long-lasting impact of Childhood Trauma includes increased morbidity and mortality, and decreased opportunities for prosperity. This research sought to establish a statistical relationship between Childhood Trauma and Faith Maturity. Childhood Trauma has been demonstrated to affect attachment processes in children and, since religion is an attachment process and God is an attachment figure, …

Understanding Secularized People Of Metro Manila: A Case Study Approach For A Contextualized Urban Ministry Strategy, Ermela T. Dizon

Dissertations DIS

Problem

Secularization shapes people's thinking, feeling, and behaving in the cities. Yearly, there is a rise in the number of de-religionized or secularized people in cities of the world who engage in pursuits of materialism and show declining interest in religion. Sociologists and missiologists postulate about the spectrum of secularity and the variety of secularism in different context. Since Metro Manila is one of the world's top highly urbanized and densely populated cities, the Seventh-day Adventist Church encounters challenges in reaching its secularized people. It is a new turf for the church. Pastors trained for rural settings may not understand …

Ministry Strategy For Retaining Youth And Young Adults In The Australian Union Conference, Jeffrey N. Parker

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

In the Seventh-day Adventist Church of Australia (known as the Australian Union Conference) there is a significant loss of membership continuance by youth and young adults that falls into the category of the so-called millennials. Church attendance and membership loss of millennials is a problem in the Australian Union Conference.

Method

After consulting Scripture and current literature on families and family values, this researcher developed a quantitative and qualitative survey for Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Australian Millennials. It used a professional survey program that guaranteed the anonymity of each person. Embedded within the 18-question survey was space for personal responses. …

A Strategy To Improve Contextualization At Hope Channel International, Vyacheslav Demyan

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Hope Channel International was created by the Seventh-day Adventist Church with the mission “to offer God’s good news for a better life today and for eternity through the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s wholistic understanding of the Bible” (General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists 2019–2020, 459). However, as many other evangelical media ministries in North America who are mainly “preaching to the choir,” creating their own “gospel ghettos” (Woods 2013, 22), Hope Channel’s audience mainly are the members of the Adventist Church. This compromises the scope of the existence of Hope Channel as a media brand. From the structural perspective, Hope Channel …

The Theological And Biblical Significance Of Financial Resources In The Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Mihai Stoicescu

Master's Theses

The Topic

The research will present the evolution of the system of tithes and offerings, starting from biblical times to the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, as well as the theology behind it.

The Purpose

The purpose of the study is not only to discover the history and theology underlying the system of tithes and offerings, but also to emphasize the universal nature of this system.

The Source

The research involved both the consultation of specialized literature, as well as the study of primary written sources, in this case the available documents and archives regarding financial resources throughout the …

Understanding Secularized People Of Metro Manila: A Case Study Approach For A Contextualized Urban Ministry Strategy, Ermela T. Dizon

Dissertations

Problem

Secularization shapes people's thinking, feeling, and behaving in the cities. Yearly, there is a rise in the number of de-religionized or secularized people in cities of the world who engage in pursuits of materialism and show declining interest in religion. Sociologists and missiologists postulate about the spectrum of secularity and the variety of secularism in different context. Since Metro Manila is one of the world's top highly urbanized and densely populated cities, the Seventh-day Adventist Church encounters challenges in reaching its secularized people. It is a new turf for the church. Pastors trained for rural settings may not understand …

God, Others, And Ourselves - The Stories We Tell And The Meaning We Make: A Narrative Approach To Adventist Mission In The South England Conference Of The British Union Conference, United Kingdom, Wayne B. Erasmus

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

A disconnect exists between the Adventist Church in the United Kingdom and its wider context as evidenced through the reduced number of accessions coming from the majority population and from second, third, and subsequent migrant generations. This present study was to propose and trial a worldview awareness training experience.

Method

A Six Conversation journey experience was devised and presented over a six-week period in the summer of 2021 via Zoom, in line with adaptations due to the COVID pandemic. Volunteer Adventist participants would explore their individual and collective meaning and identity narratives, grow awareness and understanding of other such …

Parental Engagement In The Baptismal Process At Florida Hospital Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Gregory Creek

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Baptism, one of the few spiritual milestones in the life of a young person, is not experienced at Florida Hospital Church with the intentional inclusion of parents, a group that has a greater spiritual influence for their children than any other person.

Method

To help engage parents in the process, a baptismal preparation program was developed that provided training and resources for parents who then prepared their children for baptism. The program consisted of a session with parents, children, and the pastor; two sessions with parents and the pastor; and four sessions done by parents in the home with …

Escuela De Capacitación De Liderazgo Para Ancianos De La Misión Sur Metropolitana De Chile, Josue G. Espinoza

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The observations made by this researcher between 2019 and 2020 in the South Metropolitan Chile Mission led to the conclusion that most elders from the 79 organized churches showed leadership deficiencies. This was deduced from observations during local church training events, activities provided by the local conference, and also from the analysis of growth indicators in congregations. It is also important to note that the average of 6.3 congregations per pastor makes it difficult for the elders to develop as local leaders. Added to this condition is the high mobility of pastors who often remain for only one or …

Missional Prayer: The Ebenezer Model As A Relational Catalyst For Disciple Making Through The Collegedale Seventh-Day Adventist Church, James Gordon Moon Sr.

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

In a 2010 missional assessment, the Collegedale Seventh-day Adventist Church was made aware of a missional blind spot in relation to the external needs of its ministry context. A 2017 MinistryInsight.com Priorities Report also identified the region's desire for warmth and friendship from religious communities as a top ministry preference. In a 2018 effort to begin addressing these needs, Collegedale’s pastoral staff chose "Christ has called us to Make Friends," an actionable expression of Jesus' commission to make disciples. In light of these factors, the Collegedale Church needs a relational catalyst to encourage attenders and members to make friends …

An Evangelism And Discipleship Pathway To Address The Cultural And Worldview Distance Between The Preston Seventh-Day Adventist Church And The White British Culture In Preston, Jeff Keith Couzins

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem.

The UK Preston Seventh-day Adventist Church in the North England Conference is a predominantly Black church situated in a White British city. The Church has seen a numerical increase of almost 25% since 2013, but only one person from this growth was from the majority culture population, a group who tend not to be attracted to traditional Adventist forms of evangelism. The hypothesis for this project, therefore, is that when the cultural and worldview distance between church members and individuals in society is reduced, it is easier for the Christian witness to then explain the Kingdom of God. Also, …

Congregational Hymn-Singing At The Weimar Seventh-Day Adventist Church: A Case Study, Erwin Gabriel Nanasi

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Throughout the New Testament and the history of the church, congregational hymn-singing has been utilized to edify Christians in worship. Although congregational hymn-singing has been an integral part of Christian worship, many 21st century Christian denominations have departed from this practice. Utilizing contemporary worship music instead of hymns has become the norm. The purpose of this study was to understand the characteristics and benefits of congregational hymn-singing. Using a qualitative case study, this research attempted to determine the efficacy of congregational hymn-singing on perceived theological insight, emotional wellness and group unity at the Weimar Seventh-day Adventist church. The subject church …

Discovering Successful Pastoral Mentors Based On Their Spiritual Gifts Cluster And Engaging Them In Mentorship In The Wisconsin Conference Of The Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Adam Case

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Many pastors are placed into pastoral ministry with passion and education but lack sufficient mentoring to help them succeed in ministry. These pastors would benefit from a mentor who could support them and/or grow them through intentional mentorship in specific agreed upon areas. The concept of mentoring is biblical, Jesus being a prime example, and one that is in line with the principles of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. There is no conflict with the concept of mentoring, but nothing practical has been put into place in the Wisconsin Conference to discover good pastoral mentors and then engage them in …

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

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

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

Transforming The Lexington Seventh-Day Adventist Church Through Spirituality And Prayer, Pavel Goia

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Often in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, as in many other Christian churches, while there is a lot of talk about transformation and growth, spiritual and numerical growth seems lacking. There is a tendency to try new programs and methods that may seem to lead to success or growth, yet many of those projects use the resources and energy of the church with no real lasting results. This often leads to frustration and lack of hope for real change. Growth in the first-century church and in other times throughout history was real, and such growth is still possible.

Method

At …

Family, Social Class, And Evangelism: Developing A Strategic Evangelistic Plan To Engage The Middle And Upper-Class Families In The Dennery Community Of Saint Lucia, Dolston L. Morian

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

In the St. Lucia Mission of Seventh-day Adventist traditional evangelistic tent meetings have resulted in a steady growth in church membership. However, the majority of converts added to the church has consistently come from the lower-class individuals of the society. Not surprising therefore, there has been a small increase in new members from the middle and upper-class communities. Arguably, the traditional approach to evangelism conducted by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in St. Lucia is not as effective in reaching the middle and upper-class subgroups as it is with members of the lower social class groups. The need to pay …

Training Selected Churches In The Iowa-Missouri Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists To Minister To Cohabiting Couples, Jared S. Miller

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The number of cohabiting couples has dramatically risen over the last several decades. Even a significant amount of Seventh-day Adventist Church members, both young and old, have chosen to live together apart from a committed marriage. Living together without the covenant of marriage comes with many risks and many negative effects on both adults and children. With the prevalence of cohabitation increasing, the church is faced with a new ministry challenge and opportunity. Churches need to be educated about the biblical theology of sexual intimacy and the dangers and damage that come with cohabitation. Furthermore, churches need biblical strategies …

A Strategy To Increase Cross-Cultural Preaching Ministry Among Seventh-Day Adventist Pastors In Southern Alabama, Dejuan Knight

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Southern Alabama's Seventh-day Adventist churches are mostly segregated across ethnic lines. Furthermore, most of the church pastors are of the same ethnic group as their members. One of the main reasons for the continued fears among laity, pastors, and conference administrators towards pastoral leadership from other cultures stems from the widespread idea that cross-cultural pastors cannot present their sermons in the cultural preaching style and with the content desired by the congregation.

Method

A project was designed and instituted in Dothan, AL between the two Seventh-day Adventist churches in the city. The Dothan First Seventh-day Adventist Church is a …

Worship Music As Spiritual Identity: An Examination Of Music In The Liturgy Among Black And White Adventists In The United States From 1840 To 1944, David A. Williams

Dissertations

The Topic

This study examined Black and White Seventh-day Adventist music in the liturgy in the United States from 1840 to 1944. Little scholarly attention has been given to the development of Adventist liturgical practice, the function of music in the liturgy, and the effect of music upon the spiritual identity. This study utilized liturgical history, ritual studies, musicology, and liturgical theology to derive and compare the spiritual identity fostered through music in the liturgy by these ethnic groups. This study considered both the shared and distinct spiritual identities of Black and White Adventists, as cultivated by the music in …

A Theory Base And Mission-Sending Model For The South American Division Of The Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Silvano Barbosa

Dissertations

Problem

Effective missionary work depends on a combination of three preconditions, equally indispensable: (1) a body of committed and adaptable personnel who are prepared to transmit to another cultural group the relevance of the Christian message; (2) an organization that is equipped to recruit, train, fund, send, and care for such a missionary force; and (3) sustained access to international unreached areas. Throughout its history, the missionary movement has been based on these three factors and the absence of one or more of them has resulted in less than optimum achievement and has sometimes led to failure. In 2014 the …

Contextualization Of The Gospel To American Muslims: A Proposal For A Seventh-Day Adventist Evangelization Model, Myckal Morehouse

Graduate Theses

No abstract provided.

A Biblical Training Model To Improve The Financial Literacy Of The Members Of The Roundup-Lewistown District Of The Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Andrew Raduly

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Pastoral observation suggested that one third of the Roundup-Lewistown Seventh-day Adventist district membership struggled with personal financial management issues. It was suggested that the root causes for the inability to manage financial resources was a lack of financial literacy and education and a lack of understanding of basic financial concepts, including misunderstandings about biblical concepts about wealth, borrowing, and stewardship of resources.

Method

In order to assess, improve, and observe the basic knowledge of the financial literacy and education of the Roundup-Lewistown Seventh-day Adventist church membership, a pre-financial literacy seminar assessment survey (PREFLAS) was administered. The PREFLAS was followed …

Cross-Cultural Conflict Transformation In Southeastern California Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Jonathan J. Park

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Today’s world has become more globalized than ever before. The North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists is perhaps a division with the most ethnically diverse members in the world. This diversity is especially found in the Southeastern California Conference, which has more than 70,000 members with 175 churches and companies and many different ethnic groups. The Asian ministries alone have eleven different ethnic groups. These Asian churches not only face cultural differences between the first and later generations of the church members but must also deal with generational differences. These differences create conflict that need to be addressed.

Method …

A Strategic Marketing Plan For Community Ministries At The Toronto West Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Allan Roy Chichester

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Toronto West Seventh-day Adventist Church is a large church that has a membership of 1,306, located in a very diverse urban community of Etobicoke North in Toronto, with variety in ethnicity, language, culture and religion. In the church’s neighborhood, there is a growing immigrant population that is currently in flux due to the constant demographic transition. This certainly poses a number of challenges for this church because there are so many varying ethnic and cultural groups that make ministering to this community very difficult. The church has tried to reach its neighbors by hosting community services events such …