Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Elegant Leadership In Heterogeneous Ministry Settings, Karen Louise Palmbaum Claassen

Doctor of Ministry

Most Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregations are heterogeneous when viewed from some demographic angles. Age, economic status, theological viewpoint, ethnicity, language, family structure, and culture all provide angles through which to contemplate demographic heterogeneity. Part of the variety within my denomination occurs naturally. Other is due to changes in our society. Regardless of origin, increasing diversity is likely to continue. While some argue that uniformity in one or two overarching categories means that a congregation is not diverse, I affim1 that acknowledging diversity points, and exploiting those differences at times, is critical to health and vitality in a congregation. This dissertation …

The Great Hand-Off: Empowering Effective Leadership Succession From Baby Boomer To Gen Y Leaders, John Stumbo

Doctor of Ministry

A new generation of passionate young leaders is arriving. Their commitment to Christ shows signs of vitality through fresh expressions of faith. However, is the church of North America-primarily led by Boomer leaders-ready for them? It is my claim that many of today's churches can thrive into the next decades as insightful and courageous Boomer leaders begin now to prepare for healthy leadership succession. Practical and realistic changes can now be made by Boomer leaders to facilitate an effective hand-off to Generation Y leaders. However, if intentional efforts are not made by the leaders who currently hold the positions of …

The Integration Of The Volga Germans Into American Lutheranism, Richard Allen Davenport

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

This paper traces the incorporation of Lutheran Volga Germans arriving in this country between 1870 and 1910 into American Christianity and identifies factors in their affiliation with American church bodies. It analyzes whether Lutheran bodies identified the Volga Germans as a distinct ethnic group among German immigrants in America and recognized the specific challenges and adaptations necessary to work among them. Where Volga German congregations were established, the factors which decided joining one denomination over another are explored. Specific theological, ecclesiastical, and cultural issues that determined whether a group of Volga Germans aligned with one church body versus another are …

Organic Disciple Development: Purposeful And Practical Mentoring As An Answer To Twentysomethings Leaving The Local Church In The Postmodern Context, Jerry W. Payne

Doctor of Ministry

The thesis of this paper is that mentoring twentysomething followers of Christ as part of an organic disciple-development process will mitigate the frustrations caused by the attractional growth model and increase the effectiveness of the church in this postmodern context. This thesis will be supported by introducing practical methodologies, integrating theological reflection, and incorporating biblical precepts.

Chapter one provides an overview and working definition of the attractional church model. It provides a brief, but detailed, history of the attractional model and examines it through the lens of three distinct time periods (pre-modern, modern, and postmodern), tracing the model from the …

The Ursinusiana Project: How The Religious History Of Ursinus College Yielded Today's Liberal Arts Curriculum, Karen Boedecker

Religious Studies Honors Papers

My project is divided into two parts. The first part is a heavily annotated timeline. I have organized all of the bits and pieces I encountered during my time in the Ursinusiana archives in a clear and concise manner that addresses each historical occurrence that led to the abolition of chapel attendance at Ursinus College. I hope that this timeline can serve not only as a reference for the casual reader who is interested in the religious history of the College but also as a guide to my analysis in the second part of the project.

Although constructing the timeline …

Never The Same: Using Short-Term Missions As A Tool For Spiritual Formation, Thomas G. Moon

Doctor of Ministry

It is estimated that over one and a half million American Christians will travel abroad this year on a short-term mission project, and that doesn't include the number who travel on similar domestic trips. However, in spite of the phenomenal growth, the modern short-term missions movement continues to suffer from what could only be described as an identity crisis. Many pastors, educators, and mission leaders continue to be engaged in missiological soul-searching, dialoging about the fundamental questions concerning the value and purpose of short-term mission trips. The insistence on using the same language to describe and discuss both long-term and …

A Study On The Doctrine Of Original Sin As The Foundation Of Wesleyan Theology, Christopher A. Black

Doctor of Ministry

John Wesley believed that the doctrine of original sin established the biblical foundation for the doctrines of justification and sanctification. Wesley's use and emphasis of this doctrine was neither new nor innovative. He believed that the rejection of the doctrine of original sin would lead to the loss of biblical Christianity. Wesley adamantly defended this doctrine affirming the basic tenets of the Western Christian tradition. While utilizing some relational and therapeutic images, Wesley blatantly speaks in judicial, punitive and substantialist terms concerning original sin. The consequences of judicial, punitive and substantialist perspectives are far reaching for distinctively Wesleyan theology. These …

Creating New Expressions Of Worship Gatherings Within Existing Churches, Eric K. Baker

Doctor of Ministry

It is my claim that multiple expressions of worship gatherings must be created to connect generations to Jesus. Worship "services" are the face of many churches, but according to recent studies many people are leaving the American church at a rapid rate.1 Many issues surrounding the decline of the American church exist, but my claim is that many young adults feel disconnected from many Sunday morning worship experiences. Many have attempted to fix this problem by creating evangelistic ministry teams, by moving churches from the mega church model to the house church model, and even by removing the mass gathering …

Mercy, Mercy, Mercy: An Ethic Of Reconciliation, David Hutchinson

Doctor of Ministry

The author of this dissertation contends that reconciliation is the goal of divine and human action. The problem addressed is that human attempts at reconciliation are incomplete. Reconciliation can be defined with careful attention to the use of the words "mercy," "justice," and "truth." The disse1iation's thesis is that the South African expe1ience of mercy provides a reconciliation model for relationship, conversation, and ministry in Portland, Oregon. Chapter 1 introduces the challenge of addressing the problem through an account of a Restorative Listening Project on Gentrification meeting. The challenge is to move from words to action. Chapter 1 then describes …

X-Ile, Todd Seelau

Doctor of Ministry

The negative perceptions that those outside of Christianity have toward those who pride themselves as carriers of the Good News make it evident that many of these relationships are broken, perhaps even beyond repair. Is there hope? Reconciliation, defined as a just and graceful effort to heal the relationships between humanity, God, and creation is the essential process-the core-of the Gospel as we know it. A theology for reconciliation provides a radical shift in focus from personal holiness to relational healing. In order to heal these relationships churches have tried seeker-sensitive services, alternative styles of worship, and organic types of …

Mission Fields Across The Street: Sending And Supporting Simple Church Planters As Local Missionaries, Rick Shrout

Doctor of Ministry

Churches in North America are ineffective in reaching their smTounding neighborhoods when those neighborhoods are populated predominately by people who embrace a postmodem lifestyle and worldview. One of the reasons for this ineffectiveness stems from an ecclesiology that leans heavily upon institutional stmctures and methods that fly in the face of postmodem sensibilities. This problem is addressed by proposing partnerships of established churches and denominational agencies with simple church planters as a way for traditional churches to play an active role in supporting a missional presence in an emerging culture through planting simple churches.

Section 2 introduces the problems and …

Ecology And Theology In Dialogue : Death And Resurrection From An Ecological And Theological Perspective, Elizabeth Mcduffie

Master of Arts Theses

No abstract provided.

Towards An African Inculturation Biblical Pneumatology: A Response To The Rise Of Neo-Pentecostalism In Tanzanian Christianity, Faith Lugazia

Doctor of Philosophy Theses

In this dissertation, 1 seek to lay the groundwork for developing an African inculturation of biblical pneumatology relevant to the Tanzanian context. The Neo- Pentecostal phenomenon is a strong reality in Tanzania today. Neo-Pentecostal churches and groups are mushrooming, emphasizing the work of the Holy Spirit and drawing on the heritage of African spirituality and worldview. Many mainline Protestants, including Lutherans, participate and worship in these churches and groups, yet they maintain their formal membership in their mother churches. This could be due, in part, to the fact that Lutheran theology and teaching in Tanzania has tended to pay little …

Martin Buber's “I And Thou”, Pastoral Counseling And Reading Text: A Proposal For An Integrated Approach, David Hawkinson

Doctor of Philosophy Theses

Pastoral care and the biblical tradition are inextricably linked in the minds of Jews and Christians for whom a central human task and calling is healing which leads to wholeness with each other, the world and God.This study explores the possibility of integrating reading the biblical text with a pastoral counseling approach informed by Martin Buber's I-Thou relation that serves this goal of healing and wholeness.

In Martin Buber's I-Thou wholeness is understood in relational terms. Healing is accomplished through "meeting" each other in genuine encounter. Buber's I-Thou dialogical philosophy has influenced a relational approach for the practice of pastoral …

A Local Christian Community's Missional Imagination: Accessing, Cultivating, And Assessing Missional Discernment In Civil Society, Johannes Gerhardus Jacobus Swart

Doctor of Philosophy Theses

This dissertation explores a particular local Christian community's socially-embodied theology as their missional imagination in civil society from within a research question on how to access, cultivate, and assess such missional imagination. The research question is addressed through a phenomenological approach to such particular local Christian community's process of discernment.

In following the trajectory of this particular local Christian community's process of discernment, the research journey became embedded in the playful imagination of this local Christian community's engagement with their discernment question, and how their critical reflectiveness from within this playful imagination opened up the possibilities of God's preferred and …

Complexities Of Pastoral Change And Transition In The Megachurches Of The Baptist General Conference, Evangelical Lutheran Church In America, And Presbyterian Church (Usa), Sheila Strobel Smith

Doctor of Philosophy Theses

The emergence of the megachurch in the United States represents a unique phenomenon which was shaped by a variety of cultural, political, economic, and religious forces. Megachurches have grown exponentially in recent years and now exercise unprecedented influence on the religious landscape in this country. Accompanying this phenomenon is a new and unique group of leaders who have guided these congregations through periods of rapid growth and substantial organizational change.

It is anticipated that many megachurches will encounter significant challenges in the future as the current senior pastors retire. Since existing research on megachurches has focused primarily on the congregations, …

Sharing Witness Along The Way: Engaging The Lived Theology Of An Urban Congregation In Evangelical, Public, And Missional Strands, Scott J. Hagley

Doctor of Philosophy Theses

This ethnographic phenomenology explores the lived theology of an urban congregation as it engages with civil society. Drawing methodological considerations from Jen-Luc Marion, Paul Ricoeur, and James Clifford, the research journey attends theologically to the sociality embodied both within the congregation and with its neighborhood for the sake of participating with this congregation in bringing to discourse its lived evangelical, public, and missional theological strands.

Drawing upon Charles Taylor's use of moral frameworks in relationship to narratives, practices, and goods, the evangelical strand explores intimacy as a strongly valued good. Theologically, such a good makes possible James McClendon's vision of …

Youth Homelessness: A Cry For Right Memory And Embrace, Matthew Maas

Children, Youth, and Family (CYF) Papers

No abstract provided.

Trinitarian Christology: The Grammar Of The Christian Faith And The Foundation For A Theology Of Religious Pluralism, Eric Christensen

School of Theology and Seminary Graduate Papers/Theses

This essay explores the interaction of George Lindbeck’s cultural-linguistic model of religious knowledge and Jacques Dupuis’ trinitarian Christology as a model for a theology of religious pluralism. The goal is to provide a basic overview of how the work of these two thinkers might work together to articulate a theology of religious pluralsim. In summary, a cultural-linguistic model does not provide conclusions in advance for the theology of religions. Rather, it allows a freedom in which to explore how doctrines might be formulated in order to remain true to the inherited tradition, to contemporary religious experience, and to the situation …

Let There Be No Division Among You: Historical Realities And Biblical Principles Towards Racial Reconciliation In The North American Classical Pentecostal Movement, Anthony R. Roberts

Master of Arts in Ministerial Leadership (MAML)

In its early history, the North American Classical Pentecostal Movement demonstrated racial harmony among its constituency, especially during the Azusa Street Revival. However, within a couple years of the birth of Classical Pentecostalism, several events led to the racial segregation of the movement; segregation that has persisted into the present era. Racial reconciliation within the North American Classical Pentecostal Movement will likely occur through understanding the role that past racial injustices have played in the Spirit-filled tradition, and recognizing that baptism of the Holy Spirit is a unifying experience that unifies people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds. The following …

Developing A Process For Missional Formation: A Ministry Project In The Baptist Church Of Beaufort, Sc, Eric Thomas Spivey

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Traditionally, Christians and church leaders compartmentalize their lives into growing spiritually and serving other people. One studies the Bible, worships or serves others without much thought for how these spiritual disciplines of formation and missional living impact and influence one another. Through a designed pastoral experiment involving twenty-four individuals in three community groups, this project proves that missional living combined with spiritual practices increases the spiritual growth in the members of The Baptist Church of Beaufort (SC).

Congregational Health And Wellness Ministry Using Locus Of Control To Develop Teaching Methods, Theresa Lee Trivette

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

Faith communities have a unique opportunity to help congregational members modify health-seeking behaviors in order to reduce modifiable health risk factors. Health researchers have increased their use of health locus of control as a preferred method for studying health promotion and sick-role behaviors. Targeted education and activities designed from the context of the subjects' health locus of control may provide an effective method to influence people to make positive healthy behavior modifications with a higher likelihood of success because locus of control beliefs have been shown to have direct relationships with healthy behavior choices. The health locus of control theory …

Communally Discerning A Covenant Of Hospitality For The Care Of Children At Westview Boys' Home, Ron Bruner

Doctor of Ministry Theses

This project addressed the lack of a covenant defining the practice of hospitality towards children for team members of Westview Boys’ Home. The purpose of the project was to facilitate the creation of such a covenant. The Westview ministry team already claimed hospitality as a strength; the hope was that reframing the ministry around this strength would improve the quality of care for children and the quality of life for the community. Invited into a communal discernment process (the methodology), the ministry team invested weeks in the examination of biblical texts, theological tradition, personal and communal narratives, cultural trends, psychological …

A Pastoral Theology Of Congregational Care And Leadership: Nurturing Emergence, Carol P. Jeunnette

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As with all bodies, congregational bodies experience challenges to their health, well-being, and ability to function as they desire. Problems in faith communities range from severe, intractable conflict to lethargy and decline, with far-ranging effects. The practice of offering pastoral care to individuals experiencing difficulties is rooted deeply in the Judeo-Christian tradition. There is, however, no explicit tradition of pastoral care for corporate congregational bodies experiencing difficulties. This dissertation draws on Bowen Family Systems Theory and its application by Edwin Friedman to congregations and leadership, in conjunction with aspects of process theology, to develop a pastoral theology of congregational care …

Becoming Fully Human: Re-Imagining Christian Discipleship For An Emerging Generation, Vincent A. Beresford

Doctor of Ministry

It is my claim that followers of Jesus in the United States are suffering from missional amnesia and are seemingly unaware of their increasingly ineffective approaches towards Christian discipleship and evangelism. It seems the Church has forgotten why they exist? Simultaneously, an emerging generation watches how the Christian faith is being played out in the United States, and has arrived at the conclusion that the "organized church" has missed the point. The world has changed and the Church's lack of response clearly indicates grand delusions of denial. The unique Christian sub-culture who were once the "natives" in the United States …

The Good Soil Process: A Strategic Missional Process For American Institutional Churches, Keith Tilley

Doctor of Ministry

The Primary Readers: Christian laity and clergy who are interested in learning about the increasing institutionalization of American mainstream denominations and the problems associated with maintaining such large corporations. They include those who have a burden for postmodern 21st century North America as a mission field and wish to communicate the good news of Jesus Christ effectively. The two project artifacts will specifically be contextualized for smaller to mid-size rural East Texas communities of faith. Much of the history and denominational traditions drawn upon in this written statement will be influenced by United Methodist heritage and experience but provided for …

Faith At Work: How Churches Can Better Enable Believers To Integrate Their Personal Faith In The Workplace, Stuart D. Dugan

Doctor of Ministry

No abstract provided.

A Study Of Compassion: Aaron's Creek Baptist Church In Virgilina, Virginia Reaching Single Parent Families, Billy Ray Mcentire

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Christ's mandate requires the Church to minister to those in physical and spiritual need (Matt 25:31-46). This project ministers to disadvantaged single parent families in Southside Virginia and makes clear to the congregation of Aaron's Creek Baptist Church several things: its responsibilities to society, the need for its service to society, and God's mandate that it practice and minister with compassion. A field study involving church volunteers and single parent families provides observation and interview data for the project's analysis. Volunteers develop into a self-driven ministry team that needs less direction in future ministry projects.

Glimpses Of Heaven Among Friends: The Utilization Of Film To Draw Interest In Small Group Studies At The First Baptist Church Of Albemarle, Roger William Thomas

Doctor of Ministry Projects

A small group study about heaven in scripture and contemporary film was developed in order to create interests in small groups. Believing small groups, discussions of the after life, and the power of storytelling are affirmed throughout scripture, individuals were recruited and led through the study. Surveys measured opinions on heaven and small groups among the entire congregation and the small group participants. Following the study, the participants were surveyed one final time on both subjects. Ultimately the study did not always change minds with concern to the afterlife, but the overall opinions of small group experiences seemed to be …

The Relational Soteriology Of Irenaeus Of Lyon, Brian Bews

Seminary Masters Theses

No abstract provided.