Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Single And Christian Masterclass And Community, Ryan Lui

Doctor of Ministry

As the number of people marrying later in life or not at all in the church and world continue to rise, singleness as a significant stage of life and ministry area must also rise. However, with the Western church’s traditional focus on evangelism, family, and church growth, among other things, singleness is not given the attention it needs and results in single Christians languishing.

As a pastor at an urban church who has worked primarily with single people in their 20s and 30s, the issues related to a person’s singleness have been a reoccurring source of challenge regarding pastoral care, …

Biblical Contradictions: Embracing The Errors Of Scripture As Our Spiritual Teachers, Henry Craig Hadley

Doctor of Ministry

In 2016, Barna Group reported that “Among practicing Protestants, nine out of 10 in every age group say either that the Bible is the actual word of God (should be taken literally, word for word) or that it’s the inspired word of God without error.” This belief system causes Protestant Christians to ignore, gloss over, and explain away all the contradictions they discover in the Bible, rather than participate with the contradictions wholeheartedly. There is an opportunity to help Protestant Christians take part in more dialogue about contradictions, engage in more study of the Bible because of the contradictions, and …

Corinth Baptist Church Records, Zach S. Henderson Library Special Collections

Finding Aids

This collection consists of the records of Corinth Baptist Church, as well as records pertaining to the Ogeechee Baptist Association. Spanning, 1896-1969, materials include Corinth Baptist Church’s founding decorum, a deed for the land and some church-related personal correspondence, as well as a composition book repurposed as an informal record compilation, in addition to Corinth Baptist Church’s meeting minutes between 1903 and 1952. It also contains Corinth Baptist Church’s Uniform Letters to the Association from 1955 and 1956, and then from 1959-1967, as well as the Ogeechee Baptist Assocation’s meeting minutes from 1924 and 1963.

Finding Tov: A Workbook, Playbook Sketchbook & Coaching Framework, Henry John Graf V

Doctor of Ministry

Need, Problem, Opportunity (NPO)

In telling a more accurate story about the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (TKGE), I want to guide creatives to find and live their tov.

Key Benefits

Two key benefits emerged in the process of this research. First, anchoring TKGE in tov has evangelistic impact. Nones and Dones are the fastest growing religious demographics in America. Releasing tov from morality and mediocrities addresses the theodicy and brings gospel back to TKGE. Second, people are invited and, more importantly, equipped to participate in living their miyn as tov.

Ministry / Vocational Context

This project has …

Economic Impact Of Covid-19 On The Christian Camp Industry In 2020, Tori Beckwith

Senior Honors Theses

This study seeks to develop a greater understanding of the economic impact of Covid-19 on the Christian camp industry in 2020. The sample used to conduct this study was 778 camps in the United States. These were subdivided into four population groups (list the four groups here in the parenthesis) for optimal comparison analysis. The 2020 camp’s operational status was assessed through a four-question quantitative survey on the Covid-19 impact. The survey was emailed to various camp organizations and uploaded to google forms for greater population exposure. A comparison was made between the 2020 camping year and the non-Covid-19 camping …

Agentic And Receptive Hope: Understanding Hope In The Context Of Religiousness And Spirituality Through The Narratives Of Salvadoran Youth, Jennifer Medina Vaughn, Pamela Ebstyne King, Susan Mangan, Sean Noe, Samuel Hay, Bridget O’Neil, Jonathan M. Tirrell, Elizabeth M. Dowling, Guillermo Alfredo Iraheta Majano, Alistair Thomas Rigg Sim

All Faculty Open Access Publications

Hope contributes to positive development in adolescents, and religious and spiritual contexts may be particularly important for developing and supporting hope. However, extant literature on hope, religion, and spirituality neglects their synergistic relation, leaving questions about how they work together to support development. In this study, we explore how religiousness and spirituality (R/S) inform hope by identifying unique synergies that might be particularly useful in difficult contexts. Multilevel qualitative content analyses of interviews conducted with 18 thriving Salvadoran adolescents (50% female, Mage = 16.39 years, SD = 1.83) involved in a faith-based program provided evidence that the ideological and relational …

A Rebuttal To The Word Of Faith Movement, Brant Wenger

Senior Honors Theses

The Word of Faith movement teaches that all believers will experience good health and wealth. Issues arise, however, when not all believers enjoy health and wealth like they were promised. The intent of this study is to examine the history of the Word of Faith movement and expose the falsehoods that are propagated by them. It is the position of this writer that the Word of Faith movement is grounded in the manipulation of Scripture and perverts the gospel preached by Jesus and His disciples. As a result, these teachings do not present a message of salvation but one that …

Missiological Intelligence: Taking Cultural Intelligence To A New Level In Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Adam Vaughan

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Many people thrive on the mission field while others seem to flounder. This includes some missionaries who must return to their home country prematurely. The correlation between flourishing and floundering for missionaries on the field is not necessarily limited to a lack of passion, biblical knowledge, effort, or even language proficiency. All missionaries need a comprehensive set of tools, and one that has been seriously neglected in missiological training is Cultural Intelligence (CQ). CQ is a modality of intelligence within the umbrella of Social Intelligence, as categorized under the Multiple Intelligence Theory. With the rapid increase of globalization, those who …

The Prevalence Of Unaddressed Trauma In The Lives Of Ministerial Leaders And Pastoral Care-Oriented Steps To Greater Spiritual And Emotional Health, Deanna D. Shrodes

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Ministerial leaders carry an abundance of responsibility in innumerable areas while simultaneously managing life-threatening crises at the same time. They provide pastoral care for those they serve in addition to overseeing a plethora of areas such as discipleship, program development, fundraising, and conflict management. Pastoral leaders often keep unhealthy and unsustainable schedules and receive inadequate compensation particularly in comparison to their professional counterparts. The weight of the ministry alone lends itself to stress and burnout if the leader is not careful to maintain adequate self-care. If unaddressed trauma is present along with all of the stressors commonly found in the …

Intentional Male Allies/Advocates: How Male Leaders Can Successfully Champion Female Ministers In The Assemblies Of God U.S.A., Saehee H. Duran

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

While the Assemblies of God (AG) endorses women in ministry through its position paper and bylaws, a dichotomy has existed between its egalitarian theology and practice since its inception in 1914. One key to narrowing such a gap involves intentional and countercultural male leaders who actively train, empower, affirm, and mentor women called to ministerial leadership. This research defines biblical egalitarian leadership, identifies exemplary female leaders and their male champions in the Old and New Testaments, and explores the best practices of male allyship for female leaders through a literature review and a qualitative survey of active AG male allies …

A Pneumatological Theology And Christological Philosophy Of Church Conflict For The Post-Pandemic Western Church To Outlive, Outlast, And Outlove, Scott Bowman

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Church conflict is increasingly at the forefront of denominations as they suffer internal and external conflict. The need to develop a better perspective and manage relationships in church conflict may depend on the church’s theology. The research of this project seeks to establish a pneumatological theology in dialogue with family systems theory and Christological philosophy of church conflict. The theology of church conflict is divided into four sections: reason, experience, history, and scripture. The Christological philosophy centers on Jesus’ conflicts as every passage in the book of Luke is examined through the lens of conflict. A contextually transferrable Spirit-empowered theology …

A Gospel Centered And Holistic Approach To Caring For Indivduals Experiencing Poverty, Leon Battle

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Poverty is a major contributor of negative effects to individual health, mental health, and quality of life. The call God has for Christians is to care for individuals experiencing poverty. The question the research aims to answer is: “What elements are important to provide a holistic feeding program that meets the need of an individual physically and spiritually?” Literature on the issue of poverty, a thorough review of scriptures, as well as insights from experts in the field provided information on historical and contemporary issues affecting the poor. Data for this project was collected through a mixed methods study consisting …

Prayer, Leadership, And Church Planting Movements : Learning From The Prayer-Lives Of Western Renewal Movements And Their Leaders, Matthew Porter

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Reading The Signs Of The Time: Three Voices In The Confessional Lutheran Church As They Relate To Segregation, Racism, And Apartheid In South Africa From 1900–1978, Christoph Dietrich Weber

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Weber, Christoph, Reading the signs of the time: “Three voices in the confessional Lutheran Church to segregation, racism, and apartheid in South Africa from 1900–1978.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2022. 425 pp.

According to August Vilmar, reading the signs of the times was an essential task of all pastors and theologians. It was a part of their prophetic task to interpret the world and its context with the word of God and to proclaim the voice of the church in law and gospel. The three theologians analyzed in this dissertation: Karl Meister, Hermann Sasse, and Friederich W. Hopf respected Vilmar …

Worthy Is The Lamb: The Nature Of Christ As Lamb And Rightful Worship Of The Godhead, Rebekah Degroff

Senior Honors Theses

The Lamb motif can be traced throughout Scripture and is often paired with depictions of a sacrificial, substitutionary, and atoning nature. The New Testament portrays Jesus Christ as the perfect and acceptable Lamb of God, confirmed through His victorious death on the cross. Revelation 5 parallels the worship of Christ as Lamb with His death that provided payment for the justification of man and qualified Him to bring about God’s final judgment and redemption of creation. Thus, Christ’s identity as the Lamb results in the justification and judgment of mankind, the glorification of God the Father, and the worship of …

Sacred Business: Outlining Business As Mission For The Fulfillment Of The Great Commission, Eli Jackson

Senior Honors Theses

Business as Mission (BAM) is the operation of a for-profit business located in a cross-cultural setting and aimed toward the fulfillment of the great commission. This definition reveals four key success factors for BAM: support, financial and otherwise, for both the business and the missionaries; the ability to gain access to cross-cultural settings; the opportunity to advance the gospel; and the requirement of managing both missional and business goals. Examining each of these areas, along with the historical effectiveness of BAM, reveals that BAM is an efficient and effective missional strategy, which should be used to see the Great Commission …

Revival Today: America’S History Of Biblical Revival And Its Modern Application, Matthew Musser

Senior Honors Theses

There is a need for revival within the church today. Christian revivals are becoming less and less popular in the current times. Is this due to a subtle shift in America’s culture? Or is this decline of religious revival the result of something deeper? This thesis will seek to discover the biblical foundations of revival in American history. First, it will analyze some of the biblical revivals that took place in the Old Testament, Gospels, and Book of Acts. Then it will transition into how these biblical principles have been the cornerstone for many of the great revivals in American …

Compassion Fatigue And Burnout: When Caring Becomes Too Much, Ruth Elisabeth Cole

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this DMIN thesis is to provide resources and education for clinical staff to recognize and reduce compassion fatigue and burnout. Compassion fatigue and burnout in hospice clinical staff is a sizeable issue. Clinical staff was defined as doctors, nurses, social workers, chaplains, and aides due to their direct and constant contact with dying patients. By providing resources and education on what compassion fatigue and burnout look like and the primary causes, the study aimed to help clinical staff in the hospice care setting to reduce the damage caused by compassion fatigue and burnout. Resources including counseling sessions, …

An Exploration Of The Attitudes And Expectations Of African American Congregants Regarding The Succession And Transition Of Their Senior Pastor, Tony O'Neal Hinton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study addressed the relevance of assessing the attitudes and expectations of African American congregants regarding the succession and transition of their senior pastor. The study focused on a local church in Baltimore, Maryland. The research assumed that including laity within the succession planning of their senior pastor would produce a healthy transition and future of the church. It further examined how the lack of succession planning within the Black church has caused challenges that could be prevented. The literature and biblical text suggest that the people’s role in the success of their leader was critical to the operation of …

The Impact Of Childhood Trauma On Emotional Intimacy And Attachment In Marriage Among Heterosexual Women Who Are Regular Church Attendees, Elizabeth Morten Oates

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the impact of childhood trauma on emotional intimacy and attachment style in marriage among heterosexual women who are regular church attendees. Two research questions drove this current study: (a) How would women who have experienced childhood trauma describe their attachment style in marriage?, and (b) What challenges do women who have experienced childhood trauma face in marriage regarding emotional intimacy with their spouse? Participants completed the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) Questionnaire (n.d.), the Adult Attachment Scale, and participated in semi-structured interviews. The data were categorized and analyzed using inductive and …

Benefits Of Mental Illness Training Programs In The Church, Blessed Onaiwu

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The church consists of God’s people. It is the assembly of believers in Jesus Christ. The physical buildings facilitate the fellowship, worship, and ministry of God’s people. According to Matthew 10:8, one of the mandates given to the body of Christ is to heal the sick. Mental illness of any form is an illness that requires proper care and attention. And we know Jesus came to comfort us in all our afflictions which include mental illness; most churches do not address this topic due to stigma. There is often a greater shame regarding this illness within the church than outside, …

A Model For Ongoing Leadership Development In Evangelical Generation Z Ministry Leaders, Jillieta Diane Norwood

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to explore the leadership preparedness and biblical worldview of Generation Z (Gen Z) Christian ministry leaders to inform the formation of a theoretical model for ongoing leadership development. Participants (N=7) were paid senior ministry leaders of Assembly of God churches in the Midwest region who were involved in the hiring process and ongoing development of paid Gen Z ministry leaders. Additional participants included ministry leaders who fell within the defined years of the Generation Z cohort (1995-2010) and who had been employed by the church for a minimum of six months (N=10). …

Creating Harmony Through A Unified Definition Of Discipleship, Dereck S. Jackson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

It is difficult to function as one unified group in an association of churches where autonomy is central. The ninety-one churches that call Converge Northeast their association desire to start churches, strengthen them, and send people into the harvest field. However, this group of capable churches and leaders has been unable to sustain church health, lacking church growth. After bringing in new leadership, there has been a resurgence of relationship building and vision casting. What might this group of churches need to become vibrant disciple-making churches? Unity among autonomous churches will require that leaders are on the same page and …

The Greatest Conceived Being: A Trinitarian Response To Islamic Objections, Sherene Nicholas Khouri

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Islamic golden age under the Abbasids opened up the opportunity for Christian thinkers to present several apologies for the doctrine of the Trinity in Islamic context. This study examines the status of the Arabic church in the eighth to tenth centuries, especially the trinitarian apologies of John of Damascus, Theodore Abū Qurrah, and Yaḥyā Ibn ‘Adi against Islamic misunderstanding of the Trinity and its probable cause, in order to come up with trinitarian apologetics that answer Islamic objections and that will be useful for the present day. While both Christians and Muslims agree that human beings will never be …

The Pandemic's Impact On The Efficacy Of Chaplaincy At The Baldwin State Prison, John Gomez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Chaplains usually provide pastoral care for inmates, staff members, and counseling for offenders and offenders’ families. Because of the pandemic, they have not provided adequate pastoral care and counseling in their respective facilities. The restrictions imposed by the pandemic have negatively impacted the chaplain’s ability to adequately provide pastoral care and counseling in most federal and state correctional institutions. The Department of Georgia Correctional facilities, particularly at the Baldwin State prison, has also experienced this decrease in pastoral care and counseling due to the pandemic. In the Georgia Department of Corrections, all visitations, including lawyers and clergy, have been suspended …

Biblical Servant Leadership And The Senior Executive Service (Ses) Role In The Federal Government: Quantitative Correlational Study, Eugene Quinn Jr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Considering the traits of biblical servant leadership, this leadership style may be ideal for the entrusted federal government positions of the Senior Executive Service (SES). The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), SES, was created by Congress to provide a government mobile cadre of managers for the federal government. These federal government employees are the backbone of the executive leadership in the federal government. The SES is mandated to respect and adhere to the fundamental principles of ethical service (behaves in an honest, fair, and ethical manner). The SES are federal government employees and are the link between a federal …

Youth Discipleship Framework For Church Revitalization, Temaris Loran Moore

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In most recent years, the decline of youth in North American churches has become a general area of concern. Churches, para-ministries, and youth ministries alike have sought to combat the mass youth exodus. Despite the gains recognized in education, ministry to emerging generations in practical ways churches ar not fairing well in their ability to engage and maintain young believers. This project stems from the idea that a youth discipleship framework is essential to youth discipleship and church revitalization. This study uses dual quantitative and qualitative interviews with youth ministry leaders to understand their experiences and observations regarding the barriers …

The Intergenerational Church's Role In Family Worship, Jeremy Robert Jordan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Throughout the Scriptures, God calls parents to teach their children to glorify God through worship. The Bible also commands all generations to encourage one another through worship and service. Throughout history, there are many examples of God’s people spending time in family worship, but over the past couple of decades, there has been a decline in parents discipling their children. A great number of parents are now expecting the church to provide the biblical training their children need. The lack of parents taking the time to teach their children and lead them in worship daily has led to high school …

Jesus’S Subversive Reading Of The Isaian Jubilee: Luke 4:16–30 In Theological-Historiographical Perspective, Jeff Scott Kennedy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A growing number of scholars have proposed that Luke, or his sources, fabricated the story of Jesus reading a text in the Nazareth synagogue (Luke 4:14–30) in order to appeal to the literate sensibilities of Luke’s Greek audience. The thesis of this dissertation is that Luke’s portrayal of Jesus as a capable public reader and expositor of the Scripture is historically credible and Christologically significant. Rather than implying that Jesus was a scribal-literate reader, Luke’s synagogue narrative signals that Jesus was a capable and a welcomed lay-reader of the Prophets, and a capable yet unwelcomed expositor who appeared to have …

Childhood Trauma: Nobody Told Me It Would Impact My Marriage Too, Charles Matthew Houston

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis project addressed the couple’s ministry life group class at Ridgeville Church of God, as it intends to address how childhood trauma affects married couples. The purpose was to provide proper tools and resources through an education process such as a marriage conference. Chapter One introduces the church’s historical context, mission statement, vision statement, the possible limitations of implementing such a class, and the pastor’s professional background. The literature review in Chapter Two highlights the powerful effects of childhood trauma, especially in individuals’ marriages, more specifically, couples’ intimacy. Survey-style data was the selected method used in this research due …