Arts and Humanities Commons^™

A Model For Ministry Of Church Elders In The Inca Union Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Luis Miguel Luna

Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this research was to elucidate the ministry of lay elders as it is suggested in the New Testament and to construct a model for the ministry of local church elders in the Inca Union Mission.

Method. This study was documentary and theological. The primary source was the New Testament, specifically the gospels, the book of Acts, and the epistles. Secondary literature was employed to support the biblical findings of the elders' tasks.

Conclusions. In harmony with the teaching of the Scriptures regarding early church organization and leadership, elders are selected by the local church and ordained …

A Study Of Student And Faculty Perceptions Of The Religious Environment Of Andrews University In Relation To Religiosity, Walter M. Booth

Dissertations

Problem. A report of the perceptions of the environment of an institution can be useful inassessing the effectiveness of that institution. This study assessed student and faculty perceptions of the religious environment of Andrews University, a Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) school.

Method. An instrument developed for the study was administered to 350 randomly selected subjects in eight subsamples: non-SDA students, faculty, freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors, theological seminary students, and other graduate students. The instrument consisted of inventories to measure perceptions of the religious environment and subject religiosity. Approximately 75% of the subjects completed the instrument. Scores were analyzed by analysis of …

Orthodoxy And Heresy In Hans Küng: An Analysis And Critique Of His Criteria And Norms Of Christian Truth And Error, C. Enrique Espinosa

Dissertations

This investigation deals with the concepts of orthodoxy and heresy in the thought of the Swiss theologian Hans Kung.

Chapter I sketches the broad outlines of the development of Christian orthodoxy and, by implication, of the heresy which opposed it, starting with the New Testament times. The most relevant elements constituting the structure of the orthodoxy-heresy antithesis are identified, described, and analyzed. The attention is thus focused on the traditional and modern principles, criteria, norms, and theological issues which have interplayed in the church's efforts to understand the Christian message correctly.

Chapter II shows that the pastoral concerns which constitute …

A Study Of The Religious Attitudes And Behaviors Of Seventh-Day Adventist Adolescents In North America Related To Their Family, Educational, And Church Backgrounds, Janet Leigh Kangas

Dissertations

Problem. Why are Seventh-day Adventist youth leaving the church in North America? This study, the first report of a 10-year longitudinal research project, sought to identify attitudes and behaviors of Adventist adolescents and examine possible correlations with the religious backgrounds and influences of their homes, churches, and schools.

Method. One church was randomly chosen for every 1,000 members within each local conference of the Seventh-day Adventist church in North America which totaled 695 congregations. Eventually 659 of the 695 church clerks responded, producing the names of 2,429 eligible baptized 15- and 16-year old youth. A questionnaire designed to report their …

A Statistical Model For Seventh-Day Adventist White English-Speaking Church Growth In The United States, Des Cummings

Dissertations

Problem. Until 1983 there was no statistical model for projecting church growth among white English-speaking Seventh-day Adventist churches in the United States. The purpose of this study was to identify a forecasting model based on the variables that were gathered from pastor and local church reports. Thegeneral hypothesis was that a significant predictive relationship existed between some combination of report variable/factors and the rate of church growth or decline. This hypothesis was subdivided into four specific hypotheses.

Method. One hundred forty-five churches were randomly selected from the white English-speaking churches in the United States. The financial, membership, pastor, and Sabbath …

A Second Chance For Christian Education: Strategies For A New Approach To Christian Education In Nigeria In View Of The Current Search For Educational Relevance, Silvanus Ndukuba Chioma

Dissertations

Problem. Despite the tremendous educational achievements in Nigeria since the launching of the National Policy on Education in 1977, many Nigerians have continued to call for the restoration of mission-operated private schools. This study set out to establish the role of religion in present-day education in Nigeria and to explore ways in which the aims of Christian education could be achieved in addition to the formal school setting.

Summary and Conclusions. Utilizing the historical documentary research method, the study reviewed Nigeria's educational history from 1845 to 1980 in the light of the country's cultural, religious (Muslim and Christian), and political …