Religion Commons^™

Audacious Saints: A Spiritual Formation Journey Toward Freedom And Flourishing, Carroll Lane Parsons

Doctor of Ministry

This doctoral project addresses a common challenge for many Christian women. In spiritual direction, they often express emotional, spiritual, and psychological pain because their voice, vision, and power are limited in their faith communities. Even though these women are deeply devoted to God and their beliefs, this pain can often make it difficult to experience spiritual confidence, discover their calling, and trust their own discernment. The project explores how engaging with the lives of female saints, alongside contemplative and embodied practices, can offer a healing way forward.

Audacious Saints is a twelve-module spiritual formation program that integrates sacred stories, group …

The Reconnection Experience: A Black Pastor's Journey Back To God And Self, Lindsay Mcghee Alexander

Doctor of Ministry

NPO

The Need/Problem/Opportunity (NPO) statement guiding this project is: Pastors in the 8th Episcopal District of the AME Church feel disconnected from God and themselves.

Key Insights

The research revealed that pastoral disconnection is driven less by lack of skill and more by identity loss, performance pressure, and the absence of safe spaces for vulnerability. Spiritual formation remains largely absent from Black pastors' lives and churches. Cultural and denominational expectations reward quantitative data over spiritual growth. Self-care and inner work are not recognized as integral to ministry success or effectiveness. Many pastors operate from “doing” rather than “being,” leading to …

Equip: Developing Confident, Christ-Centered Volunteers, Alyssa Mclaughlin

Doctor of Ministry

NPO statement: Volunteers within Cedar Hills Church feel unsure of what we believe, unclear on their purpose, and unprepared to disciple others in their specific ministry contexts. Without intentional training and equipping, these barriers keep capable people on the sidelines instead of stepping confidently into the mission of Jesus.

Key benefits or insights that emerged: Research and early implementation showed that volunteers engage more when equipping is relational, practical, and connected to real life. Adults were more willing to participate when they could share from their own experiences and practice their faith, rather than sit through content-heavy teaching. Participants gained …

Space, Belonging, And Formation In The Intergenerational Church, Tara Lynn Wolf

Doctor of Ministry

This Doctoral Project addresses the following Need, Problem, or Opportunity (NPO): Redeemer Lutheran Church has limited intentionally cultivated spaces for informal, intergenerational connection, leading to reliance on programs to foster relationships, formation, and a sense of belonging. This condition challenges the congregation’s stated commitment to being intentionally intergenerational and affects relational continuity spanning generations.

Research conducted through stakeholder interviews, design workshops, surveys, and prototyping revealed that belonging and spiritual formation are formed not only by ministry programming but by the physical and social environments in which people gather repeatedly over time. Key insights indicated that churches often underestimate the influence …

Renewed: A Journey Toward Resilient And Relational Leadership, Molly Bradley Lacroix

Doctor of Ministry

Adverse religious experiences cause spiritual, emotional, and relational wounds. Research on spiritual harm locates its origins in the misuse of power. High-control religious environments are preoccupied with authority, submission, silencing dissent, and shaming those who question or doubt. Clearly, the nature of leadership is key in addressing and preventing harm. Spiritually safe leaders empower people, lead with humility, seek feedback, and take accountability for mistakes. Research on the role of clergy reveals complex roles, relentless demands, burnout, and the impact of secondary trauma on clergy well-being. Additionally, clergy are often expected to operate beyond their areas of competence and report …

The Sabbath Journey: An Invitation For Pastors And Spiritual Leaders To Find Rest In God, Cody Daniel Ragland

Doctor of Ministry

In the fast-paced ministry of today, non-denominational evangelical pastors in the United States often strive to serve their congregations while neglecting God’s gift of Sabbath rest. Though the Sabbath is deeply rooted in Scripture, it is often misunderstood, minimized, or neglected in the lives of pastors. My NPO seeks to address:

This doctoral project introduces The Sabbath Journey: An invitation for Pastors and Spiritual Leaders to find rest in God. It is a year-long cohort program designed for pastors and ministry leaders to cultivate deep personal relationships and accountability as they develop a weekly Sabbath practice. Through intentional community, …

Faith, Formation, And Formalization: Entrepreneurship Development Among Women In Ghana, Patricia Adams-Williams

Doctor of Ministry

The problem addressed in this study is the absence of a unified, faith-centered framework that equips single mothers in Ghana to build sustainable livelihoods while strengthening their spiritual identity. Although Ghanaian women demonstrate remarkable resilience and entrepreneurial drive, many remain confined to informal markets without access to business training, mentorship, or systems that connect their work to their calling. This dissertation argues that integrating spiritual formation with entrepreneurship training creates a pathway for lasting transformation. The thesis of this study is that Kingdom-centered entrepreneurship, rooted in biblical identity and supported by communal mentorship, empowers women to move from survival to …

A Better Way: From Pyramids To Gardens: Recovering God's Design For Leadership, Accountability And Renewal, Tara Naomi Korpi

Doctor of Ministry

This doctoral project emerges from my vocational context as a consultant and pastor working with senior pastors and executive leadership teams within evangelical contexts. Across these settings, I encountered patterns of abuse and unethical and immoral behavior that were not rooted in isolated mistakes but embedded within organizational cultures that normalized pastoral isolation, protected institutional image, and lacked effective structures for accountability. These observations shaped the project’s conviction that, when empowered with appropriate tools for integrity and accountability, leaders can cultivate healthier churches where righteousness is prioritized, harm is prevented, and pastors are supported to finish well for lasting Kingdom …

The Table Between Us: Cultivating Intergenerational Discipleship And Belonging In The Local Church, James Irwin

Doctor of Ministry

Many members of Generation Z, born in the mid-1990s to the early 2010s, have grown up amid digital saturation, social fragmentation, mental health challenges, and institutional distrust. At Holy Savior Lutheran Church in Lincoln, Nebraska, many Gen Z participants seek deeper, more meaningful relationships beyond Sunday worship. This project addresses the concern expressed by these Gen Z members at Holy Savior.

This dissertation asserts that intergenerational ministry provides a theologically grounded, culturally responsive approach for engaging Gen Z in meaningful discipleship at Holy Savior Lutheran Church. By grounding this approach in Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Sanctorum Communio and Life Together, and …

Good Neighbors Racial Healing Journey: Ministry Of The Good Neighbors Racial Healing Initiative, Rev. Cameron Duncan

Doctor of Ministry

NPO Statement: Christians of color struggle with forgiveness amid ongoing racial trauma, while White Christians often avoid engagement due to fear, hindering racial reconciliation efforts.

My doctoral project began as an exploration of healing and reconciliation within Christian communities but became a personal journey of confronting racial trauma. Initially, I did not see racial trauma as central to my work. However, at my first retreat at Cannon Beach, I was forced to reckon with the impact of microaggressions and systemic racism on my sense of self. Years in predominantly white spaces had left me with internalized messages that my …

Being The Beloved: Cultivating A Head To Heart Journey Of Identity For Emerging Adults In Ministry And Leadership, Jennifer Clark

Doctor of Ministry

NPO Statement

Emerging adults in ministry without a deepening awareness of being God’s beloved may struggle to flourish and lead in their given contexts.

Key Benefits

Being the Beloved: Cultivating a Head to Heart Journey of Identity for Emerging Adults in Leadership and Ministry is a curriculum created to ground emerging adults in the love of God as they transition into adulthood and emerge as the next generation of Church leaders. Developmental psychology labels emerging adulthood as a time of significant change, instability and transition, while having to navigate key life decisions regarding education, career, and relationships. Identity formation is …

Wilderness & Wonder: Creating Compassionate Spaces For Those Who Have Been Wounded And Forgotten By The Church, Tyler Dresbach

Doctor of Ministry

Harm caused by Fundamentalist Evangelicalism prevents individuals from re-engaging in a faith community, creating a need for compassionate spaces that foster healing and reconciliation. What is one supposed to do when the only group they have known to be a healing and life-giving community is the source of their hurt, disappointment, and confusion? Often, individuals disengage from the religious community and are left to navigate the complexities of life and faith on their own. Yet these individuals, while skeptical of the Church, have increasingly expressed a desire to reengage with a faith community—but if not within the formal structures of …

Rehydrating The Church: The Lifegiving Role Of The Holy Spirit In Christian Formation, Ministry, Leadership, And Community, Rand Burden

Doctor of Ministry

NPO Statement

Many small rural Global Methodist Church (GMC) congregations have limited access to pastors and, as such, are in critical need of alternative forms of spiritual leadership.

Key Insights

Life in the Spirit must precede spiritual leadership. The church desperately needs members and leaders living lives led by, walking after, and informed by the Spirit. It is my conviction that with an increased awareness of the Spirit, a desire for intimacy will arise, a drawing to wade into the Water of Life, to be more open to desire and experience a deeper encounter with and understanding of the Holy …

Remain: Holistic Transformation For Spiritually And Developmentally Mature Global Ministry Leaders In Late Midlife, Nicole Paschall

Doctor of Ministry

Few resources cater to the unique needs of seasoned global ministry leaders, fostering the holistic spiritual and personal growth essential for ongoing Kingdom impact. Through research and practice, this project identified a significant gap in addressing the whole person— spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically—during the later stages of ministry and leadership. Insights from stakeholders and participants revealed the importance of integrating spiritual formation, adult psychological truths, and leadership development within a contextual and supportive environment. These elements provide the transformative opportunities later midlife leaders need to sustain growth and deepen their Kingdom contribution.

The ministry context focuses on global workers …

Blessed Are The Single Ladies: How Marriage Normative Preaching Harms Single Women, Jamie Fiorino

Doctor of Ministry

Through the preaching of marriage normativity, pastors inadvertently dismiss the lived experience of single women and, consequently, prevent their faith life from flourishing.

The platform for my campaign of awareness regarding marriage normativity in the Church begins with a website, www.blessedarethesingleladies.com. This eighteen-page website rationalizes and illustrates how preaching a message that marriage is expected harms single women by creating a culture of shame, insecurity, and jealousy. I have included theological and scriptural best practices, six first-person stories from women, and next steps for church transformation. To extend the campaign into spaces my audience may use, the BATSL project …

Beloved Elder: The Spiritual Journey Of Aging, Elizabeth Nielsen

Doctor of Ministry

Aging has changed significantly in recent decades due to medical, economic, and social factors. The increasing length of American lives is both a blessing and a challenge for families and elders themselves, but our cultural and theological foundations are not sufficient to address this situation.

My NPO emerged from pastoral experience caring for elders: Aging Christians often struggle to know the presence and love of God finding their faith practices to be inadequate for the distinctive challenges of aging.

Key insights from my research include:

1. The most significant challenge of aging is surrender to childlikeness before God. In late life …

Wholehearted Leadership: Equipping Clergy For Healthy Leadership, Nicole Mcclurg

Doctor of Ministry

NPO Statement: Considering current training for Evangelical clergy, sustained attention to spiritual formation is often missing but essential for pastoral health and healthy, sustainable ministry.

Clergy are burning out significantly, as reported by a Lifeway Research Poll that found 100% of 1,500 pastors know colleagues that left the ministry, while 91% of pastors report experiencing burnout.¹ The research suggests that seminary does not prepare clergy for the demands of ministry or the practical spiritual needs of their congregations. Clergy struggle to maintain a solid vocational identity rooted in the Trinity amid pastoral duties. Many clergy are isolated from ongoing …

Biblical Women Reimagined A Devotional Where Women's Voices Are Heard, Natalie Karlson

Doctor of Ministry

The vocational context of this project portfolio is a small spiritual direction practice found in central Massachusetts. The directees are women who attend or have left the evangelical church for distinct reasons. One of the key issues that these women face is the dismissal or minimization of their voices. Leaders stopped these women from using their voices. The women could not ask questions, share their experiences, or make decisions about their spiritual journeys. Considering the context and stakeholder feedback, the NPO: the dismissal of women’s voices denies the evangelical church the complete revelation of God’s work among humans.

Four key …

The Soul Journey: A Response To The Evangelical Exodus, Jerome T. Daley Jr.

Doctor of Ministry

NPO Statement

Many leaving the white American Evangelical Church still long for spiritual connection but lack a “container” for pursuing formation and community.

Key Insights

Most of those caught in the Evangelical Exodus still love Jesus but have been injured by one or more of these particular malformations in the organized church: 1) political entanglement, 2) power mismanagement, 3) flawed theological narratives, 4) cultural exclusion, 5) and social justice neglect. They find themselves spiritually homeless and invisible, retaining vague yearnings for deeper connection yet emotionally exhausted by the trauma of leaving Church. My most compelling insight was that the organized …

Seven Portals Of Feminine Formation: Reclaiming The Wisdom Of The Gnostics, Kellie Wilder Daley

Doctor of Ministry

NPO Statement

Women with spiritual hunger have lost connection with their feminine goodness, their voice, and their embodied presence due to cultural and religious patriarchy.

Key Insights

The resilience of women is evident in the fact that we have endured so long within the Fundamentalist Evangelical Church—a space that is often hostile, if not outright misogynistic. Women have been conditioned to remain silent, accepting the idea, as John Piper put it, that “masculine Christianity” is God’s original design. However, normalizing Christianity as exclusively masculine creates deep harm and imbalance across spiritual, social, and psychological spheres. This dynamic establishes a rigid …

Unmoored: Answering Social Upheaval And Historical Forgetfulness, Carl Creasman

Doctor of Ministry

There is a societal upheaval evidenced by a rise of Christian nationalism, deconstruction from the Christian faith, and a general lack of flourishing engulfing the nation, like an unmanned boat adrift at sea, unmoored from safe harbor. Both Christians and non-Christians can sense the danger of rough seas, perhaps even rugged shoals that could irreparably ruin the craft, our nation. As a College Professor, I have both seen and heard the concern about future, both one’s own personal future and that of the larger civic national structure. We have arrived here as a nation because the historical concepts and principles …

Inspire Leadership Transitions: Helping Non-Denominational Churches Navigate Senior Leadership Transitions, Andrew Heard

Doctor of Ministry

Inspire Leadership Transitions is a digital platform designed to assist senior pastors, church leaders, and churches in navigating the complexities of senior leadership transitions, particularly within non-denominational churches. At its core is a free online transition course that blends biblical wisdom with research-driven insights, offering a strategic, accessible, and spiritually grounded approach to leadership transitions. This project responds to the critical need for effective transition planning as senior pastors age, and churches face a growing leadership crisis. Research shows that most transitions occur without a strategic plan, leading to challenges that could otherwise be avoided. While denominational churches often have …

Equip Life On Purpose, Michael T. Morgan

Doctor of Ministry

The Big Top of Bel Air Church is a breathtaking space where God’s grand story unfolds, yet it has struggled to provide a unified biblical framework for discipleship. The problem, as outlined in my NPO statement, is that the Church lacks an agreed-upon common biblical framework needed to constructively engage the work God has entrusted the Church to do, resulting in silence, spiritual immaturity, and disunity. Political partisanship, fear, and a lack of relational and spiritual maturity have further strained the ability of believers to grow together in Christ.

A key insight emerged through extensive research: the Church’s struggle is …

M3: Intensive Seminars For Advancing Microchurch Methodology And Ministry, Rick Delatorre

Doctor of Ministry

NPO: The Microchurch ministry model has the capacity to enhance discipleship and cultural engagement for the Western Church in the 21st century.

The status of the Christian Church in the United States is in crisis. The traditional church in the West has declined. Church attendance is dropping, membership is shrinking, and younger generations are leaving. The data from multiple sources only confirmed my observations from decades of pastoral ministry.

My research into this phenomenon began as an exploration of the Western Church’s endeavors to fulfill the commission of Christ in discipleship. This exploration resulted in a research journey that led …

Whole Broken People Wholeness Of Life At All Ages, Brenda K. Lewis

Doctor of Ministry

NPO Statement

Experiences of lost independence or control overwhelm or block the spiritual coping mechanisms of some Independent Living residents at Givens Estates.

Key Research Insights

Deep cultural bias, denial, and a lack of realistic role models form blocks between us and healthy coping with the realities of aging. When we lose independence and control, we often lose our expected storyline, our sense of our identity, and our understanding of the role of our spiritual traditions. The Christian tradition offers rich resources for redefining our story and ourselves in ways that deepen our faith and our connection with the people …

The Hospitality Challenge: Recovering A Biblical Method For Discipling Busy People, Kristopher Clifford

Doctor of Ministry

How can the church effectively disciple career-driven, community-involved, and weekend-traveling individuals? This question shaped the focus of my doctoral project, which explores Christian hospitality as an experiential and flexible approach to discipleship. Traditional, program-based models of discipleship often fail to engage busy individuals because they rely on attendance and intellectual learning rather than practices integrated into everyday life. In contrast, hospitality, modeled by Jesus and the early church, emerges as a transformative and scripturally-rooted method of discipleship that is flexible for busy people, practical in nature, and effective in fostering life transformation.

In my ministry context at Columbia Baptist Church, …

Reimagining The Role Of Women In The Church Of Tomorrow, Adam Harbaugh

Doctor of Ministry

The need for "Reimagining the Role of Women in the Church of Tomorrow" has come from my experience serving as a Pastor in two non-denominational churches in Mid-Michigan over the last seventeen years (approximately 15 years in Saginaw, 2 years in Frankenmuth). In Saginaw, it became clear the advancement of the Kingdom was limited when women were not eligible to act on their spiritual gifts within the leadership hierarchy of the church. Practically, this meant women were not allowed to serve as Pastors, Elders, or preachers/teachers to the congregation at-large. Attempts from myself and others to illuminate the ways this …

Sexism In African And African-American Pentecostalism: A Black Liberation Perspective, Evelyn G. Okeke

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation explores the scourge of sexism in African and African-American Pentecostalism within the context of a critique of Black Liberation Theology, including the many challenges the intersection of race, gender, and class poses for Black clergywomen seeking leadership roles in the Pentecostal church, their courageous attempts to tackle this problem, and the extent to which sexism has permeated the Pentecostal Church and contributed to the marginalization of Black clergywomen in that community. The broad issue is whether women qua human beings can represent Christ, to which question this study answered yes.

Sexism has harmed Black clergywomen in multiple ways, …

Restoration For Pastors: Embodied Art, Prayers, And Poetry For Healing And Resilience, Bryan H. Kim

Doctor of Ministry

The Perilous Role of the Pastorate in the American Church

Top-tier leadership in any ministry organization is, by and large, a dangerous endeavor in the American Church, with the role of pastor being the most dangerous. Peter Drucker, business, and management expert, states the four most challenging jobs in America are the following: President of the United States, hospital administrator, a university president, and a local church pastor.¹

The Struggle Despite Seminary Training

Despite traditional seminary training pastors in non-denominational churches feel ill-equipped to cope with daily, seasonal and heartache stressors, leaving them wondering if they are accomplishing anything …

Black Women Healing From Gender-Based Violence: Christ-Centered Approaches For Transformative Holistic Wellbeing, Tanya Jahwar

Doctor of Ministry

The Women’s Leadership and Resource Center states, “Gender-based violence against Black women has always existed in the US. From historical accounts of chattel slavery to analyses of present-day society, Black women have endured multiple forms of violence including labor …, sexual …, medical … and … exploitation.”³² This dissertation will provide important research about gender-based violence against Black women and girls and will conclude with Christ-centered approaches for transformative holistic wellbeing. Do laws that prevent violence enable more violence? In the fact sheet published by the National Black Women’s Justice Institute, it is noted that, “Experiences of abuse do …