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Articles 571 - 600 of 1703
Full-Text Articles in Religion
Building High-Performance Ministry Teams: Pastors, Ministers, And Leaders Of Selected Baptist Churches In Macon, Georgia, Michael Wendell Johnson
Building High-Performance Ministry Teams: Pastors, Ministers, And Leaders Of Selected Baptist Churches In Macon, Georgia, Michael Wendell Johnson
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This transcendental phenomenological research explored the experiences of pastors, ministers, and leaders of selected Baptist churches in Macon, Georgia regarding the impact of a shared vision on the development of high-performance ministry teams. The study's goal will be to understand how a shared vision can motivate pastors and church leaders to do what is necessary to improve church ministries so they can function in a way that would advance the Kingdom of God. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the experiences of pastors and church leaders in building high-performance ministries. Shared vision will be defined as a clear and common …
A Qualitative Descriptive Study: What South Carolina Church Leaders Believe About Congregational Active Shooter Preparation, Charles David Watts Jr.
A Qualitative Descriptive Study: What South Carolina Church Leaders Believe About Congregational Active Shooter Preparation, Charles David Watts Jr.
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study is to establish a baseline of understanding what experiences South Carolina Southern Baptist church leaders have in active shooter training and what they believe about preparing, training, and equipping congregations for an active shooter incident in their house of worship. This researcher examined how church leaders prepare, train, and equip congregations for security threats like active shooter incidents. This study fills a gap in the existing literature, adding to the research by Auten (2021), Rainer (2017), and the FBI (2016). This researcher examined how churches prepare for security threats like active shooter incidents. …
A Phenomenological Study Of Complexity Leadership Interactions Of An International Protestant Convention During Covid-19, Thomas S. Narofsky
A Phenomenological Study Of Complexity Leadership Interactions Of An International Protestant Convention During Covid-19, Thomas S. Narofsky
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This phenomenological study aimed to explore the in-depth perceptions and insightful reflections of 12 International Protestant Convention leadership team members to explore and investigate their lived experiences and leadership decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic through the lens of Complexity Leadership Theory. The 2020-2023 COVID-19 pandemic changed the world when the emergent fast-paced virus disrupted and overwhelmed societal life, creating pre- and post-COVID bifurcation points that will shape world dynamics and social interactions for years (Warren, 2022; Christianson & Barton, 2021; Harari, 2020; Pierce, 2020). For this research, complexity leadership interactions, social network dynamics, and information flow were studied to discover …
Equipping Equippers: Training Alaska Bible College Students For Equipping Ministry Through Mentorship, Justin Glenn Archuletta
Equipping Equippers: Training Alaska Bible College Students For Equipping Ministry Through Mentorship, Justin Glenn Archuletta
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The research project strived to improve the Christian Ministry Training program at Alaska Bible College, by adding a multi-generational equipping mentorship focus to the already existing program. The addition of the multi-generational mentorship is modeled after the exhortation found in 2 Timothy 2:2. Adding the primary goal of equipping to the mentorship program is founded in Ephesians 4:11-16. There were a total of 28 participants in the research project, which included recent graduates, faculty, staff, and currently enrolled students as of January 2023. The research project seeks to equip students of Alaska Bible College to begin equipping mentorship as student …
Some Aspects Of The Theology Of The City In Ane Literature And Biblical Protology And Eschatology: A Comparative Study, Vlatko Dir
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The city is an essential accomplishment that is embedded in the foundations of human civilization. From its mature appearance in Sumer and its developed forms throughout the ANE world, the city held a high place in cosmology, cosmogony, and anthropogony. The ideology and theology of the city created by the ANE peoples were built around and presented through the interplay of the triangle of influences and dependencies formed by the city, the temple, and kingship in conjunction with the gods. The question is whether the same construct is ingeminated in the Bible. This dissertation strives to provide an appropriate context …
Reconsidering The Apologetic Purpose Of Luke-Acts, James C. Williams
Reconsidering The Apologetic Purpose Of Luke-Acts, James C. Williams
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The Gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles are two critical works in the Bible. Together, these two books make up approximately twenty seven percent of the New Testament. Their literary contribution to what is known about the origins of Christianity and its rapid spread in major cities of the Roman Empire is immeasurable. It is appropriate that so much has been written regarding these two key books’ origins, genre, and purpose. Yet, with all that has been written, there is still much debate about this subject. Should these two books be treated separately, as two different genres, or …
Discipleship: A Biblical Approach And Alignment To The Spirit Of The Ministry At Kingdom Collegiate Academies Early Childhood Program, Ella Louise Brown
Discipleship: A Biblical Approach And Alignment To The Spirit Of The Ministry At Kingdom Collegiate Academies Early Childhood Program, Ella Louise Brown
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the spiritual practices of early childhood teachers at Kingdom Collegiate Academies Early Childhood Program at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church. The research study was designed to develop a professional training program to increase staff effectiveness and alignment with the Spirit of the Ministry traits at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church. The program was delivered through a biblically based discipleship and Spirit of the Ministry training program. Through the Bible study, each trait was examined and discussed to solicit adherence to the various traits. During the study, early childhood teachers grew in …
"A Friend Of Tax Collectors And Sinners": An Intertextual Reading Of Luke's Jesus According To Divine Identity And Yhwh Shepherd Language, Dottie H. Rhoads
"A Friend Of Tax Collectors And Sinners": An Intertextual Reading Of Luke's Jesus According To Divine Identity And Yhwh Shepherd Language, Dottie H. Rhoads
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Luke’s Gospel has been heralded as the Gospel for the outcast. This study suggests a biblical-theological approach to Luke’s depiction of Jesus that may guide an interpretation of Jesus’ person and activity. This study assumes an intertextual reading of Luke and identifies qualities and activities that he possesses and assumes according to Old Testament texts. Old Testament prophetic texts and Second Temple Jewish texts detailing YHWH’s intentions to return as Shepherd to his scattered and exiled people are examined. Luke’s birth narrative and accounts of dynamic moments in Jesus’ ministry (Lk 15:1-7; 19:1-10) are read in light of this intertextual …
Influence Of Preaching’S Rhetorical Appeal On Evangelical Listeners’ Motivation, Nicholas Anene Oji
Influence Of Preaching’S Rhetorical Appeal On Evangelical Listeners’ Motivation, Nicholas Anene Oji
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Preaching is a form of rhetorical narratology aimed at persuading its audience via sermons to experience a renewal of the mind and the transformation of their life. While previous research established the fact that listeners comprehend sermons through their rhetorical appeal, it has been unclear how this has motivated evangelical listeners to act. The purpose of this qualitative narrative study was to explore how the rhetorical appeal of preaching influences evangelical listeners’ motivation at evangelical churches in Savannah, Georgia. A comprehensive approach to exploring a sermon’s rhetorical appeal was utilized by focusing jointly on individual perception and social context. The …
Church Systems: From Church Attenders To Committed Church Members, Loyd Johnson
Church Systems: From Church Attenders To Committed Church Members, Loyd Johnson
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
American churches are in decline, with attendance dropping below 50 percent for the first time in 2021. The need for revitalization cannot be overstated or underestimated. Luke's historical narrative in Acts 2:42-44 is an ecumenical prescription for a healthy, growing church today. This project seeks to determine the theoretical structure and biblical foundation necessary for churches to achieve healthy, sustainable growth. This study aims to develop and initiate a strategy with biblical praxis that will guide church attenders to an urban church in Columbus, Georgia, through a process to become committed church members. The aim is to evaluate the effectiveness …
Indirect Prophecies Concerning The Death Of Christ In Narrative, Lindsay A. Siemers
Indirect Prophecies Concerning The Death Of Christ In Narrative, Lindsay A. Siemers
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
In Luke 24, two disciples recognized that Jesus had predicted He would suffer, be betrayed, and handed over to death by crucifixion, and had said He would rise again on the third day. It was now the third day, and Jesus was no longer in the tomb, but they were confused as to what these things meant and how they came to be. Jesus says to them, “‘O foolish ones and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?’ And beginning …
Toward An Analysis Of The Abductive Moral Argument For God’S Existence: Assessing The Evidential Quality Of Moral Phenomena And The Evidential Virtuosity Of Christian Theological Models, David Ochabski
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The moral argument for God’s existence is perhaps the oldest and most salient of the arguments from natural theology. In contemporary literature, there has been a focus on the abductive version of the moral argument. Although the mode of reasoning, abduction, has been articulated, there has not been a robust articulation of the individual components of the argument. Such an articulation would include the data quality of moral phenomena, the theoretical virtuosity of theological models that explain the moral phenomena, and how both contribute to the likelihood of moral arguments. The goal of this paper is to provide such an …
Preserving Hope Through Youth Attendance At New Canaan Baptist Church, David C. Turner
Preserving Hope Through Youth Attendance At New Canaan Baptist Church, David C. Turner
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The biblical perspective of training up a child in the way to go provides the foundation for mentoring to influence youth success. This thesis project applies a needs analysis to fulfill the effort to preserve hope through youth attendance at New Canaan Baptist Church. No secular or spiritual mentorship program exists for African American male youth in Chester, Georgia. This qualitative study used surveys to query the beliefs of African American youth, church leaders, and parents about the need for a mentorship program. Findings from analyses of survey data from almost thirty participants implied the need for a community-based mentorship …
Apologetic Knowledge: The Modern Church Planter, Matthew Dilley
Apologetic Knowledge: The Modern Church Planter, Matthew Dilley
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This project addresses a critical need within the ministry field, focusing on pastors affiliated with the church planting networks Excel Leadership Network and Transformation Ministries. The context is shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on church planting, with a shift to online services and emerging challenges in ministry. The problem is the significant lack of knowledge of apologetics among church planters, hindering their ability to effectively articulate and defend the Christian faith in today's postmodern world, particularly when engaging with non-believers. This DMIN action research project aims to create a concise video curriculum that equips pastors with fundamental apologetics knowledge. …
A College Outreach Initiative To Connect Paine College Students With Thankful Baptist Church, Christopher J. Waters
A College Outreach Initiative To Connect Paine College Students With Thankful Baptist Church, Christopher J. Waters
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
College students’ declining attendance and participation at Thankful Baptist Church is a growing concern for the congregation and its leadership. For over one hundred years the church has had a strong outreach to the students at Paine College, a local HBCU and private Christian institution. However, over the last five years Thankful Baptist Church’s outreach to Paine College students has declined significantly. This research project implemented training for ten outreach volunteers and six weeks of mentoring for ten Paine College students to revive the declined college ministry to Paine College into an active ministry which attracts and retains college students …
The Salvation Testimony Of African-American Converts In The Protestant Faith: A Phenomenological Study, Tenielle Jones Cook
The Salvation Testimony Of African-American Converts In The Protestant Faith: A Phenomenological Study, Tenielle Jones Cook
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Humanity's frailty and mortal existence create the space for a spiritual conversion experience that resolves matters of life and death. However, spirituality is an abstract concept with an ambiguous definition, and activities surrounding the application of its concepts are interpreted differently from one religious group or community to the next. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the salvation testimony of African-American males and females in the Protestant faith. A semi-structured interview and Conversation analysis are used for data collection and analysis to identify emerging themes for the descriptive essence of the salvation testimony. At this stage in …
Assisting Ministry Leaders Managing Bipolar Disorder In Adolescents And Young Adults: Development Of An Eight-Week Educational Program, La'shanna A. Williams
Assisting Ministry Leaders Managing Bipolar Disorder In Adolescents And Young Adults: Development Of An Eight-Week Educational Program, La'shanna A. Williams
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Bipolar disorder poses significant challenges for individuals and their communities, particularly within religious ministry. This research project addressed the need for an educational program that equips ministry leaders to support adolescents and young adults with bipolar disorder effectively. The Love Faith Church (LFC) in Columbia, South Carolina, serves as the focal point for this study. This project included the development of an eight-week Ministry Leaders’ Educational Plan to educate ministry leaders about bipolar disorder in adolescents and young adults. It emphasized evidence-based research and biblical foundations to help ministry leaders better understand and recognize the signs associated with bipolar disorder. …
An Integrated Approach To Developing Pastoral Efficacy For Addiction Crisis Ministry, Matthias Ponce-De-Leon
An Integrated Approach To Developing Pastoral Efficacy For Addiction Crisis Ministry, Matthias Ponce-De-Leon
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The current addiction epidemic has heightened human suffering in many ways globally. This action research project built and implemented a training system to prepare pastors for encounters with individuals and families in substance addiction crises. The primary focus of the training system was to integrate existing approaches to pastoral equipping while advancing the theological framing of addiction models. In doing so, pastors developed understanding and confidence for facing the logistical, personal, and theological challenges in ministry to addicts and their families. Twelve pastors participated in the designed intervention, a 3-hour training workshop, and their shifts in perspectives and strategies for …
Retaining Students After Graduation With Biblical Servanthood, Carlos Henrique De Freitas
Retaining Students After Graduation With Biblical Servanthood, Carlos Henrique De Freitas
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This thesis addresses the inadequate understanding of the biblical concept of servanthood among high school students (grades 9-12) within the congregation of Macland Baptist Church in Powder Springs, Georgia. As a result of this problem, students gradually distance themselves from their faith, discontinue church attendance, and cease participating in church service activities. The thesis of this paper is that exposing these high school students to various dimensions of biblical servanthood will significantly impact their understanding of this concept. The underlying assumption posits that a profound understanding of biblical servanthood, coupled with knowledge and service opportunities, will cultivate Christlike character in …
John’S Complementing Of Mark’S Wicked Tenants Parable In His Metaphor Of The True Vine, John F. Cespedes
John’S Complementing Of Mark’S Wicked Tenants Parable In His Metaphor Of The True Vine, John F. Cespedes
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The relationship between the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke is well known, but the question of John’s dependence has been researched by countless scholars since the first century without the formation of a consensus. This study seeks to enter this discussion through the examination of the relationship between Mark’s wicked tenants parable (Mark 12:1–12) and John’s true vine metaphor (John 15:1–17). John’s metaphor of the true vine is replete with images woven through the Old Testament and carried forward into the New. In John’s metaphor, Jesus presents himself as the true Israel and says that His followers are the …
Christological Application Of The Mosaic Law: A Hermeneutical And Exegetical Exploration, Nabeel Saqib
Christological Application Of The Mosaic Law: A Hermeneutical And Exegetical Exploration, Nabeel Saqib
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This study is a hermeneutical and exegetical exploration of the Christological application of the Mosaic Law for Christians. It involves a clear understanding of the relationship between the continuity and discontinuity from the Old Testament to the New Testament, the relationship between Israel and the Church as people of God, and the relationship between the Old and the New Covenant. It also requires a clear understanding of the meaning and purpose of the law for the initial audience, and its current significance for Christians today. Romans 10:4 presents Christ as the culmination of the law as it sees him as …
Beyond Sunday Morning: Communal Singing And Corporate Identity, Justin Aaron Mckinney
Beyond Sunday Morning: Communal Singing And Corporate Identity, Justin Aaron Mckinney
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Corporate worship singing long aided congregants in growing their communal identity and theological understanding of biblical principles. While modern singing trends help congregants grow their theological understanding, modern church singing trends suggest songs are not encouraging growth in communal identity mimicking cultural values of individualism in corporate worship song lyrics. Historically, individual first-person pronouns represented the individuals alongside the rest of the church; but with a rise in cultural individualism, first-person pronouns now represent individuals independent of one another. This individualistic focus can lead congregants to conclude they do not need the church and to remove themselves from the body …
The Need For A Spiritual Reboot In The Youth Of Great Commission Church, Jean Max B St Louis
The Need For A Spiritual Reboot In The Youth Of Great Commission Church, Jean Max B St Louis
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The decline of the youth attendance is evident in many Protestant churches. This research paper examined forty-three young believers from three Haitian Baptist churches, respectively, located in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. These data results help develop a suitable spiritual program that includes the six key influencing factors for spiritual growth: discipleship, mentoring, parental influence, church attendance, personal devotion, and ministerial involvement. This spiritual program was tested on a small group of young people from Great Commission Church in Queens. This research uses a mixed-method methodology, which is a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze the data. The …
A Correlational Study: Second-Chair Leaders' Level 5 Leadership Score And Church Growth Among Southern Baptist Megachurches, Martin Benjamin Lovvorn
A Correlational Study: Second-Chair Leaders' Level 5 Leadership Score And Church Growth Among Southern Baptist Megachurches, Martin Benjamin Lovvorn
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
As the church strives to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges and navigate tumultuous times to fulfill its Great Commission, church leaders must strive to understand the type of leadership required to best accomplish their kingdom work. In researching the type of pastoral leadership that will most effectively build the church of Jesus Christ and advance his kingdom, much work has been dedicated to examining the leadership styles and influence of senior or lead pastors. However, few studies have explored the influence of second-chair pastoral leaders (SCPLs). This study is the first to quantitatively examine whether SCPLs who demonstrate the personal humility …
Coveting Relationships Over Association: The Church's Response To The Millennial's Exodus, Erik W. Switzer
Coveting Relationships Over Association: The Church's Response To The Millennial's Exodus, Erik W. Switzer
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This project identified the reasons church-affiliated millennials in Tyler, Texas, have exited the church after reaching adulthood and have failed to return in significant numbers. To capture the reasons for this generational church exodus, area millennials were invited to participate in an anonymous online survey. To participate in the survey, millennials must have regularly attended an Evangelical or Catholic church during childhood and adolescence and stopped attending church after age eighteen. The survey invitation was distributed through emails and the social media platform Facebook. The invitation contained an embedded hyperlink that directed participants to Survey Monkey. All survey results reside …
Moral Injury: The Hidden Adversary Of War, Lashell Y. Davis
Moral Injury: The Hidden Adversary Of War, Lashell Y. Davis
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of United States Army combat veterans who have supported combat operations at least once over the past fourteen years in either Iraq or Afghanistan who self-identified as suffering from symptoms of moral injury. This study was designed to elucidate the impact of faith on resilience and coping mechanisms and broaden previous research on moral injury and whether Army leaders should identify and mitigate moral injury within the ranks. Phenomenology focuses on the interpretation and meaning of how individuals experience their world within a given context. Seven …
Jumpstart: A Biblically Based Program That Helps Reduce Recidivism, Michael Smith
Jumpstart: A Biblically Based Program That Helps Reduce Recidivism, Michael Smith
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The following project was developed to enhance the materials used in the Jumpstart program by implementing a daily journal that incorporates spiritual disciplines, S.M.A.R.T Goals, and relational accountability while augmenting spiritual growth that will help reduce recidivism. This professional dissertation provides a compelling theological and theoretical justification for implementing the daily journal, along with the project's details, processes, and outcomes.
Worship And The Generational Divide: A Study Of Inclusive Worship In The Church, Willie S. Moody
Worship And The Generational Divide: A Study Of Inclusive Worship In The Church, Willie S. Moody
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Every generation has a different way of engaging in congregational worship, sometimes at odds with another generation. The current challenge for pastors and worship leaders of churches with multiple generations is planning worship services that consider the congregation's complex make-up and remain faithful to the principles of biblical worship. The purpose of this qualitative research project is to provide a worship model that facilitates the worship styles and preferences of multiple generations within a church congregation. An atmosphere of worship is desired for all persons attending weekly worship services whose hearts and minds are receptive to the move of God …
African Influence In The Bible: A Sub-Saharan Response To The Gospel And The Divine Prerogative Of African Incorporation In God’S Redemptive Plan, Robert Milton Bugg Jr.
African Influence In The Bible: A Sub-Saharan Response To The Gospel And The Divine Prerogative Of African Incorporation In God’S Redemptive Plan, Robert Milton Bugg Jr.
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The Bible presents God's magnificent divine plan, executed by chosen people for a specific purpose. There are illustrations of those from various regions impacting those worldwide throughout the Bible. While much of the Old Testament takes place in ancient Mesopotamia, the magnitude of God’s plan is global. This dissertation will examine sub-Saharan people groups in Africa, particularly the Kushites and ancient Ethiopians. The discussion will include the history of Africans in the ancient world, their migration and development parallel to recorded biblical history, and their role in the Bible. Scholars utilize many different terms when referring to Kushites, depending on …
Faith Comes By Hearing: Impact Of Expository Preaching In The Worldview Of Young Adults At Sda Church Plants, Kenneth Martinez
Faith Comes By Hearing: Impact Of Expository Preaching In The Worldview Of Young Adults At Sda Church Plants, Kenneth Martinez
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
In this thesis, expository preaching is proposed as the mechanism to communicate a biblical worldview to Adventist young adults (people ages 18 to 40). This thesis project engaged the young adults of two Adventist church plants: Refuge Church and Triumph Church. The project consisted of preaching Adventist biblical theology through expository sermons, with the thesis that it would be interpreted as a worldview by young adults. The preaching series delivered salvation history, broken down into eight pericopes, and used the Great Controversy as its metanarrative. The goal of each sermon was to expound the assigned passage and its place on …