Religion Commons^™

Shared Oversight: Equipping Elders To Shepherd The Flock, Eric Michael Hartman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Leadership structures vary greatly across various faith traditions, but how much flexibility is biblically warranted? Far from being silent, the Bible is descriptive and prescriptive with regard to a plurality of leadership within a congregation. These elders, also called overseers, are to shepherd the flock (Acts 20:17, 28). The problem is that there is often lack training to that end. This study constructed a process for training elders and/or potential elders within a congregation to better understand the nature of plurality and parity of those tasked with caring for God’s people. The four training sessions covered the following: (1) The …

Addressing The Issue Of Low Attendance In Emmanuel Church Among Young Adults, Ivett Beverley Mcdonald

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the study was to address the issue of low attendance in Emmanuel Church among young adults. This topic is based on the investigator's awareness that individuals who grow up in Emmanuel discontinue attendance between the ages of eighteen to twenty-nine years. The literature review revealed that many churches commonly experience this problem. Emmanuel Church is primarily made up of Jamaicans and their descendants, and no literature addressed the immediate context of Emmanuel Church. The investigator interviewed twenty young adults who were previous members of Emmanuel Church. The study revealed that young adults leave Emmanuel in record numbers. …

Reformed Worship (Rw) 139 - Ascension / Pentecost (March 2021), Reformed Worship Editors

Reformed Worship Magazine

Features

Worship Series: Echoes of the Holy Spirit by Diane Ritzema, Michael Kooy, and Matt Mulder....3

Children's Pages for the Christian Year by Lindsey Goetz....16

Home by Sam Gutierrez....18

Locating Your Place in God's Story by Leon Johnston....34

Articles

Editorial: Finding Home by Joyce Borger....2

The Rest of Worship by Ron Man....28

For Pastors: Bolder? by Scott Hoezee....30

Liturgical Appropriateness by Adán Alejandro Fernández....38

Q&A: Shifting Preference Talk and Rule Talk to Wisdom Talk by John D. Witvliet....40

Lifting Our North American Asian Voice in Worship by Josh Lee....42

Resources …

Facets Of Christian Leadership, Petr Cincala

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

No abstract provided.

Complete Spring Issue

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

No abstract provided.

New Perspectives On Church Planting, W. Jay Moon, Richard Doss

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

No abstract provided.

A Theory Of Virtuous Leadership And Its Influence On Organizational Performance In Christian Organizations: A Classic Grounded Theory Study, Simon Lasu, Carlos Ernesto Biaggi

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

Even though the leadership literature has studied the antecedents and outcomes of virtuous leadership, there is a scarcity of research on the influence of virtuous leadership on organizational performance in Christian organizations. Therefore, this study developed a theory of virtuous leadership and its influence on organizational performance grounded in the perceptions of leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Using classic grounded theory methodology, data was collected by interviewing eight leaders of the Adventist Church from the MENA region. The emergent theory of virtuous leadership revolves around the key role of spirituality (source) …

Societal Emotional Process, Emotional Reactivity, And Their Increasing Challenge For Ministry Leadership, Douglas U. Schonberg

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

The increasing anxiety and reactivity across society witnessed in elections, responses to COVID-19, and even within personal posts on social media platforms is a phenomenon that is growing invasively and pervasively present in ministry leadership. Murray Bowen’s family systems theory (1978) seminal concepts of societal emotional process and emotional reactivity describe the phenomenon with acumen. This article outlines these two concepts and provides current examples of how they are being experienced by ministry leaders. Biblical examples demonstrate that the phenomenon has always been present in ministry leadership. Practical guidance is provided for ministry leaders to address this growing challenge by …

Leadership Fueled By Glory: His Or Mine?, Lindsey Wilkerson

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

No abstract provided.

Review Of The Legacy Of A Hero Maker, By Dave Ferguson & Todd Wilson, Sergio Ochaeta

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

No abstract provided.

Review Of Leadership In Christian Perspective: Biblical Foundations And Contemporary Practices For Servant Leaders, By Justin Irving & Mark L. Strauss, Obed Yamasombi

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

No abstract provided.

Dissertation Notices, A. S. Chen, Z. C. Ellis, D. Kim, H. L. Lewis, D. E. Reinhardt

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

No abstract provided.

Traversing A Tightrope Between Ecumenism And Exclusivism, Retief Müller

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

During the first few decades of the 20th century, the Nkhoma mission of the Dutch Reformed Church of South Africa became involved in an ecumenical venture that was initiated by the Church of Scotland’s Blantyre mission, and the Free Church of Scotland’s Livingstonia mission in central Africa. Geographically sandwiched between these two Scots missions in Nyasaland (presently Malawi) was Nkhoma in the central region of the country. During a period of history when the DRC in South Africa had begun to regressively disengage from ecumenical entanglements in order to focus on its developing discourse of Afrikaner Christian nationalism, this venture …

The Library Of Appalachian Preaching: A Digital Repository Of Sermons, Robert Ellison

English Faculty Research

This poster was created for the March 2021 Appalachian Studies Association virtual conference. It introduced conference participants to the Library of Appalachian Preaching, a digital humanities project hosted at Marshall University. The Library offers online access to sermons and other addresses delivered within Appalachia, or elsewhere by preachers with ties to the Appalachian region. The poster provides an overview of all of the major elements of the Library. Information presented includes the three “phases” of the project; demographic information about the preachers; examples of the digitized sermons; and examples of biographical sketches and the User Guide, a Google …

Church Revitalization: Fashioning Church For Growth, Willie Lee Wormack

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis research project is an approach to resolve the issues of the critically declined and dying Friendship Baptist Church whose membership cannot support a viable ministry. Friendship Baptist Church exists with minimal infrastructure at 38503 Mosstown Road, Dade City, Florida, in the rural Lacoochee, Florida area. Friendship Baptist Church needs a visionary plan with leadership and team support directed to assist with church development and growth. The case study approach will implement exploration on the meanings and beliefs of Christianity for the church in the church’s social setting. Investigations about cultural associations of faith with the church is engaged …

The Decline And Recovery Of Apostolic Leadership In Adventist Ministry, Anthony Wagenersmith

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

There are broad patterns of growth: plateau, decline, and ultimately renewal or death among Christian denominations and networks. One of the factors that catalyze movement dynamics early on—as well as their potential renewal—is the degree to which a church’s founding leaders embody and transfer the apostolic function for future generations (cf. Saarinen 1994; Morgan 2017). This article traces the initial function and decline of apostolicity among Seventh-day Adventist ministers as a case study with implications for contemporary Adventism and beyond.

After providing an analysis of leadership in the New Testament—with particular emphasis on apostles, apostolicity, and their relationship with elders—an …

Intercultural Mentorship As A Leadership Role, Daniel Nae

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

Intercultural mentorship requires special knowledge, skills, and attitudes (Osula and Irvin 2009; Dominguez Garcia 2012:109-116; Crutcher 2006:67- 74). Leader mentoring in intercultural contexts entails a way of living that inspires the mentee to develop a “similar mentoring mindset” (Rayford 2014:15). This article describes the importance of intercultural mentoring as a leadership role. The study starts with an evaluation of Osuna and Irvin’s model of cultural awareness. Then, it explores the concept of intercultural competence in mentoring, describes and illustrates the leader mentoring relationship in an intercultural context, and applies the concept to a university setting.

Prolegomena To A Theology Of Eschatological Leadership: 13 Leadership Principles For The End Time Gleaned From The Book Of Revelation, Gregory Pierce Whitsett

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

Jesus entrusted his disciples with leadership. That leadership was to be exercised on behalf of his mission to seek and save the lost in all the world before his return. This mission work will reach a climax during the time of the end before Christ’s promised return. This article explores the book of Revelation for clues concerning leadership qualities required for this task. The article will support the discussion of these leadership qualities with contributions from contemporary authors on the topic.

Developing a theology of eschatological leadership is a daunting task and will require a broader discussion than what one …

Mission Leadership Development In The Chinese Adventist Church: Reflections In The Light Of Traditional Chinese Philosophies Of Leadership, E P

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

Different schools of thought have emphasized multiples aspects of leadership, preeminently in the western hemisphere for the last decades (Bennis 1959; Greenleaf 1977; Malphus 2003). As China more decisively steps into the global arena through internationalization of its economy and political influence, scholars are only scratching the surface in exploring the pluralistic styles of Chinese indigenous leadership in both national and international organizations where the Chinese play significant leadership roles (Chen and Lee 2008: xv; Zhang, Chen, and Chen, and Ang 2014).

Contextual leadership is essential for the healthy development of any organization and that is equally true when it …

Forms And Roots Of Contemporary Religiosity In Estonia, Kaido Soom, Tõnu Lehtsaar

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The Republic of Estonia is a country on the east coast of the Baltic Sea. It borders Russia and Latvia on land and Latvia, Sweden, Finland and Russia on sea. As of 31 Dec 2011, Estonia had a permanent population of 1,294,455 (data from the Population and Housing Census). Estonia is a member of the European Union (2004) and of the Eurozone (2011).

Estonia has often been exemplified as a secularized nation having little regard for religion. Even so, religion is an important topic of conversation in Estonian society. For instance, Ave Tampere asked, in an article in one of …

A Study Of A Systematic Evangelistic Discipleship Process At The Lighthouse Free Methodist Church, Thomas Michael Doherty

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Lighthouse Free Methodist Church in Barryton, Michigan, lacks a systematic discipleship program that produces disciple-makers. This Doctor of Ministry project purposes to integrate a systematic discipleship program into the Lighthouse Free Methodist Church. The research methodology includes pre-and post-surveys and interviews. Pre- and post-survey data were collected to compare the number of disciplers, salvations, worship attenders, and the number of new systematic evangelistic discipleship groups. Six People participated in the training provided. The Lighthouse FMC is located near a small community of three-hundred people and is in the middle of a ten-mile circumference with thirty thousand. Thirteen people started …

Purging The New Age: A Theological Analysis Of The Use Of New Age Practices By The Church, Christopher Michael Berg

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation sets out to demonstrate that Yoga and the Enneagram are not compatible with orthodox Christianity. Additionally, this dissertation will show that all possible attempts at Christianizing these practices ultimately fail due to incompatible underlying philosophies and theologies. In order to accomplish this task, assessment criteria will be developed through a comparison of a subset of evangelical Christian theological topics with their New Age counterparts. These criteria will be used to assess the level of syncretization in each practice as presented by the most popular and prolific Christian practitioners. After assessment, a recommendation will be given concerning each practice’s …

Editorial, Boubakar Sanou

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.

Mission Leadership

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Russian Nuclear Orthodoxy: Religion, Politics, And Strategy, James R. Payton Jr.

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

In this book Dmitry Adamsky tells a remarkable story which, only thirty-five years ago, would have come across as a wild-eyed dream (or, possibly, nightmare). As he shows, though, this is not a phantasm: it is the reality in Russian today, a reality the rest of the world does well to take note of.

Preparing The Next Generation For A Pluralistic World: The Need To Teach Systematic Theology To Christian Youth, Terrance Jermayne O'Neil

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The continuation of Christianity is rooted in the historical practice of the preceding generation theologically educating the next generation. This process has led to the spreading of the gospel throughout the world. However, in recent years, the Christian church has watched an entire generation walk away from the faith. Many youths who affirmed their faith in Christ are abandoning their confessions and practice. The challenges and skepticism of a pluralistic and relativistic culture have questioned historic Christianity. Regretfully, Christian youth are unable to respond theologically and accurately with confidence. The church has failed to prepare them. This study sought to …

Military Discipleship: A Strategy For Discipleship In The U.S. Military Community In The Republic Of Korea, Theodore Danecki

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Military members, their civilian counterparts, and their family members serving in the Republic of Korea face unique challenges that stress their spiritual walk. These challenges include gambling addiction, alcohol abuse, and sexual temptations exacerbated by the stressful work environment, and some married members being unable to bring their family. These factors combine to create an environment where biblical discipleship and accountability, leading to spiritual growth is difficult. The purpose of this study is to develop and implement relational small groups that address the challenges facing military members and their families in the Republic of Korea while focusing on biblical discipleship …

Educating Church Leaders: Providing End-Of-Life Spiritual Care To Life Changers Church Ministry, Jermaine Joshua Ruffin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Life Changers Community Fellowship Church, of Jackson, Mississippi, struggles to provide end-of-life spiritual care to its members. Its church leadership has placed the responsibility of providing end-of-life spiritual care on institutions such as hospice and palliative care companies. These organizations do their best to provide end-of-life spiritual care, but struggle due to cultural and ethnical boundaries, and a lack of resources to provide such care. This study seeks to examine whether end-of-life spiritual care is a biblical concern and/or mandate within church leadership. In addition, this study will explore how hospice chaplains understand end-of-life spiritual care provided to patients and …

Defining Revitalization As The Initial Step In The Revitalization Process, Bradley Kent Childres

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The revitalization of churches that are either plateaued or declining is a daunting task for any pastor. The idea for this thesis project arose when this researcher engaged in his first revitalization program as a Senior Pastor. This researcher noticed that many people in the church were confused about what revitalization meant which led to confusion and mistrust in the revitalization process. This is when this researcher observed the need to define what revitalization means. As challenging as church revitalization is, pastors can make this process easier by knowing the first step to take in a revitalization program. This thesis …

Morality And The Personhood Of God: A Moral Argument For The Existence Of A Personal God, Stephen Scott Jordan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The concept that God is personal is an important part of religious belief. If God were not personal, it would be odd to think of him as moral or loving; it would also seem counterintuitive to speak of him as One with whom humans can have a personal relationship, One who can be trusted, cares for the people he created, listens to their prayers, acts on their behalf, has their best interests at heart, and so on. In short, to talk of such matters in a sensible manner and to experience them in everyday life seemingly requires that God is …