Practical Theology Commons^™

Industry-Based Ministry: A Pilot Project At The New Dimension S.D.A. Church, Sednak Kojo Duffu Yankson

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Seventh-day Adventist Church, from my pastoral observation here at the New Dimension Seventh-day Adventist congregation in Brooklyn, has not been as successful in retaining the unskilled and uneducated urban poor as other ministries (for example, the Nation of Islam). We preach evangelistic messages to change the lifestyles of the poor and in the process we either lose them or leave them on government assistance because we have no viable economic program to sustain them in our faith.

Purpose

The purpose of this project was to develop and implement a model of industry- based ministry by which members could …

An Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of The Experiencing The Joy Program In Attracting And Connecting With Postmoderns In The Richmond Hill Seventh-Day Adventist Church, David H. Baker

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Richmond Hill Seventh-day Adventist Church has not been successful in attracting post-modern young adults. Pastoral observation suggests that a potential contributing factor is that doctrinal study guides are not effective for reaching young adults. Post-modems are very visually oriented and place an emphasis on the need for experiential learning. In order to be effective, Bible studies targeting post-modem young adults need to focus on a combination of experiential discussions, relationships and individuality. These three areas are the focus of a new video Bible study series that specifically targets post-modem young adults entitled, Experiencing the Joy.

Method

The method …

Development Of Seminars To Improve Family Relationships And Spiritual Experience Among Ghanaian Emigrant Families In Adventist Immigrant Churches In New England, John K. Amoah

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Family relational problems are on the rise, while family spiritual development is waning in the majority of immigrant Ghanaian churches in the Southern New England Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. It is apparent that the changing dynamics in migration and the acculturation process have a significant impact on family relationships and spiritual experience. While the observation may be anecdotal, it begs for systematic study and improvement. This dissertation project seeks to improve immigrant family relationships and family spiritual development through seminars.

Method

This dissertation involves the development of a six-session seminar based on the areas of reported concern: family relationships, …

Servant Leadership: A Strategy To Retain Human Capital In Malawi Union Health Institutions, Baxter Dickson Chilunga

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Statistically the Malawi Union and its institutions are showing a negative labour turnover for the past five years. The problem is very pronounced in the health institutions where there were 104 employees lost at Blantyre Adventist Hospital and 106 employees at Malamulo Hospital. This is a drop from 645 to 435.

Method

I identified the supervisors, heads of institutions and health employees in Blantyre Adventist Hospital and Malamulo Hospital, both unmarried and married employees. Data was collected from these employees concerning human capital turnover from 2004 to 2009 through questionnaires, workshops and interviews. The data concerning worker retention was …

Transforming The Devonshire Seventh-Day Adventist Church Into A Missional Community Through The Biblical Alignment Of The Church’S Spirituality, Passion And Ministries, Errol N. Mclean

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. Churches experiencing plateau or even decline often arrive at that stage in their life cycle because they are no longer fulfilling the great commission. They have lost their spiritual vitality, vision, and a purpose for mission. The challenge is renewing in this context a vision for growth and a commitment to ministry to the lost. This project details how this challenge was responded to at the Devonshire Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Method. Identifying that the church was in the plateau stage of its life cycle was fundamental to approaching the problem. A theological foundation was established as a first step …

A Paradigm For Cell Church Ministry In The Seventh-Day Adventist Church In South Korea, Won Moo Song

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Small group ministry, known as the cell church, was thought to be the best response to the slow growth of membership in the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church in South Korea. However, the attempt to develop effective cell church ministries has failed to attract new, or even current, members. Yet, there are three non-SDA churches that have had success in setting up model cell churches. The purpose of this study is to explore possible reasons for the failure, examine the successful programs, and identify those steps the Korean Adventist church could adopt in order to establish a positive paradigm for …

Implementation And Evaluation Of The Jesus Loves Jeans Initiative To Evangelize And Retain Youth For The Houston International Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Kendall Turcios

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The Topic

The Houston International Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church has had significant challenges baptizing and retaining its youth. In the last five years, only a few youth have been baptized and nearly 50% no longer attend church. A primary contributing factor seems to be the lack of training to develop genuine biblical discipleship in the youth and young adults. Eims (1978) describes the process of discipleship as ―[taking a] person from the time of his conversion and helping him become a solid, dedicated, committed, fruitful, mature disciple who could in time repeat that process in the life of another‖ (p. …

A Curriculum To Equip Lay Pastoral Candidates For Service In The Pennsylvania Conference, James Richard Wibberding

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

During the first decade of the twenty-first century, Pennsylvania Conference leaders nurtured a desire for lay pastoral development. However, a cohesive training program did not emerge. Although lay training programs with other foci and the efforts of some local salaried pastors had produced a few lay pastors, a streamlined, accessible, principle-driven, and competency-based program was needed. With an increase in pastor to member responsibility of 64% from 1970 to 2005 and no growth in the number of churches in the same period, the creation of a training program was deemed to have missional import.

Method

An eleven-month curriculum was …

Seventh-Day Adventist Leadership Recruitment And Training Program For Basarwa In Botswana, Africa, Boitirelo Kabo

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Seventh- day Adventist church in Botswana, although being among the fastest growing churches in the country, has not been able to reach the Basarwa tribe since 1921. This is in spite of the church’s best effort. Among the contributing factors is the apparent failure by the church to develop a culturally relevant approach that considers the Basarwa unique lifestyle and a lack of Basarwa church leaders.

Methodology

Surveys were administered among the Basarwa in four districts to establish their awareness of the church and factors that hinder them from joining the church. Training on church leadership for the …

A Strategy To Mobilize Seventh-Day Adventists In Lusaka In Response To The Hiv/Aids Crisis, Harrington Simui Akombwa

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

While Zambia is rated the 7th country worst affected by HIV/AIDS worldwide, the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church, an Faith Based Organization (FBO) well respected nationwide for its concern about people’s physical health because of its hospitals and clinics around the nation, is seemingly standing by doing close to nothing. What could be the problem?

Method

To uncover the possible causes of Adventists’ perceived noncommittal stance on the AIDS issue, a survey designed around a descriptive and exploratory social research model utilizing quantitative research techniques for data collection and analysis was conducted. The survey was conducted in 2 of the …

The Transformational Effects Of Forgiveness In The Lives Of Members Of The Kingsboro Temple Congregation, Joseph E. Ainsworth

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Forgiveness is a crucial need within the congregation, and the lack of a greater practice of forgiveness is severely impacting the emotional, relational, and spiritual wellbeing of members. This present study investigated causes of hurt within the congregation, and designed a process to assist members in achieving forgiveness to empower them to live a forgiven life.

Method

The Pearson Correlations of Values measured 17 variables of spirituality and forgiveness against variables of avoidance, revenge, distancing, and feeling close. The ] 7 variables were reviewed and validated by Dr. Joan Atwood as a check and balance to personal biases. Forty-eight …

Programa Para Mejorar La Salud Espiritual De La Iglesia Adventista Del Séptimo Día De Gainesville-Florida, Byron Alexander Rivera Sr.

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Every church as a social group has the potential to grow and improve its spirituality, its cohesion, its commitment, its fidelity and its participation. The Gainesville Spanish Adventist Church is formed by members that have the ardent desire to improve in all these areas. This investigation aims to improve the spirituality of the congregation.

Methodology

The investigation began with the selection of 25 members of the Gainesville Spanish Church in Florida who were available to collaborate in the investigation in order to detect the spiritual deficiencies among church members. A questionnaire was used to discover the spiritual weaknesses and, …

Desarrollo De Un Seminario De Predicación Para La Iglesia Adventista Del Séptimo Dia Hispana De Charlotte En Carolina Del Norte, Carlos Gerardo Molina

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

On September 27, 2008, the body of fourteen elders from the Charlotte Spanish Seventh-day Adventist Church in North Carolina had a meeting where they indicated that it was necessary to develop a preaching seminar to prepare and train the twenty-three active preachers and church members willing to participate in such a program. These preachers had not had previous academic training or instruction on how to prepare and deliver sermons. This need, identified by the local church elders as urgent, provided the basis for the present D.Min. project.

Method

The procedure for the development of a preaching seminar took various …

The History Of The Emergence Of The Seventh-Day Adventist Church In The State Of Manipur, India, Cornelius Kamei

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Seventh-day Adventist church emerged in the state of Manipur, India, through a lay-led church planting movement. Currently, no written account exists of the early history of this work in Manipur. Today, the work in Manipur is clergy-dependent and growth in this region has stagnated. In order for the work to move forward successfully, there is a need to remember the early history of the work in this region.

Method

In the absence of earlier written works on the rise of Adventism in Manipur, oral sources were relied upon as primary sources for accuracy. The sources were gathered through …

A Program For Prevention And Intervention Of Compassion Fatigue And Burnout Among Pastors In The Guyana Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists, David O. Mckenzie

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The membership of the Guyana Conference of Seventh-day Adventist has surged to over 50,000 over the ten year period, 1997-2006; however, the professional Adventist clergy group has experienced a decrease over the same time period—from thirty-three to twenty-seven ministers (Guyana Conference of SDA Statistics). The ratio of clergy to laity is, thus, 1:1853, where it was previously 1:1039. Consequently, ministers in the Guyana Conference of SDA are likely to become victims of burnout—and its compassion fatigue form—as they encounter the demands of ministry.

Methods and Procedures

Following the case study method of qualitative research, the researcher utilized Eisner’s (1998) …

Performance Evaluation Of Pastors In East Zimbabwe Conference, Douglas Mutanga

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

There has been no consistent and effective way of evaluating the performance of pastors in the East Zimbabwe Conference. In most cases the evaluating is only done for the purpose of identifying ordination candidates and is based only on quantifiable goals that include baptisms, tithe returns, and submission of reports. Due to the rapid growth of the church in terms of personnel, number of churches and membership, and the vast geographical territory, the need for an evaluation instrument is critical.

Method

The study was descriptive and designed around research questions that helped determine the job description of the pastor. …

Intercultural Faith-Based Mentoring Of Helderberg College Students, South Africa, Edward A. Appollis

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Many of the students of Helderberg College do not utilize the mentoring program fully and staff members lack the time and training for doing faith-based mentoring. Additionally, both staff and students have expressed the challenges that arise from a mentor-mentee relationship which is often intercultural.

Method

A mixed methodology study using the following instruments with two populations of Helderberg College: a survey-questionnaire by 93 fulltime registered student mentees present at a weekly assembly (3rd Nov. 2008); and a survey-questionnaire by 28 mentoring staff (4th Nov. 2008). Further, 6 interviews with mentors on 29th July- 3rd Aug. 2009 and 10 …

The Transition Of The North Botswana Field To Conference Status: Three Critical Factors, Galenakgosi M. Orapeleng

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Since being organized in 1984, the North Botswana Field (NBF) has been aspiring to become a conference but had been hindered by a number of factors. However, in 2008 it managed to qualify for conference status. This project was to evaluate the prevailing circumstances in North Botswana Field between 2005 and 2008 to discover critical factors that contributed to the rapid growth of the work in North Botswana Field, resulting in it qualifying for conference status in May 2008.

Method

The methodology used for gathering information in this project was not intended to be scientific or to be used …

Dual Allegiance And The Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Africa: How To Address The Issue In An Open Dialogue In The West Central Africa Division, Gilbert Wari

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Africa in general, and the West-Central Africa Division in particular, has been facing the issue of dual allegiance or “split level Christianity.”

Method

The Bible, Spirit of Prophecy, and other related books and articles concerning the issue of dual allegiance were studied, then theological and religious-cultural data were analyzed, a strategy was put in place by using a Logframe Matrix and a Gantt Chart so as to address and deal with the issue from a biblical point of view.

Results

A spirit of dedication and commitment started manifesting itself among pastors, administrators, and church …

Developing And Implementing A Team Leadership Approach At The Alpha Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Gordon S. Jones

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Church life is not confined to a single or normative approach to leadership. Leadership must be decisively contextual The perennial challenge is developing, implementing, and practicing appropriate leadership. This project reports how this challenge was addressed at the Alpha Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Method

Cultural shift was fundamental to this challenge. The first step towards this transformation was establishing a theological and academic foundation. Next, four distinct phases were identified and employed in developing and implementing a team leadership approach for the Alpha Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Result

The project concluded with an evaluation instrument, which suggests that the new approach …

Developing Team Ministry Among Pastors And Elders In The Eastern Sector Of The Reunion Conference Of The Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Johnson Andriamanalina Razafimamonjy

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

In 2005, two of the churches in the eastern district of Reunion Island experienced severe conflict between the assigned pastor and elected local elders. The response of one church was the removal of its elders from their posts. In the other church, the church board expressed that they did not want the pastor. The result was minimal church growth during the two years that followed. The continuing confusion and conflict that has stymied the evangelistic potential of the congregations must be addressed in order to recover mission and witness.

Task

The task of this project is to develop and …

The Development Of Leadership Competencies For Children And Youth For Implementation In Pathfinder Club, Hyungsik Ju

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Children and youth members in the Korean Adventist church have been steadily decreasing in numbers. Although there are many causes, the most serious problem is a lack of leadership development training for children and youth. And then, the lack of a leadership program for young people not only fails to promote an evangelistic passion, but also causes a deficit of training for future church leaders. In this sense, various leadership competencies should be applied and developed in order to nurture young people spiritually.

Method

Library research, a theological analysis, a contextual analysis of South Korea and the Korean Adventist …

Developing And Implementing A Program To Retain Adventist Clergy In The Botswana Union, Paminus Machamire

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The membership of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Botswana has been growing at an average rate of 6% annually in the past ten years. Conversely over the same period of time the Botswana Union has been losing pastors at an average rate of 2% per year. Although members continue to increase they lack pastoral leadership.

Method

I used a mixed methodology to conduct a survey on former and frontline pastors, spouses and children of former and frontline pastors, union and conference officers. One group filled questionnaires independently and the other filled them under my supervision. I conducted some of …

Assessing Retention Patterns And Implementing Strategies For Membership Retention In The Zimbabwe Union Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Richard Sithole

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

This research project has investigated, identified, and assessed member retention patterns of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Zimbabwe, an entity usually referred to as the Zimbabwe Union Conference (ZUC). What prompted the research are two quinquenial reports (1998-2002; 2003-2007) which, as will be seen, show high baptisms as well as high membership losses (see Appendix B). Findings were made through surveys and questionnaires to pastors, elders, members, and former members; the researcher then designed an intervention program which was tried in two churches which were fast growing and at the same time poor in retention. The program was deliberate, …

Mentoring And Coaching Executive Secretaries In The Zimbabwe Union: A Strategy For Change, Solomon Maphosa

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Southern Africa Indian Ocean Division (SID) has never developed or implemented a program for coaching and mentoring newly elected leaders at any administrative level—division, union, or conference. Newly elected officers report personal and professional frustration as a result. It is reasonable to infer this has contributed to new leaders facing difficulty in delivering expected performance on the job, effecting their careers and service to the community of believers.

Methodology

The study followed the qualitative research paradigm. Qualitative research became a method of choice because it is descriptive in nature and it provides the researcher with the opportunity to …

Formation Of A Widows' Association: Empowering Women In The Local Church In The Kabwe East And West Districts Of The Central Zambia Conferance, Lubinda Ngenda

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The failure to meet the basic needs of life for the many widowed women in Kabwe East and West Mission District of the Adventist Church has affected the faith of widows in God’s ability to help them meet their physical needs and has eroded their confidence in the ability of the local church to help, as well as the genuineness of purpose the local church has in helping its needy members. The many widowed women in this region of Zambia, represented as 50% by some researchers, make responding to the problem urgent.

Method

Literature on leadership and community efforts …

Development Of An Action Plan To Transform The Erwin Hills Seventh-Day Adventist Church Into A Family-Friendly Church For The Purpose Of Winning Families With Youth And Children, Eli Rojas

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Through a period of a few years the Erwin Hills Seventh-day Adventist Church went from a thriving congregation with members of all ages to a small group of faithful members who desired to see the return of the days when their church was thriving. As the new pastor took office a desire to change came upon the leadership, one that led them to think of ways to attract and retain families to their ranks. There was a lack in ministry that was inclusive of all the members of a household and thus unattractive to new members with young adults …

Creating A Culture Of Community Involvement In The Adventist Church In Gugulethu Township, South Africa, Jongimpi Papu

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Most Adventist churches in South Africa live in isolation from their communities. Christianity in general and Adventism in particular are becoming irrelevant to the needs of the church, with serious implications for church growth.

Methodology

Tembalethu Adventist church in Gugulethu Township in South Africa was used to pilot a community services program by adopting a school nearby. A mixed approach of both qualitative and quantitative methods was used. This consisted of structured interviews, both personal and by telephone, and questionnaires. An analysis of a government census was also done.

Results

Tembalethu started an after-care program which was attended by …

A Strategy For Effective Youth Ministry In The Bantama Seventh-Day Adventist Church Ghana, Kofi Opoku Acheampong

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Young people comprise two-thirds of the 1,500 members of the Bantama I Seventh-day Adventist Church in Ghana. Despite a continuing increase in the number of young people, only a few of them attend youth activities. It appears that there may be a lack of formal programming or clear directions for youth ministry in the church. The result is a lack of spiritual connections between the youth and the church. In addition, there are behavioral problems among the young people when they are left to their own activities; consequently, parents are not allowing their children to attend youth-initiated activities, resulting …

Stewardship Patterns In The North Katanga Field Of East Congo: Implications For Leadership, Mutombe N'Gili-Muloko

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (GC) has reduced funding in terms of the appropriation to the lower entities. The GC has encouraged all organizations to reduce debts and manage their income more effectively. This project was formulated to determine to what extent the North Katanga Field (NKF) can increase its tithes and manage its income adequately. From 1999 to 2003 tithe decreased in the NKF when at the same time it increased in the North-East Congo (NECAT) areas and these regions were compared.

Method

Substantial written materials from specialists were used to find strategies for tithe …