Practical Theology Commons^™

Implementing A Training Manual For Adventist Local Church Leaders In The Gauteng Region Of South Africa, Eugene L. Fransch

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The youth department of the Southern Affican-Indian Ocean Division of the Seventh-day Adventist church (SID) has noticed a growing trend of frustration and ineffectiveness among local church youth leaders in their yearly church planning. This has lead to a high turnover rate among them due to a lack of adequate materials, poor program planning, and a clear knowledge of the department’s objectives to guide them in their planning.

Methodology

The purpose of the research was to implement a Youth Leadership Training Manual for church youth leaders that would help them overcome their current frustrations and assist them in planning …

A Strategy For Church Planting In Northern Nigeria Beginning In Zangon-Kataf, Francis F. Daria

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The first Adventist missionaries came to Northern Nigeria in 1930. Their intent to establish medical and evangelistic work in Southern Kaduna was restricted by three opposing factions. These were Sudan Interior Mission (SIM), Islam and African Traditional Religion (ATR). They frustrated the indigenous people from understanding the concept of the missionaries. Eighty years later there is still no Adventist presence in this area, which is part of the 10/40 Window that encompasses all of Northern Nigeria. During these 80 years no Adventist Church has been established in this region. There is, therefore, a need to develop a church planting …

A Training Program To Equip Local Churches For Small Group Evangelism In The East Ghana Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Kwasi Ansah-Adu

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Many Adventists in the East Ghana Conference like others in the global church erroneously perceive ministry as limited to activities at the church premises on the Sabbath or specific programs or events like a three-week evangelistic series, rather than a lifestyle. Even so few participate in ministry leaving the bulk of the membership in the pew as spectators.

Method

My research was based on the study of the Bible, E. G. White counsels, literature on church growth, statistics on growth trends of the East Ghana Conference, and the church in Ghana, as well as my personal journey as a …

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 …

Development And Implementation Of A Small Group Program To Foster Numeric Growth At The Fresno Spanish Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Antonio Huerta

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem The Fresno Spanish Seventh-day Adventist Church has a 65 year history in the city of Fresno. From the year of 1995 until the year of 2005 when I became the pastor for this church, I realized that the numeric growth rate in this congregation had dropped significantly. I soon became aware of the urgent need for a comprehensive analysis that would enable the Fresno Spanish Church to regain its growth momentum. Method The solution and the vision to solve the problem was the development and the implementation of a small group program that would help train, equip, and mobilize …

The Ministerial Leadership Development Program At Lakeview Adventist College In Malawi, Earnest Samuel Harry Khonje

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Ministerial Leadership Training program at Lakeview Adventist College has operated for over 28 years. Since the late 1990s, there has been little in the curriculum that prepared leadership to meet challenges in the field, especially in management and administration. The period 1997-2006 has seen the exit of more ministers than during the years 1980-1996.

Method

This study used surveys, interviews and questionnaires. Survey questions were formed to be answered by pastors in training as well as by those who have already completed training. Therefore, focus groups were organized for those at the College and for those serving as …

Utilizing H.M.S. Richards' Sermons And Writings In The Development Of Sermons That Focus On The Unique Aspects Of Seventh-Day Adventist Preaching As Implemented At The Kress Memorial Church In Winter Park, Florida, Eric M. Doran

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

H. M. S. Richards maintains that Seventh-day Adventist preaching should be distinct from the preaching of others. What guidelines does Richards provide for determining what should be included in Adventist preaching, and how can those guidelines be integrated into the preaching at the Kress Memorial Seventh-day Adventist Church?

Method

The books, articles, and sermons of H. M. S. Richards were researched for guidance on what Seventh-day Adventist preaching should include. On the basis of the principles developed from Richards, twelve sermons preached prior to the research were evaluated. Twelve new sermons following Richards’ principles were then written and preached …

Improving Marital Satisfaction Among Couples In The Ottawa Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Floyd Samuel Spence

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

A number of marital issues are challenging the members of the Ottawa Seventh- day Adventist Church. Of primary concern is the increase in “marital distress.” Given the importance of marital satisfaction on the health of a marriage, an examination of marital satisfaction levels among couples in the Ottawa Seventh-day Adventist Church is a priority. Based on this background, the primary focus of this study was to investigate marital satisfaction and its effect on marital health, with the intention of improving marital satisfaction levels among couples in the Ottawa Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Method

This study evaluated marital satisfaction factors that …

Reaching African American Males In Hartford, Ct, Through The Use Of Black Heritage Bible Studies, Stephen L. Williams Sr.

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

For the past ten years, the Faith Seventh-day Adventist Church in Hartford, Connecticut has not been very successful at winning African American males. It appears that this is because a significant number of African American males hold the Bible as “the white man’s book” and a tool of enslavement that has no relevance today. This makes our traditional evangelistic approach and materials ineffective.

Method

The project was to (1) raise the level of awareness about the dilemma of the African American male, (2) examine the factors that have led to the negative stereotype and their unwillingness to attend church, …

An Investigation Of Why The Christian Servant Leadership Model Is A Factor In Effective Evangelism And Retention Of Members At The Nakonde Mission District In Zambia, Frank M. Sikazwe

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Baptismal percentages are not marching with retention levels. The desire to meet baptism goals has slowly caused a shift in emphasis with more attention on winning souls than in keeping them. Comparing baptisms to losses for the Zambia Union Conference for the period 2001 to 2005 reveals that the annual retention rate drastically dropped while evangelistic initiatives and funding increased. This trend has caused an imbalance in evangelism. The current project will investigate this trend in order to determine its possible cause before providing solutions.

Method

I used ten focus groups with ten members each. After training, the researcher …

A Leadership Model For Initiating Change In The Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Zambia, Edwin Shimunzhila

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Topic

The task of this project dissertation is to develop a leadership model for initiating and effecting change in the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Zambia.

Purpose

The purpose of this project dissertation is to develop a leadership model for the successful initiation and effecting of change in the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Zambia. Strategies will be developed that will help pastors and lay leaders facilitate the successful initiation of change.

Sources

The research method I chose to use in this dissertation is theoretical. Extracting information from what other scholars have written on change and the change process will be presented …

Developing A Model For Spiritual Guidance And Peer Mentoring For Youth And Young Adults In The New Life Seventh-Day Adventist Fellowship In Berrien Springs, Michigan, Hollis H. Mceachrane

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Research has pointed out a factor essential to the spiritual guidance of youth and young adults in the Seventh-day Adventist Church: How teenagers think is dependent (Fields & Robbins, 2007) on how they are spoken to and how effective the messages are delivered; however, a majority of youth from New Life SDA Fellowship do not receive adequate mentoring that would pair them up as a support for each other or that would build good interpersonal relationships with their peers. While the Fellowship offers a designated staff for church services, there is no provision for youth to mentor each other …

A Model For Enhanced Nurture Of New Believers In The Reang Tribe In India, Lalmuansanga Chawngthu

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Reang tribal people live in Tripura State, Northeast India. The Reang are largely illiterate and most live in poverty. Sicknesses and starvation are common among this tribal group. Although Adventists and other Christian groups have had reasonable success evangelizing the Reang, many converts appear to become Christians in search of the material aid they need. The Seventh-day Adventist Church needs a systematic and comprehensive plan of spiritual nurture for its Reang converts that will lead them into mature discipleship.

Method

This study begins by developing a theological foundation for spiritual nurture based on selected biblical passages and the …

A Model Course For Training Lay Persons Of The Chicago Area In Biblical Preaching, Leeroy M. Coleman

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, speak of the importance of preaching. The Christian Church of today places a high priority on preaching, but the burden is shouldered mainly by the clergy with little participation by the laity. The OT and the NT demonstrate the importance of clergy and laity sharing in the ministry of preaching, but today pastors need lay persons to preach and lay persons express their need to be trained in preaching. There is a dirth of materials and programs that will r effectively train lay persons to preach. It was task this project to …

Loving Conversations: A Seminar To Assist Hispanic Families In Advance Planning For Their End-Of-Life Care At El Divino Salvador Presbyterian Church And Monrovia Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Edgar Enrique Urbina

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Advanced technology is currently available to prolong life, but often there is a lack of preparation or documentation of the family and family wish for end-of-life care. It has been estimated that between 18 percent and 30 percent of Americans have completed an advance directive. The percentage drops even further among Hispanics. Advance planning on end-of-life care is a process people can use to prepare themselves and their loved ones for dying. The purpose of the project was to develop and evaluate the participants’ response to a seminar to encourage family conversations among members of Hispanic churches on practical …

Formation And Implementation Of A Leadership Development Program For The South Malawi Field Of The Adventist Church In Africa, Elphes Luwani

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The South Malawi Field membership for 2005 was characterized by an annual growth rate of just 3 percent, which was quite low compared to other parts of the Malawi Union. Furthermore, 74 pastors and their laity baptized only 164 members total on average while apostasies claimed as high as 26 persons per year. Therefore, this research aims at discovering the effect that equipping pastors and church leaders with effective leadership skills might have on addressing the challenges that seem to inhibit growth in the South Malawi Field.

Method

A body of up-to-date literature focusing on leadership and management skills …

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, …

Implicit Leadership Theory And Bass And Riggio's (2006) Transformational Leadership Model As A Means Of Leader-Renewal At The Napa Community Seventh-Day Adventist Church, John Walter Grys

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Napa Community Seventh-day Adventist Church did not have an active, engaged, and participating leadership core throughout the previous ten years of church life. Current leaders, while demonstrating faithfulness and desire, were not actively being engaged and challenged to grow in their own leadership understanding and practice. The absence of such an ongoing process contributed to the lack of leader and leadership renewal within our faith community.

Methodology

The combined introduction of Implicit Leadership Theory (ILT) and Transformational Leadership (Bass & Riggio 2006) through an eight-week process would provide a means to inject into our community an external theory …

Motivating And Training The Laity To Increase Their Involvement In Ministry In The Ouaga-Center Adventist Church In Burkina Faso, Boubakar Sanou

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem.

In many Christian religious circles, the subject of clergy and laity has received much attention because of a sharp distinction between them. In Africa, the laypeople are expected to give allegiance to the clergy and also to depend on them for spiritual guidance and help. Although the New Testament teaches the concepts of the priesthood of all believers (1 Pet 2:5, 9-10) and the priestly ministry of the church as the function of the total church membership, there is still a persistent tendency to create a dichotomy between clergy and laity. This practice clearly shows two classes of believers: …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Developing Spiritual Formation And Mission Awareness In The Hill Portuguese Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Johannesburg, South Africa, Dilson M. Bezerra

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Between 1992 and 2007, the attendance of the Hill Portuguese Seventh-day Adventist Church has declined from 200 to 60 members and the church completely lost its sense of mission. This downturn requires investigation and study in order to reverse the situation. The project is an implementation of a program to revive the church in fellowship with God, and in action within the community. Further, Portuguese immigrant members display a tendency towards liberalism when removed from their native culture.

Method

An informal survey was created and administered to the church members in order to discover why membership had been declining …

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 …

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 …

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 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 …