Church and community

James L. Mills Sr.

The purpose of the research is to examine how Dr. Howard Washington Thurman’s notions of community, religious experience, and an inward journey are potentially helpful tools for reentry from long-term incarceration. The project looks at the origin of the American prison-industrial complex through the twenty-first century and its impact on marginalized people of color. There is robust research on programmatic needs coming out of prisons, such as financial and housing assistance and vocational training. Returning citizens also need help to deal with inward wounds and traumas of life and incarceration. Howard Thurman’s notion of community, religious experience, and the inner-life offer a pathway to wholeness to those regaining their footing in society.

Rodney E. Miller

The project uses a narrative method to explore the nature of gentleness with its biblical and theological roots. It reflects on the way the harsh history of the anthracite area has shaped the attitudes and actions of members of the United Methodist Churches in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania. In this respect special reference is made to the coal mines, the Molly Maguires, institutional violence, ethnic diversity, poverty, the railroads, economic depression, and local church history. Using a case study method, the project reflects upon the practice of a gentle style of ministry in various pastoral settings and its contribution toward overcoming obstacles to health and healing in these congregations. These settings include situations of resistance, distrust, and abuse of power. Boundary-setting and encounters with the demonic are also discussed.

The main thesis of the project is gentleness creates a supportive, gracious and sacred space in which individuals as well as congregations can feel free and safe enough to let down their protective defenses and receive the healing and health which God offers. In the sacred space created by gentleness, God is at work to heal and to enable individuals and congregations to discern their power to overcome abuse in non-abusive ways. Gentleness, as gracious respect, enables people to change their attitudes and behavior to one another, God, and the community. This gentle leadership style has the potential to heal not only church congregations but also communities and nations.

Jeffrey Dodd Garrett

The purpose of the project is to develop an emergency response strategy for Smiths Station Baptist Church, Smiths Station, Alabama. The project includes detailed research in the field of emergency response. The project director used internal demographics of the church and a special needs survey to identify needs pertinent to emergency response. Ge researched and ranked the area's available resources to produce a resource for a risk management assessment. The project director then explored the field of emergency response to develop an annotated bibliography and produce a report on best practices. A combination of individual and group pre-test, post-test, case studies, and role-plays directed the project director to the proper instruments for the emergency response strategy. Finally, he created and presented the finished strategy for feedback and implementation.

Jon Derek Fortenberry D.Min.

This project aims to equip Longview Point Baptist Church members to be involved in orphan care. The project coordinator argues that as the congregation has a greater understanding of the theology of adoption, the love of Christ for the fatherless, his commands for his people to care for the fatherless, and the great need for orphan care, that more people will be involved in orphan care at all levels of engagement. Chapter 1 lays the theological foundation for the project, an overview of the project, and its goals. Chapter 2 delves into the project’s specifics at Longview Point Baptist Church in Hernando, Mississippi. Chapter 3 details the rest of the sessions and how the project coordinator challenged the participants to further action. Chapter 4 evaluates the effectiveness of the project and how the church will continue to encourage and equip members to be involved in orphan care. It also examines ways to improve the project if duplicated in another context.

Mark L Sadley D.Min.

For various reasons, homogeneous Anglo churches in demographically changing communities frequently experience a severe decline in membership. Unless such congregations adopt a missional mindset that seeks to reach other ethnicities and socioeconomic groups, they will cease to exist. This project aims to create a strategy for pastors and church leaders to guide them as they seek to instill such a mindset into their congregations.
The first section of this project will briefly trace the church’s understanding of the Missio Dei over time. It will set forth the proper role of the church as a participant in God’s mission. It will also emphasize the responsibilities of church leadership concerning discipleship, stressing the critical need for assembling a team of discipled leaders before initiating significant change programs. A discussion of the applicability of McGavran’s homogeneous unit principle to the planning of missional outreach will conclude this section.
The following sections will examine the process of leading organizational change. After explaining the various reasons individuals resist change, the author will describe and compare the change leadership principles advanced by noted secular and Christian authorities. Principles common to each group will then be juxtaposed with the change leadership actions of Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul. The author will use the resultant listing as the basis for creating an effective strategy for instilling a missional mindset into congregations. That strategy will be the basis of a presentation to be used in training sessions targeted at church leaders. The dissertation will conclude with the creation of a presenter’s manual to be used in upcoming Equip to Serve leadership training workshops.

Robert Elliot Martin D.Min.

Welcoming strangers into a home and offering them food, shelter, and protection were historically key components in the practice of hospitality. Many consider the church to be a home. How do we extend welcome and hospitality to those in our context? In this paper, I link the power of storytelling in film to developing a theology of hospitality. To share meals with strangers is one of the most powerful and practical things we can do to help the church shape a more just and hospitable spirituality. Through film, the study of scripture, prayer practices, and table discussions, can we link our present and future faith practices to a theology of hospitality? A final analysis will allow us to begin clarifying what effective and transformative practices of hospitality in the name of Christ looks like.

Carolyn Fenner Moss D.Min.

This Doctor of Ministry project explores the relationship between Christian community and new technologies in the context of a small, rural, family based Presbyterian congregation. The COVID-19 pandemic introduced technology usage to Slippery Rock Presbyterian Church. This paper describes the demographic, economic and historical context of the congregation. Then, it explores definitions of Christian community, with an emphasis on boundaries that shape Christian communities. It continues considering Old and New Testament Scriptures as they relate to community formation. Finally, the paper presents a project that examined the potential formation of Christian community using a devotional study presented on a Facebook group during Advent 2021.

John C Hutt

Because of the tremendous changes that are occurring specifically in Holland, Michigan, and in the U.S.A. in general with the continued growth and immigration of Hispanics, it is the intent of this project to look at ways that Anglos and Hispanics can work together most effectively in order to minister to this changing and integrated community. This is accomplished by examining Roman Catholic and Protestant attempts at Hispanic ministry in the U.S.A. in the past; by looking at the Biblical vision for a multiethnic church; and, finally, by showing what approach(es) would be necessary for an effective bicultural and bilingual ministry between Fourteenth street and Iglesia Hispana Christian Reformed Churches in Holland, Michigan.

Chapter one shows the changes taking place in our society and describes the characteristics of the Hispanics who are changing the fabric of our society by presenting the demographics of the Hispanics in the U.S.A in general, and, more specifically, in Holland, Michigan.

Chapter Two discusses an historical overview of the attempts by the Roman catholic and the Protestant Churches to minister to the Hispanics in the U.S.A.

Chapter Three attempts to argue for the multiethnic nature of the Christian Church as it is described by Saint Paul in his epistle to the Ephesians.

Chapter Four provides a brief history and description of the respective ministries at Fourteenth street and Iglesia Hispana Christian Reformed Churches in Holland, Michigan.

Chapter Five describes two different approaches that can be used for bilingual and bicultural ministries, namely, multiethnic and multicongregational.

The conclusion attempts to describe how these two different approaches can be applied in a bilingual and bicultural ministry between Fourteenth Street and Iglesia Hispana Christian Reformed Churches in Holland, Michigan.

Robert Alan Renix D.Min.

This project’s purpose was to enhance clergy and the church’s ability to welcome people with serious mental illness into the body of Christ. My contexts were Saint Elizabeths Hospital and Inner Light Ministries UCC. I developed a seminar to teach Inner Light clergy about mental illness through a seminar. I explored how to merge their clerical skills as resources for welcoming people with serious mental illness into the church. A project goal was also to increase their confident competence in assisting people with serious mental illness.

Clergy are, most often, the first people sought out, by the churched and not so churched, for support and guidance when mental illness inserts itself into their lives. Clergy are called upon to help make meaning of the uncertainties surrounding mental illness disorders. Because others look to clergy for understanding, clergy have to become aware and confident with applying their skills to care for people with serious mental illness. Clergy do not need to attain a clinical level of confidence; instead, they must achieve the confident competence in their gifts as pastors, priest, chaplains, pastoral counselors, and leaders of faith.

What we can do as clergy and the church is reexamine our skills. We have been trained to care for parishioners through biblical interpretation, bible study, and the sacraments. Clergy and the church value hospitality and meals. Observing who is not at Christ’s table and inviting them back home to God’s community will ensure the feast includes people living with serious mental illness.

Travis D. Else

My ministry project is comprised of a literature review and Appreciative Inquiry qualitative study at First Reformed Church to explore the practices and skills needed to live against idolatry and toward faithfulness.

The thesis of my ministry project is that we are surrounded by idols in our communities and in the local church, and must find ways of developing patterns of resistance against the powers that entice us into idolatry. The purpose of my project is to identify practices that will equip and empower the church to resist idolatry and live in faithfulness toward God. The findings of my project will amplify how Christian worship and mission, fueled by Holy Spirit power, are a vital means by which patterns of faithfulness are cultivated and resistance to idolatry and the powers are developed.