Clergy--Education

Kyle E Routzahn

The scope of this project is to equip selected addiction-recovery ministry leaders in east Mississippi with group facilitation skills. The pastor of Union Baptist Church in Clarke County, Mississippi, is planning to launch Christian addiction-recovery ministries centered on weekday Celebrate Recovery [registered symbol] meetings. The ministries are collaborative works involving selected Chrsitians from Southern Baptist churches in the local Baptist associations. Phase two of these ministries include the addition of a rotating Friday night contemporary worship service at the same non-church locations where the weekday meetings will be held. Three goals are the foundation of this Doctor of Ministry equipping project. The first goal is to research addiction recovery in order to identify group facilitation skills. The second goal is to develop a curriculum to equip selected addiction-recovery ministry leaders in east Mississippi, in group facilitation skills. The third and final project goal is to equip selected addiction-recovery ministry leaders in east Mississippi, in group facilitation skills. The project director's primary purpose in implementing this project is for the world to see that Jesus Christ is alive and still setting captives free.

Roy Nantoka

The author researched if the illiterate and semi-literate pastors of Malawi could biblically be trained by means of an indigenous oral educational system already existent in their societies. The question he asks in this research is: Should those who are answering an apparent divine call to the ordained ministry and seek biblical training first be required to learn reading and writing before matriculation? The researcher persuasively argues that employing indigenous means of oral training is adequate to biblically train the illiterate pastors of Malawi.

Timothy C Strickland

The researcher hypothesized that Toronto area church leaders who participated in a short-term revitalization training cohort would be equipped to begin leading revitalization in their churches. Using quantitative and qualitative research methods to study the impact of the revitalization training on the participants, the researcher concluded that the hypothesis was correct. The theological chapter studies church revitalization leaders as strategic, missionary leaders. The literature review chapter studies the following church revitalization themes: the type of leader needed, church leadership structure, outward missionary focus, leading change, and minstry areas to change.

Joseph L Jones

The purpose of this project was to equip selected members of First Baptist Church, Meeker, Oklahoma, to develop and exercise their spiritual gifts. The project includes a series of sermons on the use of spiriutal gifts and how they are used in the body of Christ. The project director conducted a workshop for the selected members, which included an exit interview between each project member and the project director. The workshop, sermons, and the knowledge of the project director were evaluated by the following methods: pre-tests/post-tests, expert evaluations, and reflections on the elements involved.

Scott Gregory Davis

The purpose of this project is to equip selected members of Fayette First Baptist Church, Fayette, Alabama, with marketplace ministry skills in Fayette County, Alabama. The project director will research ministry and the faith at work movement to develop a series of training sessions to equip selected members of Fayette First Baptist Chuch with marketplace minstry skills. In addition to researching other case studies and implimentations of market minstry skills, this project will impliment training sessions, which will allow selected members of Fayette First Baptist Church to develop and incorporate such ministry skills into their workplace.

Ernest L DeSoto

The purpose of this project was to develop a strategy to provide theological education to equip new pastors in Karnataka, India. The project director researched the demographics of village pastors and created a profile describing the theological needs of Indian village pastors. The project director researched existing paradigms of theological education being utilized and determined best practices. The project director presented this research to a selected strategy planning team from members of his church, and led the team to develop a strategy for providing theological education to pastors serving in remote Indian villages. the strategy report was presented to the leadership board of an indigenous ministry based in Kolar, India.

Spencer A Clark

This study explored the influence a local church pastor has in developing an emerging leader. The researcher reviewed biblical model of the leader/follower relationship or Moses/Joshua, Elijah/Elisha, and Jesus/the disciples. A literature review of transformational leadership and follower-focused leadership models was completed. Servant leadership, situation leadership, and redemptive leadership were examined. Followership was included to understand the emerging leader's responsibility. Three developmental timelines were considered as well. The study resulted a framework for pastors to consider in developing emerging leaders. Emerging leader development involves four areas: spiritual, personal, leadership, and ministry skills. The shared responsibility is defined in this project.

Robert C Foltz-Morrison

This report evaluated a peer-led learning project in which twenty-five pastors participated. The project addressed an increasing trend of pastors leaving ministry who do not have the support nor varied skills to serve congregations. The community of practice model drew upon research that enduring learning takes places in association with others. Insights are drawn from company of pastors (Calvin), Presbyterian ecclesiology, communities of practice (Wenger), self-directed learning (Knowles), peer learning (US CLS, SPE, FACT, TIM), group theory (Johnsons), the peer learning format itself, and the most active pastor participants.

Wesley C Wong

Using an action research approach, a course on essential management principles and practices was developed, and then field tested by some Christian and Missionary Alliance pastors. They participated in the 4-month course and provided valuable feedback to improve the content, format, and delivery of the course so it would be useful to other pastors. The participants' management capabilities were appraised throughout the course. After the course, the assessment indicated an upward trajectory in their management skills. The pastors' feedback via a post-course evaluation affirmed their need to learn about management and develop skills to augment their ministry body of knowledge.

Dennis Bills

The author created an alternative educational model to overcome obstacles to ministerial education faced by candidates in the New River Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in America. The author reviewed the cultural context of West Virginia and identified three obstacles the model must reduce or eliminate: low educational attainment, poverty, and geographic immobility. The author presented the model to the Candidates and Credentials Committee of the New River Presbytery, which approved the model with some suggested modifications. The assessment and evaluation of the project revealed problems facing the New River Presbytery in addition to training ministerial candidates.