Leadership, Religious

William E Joseph Jr.

Self-Awareness: The Vital Key to Successful Spiritual Leadership Development Through a 5 Day Boot Camp Experience

The purpose of this project was to impact Seventh-day Adventist ministerial interns preparing for ordination to begin the process of becoming self-differentiated leaders. The design of the project included the administration of pre-assessment and post-assessment questionnaires, along with five modules focusing on self-awareness for completion by the participants.
The results of the five-day self-awareness course revealed that the participants became more self-aware. Self-awareness among the participants improved as they integrated biblical principles from 2 Peter 1:5-8, the formation of a personal mission, vision and philosophy statements, taking diagnostic tests, practicing the discipline of solitude, and tracking a life sketch.

Worku Yohannes Gebre D.Min.

Abstract
This thesis-project discovers educational leadership values, knowledge, and skills that can contribute to the increased effectiveness of Capuchin friar school principals at Capuchin Schools in Ethiopia. Furthermore, the study attempted to suggest some sound and effective methods of communicating those discovered values, knowledge, skills, and educational leadership training to Capuchin friar school principals. Though Capuchin friars school principals succeeded in some aspects of school administration, they faced several challenges due to lack of educational leadership knowledge. Therefore, in the global culture where values, knowledge, and skills are rapidly changing it’s important for friars to attain an in-depth educational leadership knowledge. Additionally, they should understand education from Christian and human values perspectives within Ethiopian context.

Don Laing D.Min.

The challenge of the Chinese immigrant church (CIC) in America is the ongoing departure of its second-generation, American-born Chinese (ABC), now commonly called the “silent exodus.” The Overseas Born Chinese (OBC) leaders of these CICs need to champion a clear and compelling vision of reaching these ABCs that rises above retention. In addition, these OBC leaders will need to incorporate two more practices to reach their second-generation: (1) embrace a biblical culture above either culture of origin and (2) create processes that empowers the second-generation in leadership. This research project evaluated these three practices within three churches that were determined to be reaching their second-generation.
This dissertation was divided into three parts. It opened with a literature review that examined each of the three practices relating to vision, culture and leadership. The dissertation then continued with the construction of the research procedure, utilizing the case study approach. Three Chinese immigrant churches were chosen for this study: Houston Chinese Church, Mandarin Baptist Church of Los Angeles and West Houston Chinese Church. The qualitative research method was applied to handle the field research portion of this study including but not limited to site visits, interviews, and the follow-up questionnaire. The findings of this project were discussed and evaluated regarding the significance of them and the recommendations for future study. The case studies affirmed the significance of each of the three hypotheses.

Richard M Fraley

The purpose of this project is to develop essential leadership competencies in cross-cultural context for selected leaders from Nepal. By equipping Nepalese in essential leadership competencies, the project director seeks to align the leaders to a vision taken from Revelation 7:9. The project director will synthesize his research in developing a list of essential competencies and then create curriculum that will be reproducing across house church networks. This will help leaders develop this vision of all peoples knowing and worshipping Jesus Christ. The msision will be impossible without well-trained and character-filled leadership reproducing across Nepal.

Mary J Curtsinger

In the Islamophobic context of the contemporary U.S., this researcher gathered ten women (22-28), "committed" Roman Catholics and Muslims--for appreciative interpersonal engagement, with goals of building relationships marked by greater justice and solidarity; supporting Muslims experiencing oppression; and planting seeds of interfaith leadership. Reflecting believing was used as method. The researcher facilitated four weekly 2.5-hour sessions ("icebreakers"; one-on-one walkabouts; "speed-faithing"; and focus sessions). Data strongly supported the research goals, with subjects' reporting positive reactions, relational learning, knowledge of one another's traditions, and an emerging commitment to continued interfaith engagement and leadership. All ten reported increased solidarity with religious others.

Jean-Jude Lors

As the literature suggests, pastors, as church leaders, spend more time administering. Nurturing leadership is needed in order to develop and grow congregants. The purpose of this study was to investigate how senior pastors develop their congregants through nurturing leadership. Research questions: How do senior pastors develop their congregants in spiritual renewal, spiritual gifts? The challenges that they face and the benefits gain. Eight pastors were interviewed, using a qualitative semi-structured format, and data was analyzed using the constant comparative method. Using nurturing leadership pastors renew, transform, grow and develop their congregant spiritual gifts. Pastors also become effective leaders.

Thomas Lutz

The purpose of this study was to explore how Christian C-level executives experienced an increased motivation to pursue spiritual maturity after gaining clarity about their kingdom purpose. This study was designed using applied qualitative research, specifically a case study of six men who participated in a discipleship group for nine months. All participants identified significant change in one of five areas: the understanding of kingdom purpose, of God's view of their work, of their view of their work, of spirituality, and finally of their engagement with their life plan.

Kelly Dehnert

The literature has given little attention to the confusion and emotional trauma Christian employees experience because of conflict with harmful supervisors who profess faith in Jesus Christ. There is inadequate scholarship addressing conflict resolution within power structures in the Christian workplace. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore how employees of Christian organizations practice self-differentiation while interacting with toxic supervisors. The study utilized a qualitative design using semistructured interviews with nine current and former employees of Christian organizations. The study provided conclusions based on biblical literature, the social sciences, and leadership best practice.

Erin Reibel

There continues to be significant differences in the level of success that women are able to achieve as the lead or solo pastors in United Methodist Churches. Through a grassroots effort, women can form small groups that offer teaching and practical assistance on many of the challenge/opportunities that women clergy face, including their role as adaptive leaders, prophets, and vulnerable leaders. While four months was not sufficient time to see significant results the groups offered women a model of support that could be replicated or modified to reach more female clergy leaders.

John M Mucheke

This project has reviewed the development of leadership at Lavington United Church in Nairobi. It argues that traditional models of church leadership such as servant leadership and shepherd leadership are highly dependent on a single person, the leader. Shared leadership informed by the wisdom of scripture uncovers the benefits of team leadership in various models of shared leadership both in the Old Testament and the New Testament. The project has particularly drawn insights from Paul's shared leadership through his co-workers and found contextual application for the leadership practices of Lavington United Church. The author argues for the benefits of shared church leadership within his ministry context and its Relevance for other ministry contexts.