Leadership, Religious

Robby Richard D.Min.

El objetivo de la presente investigación es identificar los factores, desde la perspectiva del liderazgo de la iglesia, que contribuyen al crecimiento de la sede hispanohablante de Grace Church, en Greenville, Carolina del Sur, EE. UU., y, por ende, que contribuyen al alcance de la comunidad hispanohablante en su contexto con el evangelio.

El modelo de iglesia multisitio está formado por congregaciones que se consideran parte de una misma iglesia local y se reúnen en diferentes lugares geográficos y espacios físicos. A pesar de que no cuenta con una larga trayectoria de años, ya ha evidenciado signos positivos de eficacia para el alcance evangelístico de diversas comunidades pluriculturales. Estas huellas de competencia del modelo se hacen visibles en resultados observables en la experiencia práctica de su aplicación y en datos disponibles en diversas fuentes.

La presente investigación reveló que los factores propuestos en las hipótesis formuladas son, en efecto, válidos. Además, aportó información valiosa sobre otras dos características específicas del ámbito organizacional y eclesial que fortalecen la relación entre la sede hispanohablante y la iglesia anglohablante. Estas constituyen la base esencial para la efectividad de los elementos propuestos en las hipótesis.

Para aquellas iglesias que deseen implementar el modelo multisitio, es recomendable tomar en cuenta el entorno demográfico donde se desea abrir una sede, las características propias del tipo de la comunidad eclesial que se desea, y los principios únicos que cimientan toda comunidad hispana.

Stephen Anderson D.Min.

Of itself, church smallness is neither an anomaly, a mistake, nor a virtue. In God’s providence and design, small is normal, and may in fact bring significant strengths. However, no prior research has investigated the distinctive dynamics and challenges faced by rectors of smaller parishes in the Anglican Diocese of Sydney, and despite extensive training pathways there is very little leadership development that focuses specifically upon the small church. This mixed-methods research project integrates theological and sociological insights and discoveries in order to equip and encourage these servants of Christ to persevere in fruitful ministry over the long term.

This dissertation presents a complete biblical theology of fruitfulness. Coupling this to the “Robinson-Knox” ecclesiology imbibed by nearly all Sydney Anglican rectors, a “purpose-of-churching” scale is derived to help stimulate theologically consistent models of ministry. At the heart of this project, the Nominal Group Technique is used to generate a list of the Top 7 challenges encountered by a pool of experienced small-church rectors. In light of this robust list along with critical insights from the secondary literature, four follow-up interviews are conducted on location.

This pilot research project includes major findings in three key areas. The full, biblical definition of ministry fruitfulness protects and encourages the small-church pastor, especially when tied to the proper purposes of churching. A perceptive analysis of typical small-church culture arising from the secondary literature equips the rector to lead in ways indigenous to actual church size. At the heart, the Top 7 list of small-church challenges renders a “thick” diagnosis widely applicable by such rectors to their ministry settings. As this project concludes, a fresh, rigorous, semi-linear coaching framework for emerging and established rectors serving in small Anglican parishes is proposed for initial implementation.

Thomas A. Williams

"The project question the author engaged was this: How can I connect local ecumenical leaders together to support and build courage together to make a faithful, sustained, redemptive social change in local communities? The author argues in this paper that faithful movements for redemptive social change arise from leaders who were supported, challenged, complimented, and inspired by a community of friends. This paper outlines the condition of loneliness in our culture and among our clergy and congregations, and how an intentional cohort model of support can connect clergy to one another around community issues of importance. In the course of this project the author met with community clergy, researched other cohort models, and attempted to assemble those pastors together. The model adjusted from a "convening" model toward gatherings centered on an issue. The issue carried the convening power rather than the idea of convening a group of potential friends." -- Leaf [2].

Dorothee Edith Tripodi

"By engaging in congregational analysis using Heifetz and Linsky's leadership characteristics, UPSem (Richmond) M.Div. seminary interns of the summer 2019 intensive and fall 2019 part-time academic year sessions defined internship experiences as either technical, technical-adaptive, or adaptive. The instructor, using ethnographic methodology combined with Heifetz's reflection process of observation, interpretation, and intervention, explored the interns' narrative findings concerning their ability to identify leadership challenges. The conventional wisdom that students would be limited in their ability to use Heifetz and Linsky's leadership characteristic due to lack of ministerial experience proofed unfounded. The outcome of this ethnographic reflection invites further exploration concerning a pastoral intern's leadership abilities in light of on-going vocational discernment, vocational identity, and authority in complex systems subject to denominational and cultural change." -- Leaf [2].

Drexel N. Mitchell

"This project explores the challenges of the decline in clergy and laity relationships within local Christian Methodist Episcopal Churches on the Fort Worth District which has significantly impacted upward trajectory in creating an atmosphere of effective ministry. The project revealed that clergy and laity alike share mutual positive and negative concerns that, if bridged together with intentionality, provide a viable schematic for fostering evangelistic growth and the spiritual formation of disciples. Conclusively, the pastors, lay persons and churches of the Fort Worth District have displayed and experienced improvement in the area of church administration and refocused ministries that have the potential to increase growth spiritually and numerically." -- Leaf [2].

Daniel Mejia-Munoz

"Can the experiences of the early Methodists help midsize churches in the United States in decline find growth and new life? The early Methodists experienced renewal and revival as they explored alternative and innovative missional models. The author conducted a survey among United Methodist clergy and laity to investigate the need for change and innovation in their congregations and what tools would help both leaders and churches thrive. Additionally, the author interviewed modern innovative Methodists who in their work are modeling a new way of being church today. The project suggests that the early Methodists can inspire churches in unique ways to be innovative and transformative in their contexts, congregations, and communities." -- Leaf [2].

Chul Yun Lee

"The purpose of this paper was to find the possibility to transform the traditional Korean immigrant church in New York, USA into a church with healthy spiritual soil. As the new pastor of Korean Methodist Church of Queens, which had been on traditional soil for 33 years, the author deeply [was] concerned about what it takes to be a healthy church. So to accomplish this purpose, the author designed two programs : "Banaba training" and "Incarnational leader training." In conclusion, these projects showed positive results that, after implementation, helped transformation and maturity in the spiritual character and attitude of the leaders of Korean Methodist church of Queens." -- Supplied by the author.

Marlene R. Mitchell

""Call on Paul: A Mentoring Tool for New Pastors in the Washington Conference of the Second Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church" examines the efficacy of the development of a mentoring module to address the gap in pastoral preparedness. Research was conducted via the use of purposive samples, descriptive questions, and numerous interviews. The feedback affirmed the lack in formal and informal mentoring relationships. Data gathered through research and interviews with both seasoned clergy and newly appointed pastors led to the development of a practical guide that will enable new pastors to be stronger, more effective leaders." -- Leaf [2].

Kyung Sik Bae

"The purpose of this project is to burgeon women's leadership of Maasai in the ten churches established in Longido district in Tanzania. Women's leadership plays a pivotal role in the evangelization of Maasai. I would refer this model to the Bible Women that is manifested in the history of World Mission, especially in the early days of the Korean Mission era, which has a powerful effect in the mission field. Most women in Africa are reduced in the value of women by the male-dominated cultural patterns. Furthermore, women of Maasai are limited to pregnancy, childbirth, and nurturing by the idiosyncratic social status and role established by traditional culture. Due to this influence of African culture, women's role is reduced even in the church and is regarded as less important than men. Just as the sex ratio of all churches in the world is much more women, Maasai churches in Longido are filled with women, and the women sustain the church. This project uncovers that Maasai women are restoring the image of God through which they are constructing the women's role in the church as well as in the community." -- Leaf [2].

Robert Wriedt D.Min.

This Doctor of Ministry project created a training program for potential elders at Grace Community Church of Seal Beach. The first section of the project is a biblical and theological study of Christian leadership generally and eldership specifically that locates elder training within Christian discipleship. It then moves on to an integration of the contemporary literature on elder and board training, seeking to combine the best of theologically driven works (such as those by Anyabwile, Rinne, and Strauch) with writers focused on practical concerns (such as Busby or Malphurs and Mancini) as well as secular leadership theorists (such as Kouzes and Posner, Greenleaf, and Carver).

The qualitative research project itself focuses on how to train elders using a nine-week small group format. Since elder training is rooted in the growth of character (“Be”), knowledge (“Know”) and practice (“Do”), each week’s meeting included sections on theology, ministry skills, and Christian character. Participant growth was measured by interviews before, during, and after the conclusion of the nine weeks, as well as by observed behavior within the context of the group. The project appendices include full descriptions of the course content that was taught and the readings that were assigned to participants.

One of the key findings from this project was the necessity of training elders prior to their invitation to serve as elders, rather than waiting for them to begin service on the board or even before they were asked to serve as elders in the upcoming year. An analogy would be to compare it to pre-engagement counseling, rather than pre-marital or marital counseling. Participants stated that the training provided clarity of what was expected of elders was very helpful in their discernment process, which excited some and caused others to opt out of the process.