Leadership, Religious

Michael S. Johnson D.Min.

This research study looked at factors in participative decision-making that would balance congregational polity and pastoral authority. A multiple-case study was conducted with four Black Baptist churches in central Indiana. Fifteen participants were interviewed across cases and organizational documents were analyzed. Four themes emerged from the study. They included effectiveness, unified involvement, decision parameters, and trusted leadership. Effectiveness related to support for a decision. Unified Involvement was about members’ sense of belonging. Parameters involved areas where certain groups had discretion in decision-making. Lastly, trusted leadership pertained to the calling of a pastor and the confidence members placed in that calling.

Sean Wood D.Min.

The problem this project addressed is the perceived lack of Christocentric leadership development among millennials of Canadian churches with over one thousand people in attendance. In response to this problem the researcher explored Christ-centered leadership formation and discipleship in the New Testament and early church. The literature reviewed related to the uniqueness of millennials as it connects to leadership development. The researcher interviewed two Senior Pastors who are considered highly influential with the millennial cohort. These two leaders have both led effective church congregations in Canada during their respective twenty-plus year tenure serving the same churches. Millennial leaders who are actively serving in roles of influence within these two churches also participated in this project. Fourteen were personally interviewed from the thirty-seven who completed an online survey. Three millennial cohort specialists were also interviewed. One is a respected Canadian sociologist, one is a counselor, author, corporate coach and Canadian media personality, and the third leads Canada’s premier sports camp and retreat center. Canada is an increasingly secularized country in which emerging generations are struggling to be rooted in Christ and effective in discipling and serving those within their sphere of influence. Through the analysis of the results of this project, and leaning on the research discovered, the researcher developed and presents seven principles in Christ-centered leadership for millennials living in Canada.

Timothy N. Thomassian D.Min.

This project addressed the problem of the lack of a systemic approach to developing potential leaders at Grace Church as it seeks to add replication-culture elements to its existing family culture. The problem was addressed in four steps: (1) exploring biblical leadership development principles using the examples of Moses and Joshua, Jesus and Peter, and Paul’s instruction to the church leaders to “equip the saints for the work of ministry,” (Eph. 4:11-12), (2) reviewing relevant books, articles, and other sources to discover leadership development principles as they relate to replication culture, (3) conducting face-to-face interviews with three leadership development pastors at three churches with replication cultures and established leadership development systems and separate face-to-face interviews with three focus groups consisting of leaders who had been developed in the leadership development system overseen by the same leadership development pastors; and (4) proposing considerations, based on the research, that apply to Grace Church but could apply to any organization with a similar culture seeking to add replication culture elements. The researcher concluded that the replication culture element of leadership development could be effectively adopted by the family-culture church if three steps were addressed by the church elders: (1) creating a vision for leadership development, 2) committing to the systemic implementation of a leadership development strategy, and 3) modifying or eliminating areas of the family culture that hinder leadership development.

Benjamin Kenneth Peltz D.Min.

This Doctor of Ministry (DMin) Research Portfolio details the author’s development as a leader throughout the program via his Leadership Narrative, Ministry Context Analysis, Project Report, and Philosophy of Leadership. His research project consisted of using Participatory Action Research (PAR) methods to develop a mentoring workshop for Cree adults. Using PAR methods caused him to revisit his assumptions and alter the way he designed and ran the workshop, which increased participants’ confidence in ways that he did not originally anticipate. This experience, alongside other elements of the DMin program and developments in his leadership responsibilities, led him to identify his calling as leading intergenerational and intercultural reconciliation using communal discernment processes. Alongside demonstrating how spiritual experiences, faithful mentors, Christian community, and formal education can enable an individual to overcome a difficult upbringing and become a capable Christian leader, this portfolio offers insights into the value of using PAR and similar processes for improving ministry endeavours in an indigenous context.

James McKeown Quainoo D.Min.

The Church of Pentecost Canada is an ethnic Pentecostal denomination with roots from Ghana. Over the last thirty years she has grown numerically, spiritually and geographically across Canada. However, the church is confronted with the need to reflect and explore how to be more relevant to the ever-changing church and Canadian culture.
This portfolio reflects the exegesis of the context of ministry of the church at McKeown Worship Centre in Toronto and the branch in Edmonton. It focuses on strengths, challenges and opportunities, philosophy of leadership, and a research project that initially began with a heightened interest towards exploring soul care and social action. The research project used a guided Appreciative Inquiry approach to enable participants to identify, design, and implement integrative initiatives. A greater awareness and urgency for more social engagements with the wider Canadian community have been created among a cross-section of church leadership. There is the need to use the principles of Appreciative Inquiry further to engage the whole church to develop more contextual and intentional strategic approaches to revitalization.

Walter Gregory Joseph D.Min.

This research project used Ruth Haley Barton’s book Pursuing God’s Will Together, as a tool to develop mutual spiritual intimacy among the leaders of Walking on the Water Ministries. Sessions were completed with the leadership group over an eight-month period using some of the principles of participatory action research. Research methods included surveys, group sessions, Barton’s Personal Reflection exercises and questions, and my personal observations. The result was a personal growth experience for the leaders, as we journeyed together in developing mutual spiritual intimacy. x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Martin Edward Spoelstra D.Min.

ABSTRACT

This portfolio was originally intended to research Discovery Church’s
journey to multisite. Over a four-month period just prior to launch of the second
site, the church dealt with a leadership and financial crisis brought on by a drop in
attendance. These changes necessitated putting multisite on hold and refocusing
energies on discipleship and mission.

The original research question proposed the use of an Appreciative Inquiry
model intended to help the congregation deal with the emotional and social shifts
to become one church with two locations. Facing new circumstances, the
Appreciative Inquiry model was modified to help the church deal with the
emotional and social concerns they had around the dramatic change in their
attendance and vision for multisite. This exercise gave an opportunity for the
Church to recall why they started as a church plant, some of the great things that
God had already done, the courage to risk once more, and step into a new future.

Out of the Appreciative Inquiry, Discovery Church embarked on the
rebuilding process that focused on clarifying their existing vision, developing
disciples making disciples, and a missional leadership development process,
eventually leading them back to the potential for multiplication.

Byron C Fultz D.Min.

The thesis was to assess the effects of a multifaceted approach to leadership development, utilizing instruction, experience or observation, skills practice, and coaching/mentoring. Assessments before and after were administered, focusing on perceptions, understanding and receptivity to the prospect of lending or moving toward leadership utilizing a small group environment, the 12 week project explored core ideas in Biblical leadership, studies on Jesus' development of the Twelve, philosophy and approach to ministry & leadership, and character in leadership. Participants shared in the group experience, met individually with the researcher, took turns facilitating the group, and reflected on their experience in individual interviews following the study. Results of the project reflected appreciable progress in positive perception of leadership, in grasping the Biblical understanding of leadership, and in open-ness to the prospect of leading/moving into or toward leadership

Frank Savadera D.Min.

Savadera, Frank Dennis, B., D. Min. Seattle University, 2019. 201 pp.
Chair: Taylor, Mark Lloyd, PhD

This qualitative study investigates the relevant descriptions that first-generation immigrant Filipino volunteer church workers use to characterize their adopted multicultural parish. Further, it investigates how these descriptions influence their views on inclusion and religious engagement in their communities. The study hopes to generate faith and encourage theological reflections on: (1) persons’ capacities to encounter and embrace the “other”; (2) capacities for multiple-mindedness and recognition of a multiplicity of gifts; and (3) the call to embody and participate in the Trinitarian communion.
The central research questions asked are as follows: (1) How do first-generation immigrant Filipino volunteer parish workers in the Archdiocese of Seattle describe their experience of a multicultural context and how it affects their faith life and their view(s) of the church as an organization (i.e., in terms of church leadership, decision making, community dynamics, perspectives about the faith, programs/activities, etc.); (2) What personal values and dispositions do these immigrants believe positively/negatively affect their views of their parish as a multicultural organization; and (3) What does it mean for them to practice their religious culture in a multicultural setting? The research also asks these related questions: What recommendations would they suggest to members of organizations such as their respective parishes and the Seattle Archdiocese to help sustain involvement and participation in such multicultural contexts?
To study a phenomenon, i.e., a multicultural church, within multiple, bounded systems, this study uses a multi-case study design. Our cases consist of three groups, one representing each parish under study. The research employs a non-probability purposive sampling procedure, an interview protocol prescribed by Creswell (2006, 132), methods of field observation, archival documents, and relevant demographics.

Darlington Ejikeme Elekwa Dr D.Min.

This portfolio consists of three key parts namely; exegetic consideration of the researcher’s ministry context, his leadership philosophy and a model for teaching pastors the pure gospel in a prosperity gospel context. There is a dearth of trained pastors in the researcher’s ministry context. Rampant miss-interpretation of the Bible is a common place in Jos. These facts informed the need for pastors training. The collective wisdom of participants was utilized to develop strategies for training pastors to preach the pure gospel rather than a different gospel (Galatians 1:6,7).
Data collected from a two-day research workshop, participants’ observations, participant’s interviews, extra information volunteered by two participants and workshop evaluations were subjected to open coding, selective coding, axial and in-vivo coding. Analyzed data showed dinner table training model, cell phone correspondence course model, customized coaching and mentoring would be beneficial for training pastors.