Mississippi

Gregg S. Magee Sr.

The purpose of this project was to research historical models and biblical principles of dating to develop a manual for equipping adult singles at Empowerment Ministries Christian Center. The project explored the two broad cultural environments of collectivism and individualism and their respective models of dating. The produced research was compared to biblical principles to highlight best practices.

This project followed the research model described in the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary Doctor of Ministry Handbook. The project began with research and ended with the development of a manual for a seminar on the topic of “The Journey towards Marriage: Biblical Guidelines for Christian Dating.” The implementation of the seminar is out of the scope of the project.

Jeffery Dale Holeman

The purpose of this project was to equip selected leaders of the First Baptist Church of Oxford, Mississippi, with church conflict management skills. This project began with research in the field of conflict management and identified skills that are applicable to a local Southern Baptist Church. The project director developed a workshop to train selected leaders with the skills needed to manage church conflict. The selected leaders included deacon officers, committee chairpersons, and full-time church staff from the First Baptist Church of Oxford, Mississippi. This workshop included skill presentations and opportunities for case study applications. The project terminated with the workshop that equipped the selected leaders of First Baptist Church of Oxford, Mississippi, with church conflict management skills.

Anson Frances Fullington

The purpose of this project was to equip selected members of Griffith Memorial Baptist Church (GMBC), Jackson, Mississippi, for ministry to widowed members. The project had three phases. First, the project director researched, gathered information, and organized an annotated bibliography that provided knowledge and resources for understanding widowed member ministry. Second, the project director wrote curriculum to equip selected members of GMBC for ministry to widowed members. Third, the project director equipped selected members of GMBC with the understanding of the importance of spiritual gifts in ministry to widowed members, with a concern for the needs of widowed members, and the skills to minister to widowed members.

A pre-test was given to each member before the first session, and a post-test was given after the last session to measure the increased knowledge of participants who minister to widowed members. Six one-hour equipping sessions were conducted on Sunday evenings. After each session, the participants divided into small groups for twenty minutes, to discuss any questions, have time for prayer, and interject roleplay exercises. After the final session the director gave a post-test to the participants to measure what they had learned during the sessions. The director distributed commitment cards to challenge participants to minister to the needs of widowed with their giftedness.

Randall Cagle Clayton

The purpose of this project was to equip selected members of Immanuel Baptist Church in Greenwood, Mississippi, with conversational evangelism skills. The project began with project director researching the field of evangelism for the purpose of identifying essential conversational skills. Next, the project director developed an annotated bibliography based upon the completed research. After conducting research and identifying essential conversational skills, the project director wrote a report that discussed the findings. Expert evaluators evaluated the annotated bibliography.

The next step in the project was to develop a curriculum to equip selected members of Immanuel Baptist Church with essential conversational evangelism skills. The project director acquired skills for writing curriculum by completing a self-guided study, Design for Teaching and Training, by LeRoy Ford. The project director wrote the curriculum and an expert evaluator evaluated the curriculum. The project director next conducted a six-session discipleship class to equip selected members of Immanuel Baptist church, Greenwood, Mississippi, in essential conversational evangelism skills. Finally, the project director concluded the project by administering tan devaluating post0test results and evaluating students' role play encounters.

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.

Andrew Chapman

The purpose of this project was to design a strategy for a comprehensive ministry-intern framework for Temple Baptist Church, Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The project director led a selected team to design a strategy in order to develop a framework for an intern program. The strategy included a combination of best practices gleaned from the research of various models of ministry internships and a summary of past, present, and future intern use determined through an internal audit of Temple Baptist Church. The project director concluded the project by presenting the strategy to the Strategic Leadership Team of Temple Baptist Church.

This student submitted an Abstract that was shorter than the 100 word minimum.

Luke M. Gardner

The purpose of this project was to develop a church revitalization strategy for Morgan Chapel Baptist Church, Sturgis, Mississippi. The project director will conduct an internal audit of the church's demographics and key functions to determine the revitalization priorities of the church. The project director will research the field of church revitalization to determine the best practices in church revitalization. Next, the project director will select and train a diverse group of church members to serve on the strategy development team (Dream Team). The Dream Team, along with the project director, will design a church revitalization strategy for Morgan Chapel utilizing the best practices in church revitalization. Finally, the project director will present the completed strategy to the deacon body for evaluation and then the church for ultimate approval at a scheduled business meeting. Experts in the field of church revitalization will be enlisted to evaluate the process and the completed strategy.

Wade Lee Ricks D.Min.

This project evaluated whether an introductory curriculum on the providence of God could equip a select group of First Baptist Church of Collinsville, Mississippi to respond biblically to God’s providence in natural disasters.

Chapter 1 introduces the need to reexamine the theology of the providence of God as a result of scientific discovery. Additionally, the project's thesis, rationale, purpose, methodology, and goals are also presented.

Chapter 2 presents the theological background with an exegetical analysis of three major texts detailing the foundation for the theology of the providence of God.

Chapter 3 outlines the project description, scope, design, and weekly progress report.

Chapter 4 presents the project analysis gathered from both a pre- and post-study survey.

Chapter 5 concludes with an administrative summary and suggestions for further implementation of the project.

Wade Lee Ricks, D.Min.
The Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2022
Supervisor: Dr. Thomas Kiker, Ph.D.

Robert Lee Burgess D.Ed.Min.

This project will measure the effectiveness of using LibWizard tutorials to teach library instruction over in-person instruction sessions. Chapter two will focus on the biblical rationale of the importance for students at Christian schools to become effective researchers so that they may live out their Christian calling to better the world. Chapter three will focus on the need of students to learn how to do research, the effectiveness of in-person instruction sessions, and benefits of online instructional tutorials. Chapter four will focus on the creation of the tutorials. Chapter five will present the evaluation of student learning from library instruction.

Justin Wade Phillips

The purpose of this project was to research virtual worship strategies in order to develop a strategic guide to transition virtual worshipers to in-person worship at Northcrest Baptist Church, Meridian, Mississippi. The project director used the research model found in the current Doctor of Ministry Handbook from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

This is a topic that has very little research on it currently as it is still a developing field of study in the church. It is, however, a field of study that has seen exponential growth because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most churches, including Northcrest, went live-stream only for several weeks during the initial COVID-19 shutdown of 2020. Therefore, despite the relative dearth of research, there is a great need for understanding.

The project director did a wide range of research on this topic to better understand those participating in worship both virtually and in-person at Northcrest. In doing so, he created a strategic guide for reaching those watching virtually at Northcrest that could serve as a tool for other churches to try to do the same.