Bible--Matthew

Andrea Wright D.Min.

Social engagement is the most underdeveloped aspect of discipleship in many urban African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Churches. The response to the cry for justice which the denomination answered with its founding has been overshadowed by members’ individual pursuits of personal piety. This qualitative action research project offers a practical application of womanist ethics of tradition, community, spirituality, and engagement, as a model for an urban African Methodist Episcopal Church discipleship framework that shift members towards the practice of personal piety that is also the flame that sets social engagement ablaze in the life of an African Methodist Episcopal Church congregation.

Paul J Yanchek D.Min.

This paper examines the impact of celebrating the Lord's Supper weekly on a small church in the Christian and Missionary Alliance. The church has endured years of decline and internal strife.

Incorporating data collected from congregational surveys, focus group feedback, and personal interviews, this study demonstrates that having the Lord’s Supper every week for twelve weeks resulted in a measurable improvement in the congregation’s sense of unity, as well as an increased sense of God’s presence in the worship services. It argues that the Christian and Missionary Alliance should seek to rediscover the meaning of the Lord’s Supper and its spiritual impact on the life of a congregation.

Diane E Knauf D.Min.

The 175-member Presbyterian congregation I serve has been deeply affected by the pandemic, the changing role of church in culture, and individual and communal losses. This project sought to equip them to begin to identify and name before God their own suffering, and that of others. My research was conducted in the context of a Lenten bible study, a prayer walk, interviews and a survey. Participants also created their own laments. These activities provided a snapshot of participants’ beliefs about lament and encouraged them to engage in their community, especially on behalf of situations in which there is injustice or inequity.

Marlene Reinhold Grandinetti D.Min.

The aim of this project is to examine how evangelical congregations in the Chicago area are carrying out missional discipleship. The main research question is, ‘What are best practices for a missional approach to discipleship for the local church?’ Two additional questions are used to answer the main research question: (1) What are some of the major challenges these local churches encountered in their discipleship efforts? and (2) What lessons can be learned from the experience of these congregations when formulating a missional disciple-making strategy?

To explore and answer the research question, a multiple case study methodology is employed. This method examines three evangelical churches in the Chicago area who embody a missional discipleship, using three different types of data collection. These include two focus groups at each church involving semi- structured qualitative interviews with small group leaders and participants, six participant observations of events these churches carried out for people in their communities, and a collection of documentary evidence.

The data from this study was organized into findings and concluded with three emphases that can be implemented by churches in their discipleship practices. These include a profile of an authentic follower of Christ, implementing four processes that lead to disciple-making, and the desired outcomes of an authentic, spiritually mature follower of Christ, all leading to a missional approach to disciple-making.

Franklin A. Vander Meulen D.Min.

Changes in the world create new challenges and opportunities in the world of missions.

Globalization has many positive aspects but can lead to increasing anti-West, anti-Christian, and nationalistic attitudes which make it difficult for Western Christians to live and serve as traditional missionaries in many countries.But ease of travel and communication allows people with professional education and skills to work anywhere; this is an opportunity for Christians to live and work and be a dynamic witness to Jesus in urban centers and marketplaces, the ‘Agora,’ even in those same countries.

Many Christian professionals, not wanting to serve as traditional, donor-supported missionaries, are taking advantage of these opportunities and are reaching out to mission agencies for assistance.

The author investigated, through interviews with agency leaders in Canada, their perspectives regarding professionals’ readiness for cross-cultural, Christian witness in the Agora, and regarding the roles that the Agency, Assembly, and Academy might have in any equipping them for that. Two primary, broad, necessary characteristics of professionals are spiritual maturity and cultural awareness. Two means of developing these are experience and discipleship. Experience is needed in their professional field, cross-cultural interaction, and Christian ministry; discipleship is needed to integrate good theology into one’s life, work and ministry.

This project proposes a model for multi-faceted experience and integrated discipleship that moves professionals from self-awareness to Christ-like wholeness, and from cultural awareness to wise missiology. It summarizes roles for the Assembly, Agency, and Academy in general, and proposes specific action for Heritage Theological Seminary, in Cambridge, Ontario.

John G. Martin Jr. D.Min.

This project addresses the question, “Why is faithful discipleship, as commanded by Jesus in the book of Matthew, necessary for the church, and what are the ramifications for failure to faithfully answer the call to discipleship?” The lack of discipleship has a twofold cause. Individual Christians are not answering the call to discipleship as Jesus commands, and the church has not been faithful in making disciples. This is addressed through the exegesis of four passages in the book of Matthew where Jesus issues a clear call to discipleship and the costs that faithful discipleship may entail for his disciples. The reasons why faithful discipleship is mandatory in order to follow Jesus are made clear. If one is not willing to follow Jesus as he commands, counting the costs he may have to count, he cannot be considered a disciple. Jesus’ call is a non-negotiable, and the ramification of ignoring it has eternal implications. The call to discipleship is also traced throughout the Bible in order to display that faithful discipleship in not a concept unique to Matthew. Even though the word “discipleship” does not appear the Bible, it is a thread woven throughout the pages of scripture. Discipleship demands obedience, and obedience has always been God’s will for his people. The contemporary problem–the lack of discipleship–is examined with a focus on the ramifications for the church. The impact of false teaching, materialism, apathy, fear of the world, and the church’s failure to make disciples are examined among the causes for the contemporary problem. This project examines solutions to the contemporary problem, as well as the positive ramifications faithful discipleship has on the church, the home, and society. This project examines what faithful discipleship looks like and how the church fulfills its mandate to make disciples.

Edward Bruce Carruthers D.Min.

Abstract
In its nearly two-hundred-year existence in the city, First Baptist Church has seen the best and worst of life in Montreal. Still, the current congregation shows no signs of giving up our corporate goal to be "A House of Prayer to All Nations." This portfolio reflects my evolution as pastor of this vital community and the church itself, especially during my time at Tyndale.
As challenging as the ministry is in general, it takes on another dimension of difficulty when the congregation to whom we minister is gone. The question that loomed large over my pastorate was how I could continue ministering to people in such an event. COVID-19 left us searching for alternate ways to minister to congregational needs despite restrictions on interpersonal contact. We partly addressed this ministry through online services, but many members could not avail themselves of this resource, being unable to access computers or the internet. Government-enforced church closures complicated the issue, as did some individuals fearing the risk of exposure by physically attending the church when open. The threefold foci of this research concentrated on how best to preach to an absent congregation, encourage them in prayer, and maintain a sense of communal fellowship despite enforced separation. The research project documents how we addressed these problems through regular telephone and mail contact to alleviate the isolation members experienced. This outreach included the distribution of printed sermons and prayer requests. We reassured members they were loved and cared for while reminding them of the congregational unity and community of those sharing their struggles. The project had some success, constrained mainly by its eight-week duration. However, we learned valuable lessons and continue using the process we developed, ensuring regular contact without overlooking any of our members.

Brett Gleason D.Min.

This project focuses on the best practices of the Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA) as it seeks to support the replanting or reestablishment of local churches that are considered “dying” because of their unsustainability and inevitably will close. The project thesis is that replants that implement these best practices have more conversions, more growth, and a higher survivability rate than those that do not. Both best practices of replanted churches and denominations that support them were identified in this study. The field work was completed using qualitative research methodology through a series of interviews, surveys, and document review.

Ten best practices of replanted churches were identified. (1) Replant pastor develops pastoral skills before replanting. (2) The church has a disciple making emphasis. (3) The pastor models evangelism. (4) The church serves the community. (5) The church prays evangelistically. (6) The church uses a holistic approach to evangelism training. (7) The church has evangelistic worship services. (8) The church has a vibrant small group ministry. (9) The church has a Connections Ministry Team. (10) The church is committed to Children’s Ministry.

Ten best practices of denominations were identified. (1) Clear distinctions between revitalization, replanting, and church planting. (2) Denominational staff designated for replanting. (3) There is a vision for replanting. (4) A clear process for replanting is developed. (5) The denomination adapts and modifies church planting systems for replanting. (6) The church has a replanting residency. (7) There is an assessment process for dying churches. (8) Interim pastors are utilized in the replanting process. (9) An oversight board oversees the replanting efforts. (10) There is a committed sending church for the replant.

Grady Alan Cox D.Min.

This Ministry Research Project aims to demonstrate a system for pastoral succession for congregationally governed Baptist Churches with by-laws requiring a pastor search committee system. Pastoral succession is a viable mechanism for pastoral selection in Baptist polity when certain factors are met, including predecessor’s tenure, successor’s qualifications and calling, and congregational understanding and support. Chapter 1 explains the opportunity for pastoral succession to create healthier churches and outlines the context, rationale, goals, and methodology used for this specific project. Chapter 2 examines biblical examples and exhortations from Scripture about succession of spiritual leaders in the Old and New Testaments (Moses/Joshua, Elijah/Elisha, Paul/Pastors, Jesus/Apostles). Chapter 3 argues for the advantages of pastoral succession through historical examples (St. Augustine, Gregory of Nazianzus, Charles Spurgeon, Andrew Fuller), and explores practical advantages supported by biblical leadership theory. Chapter 4 describes the planning, implementation, and results of a pastoral succession at University Baptist Church Fairbanks, AK. Chapter 5 evaluates the effectiveness of pastoral succession through set goals, defines theological principles supporting succession, and highlights best practices and common mistakes. Finally, it analyzes the possibility of using a similar process for healthy and intentional ministry leadership transitions.

Michael Christopher Gayle Dr. D.Ed.Min.

Matthew 28:18-20 records Jesus’s command to His disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations,” a passage of Scripture referred to as the Great Commission. This command is at the heart of what should be the life mission of Christians today. Christians have found it increasingly difficult to execute this mission successfully for a variety of reasons. In today’s cultural environment, a level of resistance to the Word of God often renders conventional methods of sharing the gospel ineffective. In the face of this resistance, it is necessary for approaches to be developed by which unbelievers can be reached. This project sought to identify some of the issues that create obstacles to having meaningful discussions with unbelievers, and develop a method to help Christians bridge the gap between misperceptions and scriptural reality.