New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Jason T Murphree

The purpose of this project was to equip selected leaders of Crosshaven Baptist Church, Hanceville, Alabama, in disciple-making leadership skills. The project director researched the field of disciple-making in order to determine effective disciple-making leadership skills. This research was used to develop a teaching curriculum. The curriculum was presented to selected leaders in a multi-session workshop format. Comprehension of the curriculum was measured by a pre-tested, post-test, role playing, case studies, and a commitment card. This project improved the project director's knowledge in the field of disciple-making skills and curriculum development and implementation. The project director received commitments from experts in the fields of disciple-making and curriculum to help in the development, evaluation, and implementation of the project.

John Philip Gates

The purpose of this project was to equip selected members of Mount Vernon Baptist Church, Jasper, Alabama, with personal prayer competencies. The project director utilized information from research to design an equipping workshop for the selected group of individuals. The selected group received biblical instruction, learned and practiced personal prayer disciplines, and engaged in prayer experiences with the small group. The workshop occurred over a weekend. The project director increased his knowledge on the subject prayer by exploring the literature in the field of prayer and in determining essential prayer competencies. The project director also developed his skill in developing lessons plans and teaching a prayer workshop.

Brett D Mask

The purpose of this project was to develop an adult discipleship strategy for Salem Baptist Church, Lexington, Georgia. The project director evaluated the current state of discipleship using external and internal demographics. The project director explored literature in the field of adult discipleship strategy and formulated a list of best practices. The project director explores strategic-planning models and determined the best strategic-planning process. The project director led a selected group in strategic-planning process in order to develop an adult discipleship strategy. The project director presented the strategy to the congregation of Salem Baptist Church, Lexington, Georgia for adoption.

Ernest L DeSoto

The purpose of this project was to develop a strategy to provide theological education to equip new pastors in Karnataka, India. The project director researched the demographics of village pastors and created a profile describing the theological needs of Indian village pastors. The project director researched existing paradigms of theological education being utilized and determined best practices. The project director presented this research to a selected strategy planning team from members of his church, and led the team to develop a strategy for providing theological education to pastors serving in remote Indian villages. the strategy report was presented to the leadership board of an indigenous ministry based in Kolar, India.

Justin Carles Arbuckle

The purpose of this project was to develop a spiritual formation strategy for the ministry volunteers at Central Baptist Church, Jonesboro, Arkansas. The project director identified key components of spiritual development in regard to ministry leaders and volunteers. This project examined academic standards of spiritual formation. The project director selected a strategy team that assisted in the development of the plan for Central Baptist Church. The strategy accomplished four primary goals. The project director inspected the current state of spiritual formation as well as academic standards in the area of spiritual formation. The research, as well as interviews with the principal ministry leaders, aided in the development of a spiritual formation strategy that the team developed and presented to the staff of Central Baptist Church for approval and/or endorsement, The project director engaged multiple methods of evaluation including expert evaluation, research, and surveys. The completed project gave Central Baptist Church, Jonesboro, AR, and their ministries a plan focusing on the immediate action steps as well as developing a long-range vision for incorporating spiritual formation principles in every ministry.

Abraham SeongHee Han

The purpose of this project was to research the Korean diaspora, the Korean diaspora churches, their church education and leadership system, and the curriculum in order to develop a curriculum for the re-education of church education leaders in the New Life Baptist Church in Suwanee, Georgia, USA. To achieve this goal, the project director worked in the following way. First, the meaning and contents of diaspora, church, and leadership were explored based on the Bible. Second, the selected literature on American community, Korean diaspora community, Korean diaspora church, church leadership, and curriculum were carefully studied. Third, the project director did unintentional participant observation and (unintentionally and intentionally) interviewed the New Life Baptist Church and its community. Fourth, he listened to the faculty and field mentors, church education specialists and the persons concerned, and curriculum specialists and lifelong education experts. Fifth, a list of annotated bibliographies was created, and a five-session curriculum was developed. Sixth, the project director reflected on the promotion of his own knowledge and curriculum development skills on the subject of the project. Seventh, the project director revised some of the annotated bibliographies generated by himself based on the quantitative and qualitative evaluation opinions of the church education experts on the curriculum. As a result of this project research, a single, annotated bibliography was created and a curriculum was developed for the re-education of church education leaders in the New Life Baptist Church in Suwanee, Georgia. The result of this project, including the findings of this project, will contribute to the transformation of the Korean Diaspora Church into a church that is not generationally separate, but worshipping God, serving the communities and the nations, and teaching and learning together with all the generations.

Russell E Shuler

The purpose of this project is to enhance the project director's apologetic preaching skills at Eastwood Baptist Church, Haughton, Louisiana, in order to increase congregational understanding of evil and suffering. This project will be based on the ministry skill enhancement model. The project director will begin by researching the field of apologetics and create an annotated bibliography from resources researched to aid in the design and delivery of apologetic sermons. He also will create a report identifying theological doctrines related to evil and suffering that will serve as essential components necessary to increase understanding of evil and suffering. The project director then will develop a series of apologetic sermons incorporating the essential components identified. He will base each sermon on apologetic principles and will incorporate a specific component deemed necessary for the increasing of congregational understanding of evil and suffering. The project director will preach the series of apologetic sermons at Eastwood Baptist Church. Expert evaluators from the fields of apologetics, theology, and preaching, will assess the bibliography, report, sermons, and actual preaching of the series to ensure the project director fulfills the goals of the project.

Eric s Kuykendall

The purpose of this project was to equip the selected men of First Baptist Spartanburg with biblical mentoring skills. The project accomplished its purpose when the selected men completed the training and began mentoring other men using their newly acquired mentoring skills. This Doctor of Ministiy project contained three primary components. The first component involved researching various resources in the field of biblical mentoring in order to identify essential skills. The second component of the project involved the development of curriculum. The third component of the project was the equipping phase, in which the director equipped the selected men with biblical mentoring skills. Evaluation from experts and standards in the relevant fields accompanied these components.

Garrett C Starr

The purpose of this project was to equip the leadership of Hempstead Bible Fellowship, Hempstead, Texas, in hermeneutic methodology. The project director enlisted the participation of twenty two adults from the congregation. The participants were then taught using a curriculum on henneneutic methodology written by the project director. The equipping class consisted of eight sessions taught on consecutive Monday evenings and focused on the essential methods of the observation, interpretation and application of Scripture. Participants were equipped in these aforementioned areas as well as understanding the importance of biblical genres, barriers to correct interpretation, interpreting figurative passages, recognizing the difference between transcultural and culturally-conditioned statements, and how to avoid interpretation mistakes.

David H Janaro

The purpose of this project was to equip selected members of Fairfax First Baptist Church, Fairfax,rSouth Carolina, with essential Christian apologetic skills to engage Jehovah's Witnesses. Many members of the church reported that Jehovah's Witnesses came to their homes to distribute literature or promote their organization. The church members also acknowledged that they lacked the skills necessary to engage Jehovah's Witnesses. The project director researched and apologetic methods. He used the research to design six training sessions to develop skills and change attitudes about ministering to Jehovah's Witnesses.