A study of marriage and family counseling methods in the Presbyterian Church of East Africa has been necessitated by the current problematic situation attributed to social, economic and industrial pressures. The situation is becoming worse due to inadequate and ineffective premarital, marital and family counseling processes. This project has been done in the Interdenominational Theological Center. Some of the material has been obtained in other institutions in Atlanta such as Columbia Theological Seminary, Candler School of Theology in Emory University, Atlanta University and Atlanta Public Library, international students and ministers from Kenya who are currently studying in the United States have contributed in giving some information regarding marriage and family life in Kenya and in Africa at large. Other material that has been used in writing this dissertation was ordered from Kenya. The purpose of this dissertation is to respond constructively to that challenge situation in Kenya by studying what has been done in the past by the church, assessing the strengths and weaknesses in the counseling methods that contest the radical changes which impact on lilies. Then to propose a model of pastoral triage and family counseling which will minister readily to a Kenyan situation. The proposed model is a systematic strategy of intervention formulated in the patterns of the Christian pastoral ministry. The premarital, marital and family counseling model of intervention is designed and characterized by Christian theology and the mission of the church to the contemporary society. Christian pastoral ministry has its source, origin and pattern in Jesus Christ, the Lord of the Church. When this model is implemented in the ministry. It becomes an egression in the acts of teaching, guiding and healing. This model is designed to cater to the increasing marital and familial problems and confusions by means of reconciling, guiding and sustaining the spiritual l well-being of family relationships. Pastoral counseling strives to reach the goals of caring and giving new strength, and guiding in the paths of understanding and effective communication. In building this model, the nature and design of the African family is taken into consideration. The African marriage traditions are built on a strong network of kinship, a sense of belonging and the undying respect of the hierarchy of the elders, mothers and sliding age-levels and groups. Africans have great regard for the family court, "Ndundu ya mucii," which deals with domestic and family issues. The proposed model is designed, on one hand, to combat with contemporary marital and familial issues, and on the other hand, to preserve the African culture, the dignity and solidarity of the family life style, in this regard, the implementation of the family counseling model will help in both educating the family as a whole, then guiding, and sustaining the consanguity. The methods in this dissertation reflect the pastoral attitudes such as empathy, mutuality, sustaining supportive and training ministry. Counseling process is done in phases which mark the beginning of the intervention through problem solving to closure phases. Then the role of the church is extended beyond the counseling processes to daily pastoral care and educational ministry.

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Purpose This study was undertaken, in response to a need of long standing, to raise the consciousness of the church regarding her need for more effective administration of the ministry. Simultaneously, the purpose is to identify and bring recognition to a ready source capable of addressing this need—black women in administration. Goal The desired goal is to provide a basis for affirming the gift of administration as an appropriate ministry for women and an essential ministry for the church and, utilizing the theology of administration, propose an adult education model of effective training for the ministry of administration. The Problem This study addresses the problem of ineffective administration which I argue is directly related to the life, vitality and growth of the church and the involvement of members of the church. The church has not validated the ministry of administration though the need is evidenced by ineffective administrative operations of many church leaders. The gift of administration has been underutilized as an intentional ministry of major importance for the enabling and empowering of women to share their several gifts in the programmatic, coordinating and implementing operations of the church. Non-involvement is a tragic commentary on those who give leadership to the community of believers. Each year fewer people attend church regularly and even fewer actively participate in significant church relationships. In the male-oriented church, men in leadership have not solved this increasing problem. The revolutionized world is in need of visionary, creative, skilled, and committed black women in administration to cultivate and use their skills for effective ministry. Methodology A threefold process was used. First, the literature was researched to discover historical, biblical and theological support for black women in the ministry of administration. Secondly, a survey was conducted with selected seminary graduates and non-seminary practitioners to explore their attitudes, philosophies and present administrative roles. Thirdly, a consultation was held with a select group of experienced clergy and lay women currently engaged in significant administrative positions in religious organizations and the church. Problem Solution As women make their way into significant, responsible Christian leadership positions, they need to be encouraged and equipped to focus their attention on enabling the discovery, utilization and ordering of spiritual gifts in the church and wherever Christians are living out their faith in everyday life. Having participated in the revolution to liberate women, Christian women have the challenging opportunity to open doors to significant leadership roles in the church and religious institutions where their administrative ministry is needed. To bring acceptance and recognition by the church of the ministry of administration that it deserves, is a formidable undertaking, but one that must be attempted. Black women have the potential to give leadership to this task. The ministry of administration is a position that needs to be filled. Black women bring to the challenge of administration a history of overcoming obstacles to freedom, of bearing the pain and frustration of triple discrimination; they bring an intuitive problem-solving capability inherent from ingenious slave survival. Black women are among the "49 million women employed in this country who have altered the image of womanhood and changed the way America lives, works and even thinks." Evaluation The evaluation of this project occurred mainly in consultation with black women leaders who have administration as a major function in their ministry. In the consultation the concept of administration ministry, as set forth in this study, was critically reviewed. Terminology Some of the terms in this paper are defined by using collective meanings of several authors, and have been paraphrased with particular reference to the ministry of administration. Administration - A function of skillful, coherent and comprehensive coordination of the mission ministries utilizing some of the principles, tools, practices and resources of the business world. Religious institutions - Organizations which have in their purpose or objective the Christian intent to meet human needs and assist persons to improve their standard of living, spiritually and physically. Ministry - The Christ-centered, intentional, organized, dedicated, service of a person who proclaims by life and words the reality of the love of Jesus Christ in relationships with people, and in relationship to God. Church - God's chosen community identified by each and all of her members sharing in koinonia, witnessing to the love of God through the use of gracious gifts each member has received to bring others to receive God's love. Review of Literature Theories of administration have been written heretofore by men who have historically monopolized administrative roles and positions. Their treatment of the ministry of administration has been written from their experiences, to the exclusion of women. Some of the books, relevant in part to the subject matter in this paper, are reviewed here. James D. Anderson and Ezra Earl Jones, in the Management of Ministry (1978), focus on the individual church in its community context. The authors use case examples to show how the minister can manage an effective, efficient, enabling ministry to meet pastoral needs and community objectives. The emphasis is on the leader of ministry rather than tools and procedures in the management of an organization. The concept of an intentional ministry, by John Biersdorf in Creating An Intentional Ministry (1976), is described as a continuing process of negotiation with significant social systems such as congregation, family, peers, denomination, seminary, neighborhood, community and culture. The effective administration of the process is seen as an intentional ministry. The twelve keys that Kennon L. Callahan treats in Twelve Keys to an Effective Church (1983), serve as guide lines to what a church must do to be effective. The author places considerable emphasis on "long-range strategic planning" , and the blending of management expertise to a theological perspective. Callahan is inclusive of women as capable of advancing the church to accomplish her mission in the world. Alvin J. Lindgren has organized in Foundations for Purposeful Church Administration (1979), an extensive directional guide for church administration. It is geared to the beginner to interpret his/her concept of church administration, its foundations, and prerequisites for leadership in this field. In Lindgren's later book, Let My People Go (1980), he turns to the age old problem of the enslaved laity who need to be freed, to be enlisted and be equipped to increase the church's ability to make a corporate witness and impact in making known the love of God. The collaborate responsibility of clergy and lay members is the administrative challenge presented in this book. Black Church Life Styles, by Emmanuel L. McCall (1986), is a compilation of black religious experiences that provide interpretations of black church life styles. The varieties of experiences give a realistic description of the primary place, the church, where women will practice the ministry of administration. Terry A. Clark in his dissertation confronts the weakness in administration by the clergy that has limited the influence of and ministry to those who really want to be a society of ministers. The male clergy administrators have discouraged women from active involvement in their "lofty ranks." Clark, a pastor, admits his own negligence in the paper he has written on "Equipping for Ministry: A Project to Equip Christian Laypersons to Perform Their Individual and Corporate Ministries," 1983. The article, "Together and in Harness: Women's Traditions in the Sanctified Church," by Cheryl Townsend Gilkes explores four aspects of black women's experiences in the sanctified church that have been part of their larger historical role that emphasizes independence, self-reliance, strength and autonomy; the devaluation of black women by dominant culture and their elevation to roles of spiritual leadership. In "What Does Administration Theory Give the Church," Stephen C. Rasor raises some cautions on the use and application of organizational concepts and management theories in the church, lest they be used as "another manipulative mechanism to enhance the status quo or to promote a congregation 's tunnel vision of a maintenance oriented institution . . ." which the church is not. It is a warning that women in administration should beware of slipping into. James G. Sigorentos and Myron Shank authored the article, "Public Roles for Women in the Pauline Church: A Reappraisal of the Evidence (I Corinthians 11:2-16; I Corinthians 14:33-35; I Timothy 2:15.)" The main consideration in these texts was for a woman to show a "proper" submissive attitude and literalists use it to justify limiting women's roles and authority. The authors attempt to provide as full a range as possible of ministries for women, without hindering the spread of the gospel. Method in Ministry by James D. Whitehead and Evelyn Eaton Whitehead is a research report supporting the need for contemporary method in ministry. Because of its reflective and immediate nature drawing on experience, the need for process in ministry will more likely be received by black women than male ministers whose method and style have been traditionally autonomous. Women can learn to make fuller use of their innate and subconscious resources in a highly conscious and organized manner. None of these books on church administration was written from the experience of black women. This project dissertation was given the title "Black Women and the Ministry of Administration" in recognition of cultural and sexual distinctions that give meaning and style to the way that one functions in ministry. The African-American woman's experience of triple jeopardy has provided the black woman an extraordinary context for the development of creative skills needed for effective ministry.

This dissertation presented Good-Enough Mentoring as a model of Black pastoral counseling for the Black male pastoral counselor working with African- American men suffering from Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). This dissertation utilized the Self Psychology of Heinz Kohut; the Black Liberation Theology of James Cone; the political cultural discussion of nihilism from Cornel West; and the Afro-centric cultural re-education modeling of Na’im Akbar to treat the intrapsychic condition described by the technical term, NPD. The operating thesis for this dissertation was African-American men could be supported into the achievement of their life goals and dreams via the empathic responsiveness of Good-Enough Mentoring. This type of supportive relationship provided intrapsychically soothing, culturally confrontive, and communally re-educative empathy. The operating assumption of the method was that comprehensive re-education between African-American men was necessary for facilitating African-American male life goal and dream accomplishment. It was assumed that this type of mentoring is better achieved with a Black male pastoral counselor. The problem addressed in this dissertation was African-American male internalization of white supremacy. This is an oppressive European American consciousness that affirms its greatness and superiority in contrast to the inferiority and wretchedness of the African and any other ethnic group. This problem corporately manifests as nihilism, depression that stereotypically predisposes African-American male character and demeanor toward certain convulsive behavior and emotional incohesion.

All caregivers have experienced woundedness. The ideal solution would be for seminaries to provide a means by which this woundedness can be transformed, so that persons can minister out of their transformed woundedness rather than their pain. Without this transformation, people who are hurting, tend to hurt those with whom they interact or attempt to form a relationship. The goal of this project was to provide a setting, or create an environment, within the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC) where students, in conjunction with the Department of Pastoral Care and Counseling, were exposed to an intentional clinical group experience. This clinical group experience, utilized the action-reflection-action (Or integration) method of evaluating the student’s understanding of who they are in relation to the ministerial incidents at their assigned sites. This project addressed the spiritual, physical (comfort, privacy and confidential) and psychological needs of the wounded caregivers; in this particular instance, wounded clergy. It is believed that people who are no longer hurting no longer hurt others. The population consisted of students who were at various levels of their seminary career and diverse in age, gender, ethnic backgrounds and denominational standing. It is the author’s belief that in order to minister more (w)holistically to others, we must first be at home in our own house. This means we must be available to ourselves. Seminary students need to be able to distinguish the evil spirits from the good ones. This specific project, using clinical reflection and intentional integration, is to be a tangible means of demonstrating that all caregivers come to serve from a place of woundedness which, left untreated, can greatly hinder (w)holistic ministry. The ideal solution would be for all seminaries to provide a method by which students are enabled to transform their pain. Because this is not yet happening on a broad scale, this project was established at the Interdenominational Theological Center to provide a place where a safe and caring environment had been created and programs had been intentionally designed for the purpose of healing (or transforming] the wounded. These persons in turn enable others to experience healing. This healing is guided by the use of pastoral psychotherapy as supervision.

The need at Central Christian Church was for the renewal of its worship life in terms of the discovery and recovery of its African-American liturgical heritage from which it had become alienated. Consequently, the goal of this project was to effect such a renewal through the process of acquiring a critical knowledge and understanding of African-American worship, our denominational worship tradition as well as a biblical and theological understanding of worship which functioned as a normative and critical guide in the process of renewal. The Petrine understanding of the church as expounded specifi cally in the pericope, 1 Peter 2:4-10, and generally in the entire epistle, was the basis for our biblical and theological understanding of worship. Methodologically, this project on renewal involved the use of workshop sessions designed to facilitate the acquisition of a biblical and theological understanding of worship and our worship traditions as well as to facilitate attitudinal and behavioral changes in the participants and to increase the meaningfulness of the worship experiences to them. It also involved the planning of two types of worship services --one culturally affirming, the other non-culturally affirming. Results from the workshop experiences confirmed the hypotheses that the workshop sessions would facilitate the acquisition of a biblical and theological understanding of worship, as well as a critical knowledge and understanding of African-American worship, and worship in our denominational tradition; and that they would effect some behavioral and attitudinal changes in the participants as well as increasing the meaningfulness of the worship experiences to them. However, the results of the worship experiences did not provide support for the hypothesis that the culturally affirming worship service would have been experienced as being more meaningful, satisfying and appealing to non-members. While the recommended changes were in the direction of the recovery and affirmation of the African-American liturgical heritage, the results suggested the emergence of a bi-cultural type of worship at Central. The bi-cultural path, then, seems to be the path to a meaningful, satis fying, and appealing worship experience at Central. Although this project has provided added confirmation of the need for an ethnic group to recover and affirm its liturgical heritage, its chief contribution to attempts to renew worship in the African-American liturgical tradition seems to be its demand for a critical re-examination of the stereotypical assumptions about African-American and Euro-American liturgical traditions and worship styles. Certain improvements are suggested in terms of data gathering relative to the workshop experiences as well as question construction relative to the evaluation of the worship service.

This dissertation presents liberative Black preaching (LBP) as an optimal homiletic model designed to function as a therapeutic intervention for African descent persons in the Black church context. Built upon the foundation of a Black theological anthropology, this dissertation addresses Black self-identity that is informed by a universal African worldview (UAW). The dissertation argues that there is a recognizable diversity of contextuality among White and non-White persons and that it is possible to qualitatively describe generalizable contours of experience among Black people in the United States based on the particularity of the culture and the Black encounter with racism/White supremacy. The thoughts and feelings that emerge from this cultural encounter are appropriate for Africentric theological reflection. Historical evidence of the unfolding of Black thought with reference to Black religiosity and spirituality is presented as a preamble to the construction of the liberative Black preaching model. The dissertation employs a mixed research method. A qualitative methodological paradigm is primarily employed, while quantitative tools are used in the data gathering process of the study. Variables were established as constitutive elements necessary for the construction of sermons that have therapeutic value for African descent persons through collection of data during “applied research experiences” in six different Black church settings over a two month period. Analysis of the data indicates a generally positive impact on the cognitive and affective processes of the hearers of LBP. The operating thesis of the dissertation asserts that liberative Black preaching~s concentration on counterbalancing the affects of White supremacy upon African descent persons can alleviate Black pain, ameliorate Black suffering and function therapeutically similarly to the way in which conventional pastoral counseling functions. The operating assumption reveals the significance of therapeutic intentionality with respect to sermon construction by Black preachers given the relative importance of the preaching moment in the Black church context. The opportunity for regular, systematic intervention in the form of LBP provided by the voluntary participation in weekly communal worship experiences proves critical in the process of attaining optimal health which is “the best possible [state of] emotional, intellectual, physical, spiritual, and socio economic aliveness” for African descent persons.

This project was designed to address the reduction and prevention of violence of African- American youth ages (12-16) within the Gresham Park Community of Decatur, Georgia. Moral development and character development are used interchangeably. A curriculum was developed for youth and parents to assist them to help young people in reaching their potential regarding moral character to avoid the pitfalls of violence. The underlying principles of the study were moral character, spiritual formation, and personal responsibility. The major premise of the project was that if youth feel good about themselves and feel a connection to God, parents, school, and community, then youth will behave better, love themselves and God, and they will make better decisions to negotiate life in regards to nonviolence as opposed to violence. The study was conducted at Flat Shoals United Methodist Church, and Cedar Grove High School. The total number of youth participating in this study is twenty two. Eight adults observed, supported, and occasionally gave verbal input. The training took place over a sixteen week period. This study indicates that there was a significant increase in the moral and character development among the youth.

This project was to done to begin the implementation of contextual theological education to pastors, ministers, and Christian workers in their geographical locales, and to fulfill the mandate for theological education within the Progressive Primitive Baptist Church. Its initial focus is Progressive Primitive Baptists residing in the jurisdiction of the Primitive Baptist State Convention of Florida. The project consisted of three years of preparatory work which led to the establishment of an extension unit in Tallahassee, Florida (August 2012). Preparatory work began through the Florida State Primitive Baptist Church School Congress in April 2005. Members of the Church School Congress provided the dialog to ascertain the needs of the Convention. Those needs were examined in light of the historical origin of the Progressive Primitive Baptist movement before and immediately following the institution of slavery in North America. Surveys and lectures that dealt with both secular and theological education were used to measure the desires of the initial focus group whose number was one hundred and fifty plus persons. Near the end of the project a lecture series was held in Tallahassee, Florida at the site of the proposed extension in order to share the mandates for accredited contextual theological education. The lectures were done with participation from the educational leaders from the two associations that govern the Tallahassee, Florida region churches. Their focus was theories of education, the mandate for theological education, and contextual theological education. The number who participated in the lectures totaled about thirty persons per night. The three nights totaled ninety persons. Following the lecture series twenty persons signed up for classes. The initial class enrolled six students with the expectations of a large increase for the second semester. Documentation is in place to record the progress of the unit as well as the project.