Character education has been viewed by many educators as having significant historical, academic, and social value. Many stakeholders in education argue for character development as a curricular experience. While understanding the degree to which character education is of worth to stakeholders of institutions is important, understanding students, teachers, and administrators perspectives from their lived experiences is likewise significant. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to gain a deeper understanding of character education within a Biblical framework environment by examining the lived experiences of students, administrators, and teachers of a Seventh-day Adventist School. Phenomenology describes individuals’ daily experiences of phenomena, the manner in which these experiences are structured, and focuses analysis on the perspectives of the persons having the experience (Moustakas, 1994). ). This inquiry was undertaken to answer the question: What are the perceptions of students, teachers, and an administrator toward character education in a Seventh-day Adventist school setting? Ten participants (seven students and three adults) formed the homogeneous purposive sample, and the major data collection tool was semi-structured interviews (Patton, 1990; Seidman, 2006). Three 90-minute open-ended interviews were conducted with each of the participants. Data analysis included a three-phase process of description, reduction and interpretation. The findings from this study revealed that participants perceived that their involvement in the school’s character education program decreased the tendency to violence, improved their conduct and ethical sensibility, enhanced their ability to engage in decision-making concerning social relationships and their impact on others, brought to their attention the emerging global awareness of moral deficiency, and fostered incremental progress from practice and recognition of vices to their acquisition of virtues. The findings, therefore, provide a model for teaching character education from a Seventh-day Adventist perspective. The model is also relevant for non-Seventh day Adventists who aspire to teach character education as a means to improving social and moral conditions in schools.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Nigeria is very particular in its missionary focus; it strives towards preparing people for the Second Advent of Christ through preaching its unique set of doctrines. The denomination as an organization and its people believe that this task must be done with a sense of urgency. To this end, apart from having a network of congregations and places of worship, it has set up schools (from primary to tertiary levels), medical care facilities and a relief agency, and it gets involved in various forms of community services. The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a world-wide Christian organization whose missionary orientation necessitated its establishment in Nigeria. Nigeria, as a country, is a British colonial arrangement established through Lord Frederick Lugard’s amalgamation of different regions in 1914. The country has continued ever since to struggle with the issue of identity, political leadership and development. Although its people struggled and got independence on October 1, 1960, the different ethnic groups’ perception of the political leadership and resource control ever since is that of injustice and marginalization. This perception has led to many coup d’états and even a civil war. Bad leadership, corruption, maladministration, election rigging and other forms of immoral behaviours have continued to hamper the movement towards prosperity and peace. In what appears to be a cycle of underdevelopment and political injustice has led to chronic bad governance, which has precipitated ethnic and religious violence. Such a series of events have consequentially neutralized all opportunities necessary for growth and development. Corruption and other unethical practices are the bane of development and prosperity. This is the milieu in which the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Nigeria carries out its missionary activities. Incidentally, the denomination’s first missionary, Elder David C. Babcock, arrived in Nigeria the same year as the country’s amalgamation (1914). The Seventh-day Adventist Church has therefore continued to grow within the context of Nigeria’s socio-economic and political turmoil. The issue of development and national prosperity has always been central to successive administrations in Nigeria. To this end, various developmental policies were put in place. This thesis examines these policies and reflects on the levels of their successes and failures. Most of the time, the nagging issues of corruption and lack of discipline are seen to have constituted major obstacles toward achieving their set objectives. This study therefore proposes a different outlook and approach to the issue of national development. Its thesis is that the traditional micro-economic approach, which measures national development only by indices such as the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), per capita income and other physical indicators, would always leave the developmental aspirations frustrated, if not unmet. This study therefore proceeds to propose the transformational development approach, which underscores the critical roles that faith-based organizations (FBOs) need to play to support sustainable development. This thesis challenges the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Nigeria to see itself as a critical agency for transformational development of the country. This should be a major part of its missionary activities. This study examined literatures that have demonstrated how theological discourse can be redirected toward broader social concerns, such as transforming a community. Furthermore, an empirical exploration of the Seventh-day Adventist community that formed part of the study showed that its members are focused and consistent in their understanding of the denomination’s task of preparing the world for the Second Advent. But these SDA members also want the denomination to be more socially engaged. They want their church to make more comments on issues of development and governance. This thesis concludes that the Seventh-day Adventist Church could use its influence to promote good governance, advocacy and social justice. It urges the denomination to expand the applications of its unique doctrines to include pragmatic transformational development concerns. Accordingly it is argued that the Seventh-day Adventist Church could collaborate with other denominations and religions, solely for the purpose of transformational development and without compromising its own beliefs. Hence, it is postulated that this church would still be loyal and true to its mission by recognizing that making a structural difference in the lives of Nigerians is an authentic and integral part of the restoration of the image of God (imago Dei) in people. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D. Th. (Missiology with specialization in Urban Ministry)

The purpose of this study was to survey and evaluate the music programs in Seventh-day Adventist academies in the United States during the 19 75-76 school year. Data were collected by means of a survey form sent to all principals and music teachers in the eighty schools and a music achievement test administered to graduating seniors in twenty-eight randomly selected academies. Although most departments judged the music facilities to be adequate, library materials such as scores, filmstrips, and in-service resources were needed in the majority of schools. One-half of the music programs did not have listening facilities available for classroom use. Comparing achievement test results for graduating seniors in Adventist schools with those of the standardization sample revealed no significant differences. The null hypothesis was rejected, however, when comparing size of school, location of school, type of school (boarding or day), sex of the student, and amount of piano and instrumental experience.

The work is concerning forms of persecution to members of Seventh-Day Adventist Church in communist Czechoslovakia. Theoretical part describes possible forms of persecution from communist party to this Church and its members. Research part contains testimonies of interviews with addressed respondents with the author, including their experiences of such a persecution in that time. Most respondents were imprisoned during their military service, part of them lost the decree for chaplain work at certain region. Two respondents also experienced persecution in special military units.

This study discusses the contribution and influence of the Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) Church to the development of post- secondary education in South Nyanza, Kenya. This has been done by focusing on the establishment and development of Kamagambo and Nyanchwa Adventist colleges whose history from 1971 to 2000 has been documented. This is a historical study which has utilized both the primary and secondary source of data. For better and clear insights into this topic, the study starts by discussing the coming of Christian missionaries to Africa. The missionaries who came to Africa introduced western education. The origin of the SDA church to Africa has also been documented. The SDA church was formed as a result of the Christian evangelical revivals in Europe. This called for the Christians to base their faith on the Bible. As people read various prophecies in the bible, they thought that what they read was to be fulfilled in their lifetime. From 1830s to 1840s preachers and lay people from widely different denominations United States of America around William Miller (1782-1849). This led to the establishment of the SDA Church in 1844. The study focuses on the coming of the SDA Missionaries to South-Nyanza. The efforts of the SDA Missionaries to introduce Western education in the said area, an endeavor which started at Gendia in 1906 has been discussed. From Gendia they established Wire mission and Kenyadoto mission in 1909. In 1912 Kamagambo and Nyanchwa, the subject of this study became mission and educational centres. The SDA mission, as was the case with other missionaries who evangelized South Nyanza, took the education of Africans as one of the most important goals for the process of African evangelization. The Adventist message penetrated the people of South Nyanza through their educational work. The conversion of the first converts can be ascribed to the desire for the education which accompanied the new religion. Kamagambo Adventist College became the first college in South Nyanza. Equally, Nyanchwa became the first college in the Gusii part of South Nyanza. The two colleges exercised a great influence on the local community especially in the socio-economic and educational fields. At the same time the colleges have also contributed enormously to the community’s development through the roles played by its alumni in society. Besides this, the study has also recommended some other pertinent areas for further study and research. / Educational Foundations / D. Ed. (History of Education)

This study discusses the contribution and influence of the Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) Church to the development of post- secondary education in South Nyanza, Kenya. This has been done by focusing on the establishment and development of Kamagambo and Nyanchwa Adventist colleges whose history from 1971 to 2000 has been documented. This is a historical study which has utilized both the primary and secondary source of data. For better and clear insights into this topic, the study starts by discussing the coming of Christian missionaries to Africa. The missionaries who came to Africa introduced western education. The origin of the SDA church to Africa has also been documented. The SDA church was formed as a result of the Christian evangelical revivals in Europe. This called for the Christians to base their faith on the Bible. As people read various prophecies in the bible, they thought that what they read was to be fulfilled in their lifetime. From 1830s to 1840s preachers and lay people from widely different denominations United States of America around William Miller (1782-1849). This led to the establishment of the SDA Church in 1844. The study focuses on the coming of the SDA Missionaries to South-Nyanza. The efforts of the SDA Missionaries to introduce Western education in the said area, an endeavor which started at Gendia in 1906 has been discussed. From Gendia they established Wire mission and Kenyadoto mission in 1909. In 1912 Kamagambo and Nyanchwa, the subject of this study became mission and educational centres. The SDA mission, as was the case with other missionaries who evangelized South Nyanza, took the education of Africans as one of the most important goals for the process of African evangelization. The Adventist message penetrated the people of South Nyanza through their educational work. The conversion of the first converts can be ascribed to the desire for the education which accompanied the new religion. Kamagambo Adventist College became the first college in South Nyanza. Equally, Nyanchwa became the first college in the Gusii part of South Nyanza. The two colleges exercised a great influence on the local community especially in the socio-economic and educational fields. At the same time the colleges have also contributed enormously to the community’s development through the roles played by its alumni in society. Besides this, the study has also recommended some other pertinent areas for further study and research. / Educational Foundations / D. Ed. (History of Education)

Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-27T13:49:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 JOSE JUSTINO PORTO.pdf: 16438385 bytes, checksum: b707822a31ab5549b943f60e3a92643c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-06-23 / This study is aimed to understand the role of Adventist missionaries at the Karajá communities located in the region of Santa Izabel, in the city of Lagoa da Confusão (TO). They reported major impacts on the culture Karajá in the environment in which these missionaries were, which nowadays expands to national culture. The Adventist Mission, like other religious missions, had non-conclusive and frustrating receptivities among the people living the banks of the Araguaia River. This is a bibliographic study about Araguaia people and the Adventists missionaries attempts among the Karajá communities between the periods 1980 to 2000. It was researched books, thesis, dissertations, articles and various publications about the historical actions among indigenous peoples and their Karajá cultures from the Araguaia region. The result of study shows that Adventists have faced challenges to the process of evangelization among Karajá. They had to deal with the cosmological views of the community and the intensification of the presence of Catholic and Protestant missionaries, these Pentecostals and Presbyterians, installed in Santa Izabel Hill, making even more complex the missionary attempt of IASD (Seventh Day Adventist Church). / O presente estudo teve por objetivo compreender a intervenção dos missionários adventistas na comunidade Karajá localizada na aldeia de Santa Izabel do Morro no Município de Lagoa da Confusão (TO). No ambiente em que os missionários estiveram eles relataram grandes impactos sobre a cultura dos Karajá e cuja difusão se estende sobre a cultura nacional. Trata-se de um estudo bibliográfico acerca dos povos do Araguaia e as tentativas missionárias dos adventistas entre as comunidades karajá nos períodos de 1980 a 2000. Pesquisaram-se livros, teses, dissertações, artigos e diversas publicações acerca das ações históricas entre os povos indígenas e sua cultura Karajá na região do rio Araguaia. O resultado do estudo mostra que os adventistas enfrentaram desafios para o processo de evangelização entre os Karajá. Esses tiveram que lidar com a visão cosmológica da comunidade e com a intensificação da presença dos missionários católicos, protestantes, pentecostais e presbiterianos, instalados em Santa Izabel do Morro, o que tornou ainda mais complexa a tentativa missionária da IASD (Igreja Adventista do Sétimo Dia). A missão adventista, assim como outras missões religiosas, tiveram sua receptividade não conclusiva e frustrante entre esse povo que vive às margens do Rio Araguaia.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-21T14:42:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Kevin Willian Kossar Furtado.pdf: 8131726 bytes, checksum: 62873b05b5803a70ebcb90944271c234 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-12-19 / A pesquisa compreende as representações sociais do adventismo para integrantes jovens da Igreja Adventista do Sétimo Dia (IASD) por meio das contraposições e anuências de crenças e práticas dos fiéis no que tange ao pensamento escatológico-sabático-dietético oficial da denominação. A investigação apresenta que práticas e valores são observados e alterados,adaptados, acrescentados ou suprimidos pelos fiéis em relação ao conjunto de crenças que historiciza o adventismo, e apreende as razões e demandas desse processo. O estudo situa-se na abordagem da teoria das Representações Sociais do psicólogo social Serge Moscovici. A pesquisa se concretiza com membros participantes da Classe de Jovens da Escola Sabatina da Igreja Adventista localizada em Uvaranas, Ponta Grossa, Paraná. O trabalho problematiza a história adventista, da Reforma Radical até o movimento milerita, e apresenta as tensões e reconfigurações do adventismo desde sua organização formal em 1863 até o momento. A pesquisa tem por objetivos apreender as representações sociais do adventismo para os jovens adventistas de Uvaranas; demonstrar como eles ancoram e objetivam as crenças aprendidas na Igreja; verificar a influência dos ensinamentos da denominação sobre as práticas e valores dos membros; levantar a produção científica sobre a IASD no âmbito da pós-graduação stricto sensu no Brasil; explicitar as características peculiares da Igreja Adventista; e identificar as práticas inerentes ao adventismo em sua expressão particular na comunidade investigada. Se executaram entrevistas semiestruturadas, mediante três categorias empíricas – escatologia, sábado e dieta alimentar –, gravadas em áudio, com dez indivíduos da IASD. Os dados obtidos nas entrevistas foram reunidos em unidades de registro e agrupados em um significado comum de primeira ordem; após, em torno de categorias de análise explicativas relacionadas com a problemática do estudo, organizaram-se as informações transmitidas para indicar as representações do adventismo para membros jovens da IASD. Usou-se, de maneira adaptada, a abordagem do núcleo central para verificar a centralidade das representações, em que foram indicados os elementos identificados como os mais expressivos, aqueles que, se retirados, fariam com que as representações perdessem significado. As razões de ser adventista dos indivíduos investigados estão centralizadas na apropriação bíblica realizada pela denominação. A centralidade da representação sobre a IASD está na imagem da mesma como mensageira divina. As profecias bíblicas do tempo do fim se expressam no núcleo representacional de indicadores do fim do mundo; a importância dos anúncios proféticos para o fim do mundo, em sua representação central, indica, ao mesmo tempo, uma explicação de certos acontecimentos atuais e a prova de veracidade da Bíblia; para os escritos de Ellen G.White a respeito do tempo do fim e do sábado, o núcleo central encontra-se na função das obras da autora como suplemento bíblico. O núcleo da representação sobre o sábado o qualifica como benefício espiritual; as motivações para a observância do dia sétimo focam-se na ordenança bíblica. Para a dieta alimentar, uma vida saudável constitui o cerne da representação; e, para as obras de Ellen G. White que abordam a reforma dietética, o âmago da representação localiza-se na dimensão de um manual alimentar. / The research comprises the social representations of adventism for young members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDAC) through contrapositions and consents of beliefs and practices of the faithful regarding the denomination's official eschatological-sabbatic-dietetic thought. The research shows that practices and values are observed and modified, adapted, added or deleted by the faithful in relation to the set of beliefs that historicizes the adventism,and seizes the reasons and demands of this process. The study is based in the social psychologist Serge Moscovici's approach of the Social Representations theory. The research materializes with participating members of the Youth Class Sabbath School Adventist Church located in Uvaranas, Ponta Grossa, Paraná. The paper problematizes the adventist history, from the Radical Reformation to the millerite movement, and presents tensions and reconfigurations of adventism since its formal organization in 1863 until now. The research has as objectives to grasp the social representations of adventism for young adventists of Uvaranas; demonstrate how they anchor and objectify beliefs learned in the Church; verify the influence of the teachings of the denomination on the practices and values of members; to raise the scientific literature on the SDAC in the scope of post-graduate studies stricto sensu in Brazil; to explicit the peculiar characteristics of the Adventist Church; and identify practices inherent to adventism in its particular expression in the community investigated. It was performed semi-structured interviews, by three empirical categories – eschatology, Saturday and diet –, recorded on áudio, with ten individuals of SDAC. The data obtained from the interviews were gathered in record units and grouped in a common meaning of the first order; than, around categories of explanatory analysis related to the problematic of the study, organized the information transmitted to indicate the representations of adventism for young members of the SDAC. It was used, in a adapted way, the central core’s approach to verify the centrality of representations, in which were indicated the elements identified as the most expressives, those which, if removed, would make representations to lose meaning. The reasons of being adventist of the investigated individuals are centralized in biblical appropriation realized by the denomination. The centrality of representation on the SDAC is in the image of the same as divine messenger. The biblical prophecies of the end time are expressed in representational core of the indicators of the end of the world; the importante of the prophetic announcements for the end of the world, in their central representation, indicates, at the same time, an explanation of certain current events and the proof of the veracity of the Bible; to the writings of Ellen G. White about the end time and the Sabbath, the central core is in the role of the author’s work as biblical supplement. The core of the Sabbath’s representation qualifies it as a spiritual benefit; the motivations for the observance of the seventh day are focused on biblical ordinance. For diet, a healthy lifestyle is the representation’s heart; and, to Ellen G. White’s works that address the dietetic reform, the core of the representation located in the dimension of a manual feed.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church is one of the youngest Christian denominations in modern history. It is also one of the smallest, numerically, in South Africa. However, because of the church’s high evangelistic zeal Adventists can be found in almost every part of South Africa. From a motley figure of about 3500 at the time of the church’s legal organisation in 1861, Adventists now number about 18 million globally. There is a notable presence of Adventists in Soweto, west of Johannesburg. In this study, the focus is on how the Adventist church responds to the phenomenon of poverty in Soweto. The intent is to identify current activities of the church relative to poverty alleviation, actual or possible weaknesses in the church’s response to poverty and whether these are consequences of socio-theological or other factors in the structures and institutions of the church. The end of the study will be a propositional discourse that will suggest pointers towards a more relevant and sustainable poverty alleviation programme informed by sound theological, practical pastoral and developmental considerations. This work is a missiological study focusing on Soweto, seeking to critically assess the extent to which Adventists are involved in alleviating poverty in Soweto. It also explores a model by which they can successfully and redemptive encounter the poor at their point of need. Although the main focus will be given to the missiological task of the Adventists of Soweto, the study will also integrate other disciplines to deal with sociological and political considerations. The approach adopted in this study is a pastoral contextual approach of doing theology in Soweto. Within this contextual approach I shall apply the pastoral cycle since this method converges with other relevant methods of analysis and social critique. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D. Th. (Missiology)

In 1968 a group of Afrikaans believers protested that the Seventh-day Adventist Church in South Africa had remained foreign to their experience. They maintained that American leaders had dominated the Church. They also asserted that their cultural, linguistic and literary needs had not been adequately catered to, and that the work of evangelization in the Afrikaans speaking areas had been sadly neglected. Some headway had been made by the Church in the years prior to 1968 with translations, firstly, into Dutch and later also into Afrikaans. Advancement had also been made by evangelists into the Afrikaans-speaking areas of the Transvaal and the Orange Free-State. The history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in this country, however, corroborates many of the grievances enumerated by the dissatisfied Afrikaans believers. The predominance of English in the administrative work of the Church and at its educational institutions had always been a thorny issue, resulting in continuous friction between the Church leaders and the Dutch and Afrikaans-speaking members. Problems had also arisen with regard to the use of Afrikaans at the publishing house of the Church. Positions of leadership in almost every department of the Church had been filled by non-South Africans. As a result, by the late 1960s, tensions in the Church had reached a boiling point. At the end of 1968, at a special business session of the Transvaal Conference, the objections of the Afrikaans believers met with very strong resistance. No opportunity was granted to them to air their frustrations and grievances and, as a result, a number of delegates left this meeting in protest before it had been officially closed. This unilateral action resulted in the establishment of an organization called Die Afrikaanse Konferensie van Sewendedag Adventiste. This new conference was, however, considered to be schismatic and was never acknowledged by the established Church. From the outset, the Afrikaanse Konferensie set out to cater to the needs of Afrikaans-speaking people in very forceful fashion. Many people felt that this new conference had a legitimate cause and its membership grew very rapidly. It initiated a welfare society, opened up several geriatric centres, its own printing press and a correspondence Bible school. It also held, throughout the ensuing years, numerous evangelistic campaigns. By the middle of 1973, however, the opposition and incessant pressure applied by the established Church and the severe problems that had emerged from within the ranks of the Afrikaanse Konferensie, swiftly contributed to its demise, with most of its members eventually rejoining the established Church. At the time of the disintegration of the Afrikaanse Konferensie, the leaders of the Church resolved to strengthen the evangelistic work directed at Afrikaans-speaking people. They also determined to have more literature produced in Afrikaans, and to strongly promote the use of Afrikaans at the publishing house and at the Church's educational institutions. These resolutions, however, proved ineffectual , and in the years that followed, the work of the Church showed no improvement in its approach to the Afrikaans speaking people. Twenty-five years have passed since the demise of the Afrikaanse Konferensie and the Church finds itself, because of both, external and internal factors, in a position that could be considered decidedly worse than at the time of the formation of the Afrikaanse Konferensie in 1968. As from 1995, after a protest march by students on the campus of Helderberg College, instruction in Afrikaans was no longer provided at a tertiary level. The production of Afrikaans books and the translation of reading material into Afrikaans is almost non-existent. As a result, voices of dissent are once again being heard that the Afrikaans work is being neglected. This predicament in the Church can neither be ignored nor circumvented and the only way for the Church is to deal with the crisis in the utmost sincerity without allowing itself to succumb to it. The source of the problem appears to lie primarily in Seventh-day Adventist ecclesiology where a gulf exists between its interpretation of unity, and its understanding of mission in a multicultural context. Authentic church unity cannot consist only of an outer dimension whereby unity and mission are cosmetically combined. It involves a deeper internal dimension, where the striving for unity becomes a witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ, while the mission of the church simultaneously embodies the obligations to cater to the cultural and linguistic needs of all of Christ's people. It is this essential synthesis that has yet to take place in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, where both these facets are to be fostered as complementary aspects of its total vocation. It is this fusion of unity and mission which will open the way for the Church to complete its mission, unhindered either by the polarizing and divisive effect of religious and cultural diversity, or by any misguided attempts to impose uniformity. In their quest for positive resolutions for the challenges facing the Church, its leaders must ask what it means to be "church" in the social context in which it finds itself, what precisely is its mission in the pluralistic, multicultural situation in which it is located and how essential is the Church to God's mission in this country? Judging from the nature of the dilemma that the Seventh-day Adventist Church in South Africa still faces today, it appears that these are questions that have not been satisfactorily answered. After assessing both the past and present modes of the Church's operation it becomes essential for the Church leaders to do some critical rethinking about certain facets of its existing ecclesiology and its missionary strategies. It is just as important to systematically abandon the organizational structures that no longer fit the purpose and mission of the Church and to realign them with new paradigms that will effectively cater to the spiritual, cultural and linguistic needs of all the peoples of this country. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Durban-Westville, 1999.