The African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church, like many historically black denomination over the years, has been actively involved in social change and racial uplift. The concepts of racial uplift and self-determination dominated black social, political, and economic thought throughout the late-eighteenth into the nineteenth century. Having created many firsts for blacks in America, the A.M.E. Church is recognized as leading blacks in implementing the rhetoric of racial uplift and self-determination. Racial uplift was a broad concept that covered issues such as equal rights, moral, spiritual, and intellectual development, and institutional and organizational building. The rhetoric of racial uplift and self-determination help to create many black leaders and institutions such as churches, schools, and newspapers. This is a historical study in which I examined how education and educational institutions sponsored by a black church can be methods of social change and racial uplift. The A.M.E. Church was the first black institution (secular or religious) to create, support, and maintain institutions of higher education for blacks. I explored the question of why before slavery had even ended and it was legal for blacks to learn to read and write, the A.M.E. Church became interested in and created institution of learning. I answer this question by looking at the creation of these institutions as the A.M.E. Church’s way of promoting and implementing racial uplift and self-determination. This examination includes the analysis of language used in articles, sermons, and speeches given by various A.M.E. Church-affiliated persons who promoted education as a method to uplift the Negro race.

This thesis investigated the factors contributing to the tense relationship between the congregations of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and the Dutch Reformed Mission Church in Piketberg during 1903-1972. It investigated the reasons why two congregations of colour in a small town as Piketberg were established. The problem that was investigated was a social, historical and religious one of determining which factors contributed to such tension.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Columbia Biblical Seminary, Columbia, S.C., 2003. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 196-202).

The purpose of this study is to reveal that local churches are in a declining state. It further proves there is a need for strategies to turn around decline in local churches, with an emphasis on a case of Second Bethel, African Methodist Episcopal local church. To address the possible causes of the decline in local church membership, this study was conducted. The participants provided data indicating the causes of local church membership decline. The participants agreed that as per chapter four report what were the cause for this decline in membership This study presented several reasons why churches are declining in membership and possible strategies to curb a decline in membership into growing churches. / MA (Biblical Studies/Theology)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2015.

The purpose of this study is to reveal that local churches are in a declining state. It further proves there is a need for strategies to turn around decline in local churches, with an emphasis on a case of Second Bethel, African Methodist Episcopal local church. To address the possible causes of the decline in local church membership, this study was conducted. The participants provided data indicating the causes of local church membership decline. The participants agreed that as per chapter four report what were the cause for this decline in membership This study presented several reasons why churches are declining in membership and possible strategies to curb a decline in membership into growing churches. / MA (Biblical Studies/Theology)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2015.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study is a pastoral care strategy for the affirmation of the dignity of the poor Black older persons. In this study there is a discussion of how the poor Black older persons suffered the defacement of their dignity under Apartheid and how to a large extent their dignity is still being defaced under the new democratic dispensation in South Africa. These poor Black older persons are victims of various forms of older person abuse. They experience the prejudice of ageism intensely as it is exacerbated by racism; and with no appropriate medical and health strategies in place to provide quality health care; and with inappropriate housing, social services, and residential care services, their dignity is denied. Due to past discriminatory laws and policies these vulnerable older persons suffer the consequences of low levels of formal education within an environment of engineered poverty and racial discrimination which made it impossible for them to enter into quality employment which would enable them to provide adequately for old age. The deprivation thus experienced made it difficult for them to flourish economically and otherwise. At present they are still marginalised and they experience intense forms of loneliness. These poor Black older persons continue to suffer humiliation and indignity in spite of legislation and policies purporting to ensure their well-being. Within a society embracing a neo-liberalist philosophy they are considered unimportant as they do not contribute productively to the economic well-being of the community and are therefore relegated to the lowest ranks of society. With the effacement of their dignity through socially constructed systems their human development is seriously hampered, resulting in a disintegration of human wholeness. The inequality that the poor Black older persons suffer is an indictment against humanity as these older persons have the right to feel at home on the planet. Due to the fact that they are not recognised as having been created in the image and likeness of God, their uniqueness and distinctness as human beings are denied, their identities distorted, and they are not considered worthy citizens. In order to affirm the dignity of the poor Black older persons a practical theological methodology as proposed by Osmer (2008) and consisting of four tasks, has been employed. The notion of a moral economy for the affirmation of the dignity of these poor Black older persons has been utilised. With the moral economy orientation linked with a Liberation Theology methodology the dignity of the poor Black older persons is affirmed as a personal attribute based on the older persons being a category of people being carried into old age by God, enjoying privileged positions of honour and respect, and being eschatological signs and symbols of God’s goodwill towards restored communities in Christ. Within a moral economy the values of reciprocity, responsibility, and interdependence are used to affirm the dignity of these older persons intergenerationally and contextually. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie is ʼn pastorale sorg strategie vir die bevestiging van die menswaardigheid van die arm Swart ouer persone. In hierdie studie word daar aangedui hoe die arm Swart ouer persone se menswaardigheid onder Apartheid en in ‘n groot mate in die nuwe demokratiese dispensasie geskend is. Die arm Swart ouer persone het die slagoffers geword van verskeie vorms van misbruik. Die diskriminasie teen ouderdom word intensief deur hulle ervaar soos dit vererger word deur rassisme; en met geen behoorlike mediese en gesondheidstrategieë in plek om in die behoefte van hierdie kwesbare ouer persone te voorsien nie; en met gebrekkige behuising, sosiale dienste en onvoldoende plekke van sorg vir ouer mense, is die menswaardigheid van hierdie ouer mense erg misken. Weens historiese diskriminerende wette en regeringbeleid ly hierdie kwesbare ouer persone die gevolge van lae vlakke van formele opvoeding binne ‘n omgewing waar armoede kunsmatig geskep is en waar rassediskriminasie geheers het. Hierdie omstandighede het dit vir hulle onmoontlik gemaak om kwaliteit werk te kry wat hulle in staat sou stel om toepaslik vir die ouderdom voor te berei. Die ontberinge wat gevolglik gely word, maak hulle ekonomiese en andersydse ontwikkeling onmoontlik. Hulle is gemarginaliseerd en ly aan intense eensaamheid. Hierdie arm Swart ouer persone gaan voort om vernedering en onmenswaardighede te ly ongeag van wetgewing en beleidstukke bedoel vir hul welsyn. Binne die gemeenskap wat ‘n neoliberalisties filosofie aanvaar, word hierdie ouer mense misken omdat hulle nie produktief tot die ekonomiese welvaart van die gemeenskap bydra nie, en daarom word hulle beskou as sonder enige sosiale kapitaal wat hulle dan sosio-ekonomies op die laagste vlak van die gemeenskap sonder enige erkenning van hulle menswaarde en menswaardigheid plaas. Met die skending van hul menswaardigheid deur sosiaal gekonstrueerde sisteme word hul menslike opbloei ernstig gestrem wat lei tot die disintegrasie van menslike heelheid binne die demokratiese bestel van die Republiek van Suid- Afrika. Die ongelykheid wat die arm Swart ouer mense ly is ‘n klag teen die mensdom omdat hierdie ouer mense ontuis voel op die planeet. Hierdie groep is na die beeld van God geskape, maar hulle uniekheid en besondersheid word miskien. Om die menswaardigheid van hierdie arm Swart ouer mense na te gaan, is ’n praktiese teologiese metodologie gebruik soos voorgestel deur Osmer (2008) en word die vier teologiese take soos deur hierdie metodologie voorgestel, gevolg. Betreffende die vierde taak van hierdie metodologie is die konsep van ’n morele ekonomie gebruik vir die bevestiging van die menswaardigheid van die arm Swart ouer persone. Met die skakel van hierdie morele ekonomiese oriёntering met die Bevrydingsteologiese metodologie is die menswaardigheid van die arm Swart ouer persone bevestig as ’n persoonlike eienskap gebaseer of die feit dat hulle ’n kategorie van mense is wat deur God in die ouderdom gedra word, wat dan bevoorregte posisies van eer en respek geniet as eskatologiese tekens en simbole van God se toegeneëntheid teenoor herstelde gemeenskappe in Christus. Binne ’n morele ekonomie word die waardes van wedersydsheid, verantwoordelikheid, en interafhanklikheid gebruik om die menswaardigheid van hierdie ouer mense intergenerasioneel en kontekstueel te bevestig.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Georgia State University, 2008. / Title from file title page. Philo Hutcheson, committee chair; Joel Meyers, Deron Boyles, Linda Buchanan, committee members. Description based on contents viewed Nov. 10, 2009. Includes bibliographical references (p. 280-288).

During the period 1884-1925 Ethiopian-type schisms from mission churches occurred for a number of reasons. Generalisations of these reasons have been made by numerous authors. By generalising the causes of schism the particular reasons why each independent church 1 eader 1 eft the mission church are ignored. The thesis shows how each schism was due to unique circumstances in the mission church as well as to factors, for example, the personal feelings of the independent church leader. In each case there was a point of no return when the founder of the independent church no longer felt he could accept the status quo. There were two government commissions that investigated the independent or "separatist" churches during these years - the South African Native Affairs Commission of 1903-1905 and the 1925 South African Native Affairs Commission which investigated the "Separatist Churches". The testimony of the white government officials and missionaries and the black church leaders has been compared with the findings in the reports. Four case studies are investigated to show how general causes of schism may occur for a number of years until a reason, peculiar to the particular independent church, manifests itself and leads to the formation of an independent church. The case studies are the Ethiopian Church and related independent groups, the independent churches which joined the African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1896 with the Ethiopian Church but later left to form their own churches, for example the Order of Ethiopia, schisms from the Presbyterian Church during the 1890' s and the Independent Methodist Church. / Christian, Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D.Th (Church History)

During the period 1884-1925 Ethiopian-type schisms from mission churches occurred for a number of reasons. Generalisations of these reasons have been made by numerous authors. By generalising the causes of schism the particular reasons why each independent church 1 eader 1 eft the mission church are ignored. The thesis shows how each schism was due to unique circumstances in the mission church as well as to factors, for example, the personal feelings of the independent church leader. In each case there was a point of no return when the founder of the independent church no longer felt he could accept the status quo. There were two government commissions that investigated the independent or "separatist" churches during these years - the South African Native Affairs Commission of 1903-1905 and the 1925 South African Native Affairs Commission which investigated the "Separatist Churches". The testimony of the white government officials and missionaries and the black church leaders has been compared with the findings in the reports. Four case studies are investigated to show how general causes of schism may occur for a number of years until a reason, peculiar to the particular independent church, manifests itself and leads to the formation of an independent church. The case studies are the Ethiopian Church and related independent groups, the independent churches which joined the African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1896 with the Ethiopian Church but later left to form their own churches, for example the Order of Ethiopia, schisms from the Presbyterian Church during the 1890' s and the Independent Methodist Church. / Christian, Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D.Th (Church History)

Thesis (M.A. in Theological Studies)--Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 87-91).