This dissertation examines and evaluates the preaching and pastoral ministry of Charles Jerry Vines as a model of evangelistic focus. Chapter 1 introduces the preaching and pastoral ministry of Jerry Vines as a model of evangelistic focus. The author addresses the broad concern of the evangelistic ineffectiveness of the Southern Baptist Convention and then establishes warrant for the particular qualities of Vines' preaching and pastoral ministries in regard to their connection to his evangelistic results. Chapter 2 provides a biography of Charles Jerry Vines. Since very little biographical information has ever been formally collected on his life and ministry, this dissertation gives considerable attention to a thorough treatment of these matters. This chapter delves into the significant details of Vines' life to establish him as a worthy model of evangelistic focus. Chapter 3 presents the theological framework that guides his methodology of evangelism. This chapter both describes and evaluates his theological underpinnings. It focuses on his views of theological method, revelation, atonement, pneumatology, soteriology, and eschatology. Chapter 4 offers an overview of Vines' approach to expository preaching, focusing primarily on an element of his sermon structure that he calls an "evangelistic twist." It surveys how the twist is used in his preaching from texts that span from Genesis to Revelation. It discusses principles for the twist that lead a preacher to stay within the meaning of the text along with pitfalls to avoid while formulating the twist. Chapter 5 examines Vines' preaching and teaching through the book of Acts. The bases for this chapter are his most recent sermon series that he preached through the book of Acts along with his Sunday School Curriculum Acts Alive. It discusses Vines' hermeneutical method, his guarded prescriptive hermeneutic for Acts, whether or not his dispensational view weighs in on the book's application for personal evangelism, and a discussion of timeless truths pertinent to personal evangelism for the local church. Chapter 6 offers concluding remarks that summarize the most pertinent findings of my research. It discusses qualities of Vines' ministry worth emulating along with other matters of consideration.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2007. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 196-199)

Thesis (D. Min.)--Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2007. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 196-199)

This study examined the relationship between the continuing professional education practices of Southern Baptist pastors and their tenure in their pastoral positions. A survey questionnaire was designed to collect data about the pastors' continuing education and pastoral tenure. A stratified sample of 500 pastors was selected from the 36,235 Southern Baptist churches according to church membership. A total of 217 (43 percent) of the questionnaires was returned and used in the data analysis. Thirty percent of the pastors reported spending no days in continuing education during the past year. Sixty-two percent spent five days or more in continuing professional education. Tenure was not significantly linked to continuing education among the pastors. A personal perception of ministerial competency was positively related to continuing education. The majority of pastors felt accountable to God and themselves in terms of their competency. They strongly resisted any move toward certification or accreditation. The majority of the pastors did not view mobility as an alternative to becoming involved in continuing education. However, the reasons reported for mobility could be interpreted as needs assessment addressed by professional growth. A majority of the pastors strongly agreed that a basic seminary education did not alone prepare a minister for the pastorate. In addition, they were personally committed to being lifelong learners. However, only a small minority had developed a personal strategy for continuing education for the coming year. Neither part-time nor full-time work status nor past formal education influenced the amount of days spent in continuing education. The level of formal education did increase the pastors' commitment to being "lifelong learners." However, there seemed to be missing links between the following: 1) formal ministerial preparation and continuing professional development, 2) mobility and needs assessment, 3) competency and accountability, and 4) a commitment to lifelong learning and a practical strategy for continuing education.

ABSTRACT THE ANTHROPOLOGICAL PASTOR: NAVIGATING THE CULTURE OF AN ESTABLISHED CHURCH BY IMPLEMENTING ANTHROPOLOGICAL TOOLS AND RESOURCES Christopher Eric Turpin, Ph.D. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2016 Chair: Dr. George H. Martin This dissertation explores anthropological tools and resources and their potential usefulness in navigating the culture of an established church. The application of the principles contained herein can be used for church revitalization, pastor transitions, and established church leadership. These principles can also be applied to business and organizational cultures. Chapter 1 presents the research question that serves as the investigative guide for the dissertation. This dissertation argues that the pastor(s)/elders, and/or potential pastor(s)/elders, of established local churches, should know and implement many of the tools and resources of cultural anthropology within their ministry context in order to enhance understanding and communication between the pastor and his congregation, resulting in healthier pastor-congregation relations, healthier churches, and greater Kingdom effectiveness. Further, this chapter proposes an amalgamation of the research from the fields of anthropology/missiology, relevant organizational culture literature, and church leadership materials. Chapter 2 serves as a survey of much of the relevant literature surrounding the study of anthropology/missiology, church leadership, and relevant organizational culture literature. This literature review traces an overview of the development of anthropological thought and the value of anthropological tools and resources. The review then demonstrates how anthropology is being discussed in church leadership materials, but without significant interaction with anthropological resources. Due to the scope of this research, the author narrows his interaction with church leadership material to materials that include sections that seem to recognize that each established churches exhibit culture. Chapter 3 presents the author’s findings from anthropological research most relevant to the work of a local church pastor. Paul Hiebert’s book Anthropological Insights for Missionaries serves as a blueprint for the outline of the chapter. The chapter continues to look at available anthropological tools and resources, the ways they are understood and implemented by others, and potential applications toward established churches. Chapter 4 examines church leadership literature resources that consider established churches to exhibit culture. Aubrey Malphurs’ book, Look before You Lead serves as a blueprint for the outline of the chapter. The primary objective of this chapter is to demonstrate the fact that church leadership authors interact very little with the writings, research, paradigms, and tools of anthropologists or missiologists. Chapter 5 presents the author’s findings and conclusions. The focus is on developing the field of congregational cultural anthropology for the purpose of equipping pastors to understand and work through established church cultures. The author introduces a rapid assessment process (RAP) for understanding and navigating congregational culture. He concludes with an adaptation of Paul Hiebert’s method for engaging in critical contextualization, but for the purpose of transforming congregational culture. He also proposes the development of a field handbook for rapid assessment processes among established churches and an expansion of the field of congregational cultural anthropology.

The purpose of this study was to compare the avowed beliefs and reported practices of Southern Baptist pastors based upon their level of attainment in higher education and their choice of theological seminary.

Scanned copy of Taulman's dissertation as part of our digitization on demand service.

Project (D. Min.)--New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 2008. / Abstract and vita. Includes final project proposal. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 165-170, 64-69).

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Durban-Westville, 2004.

Project/Thesis (D. Min.)--Abilene Christian University, 1999. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 155-159).