Thesis (D. Min.)--Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 2000. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 200-208).

Thesis (D.Min.)--Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2004. / Includes abstract. Includes prospectus. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 225-247).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, MA, 2002. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 152-159).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2004. / "September 2004." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 225-247).

Thesis (M. Div. with Concentration : Christian Ministries)--Emmanuel School of Religion, 2005. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 143-160).

Thesis (M. Min.)--Cincinnati Christian Seminary, 1986. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [155]-158).

Northern Ireland is a unique context, with its complex history, sectarian divisions between two ethno-political communities, high levels of Christian religiosity, and strong Evangelical presence. It is, however, changing towards postmodernism and post-Christendom, leaving the Church in shock, needing reconstructed identity, structures and mission. Church planting is an increasingly prevalent response to declining church attendance in the West. It is, however, often insufficiently reflexive and based on questionable biblical, ecclesiological and missiological foundations. If it is to happen faithfully where the Church is already present, it must be located within a robust missionary ecclesiology. This thesis establishes a critical conversation between the findings of ethnographic research into church planting in Northern Ireland and the four creedal words about the Church – one, holy, catholic and apostolic. The original meaning of these words is uncovered, they are related to a trinitarian ecclesiology and their distortion in the medieval institutional Church is identified. Protestant reforms recovered apostolicity and holiness, while Evangelical revivals later promoted vital orthodoxy and transdenominational oneness, but catholicity remained neglected. The recovery of catholicity and its reintegration with the other creedal qualities has wide-ranging implications: reimagining catholic oneness through 'local church partnerships' cooperating with 'parachurch' agencies; renewing catholic holiness in disciplined, diverse, countercultural communities of believers; and promoting catholic apostolicity through the gospel ministry of plural, non-hierarchical, facilitative local pastor-teachers supported by translocal evangelists. The creedal qualities also shape core ecclesial practices for faithfulness and integrate presence, philanthropy, peace-making and proclamation (the missiones ecclesiae) as responses to God's regenerating, sanctifying, reconciling and judging work (missio Dei). Applying this missionary ecclesiology in four aspects to Northern Ireland, 'integrative church planting' is defined and located within a renewed vision of the Church: diverse but united; local and translocal; countercultural yet socially-engaged; rooted in its unique history yet confident in a hope-filled future.

ABSTRACT THE SUDAN INTERIOR MISSION’S CHURCH GROWTH APPROACH IN SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA: THE FORMATION OF A NEW AMAGNYOCH COMMUNITY Anteneh Taye Aberra, Ph.D. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2017 Chair: Dr. John Mark Terry The term amagnyoch is used for distinguishing these ecclesial communities from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. This dissertation addresses the Sudan Interior Mission’s church-planting ideology to establish an independent congregation in the Kembatta, Wolitta, and Siddma Triangle. Chapter 1 demonstrates the new ecclesiastical approach of the SIM church-growth movement in the process of establishing a new amagnyoch community. Chapter 2 presents Ethiopia’s historical background. It includes the overview of the history of Christianity in Ethiopia, starting with Judaism. That overview is followed by the conversion paradigm of the book of Acts; then by the Ethiopian Orthodox faith; and, finally, by modern Christianity. Chapter 3 introduces church-planting-methodology components. It also studies the genesis of SIM’s mission work, the intervention of the Holy Spirit, the triangular vision, and evangelism among animists. Chapter 4 delves more deeply into the biblical and theological evaluation of the SIM church-planting methodology. This chapter evaluates the biblical foundations, kingdom mind-set, word-centered teaching, and gospel-saturated commitment of SIM’s church- planting methodology. Chapter 5 examines the SIM’s understanding of missiology. Furthermore, it describes SIM’s mission philosophy and strategies of church-growth methodology, along with the model of relational stages of SIM’s church-growth methodology. Chapter 6 is a critical analysis of SIM’s church-growth methodology, and it additionally suggests applications for the contemporary Ethiopian church-growth methodology. Chapter 7 will conclude the dissertation by summarizing perceptions of SIM’s new ecclesiastical approach to church-growth methodology for the formation of new churches in southern Ethiopia. It is currently estimated that there are 8,600 churches, with more than eight million members.

Thesis (D. Miss.)--Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 1999. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 308-315).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2003. / Appendix A, Workshop one training manual in Spanish. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 460-464).