Thesis (D. Min.)--Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 142-152).

Thesis (D.Min.)--Liberty Theological Seminary and Graduate School, 2007.

Project (D. Miss.)--Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 1989. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 160-166).

Thesis (D. Miss.)--Reformed Theological Seminary, 1998. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 253-274).

Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) was the last Central African territory to be evangelised by the Protestant Misssionary Societies. The study investigates the process from mission churches of four Missionary Societies (the London Missionary Society, the Church of Scotland Mission, the Methodist Missionary Society and the Paris Evangelical Missionary Society) to the indigenous United Church of Zambia, and the UCZ attempt to establish a sustainable growth and development towards self-reliance. The stated policy of the Protestant Missionary Societies was to establish independent local churches, self-governing, self-supporting and self-propagating. The three basic methods of achieving the above objectives were, the founding of mission churches, the establishment of schools, hospitals and medical services. However, the pioneering period to 1925 saw no significant progress towards the realisation of missionary objectives, and there was little evidence that mission policies were implemented. The second epoch (1925-1955) of Missions' operations in the territory was characterised by an attempt of the Protestant Missionary Societies to co-operate in the areas of evengelism, education, and social action. The co-operation effort was not successful, having failed to achieve any of its objectives. In the mean time, there was little progress in the training and development of local church leadership, and there was no attempt to indigenise the mission churches. Instead, missionary control of the local church was increased. The third epoch (1955-1965) witnessed the attempt of the Missionary Societies to establish an indigenous multiracial church of Northern Rhodesia, a notion parallel to the political formula of Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. During this period, when the mission churches were firmly under the control of missionaries, the Missionary Societies failed to transfer authority and responsibility from the mission to the local church. There was still no real trained African ministry and leadership of the local church. However, the attempt to establish a multiracial indigenous church did not succeed, and the Missionary Societies were forced by circumstances to form the United Church of Zambia in January 1965, Northern Rhodesia having become the Republic of Zambia the previous year, following political independence in Otober 1964. The study examines how between 1965 to the present, the indigenous United Church of Zambia has attempted under difficult circumstances, to establish its own national identity, and set in motion the dynamics for a sustainable growth and development towards self-reliance.

This study formally explores the nature of the relationship between church growth and a process-driven design for church ministry. From extensive literature on church growth, church leadership, and process, four elements of a process-driven design are identified: the leaders' comprehension, the flow, simplicity, and the alignment. A process-driven church is designed around a strategic and comprehensive life transformation process that moves people through stages of spiritual transformation. The leadership has a clear understanding of this process and is committed to executing it. The process is simple, flows logically, and is implemented in each part of the church so that there is full alignment. Based on these four elements, the Process Design Survey was developed with consultation from an expert panel. The survey was electronically distributed to a random stratified sample consisting of 400 growing churches and 400 non-growing churches. The responses from both strata are compared to determine the extent of the relationship between church growth and a process-driven design. The research data contends that there is a highly significant relationship between church growth and a process-driven design for church ministry. The data also proposes that there is a highly significant relationship between church growth and each of the four process-driven design elements. Growing churches scored significantly higher on the Process Design Survey than non-growing churches in each of the four elements. Analysis of the data is provided through tables and charts and implications and applications are presented in response to the data. Suggestions for further research are also presented. / This item is only available to students and faculty of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. If you are not associated with SBTS, this dissertation may be purchased from <a href="http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb">http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb</a> or downloaded through ProQuest's Dissertation and Theses database if your institution subscribes to that service.

Thesis (M.A.)--Reformed Theological Seminary, 1985. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 216-220).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Concordia Theological Seminary, Ft. Wayne, 1982. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references.

Project Thesis (D. Min.)--Conservative Baptist Theological Seminary, 1981. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 411-423). "Contextualization bibliography for Latin America" (leaves 399-401).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Logos Evangelical Seminary, 2002. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 176-189).