Thesis advisor: Jane E. Regan / In the contemporary United States, trauma is a significant disruptive force in the lives of families. By its nature, however, traumatic suffering isolates and marginalizes its victims, with the result that the pastoral caregiving needs of suffering people can go unrecognized and unmet. This dissertation proposes that caring for families who struggle to cope in contexts of traumatic suffering and chronic distress is a vital work of mission for the Catholic church in the twenty-first century. It further proposes that this work can best be enacted in the local church setting when configured as a synodal, trauma-aware, relational, caregiving community of practice (a STAR caregiving CoP) ministry. The ministerial model offered here is designed to enable parishes and dioceses to develop compassionate, competent ministerial initiatives that can meet the particular needs of families in their communities. Grounded in the theoretical discourses of theological anthropology, ecclesiology, situated learning theory, the ethic of care, and traumatology, the model also reflects insights drawn from the author’s qualitative doctoral research study of two pastoral caregiving ministries that serve men and women struggling with the personal traumas that erupt in family life. The STAR caregiving CoP model offers the local church a flexible, robust framework to employ in the construction and evaluation of familial pastoral caregiving ministries. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2023. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry.

No description available.

No description available.

The aim of the thesis is to trace the development of the parochial ministry in the archdeaconry of Huntingdon from 1109 to 1547 and to examine the effects on this ministry of patronage exercised by the crown, the laity, the monasteries; the clergy, the colleges and the pope. The Introduction describes the area of ministry,namely the archdeaconry and the different types of parish within it. This is followed by a discussion of the source materials used in this study. The thesis is divided into three main sections under the headings, 'Patronage and Patrons', 'The Clergy' and 'The Church and The Laity'. The section on 'Patronage and Patrons' examines the use and abuse of the patronage system. The appropriation of churches by the monastic houses and its effect on the parishes is examined in detail. Disputes which affected all forms of patronage are also considered. The section on 'The Clergy' deals with their life and work in the archdeaconry. The attempts made by the bishops to provide an educated clergy is examined in detail. The problems connected with absenteeism and pluralism and the effects on ministry are considered. The section on 'The Church and The Laity' relies very much on mid-fifteenth-century documents as little material is available for the earlier period. The section shows how much the laity were involved in the life of the Church, especially in their membership of fraternities and guilds. Wills which provide details of life during this later period are examined. A special section on the controversial subject of the response of both the clergy and the laity to the sixteenth century reforms follows. In the final chapter observations are made on the whole period and some conclusions are drawn on the work of the Church throughout four and a half centuries.

This thesis investigates the recent growth of chaplaincy roles in community contexts. A gap in knowledge existed regarding how and why these roles were emerging at this time. The purpose of the research was to generate new insight into the significance of the growth in and practice of chaplaincy in community contexts for the mission and ministry of the church in England and thus to contribute to knowledge, policy and the development of best practice. The research adopted a case study approach. It was designed as a qualitative comparative case study of the emergence of chaplaincy roles in three contrasting geographical contexts of ministry. Data were collected by interviews, observation and documentary analysis providing rich descriptions and multiple perspectives on what was happening. A cross-case analysis identified three main themes from the data. These themes were used as the basis for proposing the significance of the phenomenon. The findings demonstrate that chaplaincy roles are emerging as a missional response to the challenge of engaging with the whole of society presented to the church by a changing culture. It also demonstrates the current lack of conceptual clarity about what chaplaincy is and the consequent lack of chaplaincy representation within the missiological and ministerial discourses of the institutional church. The study concludes that chaplaincy is of central significance to the mission and ministry of the church given that chaplains are located in the social structures of society alongside people whom the churches find it increasingly difficult to encounter. It offers the proposition for others to test, that if chaplaincy is to have a voice in church discourses and if sustainable best practice is to be developed, the identity and integrity of chaplaincy as a genre of ministry need to be described. The new knowledge generated by the research provides a basis for such a description, for the development of the researcher’s practice and for making a contribution to church policy and practice.

MBA Professional Report / Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited / This project is planned to analyze the congruence between the theoretical aspect and legislative base of the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense procurement system and their implementation with the present practices. This will help the proper understanding of how the system works and if it could better serve the national security needs. The project analyzes existing acquisition practices and proposes recommendations for improving key acquisition processes and policies. In addition, the project presents analysis of the procurement system as organizational structure within the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense with its existing interconnections and activities. The recommendations for possible improvements consider the existing constraints and barriers that originate from acting legislation, organizational design, or applied practices. The project is intended to be prolonged and developed additionally by other Bulgarian students from the perspective of their respective organizations and experience. / Major, Bulgarian Air Force

America is a nation of immigrants, yet immigration continues to be a troubling issue for the nation as immigrants face a variety of challenges to settling into life in the United States of America. In facing these challenges, immigrants look to the church as they have traditionally done, for relief and support. This study gathers and reflects on the experiences of a group of Ghanaian immigrants and their host congregations to compare their experiences of the church. In particular, it focuses on the experience of Ghanaian immigrants in United Methodist congregations in the Northeast, asking how immigrants experience congregational practices in comparison with the experience of long time members of the same congregations and what ecclesiologies are enacted or embedded within those expectations and practices. The study also asks how these ecclesiologies support or thwart Wesleyan convictions on hospitality and inclusion and how congregational practices can be transformed to become more Wesleyan and more liberative. The study proposes new and expanded ministry practices that position the church to respond to and learn from immigrants first within the church itself, and then within the wider society. While the study focuses on Ghanaian immigrants in particular, it points to implications for the welcome and reception of African immigrants more broadly into communities of faith in America. The results of this study of Ghanaian- influenced congregations may also have implications for the treatment of newer immigrants from across the globe. The question of the treatment of immigrants by the church is approached through a methodology that combines elements from Juan Luis Segundo's "hermeneutic circle" and Don Browning's strategic practical theology, and it utilizes the ethical methodology of Gustavo Gutiérrez, which parallels the reflexive movement of Browning's practical theological method. It describes the crisis that exists in three congregations with large numbers of Ghanaian immigrants, reviews current hospitality, worship and ministry practices, and sources of faith to reveal newer more appropriate practices that address the crisis, resolve the tensions that exist, and point to new ways of living in community.

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

Thesis (M.A. (Pastoral Studies)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Thesis (M.A.)--Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 1983. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 171-179).