Thesis (master's)--Andover Newton Theological School, 2002. / Title from title screen. Also available online.

<p> The loss of a loved one is a challenging event in the lives of everyone. Each individual must deal with grief and grief recovery. The Western culture has difficulty in dealing with loss and grief. In addition, churches are inadequate in helping their members who are in grief: helping them recover, find meaning, and have an enduring connection with their loved one as they embark on a new life. </p><p> In order to determine if churches can be equipped to provide support during the grief recovery process, this research project focused on training members of Calvary Chapel of Syracuse in the process of grief and grief recovery. The seminar was based on two things. First, a comprehensive review of the Bible was completed to reveal what it says about death, grief, and comfort. Then, a review of the literature dealing with grief and grief recovery was completed that provided insight into the common experience of those in grief, the process of grief recovery, and how individuals find meaning and embark on a new life without their loved one. </p><p> Using quantitative research methods, this project examined the participants of a grief and grief recovery seminar. The participants completed surveys that were assessed using recognized statistical procedures to determine if a seminar could adequately prepare them to work with individuals in grief. </p><p> The results of this research project provide a way to assess the use of a seminar for equipping church members to work with individuals in grief and recommendations on how this process can be enhanced.</p>

<p>The study examined the sense of self-efficacy that clergy experience while providing pastoral care by analyzing 104 pastors' responses to the Counselor Activity Self-Efficacy Scale (CASES). The variables that predicted higher self-efficacy scores included the number of years the participant worked as a pastor, the number of hours spent each week in counseling activities, and the number of counseling/pastoral care courses completed during seminary or pastoral training. Training with clinical pastoral education (CPE) and lay counseling activities, however, predicted lower CASES scores. This regression model accounted for 29% of the variance in CASES scores. Clergy reported significantly lower self-efficacy in their counseling skills in the Counseling Challenges factor of the CASES than in the Helping Skills and Session Management factors. This suggests that the pastors experience the lowest counseling self-efficacy (CSE) when faced with challenges such as severe psychopathology or manipulative individuals. The results carry implications for the training and continuing education that is offered to clergy. The study suggests that it could be beneficial with clergy training to focus on the areas in which CSE was lowest and on the variables that are associated with higher CSE. </p>

<p>The context is The Greater Harvest Church, of Long Beach. California, which was traumatized because of misconduct. misappropriation. and power struggles between former pastors and lay-leaders. This study examined a system for resuscitating and healing churches that have suffered trauma. The hypothesis is that empathy, justice-mindedness, and humility, partnership with the Godhead, and koinonia, are the prescription for resuscitating and healing a church that has been traumatized. A qualitative methodology was employed utilizing surveys, interviews, and observations. Study data supports the conclusion that a demonstration of empathy, justice-mindedness, and humility is essential to healing a wounded congregation. </p>

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<p> The Researcher has coordinated and attended a <i>Bibliotherapy Centered Growth Pilot Group</i> with eight Korean minister&rsquo;s wives a few years ago, hosted and mentored by Dr. Sunny Song. The experience with Korean ministers&rsquo; wives with the Pilot Group gave conviction of the possibility of small group dynamics for change and upgrade of transformation of women in leadership. This research discovered several factors why a <i> Bibliotherapy Centered Growth Group</i> could work well. All the members were continuously reminded and reshaped with new understanding about emotional aspects of inner being, relationship, and spirituality. The researcher believes that the <i>Bibliotherapy Centered Growth Group</i> can be an advanced ministry model besides other small group dynamics for pastors&rsquo; wives to healthier and deeper relationship with God and among church members.</p>

<p> This mixed-methods study investigated the transformative learning that occurred in the alumni of the 22-lesson Christian discipleship process called the Immersion Experience by Aphesis Group Ministries. Quantitative data was collected from a survey sent out to the 850 alumni. Deep interviews were conducted with 16 participants who had the additional prerequisite of being raised in a religiously confused home of origin. The transformative learning was examined through the theoretical framework of Mezirow's transformative learning theory. An additional lens was resistance to change. Argyris and Schon's theory of action developed the concept of double-loop learning. Their theory was extended by Kegan and Lahey's immunity-to-change perspective. The final lens was a synthesis of Brown's development of wholehearted living, Bowlby's Attachment Theory, positive psychology, and virtue ethics. This has been summarized as living wholeheartedly with virtue. The Immersion Experience seeks to help professing Christians evaluate their inner lives and discern the discrepancies between their espoused Christian beliefs (what they say they believe) and their theories-in-use (what they actually live out) in the attempt to bring them into alignment. The intent is to help believers be able to practically live out their Christian commitment each day of their lives.</p>

<p> This study was an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) of six world-renowned, "five-fold apostolic" leaders--three from a Pentecostal/charismatic sample population and three from a Protestant/evangelical sample population. A series of lengthy, semi-structured, qualitative interviews were conducted with all the leaders, who related their life/leadership development stories and then reflected at length on the nature of apostolic leadership. IPA research methodology was then used to explore the emergent themes across the interview data for the purpose of articulating the "essence" of the phenomenon. The emergent themes/essence was then examined in relation to its possible correlations within leadership theory. Two meta-themes emerged from the data: an overall aptitude for "wise master building" that all the leaders possessed and the various, more particular aptitudes that were possessed by each individual leader--aptitudes within the overall aptitude, so to speak. Eighteen common subthemes concerning their development and leadership practices also emerged, which were divided into six sub-thematic clusters related to: calling, power, learning, building, equipping, and focus. These were analyzed in conjunction with leadership theory as well. Strong elements of charismatic, transformational, and "movemental" leadership emerged from within the phenomenon. These were discussed, along with the tension between leading movements versus leading institutions/organizations. Complexity leadership theory was then posited as a possible bridge between the two. Some of the possible implications for ministerial practitioners were discussed as well, including: the distinction between apostolic leadership and traditional understandings of pastoral leadership, the generalizablity of the research findings within a North American ministerial context, and the strong similarities between the apostolic leadership practices of both sample populations. Numerous recommendations were also provided for future research into five-fold apostolic leadership in conjunction with leadership theory and practice, including: continued and more extensive dialogue between leadership, theology, and the social sciences in relation to the phenomenon, continued utilization of the IPA research methodology in the service of both leadership and ministry, continued consideration of complexity leadership theory in conjunction with apostolic and "movemental" leadership and, finally, continued exploration into the possibility of the five-fold leadership paradigm informing general leadership theory and practice across all domains. Keywords: Five-fold apostolic leadership, apostolicity, executive leadership theory, interpretative phenomenological analysis, charismatic leadership, transformational leadership, movemental leadership, complexity leadership, church leadership, apostles, Christianity</p>

<p> Taiwan and Korea have been categorized in the same cluster of Confucian and hierarchical cultures. However, Korean missionary pastors in Taiwan experience significant cross-cultural differences that directly affect the effectiveness of their leadership among Taiwanese congregants. </p><p> This study discloses the four factors contributing to the effectiveness of select Korean missionary pastors: (a) personal traits, (b) interaction on cross-cultural issues, (c) trust, and (d) spirituality. Working as a whole, four key factors result in a four-fold transformation of leadership: (a) leaders responded to cross-cultural encounters with cognitive discernment, (b) which resulted in movement from authoritarian to servant leadership, (c) which fostered trust among followers, (d) which resulted in movement from servant to transformational leadership. </p><p> The theory in this study on the effectiveness of cross-cultural leaders in Taiwanese context is derived from the ground theory study using in-depth semi-structured interviews, and participant observation.</p>

The research on pastoral counseling of persons struggling with complex trauma was undertaken with the aim of designing a practice-orientated model for pastoral counseling in order to guide such persons to emotional healing, stability and spiritual growth. An exegetical study throws light on the role of prayer and trust in God. One can entrust to God one's problems and one's supplication for help in the firm belief that He will provide a way out. An investigation into counseling perspectives in the Scriptures and in the literature on Christian counseling brought to light that pastoral counseling, which is a mandate given to believers, affords a unique opportunity for lovingly encouraging and consoling people with complex trauma. Contributions by psychiatry and psychology emphasise the phase approach. They stress security and stability, the processing of the traumatic memory and mourning, as well as a renewed commitment to new relationships. The core of the findings is that persons with complex trauma - which is an intricate syndrome relating to a spectrum of post-traumatic disturbances following intense, protracted and repeated trauma - can be guided by pastoral counseling to emotional healing, stability and spiritual growth. Specific reference is made to victims of prolonged family violence and/or physical and/or emotional and/or sexual abuse and/or protracted physical and/or emotional neglect in family context. The empirical research confirmed that the children of the Abraham Krielkinderhuis, Potchefstroom, who were subjected to these traumatic experiences in their parental homes exhibit the typical symptomatology of complex trauma. These entail emotional disturbances like anger and self-injury, disturbances of consciousness like dissociation, disturbances of self-image like stigma, guilt and shame, disturbances in the image of the perpetrator, like unrealistic expectations and finally disturbances in relationships like distrust and loss of faith. The principles and outcome of the empirical research are eventually applicable to all persons struggling with complex trauma. A practice-orientated counseling model was designed which focuses on stabilisation and security, the processing of the traumatic memory and mourning, as well as a renewed commitment to life in abundance and new relationships. In this therapeutic relationship of faith the distress narrative and the narrative of the past are central. God allows everything to turn out for the best for those who trust in Him. In Christ people are more than victors through God's will for their lives. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Pastoral))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.