This dissertation argues that the pulpit rhetoric of the Pastors’ Conference and SBC Forum portrays the Conservative Resurgence as a competition between conservative and moderate visions for Baptist identity as differentiated by the mutually exclusive manner in which each group perceived of doctrine and the constitution of denominational fellowship. That conservatives and moderates both construed of the conflict in this way is revealed with remarkable consistency by their respective preaching at the annual pre-convention gatherings. Regardless of what conservatives and moderates may have said during the battle or since, their preaching revealed that they both viewed the Resurgence as a competition of visions for Baptist identity. Conservatives pursued the vision of a well-defined and well defended Baptist orthodoxy, while moderates pursued a vision of Baptist freedom. Chapter 1 presents the primary research problem and main argument of this work. Chapter 2 introduces the preaching of the Pastors’ Conference and SBC Forum, giving special attention to those sermons that best exemplified the disagreements that fueled the controversy. Chapter 3 analyzes the preaching of the events using a variety of complementary theories from within the field of social movement rhetorical criticism. Chapter 4 applies Richard Weaver’s theory of ultimate terms to the discourse of the two preaching meetings, revealing what were the most rhetorically potent words and/or phrases among competing conservative and moderate rhetorics. Chapter 5 administers Ernest Bormann’s theory of fantasy theme analysis to the most relevant sermons in order to determine the dramatic motifs to which conservative and moderate rhetor-leaders most often appealed when they invited their hearers to support their vision for Southern Baptists. Chapter 6 provides a synopsis of the main discoveries of this work by describing the issues, the people, the setting, the values, and the visions contained in the pulpit rhetoric of the Conservative Resurgence. The differences between conservative and moderate Southern Baptists as revealed by the rhetorical analysis contained in this work were so profound that a conflict of the nature and significance of the Resurgence was essentially inevitable.

O presente trabalho identifica as representações sociais à respeito de burnout em pastoras e pastores da Igreja Presbiteriana Independente do Brasil mediante o uso do Discurso do sujeito coletivo. A pesquisa parte de uma breve descrição de stress e burnout, em seguida relaciona a Síndrome de Burnout com pastores, e por fim caracteriza a profissão pastor. O estudo alcançou o objetivo e identificou tais representações sociais além de apontar diferenças supostamente relevantes diante das variáveis: gênero, cargo, trabalho em equipe ou sozinho e tempo de profissão. A análise qualitativa dos discursos foi feita através do método do discurso do sujeito coletivo, com identificação de expressões chaves, idéias centrais e categorização, que resultaram em 11 categorias que originaram os discursos coletivos. Em seguida as categorias foram agrupadas em macrocategorias relacionadas a cada dimensão da Síndrome de Burnout. A análise quantitativa foi feita à carácter de Estatística descritiva com a distribuição de sujeitos (), frequências percentuais, médias e desvios padrão em cada uma das categorias. para confirmar ou negar a importância das diferenças encontradas / The present work identifies the social representations regarding burnout in pastors of the Independent Presbyterian Church of Brazil through the use of the Discourse of the collective subject. The research starts from a brief description of stress and burnout, then relates Burnout Syndrome to pastors, and ultimately characterizes the pastor profession. The study reached the goal and identified such social representations as well as pointing out supposedly relevant differences in the variables: gender, position, teamwork or alone and time of profession. The qualitative analysis of the discourses was made through the discourse method of the collective subject, with identification of key expressions, central ideas and categorization, which resulted in 11 categories that originated the collective discourses. Then the categories were grouped into macrocategories related to each dimension of Burnout Syndrome. The quantitative analysis was made as descriptive statistics with distribution of subjects (), percentage frequencies, means and standard deviations in each of the categories

Theology was referred to the study of faith in God and the history of God’s journey with His people and their narratives about God and His journey with them. Theology was applied within the context of religious experience. Practical theology is the hermeneutics of God’s encounter with human beings and their world. It was often referred to as a theology of crisis and practical oriented science and the task of maintaining the connections between the varied stories of life and grounding the stories of Christian Community Practical theology could also be summarised as follows (1) as having its roots in the practice of research methodology. Methodology had developed practical theology into various phases, namely: (1) A personality –oriented moral model. (2) The official model, (3) the so-called application model. (4) An empirical model; (5) A phenomenological model, and (6) a last development called the ecclesiological model. Epistemology, in this project, is referred to the branch of philosophy that studied issues, related to knowledge. It is an empirical (deriving knowledge from experience alone) theory that enabled the practical theology to be referred to as the empirical theology. In this case, it was a scientific knowledge to address the question how do traumatised African clergies therapeutically deal with traumatised African families while being affected, themselves? The post-modern world was using the epistemology framework which was based on narrative hermeneutical emancipatory relationships that was critical of power relationships of modern books. The writer here had adopted narrative hermeneutical emancipatory relationshipsstructural approach to use for both in obtaining information from the organisational structures of the church and the dual church of democracy and theocracy for the emancipation of traumatised African clergies therapeutically dealing with traumatised African families. . The narrative hermeneutical emancipatory relationships discourses were used to solve the problem of traumatised African clergies and traumatised African families through conference approach. Practical theology also strived to understand this experience as a place where gospel of love towards others, were grounded and lived out. Grief was generally viewed as having psychological and social repercussions (driven back) to the status of traumatised African clergies. It was also a significant spiritual condition of sleeplessness, and anxiety, in that, it impacted on relationships with God, self, and others. Pastors, therefore, had a key role to play in the well being of people within the Christian iv communities; including other pastors who suffered from different traumatic experiences. God created them with spirit, soul and body to function, not in exclusion, but included them as one in human body. It was in the light of this understanding that the body of a human being needed to be balanced well with the three (spirit, soul and body), in order to function fruitfully within the community of God. The human being was not a fragmentation but a complete entity, needing healing for his or her whole being: spiritually, socially, psychologically and in relationship with his or her environment. The African clergies did stand in need of healing in order to redirect their lives; following their traumatic experiences. They needed to be healed so that they could carry on with their tasks as pastoral care giving. In traditional African society, health was conceived as more than physical well-being. It was a state that entailed mental, physical, spiritual social and environmental (cosmic) harmony. It was associated with all that were positively valued in life. It was also a sign of a correct relationship between people and their environment, with one another and with the supernatural world. Health was understood both in a social and in a biological sense. When the physical was ill the body was reluctant to help in social life and when the loved some was dead the social life was affected in grief and the body became weak. Pastoral care had the potential to bring healing and hope; through good shepherding. Pastoral care and counselling was historically concerned with healing of the broken-hearted and liberating the people of God in order for them to develop self-esteem. In most of the African churches, the hierarchy of the church tended to treat problems of pastors as personal problems and as having no bearing to the church as an institution at all. Personal problems of pastors were hostility from Christians, lack of money and mismanagement of church funds; inferiority complex; rejection by community, some pastors were favoured, and some were rejected because of their background, misunderstood by church members. In many instances, pastors left their church due to the lack of support and encouragement. At times, it was the church that disowned them on the basis of churches discriminatory practices and personal challenges that distracted such as planning other clergies outside the region from their pastoral duties. Even though the church was not perceived as a building, but as people who worshipped God in the church building, it was beyond that. It was the people, including its pastors that were ministering to people of God in it that constituted a church. The perception was that the church v had no problem to solve, had to be dismissed without any condition. Many pastors experienced and suffered rejection from churches discriminatory practices. God’s general call to all Christians was to serve: the truth that everybody served a master either the devil or God ((Matt.6:24; John 8: 34-36; John 15:19; Romans 6:6-22; James 4:4; 1John 2:15-17; 4:4-6); there was no middle ground. We were either under the dominion of sin and the devil, or we had been ransomed by Jesus Christ of Nazareth and we were then His servants (Galatians 1:10). Pastors before they were called to leadership of God, they were also among those Christians who were called to serve either the devil or God. A shepherd was referred to one employed in tending, feeding and guarding the people of God who were metaphorically known as the flock of God that were under his care and service as an overseer. Shepherding was applied to the pastor, in the fivefold ministry gifts of Jesus of Nazareth, and as means of shepherding the flock of God in the Church. The traumatised African pastors were included in this shepherding. The remedy to the traumatised African clergies and traumatised African families was chosen to be the dual church government of theocracy and democracy; as we intended to reach the eternity of the true God, the creator of the Zoe and Bios Universe, the dual church government of democracy and theocracy of God was regarded as the solution to the churches discriminatory practices through the conference approach. Churches who tried to unite and fight against apartheid’s discriminatory practices were: The Methodist Church of Southern Africa; the Congregational Assembly; the Anglican Church of South Africa; Presbyterians of S A and the Assemblies of God in South Africa. Churches adopted a neutral stance: Evangelical movements were: three types of Evangelical churches, namely: (1) Fundamentals (2) Conservative Evangelical (3) New Evangelicals. The Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) stood as an example of the evangelical or Pentecostal Movement. These churches used conference approach to destroy apartheid discriminatory practices of the then Apartheid Government of South Africa. But the assumption was that the local churches were affected by these discriminatory practices, hence after apartheid they adopted the same discriminatory practices used against their traumatised local African clergies. As they were affected they also needed individual counseling. Pastoral counselling should be always there to address the needs and feelings of priests through seminars, workshops, and fellowship. Members of the church –the elders should be involved in these workshops to present the feelings vi of the congregation towards the priest’s conduct. The Blacks saw apartheid discriminatory practices as “unchristian” apartheid. Therefore when leaders of churches saw the apartheid discriminatory practices as unchristian, the dual church government of democracy and theocracy of God had seen discriminatory practices as unchristian and might be thrown out of the Church by conference approach of the BTGM: The leadership of the Assemblies of God Back to God Movement was the BTGEXCO, BTGTT and the Evangelistic arm the BTGTT, BTGCNC, each committee of the Church normally fell under the supervision and guidance of these above named highest levels in the church hierarchy. The following middle levels were RDCCs, RMFs, BTGCRC and the lower-levels were Elders and deacons or Church Boards and Trans-local Ministries in the low-level in the hierarchy. The leadership of the BTGTT was vision, empowering and releasing people (employing called people: RMFs in middle level, Elders & Deacons and Trans-local Ministries in lower- level. The BTGTT leadership was in leadership similar to Aaron and Levities, Jesus of Nazareth and the 12 Apostles and 70 disciples of Jesus of Nazareth: The BTGCNC in highest hierarchy and BTGCRC in the middle level. The BTGEXCO was the highest level in the hierarchy of elected committees, RDCCs middle-level and Local Church Boards and delegates in lower-level. The hermeneutical emancipatory relationships which were very critical of power relationship that had been used in conference approach to destroy churches discriminatory practices would no longer be used in dealing with individual traumatised African clergies and traumatised African families. Pastoral counselling would use a narrative approach to address the needs and feelings of pastors through seminars, workshops and fellowships to agree that we still live in relationships with the post-modern society well known only in engaging one another in solving problems of the post-modern world. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / gm2014 / Practical Theology / unrestricted

Doctor Of Philosophy / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Farrell J. Webb / The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that influenced African American pastor’s perceptions of mental health issues and to explore how those perceptions influenced the propensity of the pastor to counsel, consult, and or refer to mental health professionals. This study is divided into two parts. Part one examines the perceptions of the pastors and their beliefs about mental health. Part two concretized these perceptions by employing the Contextual Model of Family Stress as a guide for structuring the relationships between a pastor’s perception and their attitudes toward mental health issues. Data for this investigation were gathered from a sub-sample of African American pastors originally generated from a listing of churches throughout the country. Initially 300 locally based institutions were identified. A survey was mailed to the churches explaining the purpose and goals of the study. Nearly one-third of the pastors completed the sixty-one item questionnaire. Of those who returned the original questionnaires (102), nearly three-quarters were from African American pastors (73) all of whom were included in this study. There were four hypotheses developed for this exploratory investigation: they examined the pastor’s propensity to make mental health referrals; the tendency to spiritualize mental health issues; pastor’s lack of support for congregants with mental health problems; and the influence of mental health training on the willingness to refer to mental health professionals. None of the hypotheses were directly supported. The application and adaptation of the Contextual Model of Family Stress to how African American pastors perceived, utilized, and responded to mental health issues was explored via path analysis. Overall, the final model explained 39% of the variance in why pastors chose to make referrals to mental health professionals. The findings suggested that the African American pastors are concerned with the mental health of their congregants. Moreover, these pastors exhibited uncommon knowledge about mental health and displayed greater willingness to work with mental health professionals than originally believed. These findings reveal that African American pastors are in touch with their congregants on multiple plains—spiritual, soul, and body—three vital dimensions, according to church doctrines and beliefs.

Die geskille wat daar bestaan tussen predikant en lidmaat in die NHKA vra na ’n unieke ruimte in die Kerk in terme van ’n postmoderne samelewing. Verskillende perspektiewe lei baie maklik tot konflik in ’n gemeente. Konflik wat nie opgelos word nie, kan dikwels die werk van ampsdraers in ’n gemeente kniehalter. In hierdie navorsing volg ek ’n kontekstuele benadering tot die beoefening van praktiese teologie. ’n Postfundamentele prakties-teologiese raamwerk is gevolg. Die sosialekonstruksiediskoers en narratiewe epistemologie bied nuwe perspektiewe waarvolgens daar liminale ruimte kan ontstaan waarbinne meer as een perspektief kan bestaan. Binne ’n samelewing wat gekenmerk word deur sekularisme en privatisering, ondersoek ek die moontlikheid van ’n ruimte van eenheid te midde van diversiteit in die Kerk. In die navorsingsproses het ek gebruikgemaak van ses medenavorsers se ervarings ten opsigte van konflik en inkongruensie in ’n spesifieke konteks binne die Kerk. Ons het verder die moontlikheid ondersoek van ’n alternatiewe ruimte waar opnuut weer oomblikke van communitas in hierdie verhale kan ontstaan. In die navorsing is die ruimte daarvoor gevind in die beskrywing van twee metafore, naamlik: Die liminale hangbrug van genade en Die dans van vrede. Binne hierdie twee metafore het die medenavorsers hul verhale hervertel. My navorsing belig die belangrike bydrae van ’n interdissiplinêre gesprek in navorsing. In die navorsing speel die reistema ’n belangrike rol waar die leser uitgenooi word om saam met die medenavorsers ’n (liminale) ruimte te ontdek, in terme van inkongruensie tussen predikant en lidmaat. ENGLISH : Disagreements between pastors and church members in the Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa require a unique space in the church in terms of a postmodern society. Different perspectives can easily lead to conflict in the church. Unresolved conflict may jeopardise the work of the clergy in a congregation. In this research, I follow a contextual approach to the pursuit of practical theology. A postfundamental practical theological framework is followed in the research. The social construction discourse and narrative epistemology offer new perspectives for developing a liminal space where more than one perspective can exist. Within a society characterised by secularism and privatisation, I examine the possibility of a space of unity amid diversity in the church. I involved six fellow researchers who have experienced conflict in a specific context within the church. We also examined the possibility of an alternative space where moments of communitas can once again occur in these stories. The research found space for this in the description of two metaphors, namely the liminal suspension bridge of grace and the dance of peace. The stories of the fellow researchers are retold within these two metaphors. My research highlights the important contribution of an interdisciplinary conversation in research. In the study, the journey theme plays an important role, and the reader is invited along with the fellow researchers into a (liminal) space to explore the conflict between the church minister and the church member. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

No description available.

Catholic parochial elementary schools in the United states are normally governed by the pastor of the local parish and under a local-executive governance model. Despite pastors’ paramount role in the governance of Catholic parochial elementary schools they often lack the training, interest, or time to fulfill their roles. This qualitative study explored pastors’ perspectives on the local-executive governance model, where governance of the school is local and the pastor is the sole executive of the school. This dissertation included interviews with nine pastors in a diocese on the west coast of the United States. The study explored how pastors’ view their roles at their parochial schools. The pastors were asked about their views on their spiritual, education, and managerial roles at their parochial schools. Findings indicated that pastors enjoyed their spiritual roles at their schools but chose to delegate many of their financial, human, and academic responsibilities to the school principal. The findings supported the need for Catholic schools to explore other options in school governance beyond the local-executive governance model and to shift more authority from pastors to qualified laypersons.

This study is the product of research in the field of systematic theology, particularly the subject of women in ministry. The goal was to provide, given the scope and limits of the study, the most persuasive case for women elders (or “pastors”) from a Reformed-Evangelical approach to date. The primary means of accomplishing this goal is by making an analytically constructed argument that is both exegetically and theologically sound. The introduction outlines the study’s basic objectives, structure, research methods, assumptions, and overall direction. Two gives a detailed literature review of major publications on the subject of women ministry in order to track the movement of the debate. Three explores theological methods that addresses theological loci, the role of hermeneutics, and the theological-analytical structure and content of Reformed-Evangelical arguments for women elders. Chapter Four explores conceptual framework, which frames the specific, contemporary debate over women elders in Reformed-Evangelical circles, and then addresses the insights and challenges of feminist theology and Roman Catholic theology. The heart of the study is captured in three main chapters that present a case for women elders in the church. The first argument provides a detailed examination of the “prohibition passages” in the New Testament and concludes that they do not prohibit women from being elders. The second argument provides a sweeping account of the proclamation of the gospel in New Testament theology, and affirms that anti-women-elder readings and attitudes simply do not conform to the actions, attitudes, and teachings of the early church regarding gender and gospel-proclamation. Finally, the third section provides three additional arguments in favor of women elders. The first argument addresses the nature of hermeneutics and application of specific interpretations, the second addresses the nature of marriage and its relationship to church leadership, and the third deals with functions of women in NT ministry. The research concludes with Chapter Eight, which summarizes the argument and introduces practical ramifications if the study’s premises and conclusions are true. / Philosophy & Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Systematic Theology)

There is little research about how clerics manage and lead small to midsized non-denominational nonprofit organizations. The rate of clergy failures in non-denominational organizations has left many questions about what is needed to create organizational success. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences and perceptions of clergy manager-leaders' management training in non-denominational organizations. Fourteen full-time clerics from Bloomingdale, Georgia, Rincon, Georgia, and Savannah, Georgia participated in face-to-face semi-structured interviews. The data analysis process involved the use of Edward and Welch's extension of Colaizzi's data analysis procedures, which resulted in the emergence of 4 themes. The themes included: (1) management education and training, (2) experiencing the call of God, and (3) servant leadership. There was common experiences and perceptions among clerics that there was a need for management training to improve workforce productivity, soft skills, and improve the performance of the organization to match the changes in their communities. The findings provide indications from clerics responses that organizational success is dependent upon clergy manager-leaders' effectiveness in their role as full-time clerics as perceived by the expectations of their members, followers, and community stakeholders. This study is significant in that its findings could promote awareness for the need of management training in non-denominational organizations. The potential implications for social change is an innovative work environment, organizational success, community and social responsibility.

The problem under investigation is that there is little research about how church leaders develop and design HIV/AIDS education and support programs in selected counties of New York State. The gap in the literature is that there is little known about how church leaders support the educational process for the HIV/AIDS Black community in New York state. The theory of normative decision making was the primary conceptual framework for this research. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory multi-case study was to discover how church leaders managed their HIV/AIDS outreach program strategies. The overarching question asked what programs and education do church leaders use to support those with HIV/AIDS and how can church leaders within the selected counties, provide preventative education forums within their congregations. Data collection occurred through 6 semi structured face-to-face interviews with church leaders in the counties of New York State. Data analysis resulted in themes that included how managing HIV/AIDS outreach strategies increases participation, promotes understanding, and immobilizes the spread of HIV/AIDS. The themes that emerged suggested that democratic leadership style made for successful program leaders and existing program features built trust between the church and those in the surrounding communities impacted by HIV/AIDS. Recommendations for action include examining the structure of an active outreach ministry, synchronizing programs, and increasing resources to manage Faith-based organization strategies effectively. This study contributes to positive social change by religious leaders serving as peer educators and advocates within their church community for HIV/AIDS prevention education, igniting discussions, removing stigma, and increasing the number of individuals who voluntarily test for HIV/AIDS.