Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University / This dissertation describes the historical development of Methodism in Southern California and Arizona from its foundation to 1939. It considers major developments, activities, and leadership, and it evaluates these, especially as they have had influence upon the Church; and it evaluates the relative strength and activity of the two branches of Methodism which were present in Southern California and Arizona previous to unification. The history is unfolded in six main divisions: The Methodist Episcopal Church in Southern California Through 1876; The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, in Southern California through 1870; Tihe Methodist Episcopal Church, South, 1870-1939; The Methodist Episcopal Church, 1876-1939; Methodism in Arizona; Unification. While both denominations labored in Southern California before the Civil War--the Methodist Episcopal Church beginning in 1853 and the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, beginning in 1854--the work was spasmodic and was totally reorganized after the war. The Los Angeles Conference of the Southern Church was organized in 1870, and the Southern California Conference of the Northern Church was organized in 1876. Southern Methodism was numerically much weaker than Northern Methodism in Southern California, but its lay organization was considerably more developed. The major project of the Southern Cburch was Trinity Church in Los Angeles. This church was a pioneer in the development of the Epworth League, and two of its pastors became bishops of Southern Methodism. Lack of finances hindered the Southern Church in many fields of endeavor. The Homer Toberman Deaconess Home was its major institutional achievement. Only on the issue of modernism did Southern Methodism here find itself involved in disruptive controversy. Among the leaders of Southern Methodism from Southern California were Grover Emmons, founder of "The Upper Room," and Robert Shuler, one of Methodism's most controversial figures. Northern Methodism grew rapidly and expanded widely after its organization in Southern Galifornia in 1876. Six bishops and numerous educational leaders came from the Southern California conference. Its educational requirements for membership were early among the highest in all Methodism. It was a leader in finding a solution to the entangled pension problem, and it was a pioneer in the matter of minimum salary for the ministry. The founding and developing of the University of Southern California was another notable achievement of the Conference. The outreach of the Conference to other races and nationalities was outstanding. Especially significant were the Church of All Nations, Spanish American Institute, and Plaza Community Center. Nine other institutions, ministering to the sick, the retired, students, and orphans, were established. The Conference did not escape divisive controversies. The most notable of these were: (1) the war issue, leading to the dismissal of a District Superintendent; (2) sanctification, leading to the founding of the Church of the Nazarene. Both denominations entered Arizona in 1870, but work there never assumed the proportions that it did in Sou1thern California. Northern Methodism was the stronger of the two. Hospitals in Phoenix and Tucson were probably the best achievements of both denominations. Unification passed by majority vote in Southern California and Arizona in 1925, but some Southern Methodist opposition was quite noticeable. It passed again in 1938 with several Northern Methodists opposing it because of the proposed inclusion of the Central Jurisdiction. In conclusion, it is evident that the individual 272 Conferences, especially in Southern California,, made important contributions to their respective denominations. It is also apparent that Northern Methodism was considerably stronger than Southern Methodism, expanded further and more rapidly, furnished more leaders to the Church as a whole, and was able to undertake a wider institutional ministry.

With thousands of churches dying every year in North America, many pastors have started exploring the concept of church revitalization. Methodology books are beginning to fill the shelves of Christian bookstores, and as many pastors find themselves at churches in need of revitalization, these resources are valuable tools. Nonetheless, merely reacting to finding oneself in a dying church will not help stem the tide overall. A movement of revitalization is required if the large number of churches dying each year is going to subside. In order for a biblical movement to be cultivated and begin to flourish, the problem must be identified clearly in a biblical and theological argument, and motivation and zeal must flow from this biblical source. This dissertation seeks to provide a biblical and theological vision for the revitalization of churches for the sake of feeding a movement of church revitalization. The primary basis for the vision is the nature of churches as worshipers of God, family with one another, and missionaries to the world. Chapter 1 provides the purpose of this dissertation, the research questions, a definition of church revitalization. Chapter 2 establishes reasons for revitalization through an exploration of the nature of churches as worshipers of God. Chapter 3 argues for revitalization based upon the nature of churches as family with one another. Chapter 4 demonstrates a vision for revitalization due to the nature of churches as missionaries to the world. Chapter 5 exhibits the biblical evidence for the ongoing necessity of revitalization through an overview of renewal in the Old Testament, Paul’s ministry, and Revelation. Finally, chapter 6 provides implications of this vision concerning legitimate and illegitimate reasons to stop pursuing revitalization and concerning the proper means and models to pursue the revitalization of churches.

[The purpose of this dissertation is to analyze the debates on church government at the Westminster Assembly of Divines, 1643-1646. The major primary sources are the official minutes of the assembly and the personal memoirs of three participants: John Lightfoot, George Gillespie, and Robert Baillie. This is a historical, descriptive, and critical study. The Westminster Assembly was summoned to advise the Long Parliament on reforming the doctrine, liturgy, and government of the Church of England. For more than a year the ministers struggled to devise the best form of church government--one that would conform both to the Bible and to the practice of other Reformed churches. Their recommendations were supposed to provide the basis for parliamentary legislation on the church.]

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / The basic design of the research underlying this dissertation involves an attempt to measure change, in selected areas of leadership, which may be attributed to the Institute training program of the Protestant Episcopal Church. Data were gathered from the delegates before, during, and after the Province III (Middle Atlantic States) training program to determine as accurately as possible the amount, and direction, of change in three areas--the leader role image, training skills, and the general approach to a training task. The research project had two goals: (1) the measurement of the described change, and (2) the development of instruments for such measurement. Six instruments were designed and administered. Because of the bulk of data gathered, those from three instruments were deleted in the presentation of the findings--the Trainers' Report, the Case Study, and the Categories Instrument. With the information from the Biographical Data Instrument used as background, the reported findings are based on the data from the Traits Instrument (on the leader role image) and the Training Skills Instrument. The raw score data and the score-shifts from one administration to another were tabulated and presented in frequency tables and grapha. Simple mathematical calculations furnished percentages of stability and change--the bases for the many comparisons made between various items of an instrument, groups of items, and groups of people. A coordinated statistical procedure was used to obtain t values. The personal observations of the writer throughout the Institute proved valuable in providing interpretation of the data and the findings therefrom. The findings include the following: 1. Every indication to date shows the instruments to be valid and reliable. Suggestions are made for possible revision of wording and/or the handling of the data. 2. The overall program of the Province III Institute accomplished net gains toward sponsor goals (stated norms) in most of the traits and skills. 3. In comparison with the 1964 Protestant Church Laboratory, Green Lake, Wisconsin, the data indicate that the Institute achieved greater net gains in every overall trait group and in most of the subgroups of traits. 4. In comparing the three aspects of the leader role image, the date indicate a definite patterns highest net gains in the Ideal Image, lower net gains in the Self Image, and the lowest net gains in the Social Image. 5. The rank order of net gains for the trait groups presented was: highest--those traits of greatest importance to the sponsor which also had the greatest potential for change toward the stated norms; next--those of greatest potential for change toward the stated norms (without other qualification); next--the entire group of twenty traits; lowest--those with the greatest potential for change but not of the greatest importance to the sponsor. 6. The self-scores of the participants indicated net gains in skill improvement ranging from 13.6% to 32.2%, a substantial change for such a relatively abort period of time. Research is needed regarding the following: 1. To what extent were the changes indicated by these data peculiar to this one Institute? To any and every Institute? 2. Will the measured changes endure? Did other unmeasured changes occur? 3. In what way(s) could the net gains be increased in each of the area under consideration? 4. What caused the differences in net gains between the Institute and the Protestant Church Laboratory? 5. Was the large amount of shift away from the stated norms due to the inadequacy of the norms or of the Institute program? 6. What interpretation should be placed on the presence or absence of congruity, or the increase or decrease in congruity variance, for any pair of leader role images? / 2999-01-01

Thesis (D. Min.)--Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 1995. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 114-118).

Thesis (M.A.)--Western Conservative Baptist Seminary, 1988. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 97-103).

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

Thesis (D. Min.)--Bethel Seminary, St. Paul, MN, 2008. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 157-165).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of History, June 2001. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (D.Min.)--Asbury Theological Seminary, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 175-184).