Dr. W. A. Criswell is the well known pastor of the twenty-seven thousand member historic First Baptist Church in downtown Dallas, Texas. He has held the position for the past forty-three years. Until now no one has attempted an in-depth study of Criswell's educational contributions to the First Baptist Church (which have also been adopted into the Southern Baptist denomination, America's largest Protestant religious organization). Although Criswell has been the Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas for many years, this was by no means his introduction to the pastorate. In 1928 he was ordained as a seventeen year old minister of the gospel in Amarillo, Texas. He has been a pastor for over sixty years. Criswell has made a lasting impact on the church staff, school staff (Criswell College and First Baptist Academy), students in those schools, the Southern Baptist denomination and also the city of Dallas. He has been one of the key figures in evangelical national movements. Presidents, Vice-Presidents, Senators, and Governors are no strangers to a Sunday morning service held in the large sanctuary in downtown Dallas. Much of the research for this project originated from the Oral Memoirs of W. A. Criswell. a program for oral history done by two professors (Charlton and Spain) from Baylor University. The study begins with a historical review of the setting of the First Baptist Church in 1944 when Criswell came to be pastor. Next there is a review of Criswell's early life that reveal influences which molded his educational philosophies. The body of knowledge is then presented which points out significant events, contributions, institutions and associations provided by Criswell. Finally, seventeen conclusions are drawn from the data presented. The study provides helpful information to pastors, church administrators, seminary students, theological professors and other individuals involved in education and administration.

This thesis undertakes a study of some of the historical origins and developments of the Southern Baptist Convention in relation to its music.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Tulsa, 1991. / Bibliography: leaves 251-255.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2007. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 145-150).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2007. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 145-150).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Columbia International University, 1999. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 157-168).

Through a qualitative study utilizing in-depth interviews, practitioner opinion was gathered regarding how Christian institutions of higher education, primarily Baptist seminaries, may better utilize formal and continuing education to prepare clergy for pastoral leadership. The sample of ten subjects for this study, drawn from the 550 active senior pastors in the Dallas Baptist Association and the Kauf-Van Baptist Association, was selected based on a maximum variation sampling method. The intention was to provide a better understanding of the leadership skills required by senior pastors, to help develop pastoral ministries curriculum and to assess the potential effectiveness of continuing education for pastoral leadership. The subjects indicated that the formal degree program of their seminary did equip them with the basic knowledge needed for pastoral leadership but it did not provide them in sufficiency with the necessary, practical skills for pastoral leadership. The pattern that emerged from the data indicates that, overall, seminaries are providing a quality education in preparing pastors for the ministry in their formal degree plans. However, seminaries may have opportunities to be of further service and to gain a competitive advantage vis a vis other seminaries by enhancing and expanding their continuing education programs.

The purpose of this study is to examine the programming of religious education in Southern Baptist institutions of higher education, including a comparison of current religious education programs, the articulation between college and seminary religious education programs, and the identification of future trends that these programs may follow. From these findings, the following conclusions were drawn: Religious education is apparently considered important enough to be included in the curriculum of Southern Baptist colleges. The evaluation of the role of the institution in training students for careers in religious education has been a vital factor in changes that have been made in the programs. Programs designed to grant credit for work done prior to seminary enrollment are being favorably, although not unanimously, received. Additional undergraduate religious education programs appear to be likely, should programs granting credit for previous work develop. Exploration into the development of other means for the granting of credit would bring improvement in the cooperative relationships between the colleges and the seminaries. From these conclusions, the following implications were derived: Southern Baptist schools will continue to train persons for church-related vocations. Attitudinal changes must occur, both among the college and the seminary leaders, before major changes will be made. If changes in the articulation of the college and seminary programs are to be made, seminary leaders are in the best position to lead in such changes. The designing of a prerequisite program for entry into a seminary master's degree program in religious education might be considered as a key to the articulation between graduate and undergraduate programs.

In 1976, the Southern Baptist Convention adopted its Bold New Thrusts in Foreign Missions with the overarching goal of sharing the gospel with every person in the world by the year 2000. The formation of Cooperative Services International (CSI) in 1985 and the assigning of the first nonresidential missionary (NRM) in 1987 demonstrated the Foreign Mission Board's commitment to take the gospel message to countries that restricted traditional missionary presence and to people groups identified as having little or no access to the gospel. This thesis traces the historical development of the NRM paradigm along with an analysis of the key components of the paradigm and its impact on the Board's missiology. Chapter 1 presents on overview of the thesis, outlining the primary research question addressed by this thesis and the rationale for this research. Chapter 2 focuses on the key events, persons and concepts that directly and indirectly influenced the leadership of the FMB in the development of this new missiological paradigm. Chapter 3 outlines the events leading up to the launching of CSI and the NRM program, the unique contributions of key Board leaders, and the initial growth of the NRM paradigm. Chapter 4 examines the years of growth and maturity of the NRM paradigm under the leadership of Mike Stroope. During this time, the nomenclature changed from NRM to Strategy Coordinator (SC). Chapter 5 seeks to demonstrate the impact of the NRM/SC paradigm on the Board's reorganization in 1997 called New Directions. Chapter 6 explores the CPM phenomenon and its impact on the SC paradigm, giving special attention to the reductionism that occurred as the Board sought to define and describe these movements. Chapter 7 revisits the major objective of this research as expressed in the introductory chapter and offers suggestions for further research. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D.Th.

In 1976, the Southern Baptist Convention adopted its Bold New Thrusts in Foreign Missions with the overarching goal of sharing the gospel with every person in the world by the year 2000. The formation of Cooperative Services International (CSI) in 1985 and the assigning of the first nonresidential missionary (NRM) in 1987 demonstrated the Foreign Mission Board's commitment to take the gospel message to countries that restricted traditional missionary presence and to people groups identified as having little or no access to the gospel. This thesis traces the historical development of the NRM paradigm along with an analysis of the key components of the paradigm and its impact on the Board's missiology. Chapter 1 presents on overview of the thesis, outlining the primary research question addressed by this thesis and the rationale for this research. Chapter 2 focuses on the key events, persons and concepts that directly and indirectly influenced the leadership of the FMB in the development of this new missiological paradigm. Chapter 3 outlines the events leading up to the launching of CSI and the NRM program, the unique contributions of key Board leaders, and the initial growth of the NRM paradigm. Chapter 4 examines the years of growth and maturity of the NRM paradigm under the leadership of Mike Stroope. During this time, the nomenclature changed from NRM to Strategy Coordinator (SC). Chapter 5 seeks to demonstrate the impact of the NRM/SC paradigm on the Board's reorganization in 1997 called New Directions. Chapter 6 explores the CPM phenomenon and its impact on the SC paradigm, giving special attention to the reductionism that occurred as the Board sought to define and describe these movements. Chapter 7 revisits the major objective of this research as expressed in the introductory chapter and offers suggestions for further research. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D.Th.