Thesis (D. Min.)--Harding Graduate School of Religion, 1986. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 248-277).

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

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

Why do churches of the same faith built in the same location and era of time differ in their built form? The focus of this dissertation led to the identification of four variables that influence the built form. These are culture, faith, environment and building technology. The physical location (Galveston, Texas), Catholicism, and era of time (last half of the nineteenth century (19C)) are significant to the framework of this study. A single location held constant the physical environment-climate and topography. Catholicism held constant faith. The era of time exposed the study churches to the same, but evolving, built environment and building technology. Galveston, in particular, during the era of study, presented a dynamic confluence of these variables. The city emerged as the commercial entrepôt and financial center for Texas. It was Texas's cultural capital and its most dynamic urban center boasting the most advanced architecture. It had the best newspapers and theater in the state and was the first city in Texas to provide electricity and telephones. During this era Galveston was a gateway for thousands of European Catholic immigrants, who brought to Texas a diversity of culture, traditions and skills. The Catholic Church chose Galveston as the place to reassert itself in America against a Protestant wave swept westward on a tide of settlement. A conceptual model illustrating the interaction of these variables among each other and on the built form was created. From this model two subordinate models were developed and three hypotheses were derived which test the assumption that variety in church form and construction is a function of culture. The research is a qualitative approach implementing a comparative analysis methodology of multiple cases-five Catholic churches (the study units). The data for the individual study units were analyzed against a set of criteria for each of the variables identified. A comparative analysis matrix was used to contrast these data between the variables and the study units from which conclusions were drawn. The results of this analysis demonstrated that of these variables culture was the most influential on the built form, thus supporting the research hypotheses. Therefore, it is concluded that the variety in the churches' built form was a function of culture.

This dissertation analyzed the leadership development process among four North American house church networks. The study involved leader/trainers and house church leaders within all four networks. The intent of this study was is to reveal the competencies used by leader/trainers to select, develop, and sustain house church leaders. Accompanying the research findings a possible grounded theory of leadership development could emerge from the resultant analysis. This may occur because these four house church networks, though similar in house church philosophy, will also have attributes that differentiate themselves from the other networks The research design for this study was a multiple case study. This qualitative research design was achieved by engaging in on-site interviews with leader/trainers and house church leaders among the four selected house church networks. The researcher traveled to the location of each house church network and spent a minimum of two days. This aided in providing a thick description of each network's geographical and cultural setting. There was one quantitative component involved in the research which employed Likert scales to measure objectively the self-perception of house church leaders toward the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of their leadership development. The findings sought to relay practices of leadership development that are utilized by leader/trainers within the context of selected North American house churches. The findings could reveal a grounded theory or philosophy of leadership development that informs the practices of each network's leadership development process. The goal, therefore, was to expose ministry leaders, existing house church leaders, and potential house church planters of practices and philosophy of network leadership development that may be generalized to their own ministry context.

Why do churches of the same faith built in the same location and era of time differ in their built form? The focus of this dissertation led to the identification of four variables that influence the built form. These are culture, faith, environment and building technology. The physical location (Galveston, Texas), Catholicism, and era of time (last half of the nineteenth century (19C)) are significant to the framework of this study. A single location held constant the physical environment-climate and topography. Catholicism held constant faith. The era of time exposed the study churches to the same, but evolving, built environment and building technology. Galveston, in particular, during the era of study, presented a dynamic confluence of these variables. The city emerged as the commercial entrepôt and financial center for Texas. It was Texas's cultural capital and its most dynamic urban center boasting the most advanced architecture. It had the best newspapers and theater in the state and was the first city in Texas to provide electricity and telephones. During this era Galveston was a gateway for thousands of European Catholic immigrants, who brought to Texas a diversity of culture, traditions and skills. The Catholic Church chose Galveston as the place to reassert itself in America against a Protestant wave swept westward on a tide of settlement. A conceptual model illustrating the interaction of these variables among each other and on the built form was created. From this model two subordinate models were developed and three hypotheses were derived which test the assumption that variety in church form and construction is a function of culture. The research is a qualitative approach implementing a comparative analysis methodology of multiple cases-five Catholic churches (the study units). The data for the individual study units were analyzed against a set of criteria for each of the variables identified. A comparative analysis matrix was used to contrast these data between the variables and the study units from which conclusions were drawn. The results of this analysis demonstrated that of these variables culture was the most influential on the built form, thus supporting the research hypotheses. Therefore, it is concluded that the variety in the churches' built form was a function of culture.

Thesis (M.A.)--Abilene Christian University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 96-106).

Thesis (M.A.)--Denver Seminary, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 95-97).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Denver Conservative Baptist Seminary, 1989. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 311-320).

Thesis (D.Min.)--Liberty Theological Seminary and Graduate School, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references.