Many may have noticed that Paul employs large number of passages from the book of Isaiah in his various Epistles. Some of those Isaianic texts are used as explicit citations whilst others are used in a more nuanced manner such as allusions and intertextual echoes. Yet, in spite of the importance of Isaiah in Paul’s letters and the centrality of Paul’s vocation as an apostle to the Gentiles in Paul’s life, no specialized study of the relationship between these two significant aspects has appeared to date. More specifically, amongst those who notice the significance of Isaiah in Paul’s Epistles, it has been widely held that Paul identifies himself with the Isaianic Servant in the way that he sees himself as the fulfilment of the Isaianic Servant. The present study seeks to explore how Paul reads Isaiah as reflected in Galatians, Romans, and 1 and 2 Corinthians, four of his undisputed authentic letters, where explicit citations and clear allusions are detected. It is not so much a study of the mechanics of citation or allusion per se as of seeing Paul as a reader and interpreter of the scriptural text. Special attention is paid to the interplay of Paul’s reading of the Isaianic texts, the role of the servant figure portrayed in Isaiah 40-66, and his understanding of Jesus as well as his own Gentile mission in the light of Isaiah. Based on a slightly modified model set out by Richard Hays, the study proceeds by looking at some of the major instances of Paul’s using of Isaianic texts within the larger literary contexts, both in Isaiah and in the flow of Paul’s argument. The goal of the study is fourfold: First, to see whether Paul’s use of these ancient texts is ‘atomistic’, taken the text out of context and applied it to his argument to serve his own purpose or given consideration of the wider context of the original text. Second, to explore how Paul reads Isaiah in the light of his special called ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles, and how the reading of the scriptural text provides him insights to God’s ongoing salvific work in the history of Israel and the person of Jesus. Third, to clarify Paul’s sense of identification with the Isaianic servant figure in relation to the ministry of Jesus and his own mission; and finally, how Paul views the Gentile mission in which he is involved in relation to the final salvation of Israel and humanity. Particular attention has been paid to Paul’s identification of the Isaianic Servant. It has been argued that he sees Jesus as the eschatological fulfilment of the Isaianic Servant. Jesus’ death and resurrection established the foundation of hope and provided a paradigm for his apostolic existence. He sees himself as the Isaianic servant in the sense that he lives a life in total identification with that of Christ, who, though experiences suffering and death, will be vindicated eventually by God.

BACKGROUND: Operation Giving Back (OGB) of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and various other surgical missions in the developing world have become more popular and provide a valuable way of reducing the surgical burden worldwide. While most cases are "bread and butter" general surgery, difficult surgeries are often encountered. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Description of a total thyroidectomy for super giant goiter extending to chest inferiorly, lateral neck and behind both ears, compressing the trachea and causing chronic difficulties breathing. The surgical team was unable to intubate, but performed surgery under local anesthesia and sedation with Ketamine injection. RESULTS: Total thyroidectomy, as a life-saving procedure, was performed under local anesthesia and Ketamine with mild sedation. Once thyroid was removed, the outside diameter of trachea was assessed to be 4mm. Patient tolerated the procedure well and had no postoperative complication. Her breathing improved significantly post-operatively. Five years later, she is doing well. CONCLUSION: Total thyroidectomy for giant goiters can be done under local anesthesia with Ketamine and proper sedation. Surgeons and anesthesiologists participating in surgical missions may have to perform major surgery under local anesthesia. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. on behalf of Surgical Associates Ltd.

Biofuels have caught the attention of the world as a source of renewable energy which can provide energy security, advance rural development, mitigate climate change, and foster international trade. India developed the National Mission on Biodiesel (NMB) as a rural development policy option to produce biodiesel from Jatropha curcas and promoted it as a pro-poor and pro-growth initiative. This thesis examines the emergence, trajectory, and the consequences of the NMB to assess how the NMB worked as a test development policy programme in India. The thesis focuses on the policy-making process in India, particularly the role of narratives in development policy-making and how it leads to blueprint development. It argues that the narratives supporting the NMB were based on shaky scientific facts and did not represent the needs of the rural people. The thesis takes into account that policy processes involve various actors, networks, their interactions and their knowledge, communication of knowledge and politics. It traces the role of various actors such as policy-makers, bureaucrats, researchers, professionals from private companies and NGOs, farmers, and landless labourers involved in the biodiesel mission. This thesis is anchored in the discipline of Science and Technology Studies (STS) and it draws from Actor Network Theory (ANT) and Social Construction of Technology (SCOT) to analyse how the NMB progressed as a test policy model and whether it really was a ‘pro-poor’, ‘pro-growth’ development initiative. Hence this thesis studies how development narratives were used to promote the biodiesel initiative, how networks were created to establish the biodiesel mission as a policy option and advocate its adoption, and in turn how the NMB progressed as a development initiative. As the thesis draws from SCOT the discussion will emphasise on the practices of a society adopting a technology/development initiative, the importance of users (scientists, policy-makers, farmers, labourers, representatives from the industry and NGOs), how users are represented, and in turn how the NMB had an impact on the people adopting it. This thesis contributes to the understanding of the policy-making process of development renewable policies in India and it also examines the apparent inevitability of technological solutions to development challenges. It also contributes to the literature of narratives serving as ‘blueprints’ for development policy-making. Additionally it adds to the literature on biofuels and reveals the complex nature of regional and national networks that comprise a part of the rising Global Biofuel Network.

This mixed- assembly space is designed as a permanent mission trip training and housing facility. Predominately the space will be used by middle school and high school youth. By creating a modern experience, teens are given a better opportunity to engage in a space they can relate to. It becomes a space where young people feel encouraged to share their feelings, beliefs and desires as they journey into a closer, more intimate relationship with a higher being. The space is intended to serve a transient population. A large portion of the first floor is devoted to communal gathering which provides a space dedicated to praise and worship as well as an adjacent space for dining. The space also features lounge areas, a welcome center, restrooms and locker rooms, and spaces for lodging. This project is an exploration of story-telling and how it can both impact and encourage a space. The idea behind the project is to help teenagers focus on something they cannot see or touch. Design strategies including connections, interactions, processions and transitions become very influential to the space.

Churches in the twenty-first century experiences a crisis. According to Barna (1998:2) churches are: Holding fast to programs and goals established by their charter members years ago. Many of these ministries have mastered the art of denying the cataclysmic cultural changes around them, responding with cosmetic changes that make little difference. Subsequently the church is losing its influence in the world. One of the reasons is that the church is structured in such a way that it is unable to respond to its changing environment. Therefore, structural change in churches is continually debated and it remains a great challenge for churches to structure themselves in order to become relevant in the twenty-first century. As a result, the proposed study focuses on the re-engineering of the leadership structures of the local Apostolic Faith Mission(AFM) church. In the AFM church, this debate was going on for over two decades. Whereas historically, the larger denomination developed structures and introduced it in the local assembly, they reviewed this position. The purpose of this research is thus to investigate and describe how pastors experience their local church structures as well as to offer guidelines for effective structures to the Church. The researcher conducted semi-structured, phenomenological interviews with eight pastors. The research question was: “How do you personally experience your local church structures?” / Dr. L.P. Mare

In most congregations “the work” of ministering is primarily performed by salaried pastors and permanent staff. The members of the congregation are mainly spectators and, at best, helpers in the various ministries of the church. They are perceived as laymen and are generally only the objects of ministry. Very few members come forward of their own accord to minister the grace of God and fewer still are afforded the opportunity to become leaders. This study seeks to show that members of the congregation should be fully incorporated in the ministry teams and leadership structure of local congregations; that as voluntary co-workers, they should be equal to the pastors and permanent staff and should play an active part in realising the vision and mission of the congregation; that they should be empowered, allowed to minister and function as leaders, according to their gifts. Supported by literature on leadership available in local congregations and examples of what congregations are already doing in this respect, the study further seeks to emphasise the importance of leadership development in local congretations. In the closing paragraph we look at a few fundamental principles that should form the basis of our thoughts on leadership and the development thereof in congregations. It emphasises that the way we conceive leadership and the implications of our concepts should be fully understood before attempting to implement leadership development. The study does not seek to establish a definite model or fixed program for leadership development, but concludes with a presentation of universally applicable guidelines for the creation of a leadership development strategy in local congregations. / Prof. WJ Hattingh

M.A. / The motivation for the study was to determine the problems encountered by pastors within the context of the Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa (hereafter AFM Church) in a small rural congregation and what their specific needs were. The purpose of the research is to supply workable guidelines which will help the pastors to improve their situation in the rural area. A qualitative research investigation was done, which is investigative and descriptive. Interviews were conducted with sixteen pastors from small rural congregations and were asked: How do you experience the ministry in a small rural town? The information was collected and scientifically processed, and four areas were identified which could influence the pastor’s ministry in a rural environment, namely: • the congregation in which the pastor is working • the community in which the pastor is working • personal qualities of the pastor and • lack of personal and professional support and resources available to the pastor in rural areas. From the research it is clear that factors exist which obstruct the progress of rural congregations. Factors include a higher age profile and inadequate parishioner involvement in the congregations, whilst a conservative and tradition-bound community as well as inadequate involvement in the community also has a role to play. The research proved that the pastor’s personal background, age and experience in the ministry can be keys to success, while inadequate personal and professional backing to the pastor can handicap effectiveness in the ministry. There is a lack of useful resources available to the pastor while insufficient communication with head office can sometimes lead to frustration. The results from the qualitative research were subjected to a literature control. In the literature control it was attempted to investigate and verify the accuracy of the problem areas, according to which guidelines were compiled to assist the pastor and leadership of congregations to eliminate problem areas which may occur. The guidelines viewed as a whole provide for an attempt by the church that could hold various benefits for the AFM pastor in a small rural congregation.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the programmatic values of Southern Baptist youth ministries, providing a descriptive analysis of youth ministries' core values communicated through programmatic methodology. To accomplish this aim, the researcher examined youth ministry mission statements, financial expenditures, and ministerial activities of the youth pastor. The mixed method research design consisted of two phases. Phase one utilized a Delphi panel of youth ministry educators who have expertise in the theory and practice of youth ministry, as well as knowledge of the literature. The panel compiled a list of foundational values and a list of popular values. The second phase utilized these values to survey SBC youth ministry mission statements, financial expenditures, and ministerial activities of the youth pastor. Using the financial expenditures and ministerial activities the researcher provided a descriptive analysis of the programmatic values. Additionally, the programmatic values were examined in light of the stated values as well as the supplied demographic and ministerial information. / This item is only available to students and faculty of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. If you are not associated with SBTS, this dissertation may be purchased from <a href="http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb">http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb</a> or downloaded through ProQuest's Dissertation and Theses database if your institution subscribes to that service.

M.Th. / There is still great uncertainty about the role of healing in proclaiming the Gospel and in church building and development. For many Christian denominations this is still a contentious and controversial subject. Especially the differences in the theories on healing and the way in which these theories should be applied, cause many problems to come to the fore in obvious and unsettling ways. In the past few Pentecostal theologians have tried to make contributions that help to identify and solve these problems. By doing this study from a Pentecostal viewpoint, the student is hoping to aid the church in developing a theory and praxis for the healing ministry that is based on Scripture. This study is unique in the sense that it approaches the issue from the standpoint that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are an absolute necessity in developing a Scriptually sound theory and praxis for the healing ministry. It was therefore necessary first to stress the important role of the gifts of the Spirit in the ministry of Christ and the New Testament church. The study then looks at the role and influence that the gifts had in the emergence of the modern Pentecostal movement and of the AFM of South Africa. To discover whether this ministry is still functioning effectively, a questionnaire was given to believers in eight different assemblies. The information was then used to compile a list of guidelines that might be adhered to in order to maximise the usefulness of the gifts of the Spirit.

ABSTRACT This research investigates the role played by external actors in contemporary African civil conflicts with specific attention to South Africa’s leading role in addressing Burundi’s intractable civil conflict. The inquiry was guided by looking at SA’s efforts in managing Burundi’s peace process in partnership with key external parties such as the Regional Initiative for peace in Burundi, AU and the UN; and by examining the level of success of SA’s involvement in the peace process and limitations encountered in pursuing diplomatic/political and military efforts aimed at resolving the civil conflict. The theories of conflict resolution and protracted social change, and scholarly and policy literature on intervention were drawn upon to frame the research. The struggle for political power explains the key root cause to Burundi’s civil conflict; rival politicians manipulated ethnicity and the past injustices, which are rooted in colonial policies of divide and rule, as tools in an attempt to accede to power and thereby, gain economic advantage at the expense of others. SA diplomatic efforts played an important role in addressing this by advocating for political and military power sharing. In order to reconcile and manage differences in approaches that were advocated to deal with the Burundi civil conflict, SA mobilized for support in Burundi’s neighbouring countries so as to back a peaceful solution to address the conflict. Further, in an effort to bolster its troops and, therefore, expand operations designed to promote peace in Burundi, SA had to merge into the African Mission in Burundi, and cooperate with the UN in order for the latter to render impetus to the peace process by, providing necessary resources and political support for the Burundi peace mission, and subsequently to assume the mission by taking over from the African mission. Although SA’s troop deployment provided protection for the former Hutu exile politicians and thereby, encouraged them to participate in negotiations and the transitional government, which participation increased chances of success in the peace process, however, SA did not do much in peacekeeping under the UN due to inadequate military equipments; civilians continued to be killed in the presence of SA troops, even though, under the UN their role extended to include civilian protection. To the extent that SA’s intensive diplomatic efforts resulted in the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement for Burundi, however, a number of Burundian parties did not participate in the signing of the agreement and the rebel movements were excluded from the process. Thus, the Arusha peace process failed to attain consensus in addressing Burundi’s contentious issues. Although the UN peacekeepers in Burundi, of which SA was part, had a Chapter VII mandate to enforce the peace of which civilian protection was part of their mission, they did not exercise it. Intervention was constrained by the Burundian government; they argued that the ultimate authority in maintaining security throughout the country rested on them. Moreover, it is difficult if not impossible to observe UN traditional peacekeeping norms while at the same time having to implement the responsibility to protect, which has been occasioned by the post-Cold War world, in which human rights have gained wider recognition, and international norms of sovereignty and nonintervention redefined. Thus, strict observance of the UN traditional peacekeeping norms, inhibit intervention aimed to protect civilians facing catastrophic circumstances or under imminent threat.