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Thesis (M. Div.)--St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, Crestwood, NY, 2007. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 60-61).

Thesis (Th. M.)--Regent College, Vancouver, BC, 2007. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 135-157).

This project examines and critically reflects on the practices of care for the poor by three Protestant congregations in affluent urban neighborhoods in the metropolitan Boston area. The project is a practical theological investigation of congregational practices of care of the poor using Richard Osmer’s practical theological method. This derived from participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis; interpretation and analysis of the practices; theological and ethical evaluation of the practices through what Osmer calls “wise judgment” of the practices; and application of the practical wisdom learned from the three congregations. Ministries of care for the poor by congregations in affluent American neighborhoods are often sparse. The three congregations deviate from the norm by offering robust and sustainable ministries of care. This project examines the theological and ethical motivation embodied and enacted in those ministries and asks what practical wisdom they have to offer other congregations. In doing so, the project situates its analysis within wider theological and ethical understandings of Christian care for the poor, especially in urban contexts. The project’s theological and ethical interpretation and judgment are derived from the framework of virtue ethics in dialogue with contextual and ecclesiologically focused theologies. The ministries of care for the poor in the three congregations demonstrate the overlap of pastoral care, mission work, and evangelism. Also, their ministries of care for the poor illuminate the importance of the work of the laity in Christian public ministry, and how presently the laity is underserved by theological education. Practical application of the wisdom rising from the three congregations highlights the importance of lay pastoral care techniques, discipleship development, and witness practices.

A LEADERSHIP PROFILE OF THE SUCCESSFUL TRANSITIONAL PASTOR: A DELPHI STUDY Michael Austin Kramer, Ph.D. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2018 Chair: Dr. Michael S. Wilder Over the last fifteen years denominational decline coinciding with megachurches led by iconic pastoral personalities has changed the playing field of pastoral transition. The current pastoral succession conversation has addressed the pastor’s responsibility in succession and provided snapshots of functional transitional plans. The question that now needs addressed is, “What does it take to be a transitional leader?” or “What is the leadership profile of a successful transitional pastor?” While the current literature contains hints at what the traits of a successful transitioning leader should be, these characteristics have yet to be statistically identified. Once systematically studied these traits would allow an individual to measure and improve areas of perceived growth. The purpose of this qualitative analysis of the characteristics of successfully transitioning pastors is to statistically identify the traits of a successful transitional pastor to prepare pastors to become transitional leaders. To accomplish this a qualitative study was prepared. Chapter 1 provides the need for the study—pointing to a void in the literature surrounding pastoral transition, specifically the identification of characteristics of successfully transitioning pastors. Chapter 2 reviews the current literature and distills 27 characteristics identified in pastoral, secular, and academic writings. Chapter 3 outlines the research design, which utilizes a Delphi study engaging an expert panel. Chapter 4 provides analysis of the Delphi panel results including a successful transitional pastoral profile and a transitional pastor competency model. Chapter 5 offers research applications noting the statistical prominence given to followership and confusion surrounding disciple-making, the statistical importance of the characteristics of willingness to let go of authority, concern for the church, and emotional maturity, as well as statistical implications for the use of a successful transitional profile and competency model for self-assessment, church leadership, and academic training.

M.Th. / The counseling' of Jay E Adams must be seen against the background of the rise of the Pastoral Care Movement and, together with it, the propagating of the eductive method of counseling which lays excessive emphasis on the needs of man and the inner potential of man to arrive at a solution of his own problems. Against a humanistic form of counseling, Adams stresses in particular the Scriptures as the counselor's textbook, and the role of sin in human suffering. His counseling has been judged and criticised in various circles, frequently without adequate substantiation or a satisfactory alternative. This dissertation is aimed at researching Adams' counseling thoroughly so that an alternative can be offered from a pentecostal perspective. First a comprehensive exposition was given of the core elements of Adams' counseling, that served as a foundation to discuss the positive and negative criticism of his work. The paradigms underpinning pentecostal thinking in general was also discussed, as the argument in this study was based on a pentecostal framework. Among other things the nature of man, the love and mercy of God, sin and the role of evil were examined. The author feels that no one specific model or technique of counseling can be promoted. Every person and every situation is unique. Therefore every counseling session will also be unique. For this reason it was decided to give guidelines rather than develop a model. Pentecostal counseling was approached from the perspective of systems-thinking and communicative action theory but was also directed by basic assumptions, among other things, that Jesus Christ is the centre of every counseling session (through the operation of the Holy Spirit) and that the congregation as a whole is the object of counseling. Finally the conclusion was reached that pentecostal counseling could definitely find common ground with the counseling of Jay E Adams, with certain adjustments based on pentecostal paradigms.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Boston University Vita. Bibliography: leaves [201]-206. Microfilm. s

Contribution of the Sociology to the Pastoral Work with Married Couples and Families Subject of this thesis is the question of pastoral work in the area of present marriage and family in the Czech Republic. The concrete aim of this thesis was to find out if the results of sociological researches dealing with the problematics of marriage and family can contribute to improving of the pastoral work in the area of marriage and family. The key problems were chosen: refusing of the institution of marriage, causes and consequences of this phenomenon, non-married cohabitation, divorce rate, natality, problematics of unmarried mothers, crisis of parental roles, same-sex cohabitation. The results and evaluation of the sociological researches related to the given problems are presented in the individual chapters. In each chapter, there is also the attitude of the Church to each given problem and the short recommendation how to take advantage of the presented material in the pastoral work. Keywords Marriage, family, sociology, pastoral theology

Habilitation--Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, Freiburg.

Text in German and English / This MTh dissertation is about the meaning and change of the pastoral position and role as it is reflected in pastoral theological literature of the last thirty years. For this purpose different concepts of work satisfaction are described and applied to the pastoral context. Furthermore, results of empirical investigations among ministers in German speaking and various other countries are discussed and aspects of job satisfaction of pastors are presented. This is followed by an investigation of changing expectations regarding the pastoral role which affect the job satisfaction of a minister. A comparison of two church orders (1991 and 2003) from Chrischona Switzerland demonstrates the changing job descriptions of pastors within a freechurch denomination. The final chapter is a discussion of some pastoral theological consequences of the relation between changing job descriptions and job satisfaction. / Practical Theology / M.Th. (Practical Theology)