Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

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Stemming interfaith marriages in Remera Church, East Central Rwanda Conference
(Adventist University of Africa, 2016-07) Karangwa Naphtal
Marriage influences various dimensions of living, including physical, mental, health, economics, well-being, happiness in the home and future of children. Therefore, it must carefully arranged in order to maximize its good. However, the mixing marriage of today is an obstacle to the blissful pleasure of the family. The young people of Remera Church in East Central Rwanda Conference are among people involved in interfaith marriage. As a result, some members leave the church and others lack the partners. Marital conflicts come as a result of interfaith marriage and the children suffer the consequences. The impact of wrong choices in this affects the earthly life and could be the origin of loss of eternal life. This study intended to give a guideline that would change the behaviors of the young people of Remera Church and of entire churches in Rwanda in the matter of marriage. The Bible teachings and principles from the writings of Ellen G White must be the guide during this critical time when marital choices are made. Through the process of interviews with young people of Remera Church, Adventist spouses of interfaith families, some church elders of Remera and some pastors of East Central Rwanda Conference the researcher was able to find out the causes and consequences of interfaith marriage. Financial factors are the major cause of interfaith unions, but the external attraction is another factor. Additionally, the misconduct of some Adventist young women is still another reason. Insufficient knowledge of Biblical principles governing people during the choice of a partner causes the young people to exchange their eternal life for worldly pleasure. The young people of Remera Church need more education on Biblical principles that guide the Christians in the time of dating. Church elders and other leaders of the church are required to provide more effort to guide the young people in the way of the Bible. Marriage is a tool of union between families and is a symbol of relationship Christ has with His church. He wants His church to always be holy; in return for Christ to be the leader of the house, the married must fulfill the holiness of faith. Young people are an important asset that the church needs to care for, so the family education must be supported from all levels of the church to sustain them. Likewise, further research is needed to find out in a broader perspective the reason of interfaith marriage.
Enhancing the Spirituality of Adventist Children for Mission Involvement in the Church at Tano North District, Ghana
(Adventist University of Africa, 2016-06) Mensah, Eric Aborampah
There is an untold concern regarding the involvement of children in the life of the church for mission. The children are almost one-third of the church’s population and even the society and when their spirituality is enhanced their involvement in the mission of the church would be certain and embraced as their lifestyle. Incontrovertibly, not involving them in the mission of the church is affecting them morally and spiritually as they grow. It is, therefore, the purpose of this project to develop and implement a biblical and theological based strategy to addresses this menace. In correlation with the baseline data gathered, relevant literature was consulted. Other forms of research which included both qualitative and quantitative approaches which involved key informants interview, focus group discussion and administering of questionnaires, were employed to authenticate the possibility of involving children in the church’s mission. The findings of the survey conducted in the four selected churches in Tano North District of Seventh-day Adventist Church were analyzed. The result of findings contributed in designing various interventions in the churches to enhance the mission involvement of children in the church. Revivals, sermons, retreat—Vacation Bible School (VBS), workshops and seminars were embraced to respond to the needs discovered. At the end of the post-implementation period of the intervention, it was evident that the spiritual life of the children was enhanced for mission involvement in the life of the church. The churches instituted a Preaching and Witnessing School for the training of more children in mission work. This was to ensure that the involvement of children is sustainable. The implementation of the interventions demonstrated the significance of involving the children in the mission of the church. The church leadership has come to appreciate the significance of children in the eyes of God and as the bedrock of the church. Therefore, the parents, the church and children’s ministries coordinators, have embraced the interventions to involve the children to build a hopeful generation of a mission-driven church.
Strategy for Adopting Servant Leadership Practices by the Local Church Elders in the Greater Equatoria Field
(Adventist University of Africa, 2016-08) Mawa, Clement Joseph Arkangelo
This study was envisaged to help local church elders to adopt servant leadership as their primary style of leadership. They adopt this by implementing clearly identified practices of servant leadership. The initial observation indicated that local church elders in Greater Equatoria Field of the Seventh-day Adventist Church were not practicing servant leadership. The study of the lives of selected biblical characters demonstrate that servant leadership is biblical, although Robert K. Greenleaf is credited for coining the phrase “servant leadership” as well as popularizing it as a style of leadership. The literature review indicates that servant leadership is popular in secular circles and among religious groups. The Seventh-day Adventist Church encourages its practice. This style of leadership is defined as the leader putting the interests of the led above his/her personal interest. It occurs when the actions of a leader make the followers wiser, freer, healthier, more autonomous and more likely themselves to become servant leaders. Therefore, this study presents ten practices that were drawn from the literature review. The initial survey that used both the qualitative and quantitative (mixed/blended) methods revealed that there was a need to train elders in the servant leadership practices that were identified, although there was evidence that these elders were perceived to be already practicing some of these practices. Seminars were conducted for twenty hours in each of the four churches. After elders were trained, they implemented what they had learnt for three months or more. A final evaluation was conducted in two of the four churches that participated in the implementation of servant leadership practices. The evaluation was done using qualitative research method. The results were presented through a narrative inquiry. For the duration of the implementation, eight (80%) of the ten elders evaluated implemented two (20%) of the ten practices identified. Most have implemented vision casting and the church as a center of healing. The result of the evaluation exceeded expectation as indicated in the logical framework. It was expected that six (60%) of the elders evaluated would have practiced one (10%) of the ten servant leadership practices identified. The elders expect further training in these areas. It is the intention of the researcher to transform the seminars into a handbook called The Elders’ Handbook on Servant Leadership. This handbook may be used in the future for training as other trainers are developed.
A Biblical and Missiological Approach to Discipling Muslim Background Believers in Northern Nigeria
(Adventist University of Africa, 2016-09) Maviah, Ibrahim D.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church was established in northern Nigeria in the 1930s. To-date, the church has grown to a Union Conference of three local Conferences with a total membership of about 39,984 members. In over 80 years of the church’s existence in the north, converts from a Muslim background in the church today still compose less than 0.07% of the total membership. Having served as the Adventist-Muslim Relations Coordinator for three years, it is evident from my experience that the church passionately desires for the conversion and spiritual nurture of Muslims; yet, the active involvement of membership and the achieved results are regrettably below expectations. Over the years, the few converts from Islam that were accommodated in the homes of either pastors or members turned to be a burden to them and to the churches. It is also very unfortunate to hear that some of the converts robbed the churches or families where they were accommodated and ran away. These kinds of experiences raise suspicions, affect mutual relationships, and kill the spirit of witnessing. This dissertation studied the challenges of discipling converts from Muslim religious backgrounds and developed, implemented and evaluated a process for empowering church members to disciple MBBs in a way that will maximize their retention in the church. The study first established a theological foundation for discipling the MBBs. Beginning from the last command of Jesus to his disciples that required them to make disciples of all nations, the study described who a disciple is and what is discipleship. Moreover, reaching all nations entails transcending cultural and language barriers, contextualizing the message become inevitable. Hence, the study defined and provided a biblical basis for contextualization. The study researched literatures to glean what Missiologists and others have said and done in regard to MBBs discipleship. Bevans, Hiebert, and Travis models of contextualization were studied. The two outstanding approaches that are experimented by many in discipling MBBs are Extractionism and FDIC (Insider) methods. However, the form, nature, and extent to which these contextualization approaches are to be done has remained a point of debate. This study agreed with the extraction approach because it is more biblical. In order to increase the retention of the very few converts from Islam, it was necessary to discover the challenges that such converts are faced with and possible factors that give rise to backsliding among them. The study designed survey instruments and gathered information from well informed individuals. It was revealed by the surveys that: The MBBs faced real challenges; The The church needs an MBBs discipleship ministry; Relevant discipleship materials and frequent training are necessary, and there is a need for MBBs empowerment. On the basis of the foregoing findings, the study designed and implemented the following interventions. First, awareness-creating and motivational workshops and seminars were held. Second, a special MBBs discipleship ministry was formed, trained and equipped in the local church. Third, an empowerment scheme for helping the convert to become self-reliant was to be put in place. Fourth, a discipleship manual is developed and members are motivated and trained to disciple MBBs. This project has started well. When this ministry survives and is replicated in all the churches in northern Nigeria, it is potentially going to increase the overall retention of the MBBs.MBBs are better nurtured individually; The Church does not have ongoing Discipleship programs for MBBs;
A Strategy to Improve Pastoral Leadership and Ministry in Selected Sections of Uganda Union Mission
(Adventist University of Africa, 2017-02) Martson, Daniel Matte
Uganda Union has had a challenge of receiving accurate and regular reports from its Mission Fields. When follow-up is made with the fields, the response received is that few or no reports had been obtained from the districts. It seems there are some factors responsible for this situation in the districts and perhaps local church officers are not adequately trained to meaningfully participate in local Church ministries and make activity reports to give to their pastors. There is need to do a study on this phenomenon so that the overall pastoral leadership and ministry in the districts would be improved. The purpose of this dissertation was to develop and implement a pastors’ professional growth program in order to help improve the overall pastoral leadership and ministry in Uganda Union. This intervention should be helpful in improving the performance of ministers including the training and reporting responsibilities. This study was a field based research project, and it is quantitative in nature. Three questionnaires were employed to collect data from the targeted respondents who were the district pastors organized into six groups of fifteen respondents per group. The first questionnaire was aimed at evaluating the ministerial qualities and duties of the respondents. The purpose of this instrument was to analyze the minister’s church leadership and management styles and input on key ministerial duties which significantly affect the quality of ministry in the local churches. This was aimed at assessing the strengths, weaknesses and gaps in the overall pastoral ministry in Uganda Union Mission. Furthermore, this tool also sought to assess the spirituality of the ministers involved in this study to find out if there were some spiritual factors among ministers affecting ministry. The second questionnaire was used to assess the qualities of local Church ministries from the perspective of the respondent ministers. This sought to find out if there were correlations with the findings from the first questionnaire. The third questionnaire was a ministers’ appraisal instrument filled by an administrator. This was used to find out the known competences, strengths and weaknesses of the participants of this study from an administrative perspective. It was deemed that this threefold survey would provide a fair picture of the quality of pastoral ministry and leadership at the time this study was carried out. The collected data was statically tabulated using the Microsoft Excel program. Descriptive and quantitative research methods were employed to analyze, and interpret the collected data to determine the intensity of opinions and levels of agreement among respondents to arrive at the indicative means. Findings indicated that pastoral ministry was underperforming in the areas of leadership and Church management, teaching and training, pastoral care and nurture and the area of evangelism and church growth. These findings point to inadequate professional performance among the respondents of this study. There is need to continue with annual evaluations and appraisals, hold regular ministers’ professional growth seminars and step up mentoring efforts to help the respondents of this study raise their performance levels in the process of improving the overall performance of the Church in Uganda Union Mission.
A Strategy to Minimize Marital Infidelity Among Seventh-day Adventist Church Members in the Gweru Urban Territory, Zimbabwe.
(Adventist University of Africa, 2017-02) Manyakara, Jotham Haurovi
The talk about marital infidelity among members of God’s church, the unhappiness that infidelity causes in the families and the damage that infidelity causes to the reputation and credibility of the church calls for a study of unfaithfulness in marriage as a way of trying to minimize its occurrence in the church. The study was meant to establish the prevalence, causes and impact of marital infidelity in the church and to design and implement a program that would work to minimize infidelity among members of the church. The method that was used in carrying out the research was the mixed method approach that uses both qualitative and quantitative methods. The qualitative aspect of the research utilized focus group discussions and the quantitative aspect used questionnaires as the means to collect data. Three churches were selected for the research. The churches belonged to the same church district with the same pastor. Focus groups were established in each of the three churches and each group had nine members. A total of 75 questionnaires were distributed in the three churches with each church getting 25 sets. The two instruments used showed that infidelity was indeed taking place among church members. A program was designed and implemented to minimize infidelity among members of the church. After the implementation of the program, focus group discussions were held and a questionnaire was distributed in the three selected churches to determine whether the program had helped in curbing infidelity. Indications from the instruments were that some positive outcomes were realized. The conclusions made from the study were that infidelity was taking place in the churches. It was also established that the designed and implemented program was able to help some members to change their attitude towards infidelity and to re-commit themselves to marital fidelity. It is to be realized that working to minimize infidelity should be ongoing rather than it to be an event in the church.
Developing a Nurturing Program for Divorcees in Khumalo District of Swaziland
(Adventist University of Africa, 2017-06) Mahlangu, Jacob
Divorce is on the increase in Swaziland. Some families are failing to live according to the marriage covenant. About 0. 28% of Khumalo district church members are divorcees and are going through emotional and psychological challenges. It has been observed that some believers in the church are discriminating and stigmatizing them. The purpose of this dissertation was to establish the root causes of divorce in Khumalo district and further develop, implement and evaluate a nurturing program for the affected divorcees. Biblical foundation and theological reflection formed the basis of the research. Three categories of literature, namely, the African perspectives on divorce, the SDA position on divorce and remarriage, and the contemporary theories of divorce were examined in the literature review. The Log-frame approach was used to carry out the research plan. Each task was performed as spelt out in the log-frame and measured against the objectives. A Gantt chart was used to monitor the start and finish time of the research. The research followed a mixed method approach. Survey questions were used and personal interviews were conducted to establish the root causes of divorce in Khumalo district. The findings indicated that infidelity, physical abuse, communication breakdown and alcohol were the causes of divorce. Some divorcees were facing feelings of hurt, loneliness, anger, regret and betrayal, and were experiencing stigmatization from some church members. A strategy for implementing an intervention initiative was designed. The programs for nurturing curriculum were conducted in the form of seminars. Implemented program evaluation was conducted and its results were given. Having been equipped and empowered with skills and competencies for managing divorce challenges during the implementation of the intervention curriculum, the divorcees were nurtured. The dissertation presented a fair view understanding of God’s institution of the marriage ideals for humanity at creation. It showed that divorce is a deviation from God’s original plan. It revealed the negative impact and effects of divorce and its implications on the lives of divorcee church members, their children and former spouses. The study also demonstrated the repercussions of unpleasant behavior of some church members towards their challenged congregants and how that can result in some people abandoning their faith. It further indicated how the training of pastors on the subject of public relations can influence the nurturing of all church members in local churches if well cascaded.
Young Adults in Transition: A Central Zimbabwe Conference Public Campus Family Values Enhancement Programme
(Adventist University of Africa, 2017-02-19) Madembo, Charles Dalton
Problem: Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) young-adults in the public campuses of Central Zimbabwe Conference (CZC) are experiencing important family lifecycle transitions and lack wholistic support for enhancement of faith and the values that they are in danger of losing to secularising and other eroding influences. The Adventist church which has scarce human resources for this ministry also needs principles and contextualised programme resources for executing ministry to this group. Method: The Bible and Ellen White writings were studied to ground the research on secure spiritual foundations. Literature was reviewed from authors of Christian and non-Christian backgrounds to gain insight into the diverse views that confront the students. Family scientists and scholars for change leadership and other relevant fields were reviewed to inform the programme design and inputs. The logic model was employed in the programme design which used a mixed method of inquiry to respond to the questions. The implementation of the programme yielded data which was analysed to formulate the needed results. Results: Ten campus ministry programme resources were produced and eleven guidelines were drawn to resource the young-adult student programme and equip young-adult student mentors in readiness to support students for faith and values enhancement. Conclusions: Young-adult students in the public campuses of CZC can be supported through the developed resources for their own faith and values enhancement and for the evangelistic benefit of those around them. Mentors can experience better success in their campus ministry through the provided resources and ministry guidelines.
Small Groups Ministry as Effective Spiritual Care and Nurture at Kimara Seventh-day Adventist Church, Tanzania
(Adventist University of Africa, 2016-08) Machage, James Chacha
This study investigated the small group ministry program at Kimara Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church which is based in the city of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It sought to examine the spiritual care and nurture in the church in order to explore ways of making the program more effective. The study was especially interested in caring and nurturing programs. It was observed that there were a large number of church members who drop out or who are missing at the church of Kimara. Some of these members have backslidden and are no longer attending the church. Others were not available after the church audit was done, no one recognized their name or knew where they were. Yet, each year the church receives new members through baptism and membership transfers. The church services are normally held on Sabbath, and during the week days, especially on Wednesday, which is mid-week prayer day. There were only a few of the church members attending the sessions. The question was: when do members visit and meet together for fellowship? If all this is not done, how many members, especially those new to the faith, are assisted to grow? In order to investigate the effectiveness of the spiritual care and nurture program at Kimara SDA Church, this study reviewed literature from the Bible and Ellen G. White writings on the concept of spiritual care and nurture. Other authors have been also consulted on the same concepts, which may be applied in the church. Description of ministry context was given, both at the macro and micro context levels, and also research methodology was applied to assist to solve the problem. Interviews, observations, and questionnaires were established as instruments for gathering information. After data collection to assess the problem, the intervention was designed and implemented. Evaluations were done to measure the outcome of the results. Based on the findings, the study recommended steps to be taken for a small group ministry program to conduct and to train both leaders and church members.
A Strategy to Address the Challenge of Power Struggle During Sessions in Midlands Zambia Conference
(Adventist University of Africa, 2016-08) Liywalii, Mundia
Sessions for election of officers in Midlands Zambia Conference are divisive in nature as people who consider themselves candidates for elective positions engage in activities that leave the workforce divided. This negatively impacts the church in carrying out its God-given mandate of spreading the gospel. The purpose of this dissertation was to design and implement an intervention in a seminar form for pastors aimed at addressing politicking. It is anticipated that the intervention, if used, would have long term effects on the way pastors view sessions and positions in the church. This research used interviews to gather data from six pastors who were selected at random. Their years of service ranged from three to 40 years. It was found that power struggle among pastors in the run up to sessions has a negative impact on the pastors, members, and the work of the church in general. Character assassination, mudslinging, and name-calling suggest the need for an intervention to address power struggle. The implications are that if this is not done, open conflict among pastors and stagnation of the work may be experienced in Midlands Conference. Future research in areas not covered by this project, such as the effectiveness of the election process used by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the emotional, physical, and spiritual impact of power struggle on those removed from office because of politicking are all areas that warrant further consideration.
Membership Nurture and Retention in the Freetown Central District of Seventh-day Adventists, Sierra Leone
(Adventist University of Africa, 2016-07) Koroma, Michael Saidu
Over the years there has been a great loss of new converts in church attendance in the Freetown Central District (FCD). This negative aspect has affected the growth of the church both numerically and financially. Membership Nurture and Retention is a vital church program that enhances the growth of the church both spiritually and numerically. But there is sharp decline in church attendance over the years. This shows a concern for the church’s administration. The nurturing and retaining process of new converts is perceived and supported by both Old and New Testaments of the Bible, the Spirit of Prophecy and other Christian writers. If this issue is not properly addressed, the growth of the church will be stagnated and the salvation of members (both old and new) will be at risk. The decline in church attendance by members led the researcher to this project in the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church. However, to improve church attendance by new converts, a program of nurture and retention was developed and implemented in the two selected churches (Three Angels’ Messages SDA Church and East End SDA Church) of the FCD in a bid to resolve the problem. In connection with the above topic, data were collected and relevant literatures were reviewed. More so, for this research other methods were engaged to validate the nurturing process of new members in the church. This included both qualitative and quantitative approaches by administering questionnaires and also focus group discussion for both churches. The findings of the study carried out in the two organized churches in Freetown Central District of the Seventh-day Adventist Church were analyzed. The results derived from the findings helped in designing the various interventions in the two churches to enhance membership nurture and retention. At the end of the post-implementation period of the intervention, it was obvious that the church attendance had improved in both churches in the district and the spirituality of members was also improved. In order for the churches to sustain the project, seminars and training of both old and new members will be carried out by the elders on a quarterly basis. The implementation of the intervention for membership nurture and retention is a key for the growth of the church, not only in FCD but the entire Mission and beyond. The officers of the churches appreciate the fact that nurturing of new members in healthy church programs will enhance their stay in the church and also involve them in church activities to continue discipling others.
Stemming Interfaith Marriages in Remera Church, East Central Rwanda Conference
(Adventist University of Africa, 2016-07) Karangwa, Naphtal
Marriage influences various dimensions of living, including physical, mental, health, economics, well-being, happiness in the home and future of children. Therefore, it must carefully arranged in order to maximize its good. However, the mixing marriage of today is an obstacle to the blissful pleasure of the family. The young people of Remera Church in East Central Rwanda Conference are among people involved in interfaith marriage. As a result, some members leave the church and others lack the partners. Marital conflicts come as a result of interfaith marriage and the children suffer the consequences. The impact of wrong choices in this affects the earthly life and could be the origin of loss of eternal life. This study intended to give a guideline that would change the behaviors of the young people of Remera Church and of entire churches in Rwanda in the matter of marriage. The Bible teachings and principles from the writings of Ellen G White must be the guide during this critical time when marital choices are made. Through the process of interviews with young people of Remera Church, Adventist spouses of interfaith families, some church elders of Remera and some pastors of East Central Rwanda Conference the researcher was able to find out the causes and consequences of interfaith marriage. Financial factors are the major cause of interfaith unions, but the external attraction is another factor. Additionally, the misconduct of some Adventist young women is still another reason. Insufficient knowledge of Biblical principles governing people during the choice of a partner causes the young people to exchange their eternal life for worldly pleasure. The young people of Remera Church need more education on Biblical principles that guide the Christians in the time of dating. Church elders and other leaders of the church are required to provide more effort to guide the young people in the way of the Bible. Marriage is a tool of union between families and is a symbol of relationship Christ has with His church. He wants His church to always be holy; in return for Christ to be the leader of the house, the married must fulfill the holiness of faith. Young people are an important asset that the church needs to care for, so the family education must be supported from all levels of the church to sustain them. Likewise, further research is needed to find out in a broader perspective the reason of interfaith marriage.
Enhancing Effective Teamwork Among the Church Board Team in the Kakoro Seventh-day Adventist Church, Eastern Uganda Field
(Adventist University of Africa, 2017-02) Kamiza, John Byaki
Combining the efforts of church members to participate actively in mission activities constituted a challenge for the Kakoro Church Board team for years. This led to the loss of its vitality to impact the lives of the believers to do evangelism and church development. The institutions which were established to meet the spiritual needs of both the church members and general community had lost their strength. To stem this trend that has persisted for five decades requires the adaptability to teamwork principles as established in the Bible and the spirit of prophecy. Teamwork is a subject that has enticed attraction of the modern society for its advantage of enlisting collaboration in performing of tasks. The biblical and theological foundations for teamwork and the literature review in this dissertation provided the foundational ground for crafting an intervention which was implemented and evaluated. The research and implementation was carried out at the Kakoro Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Eastern Uganda Field. The research used a mixed method which employed both the survey and group discussion to gather information. The data obtained was analyzed and the results from the group discussion and the survey supported each other in demonstrating that the variables of teamwork were below the levels of effectiveness. The intervention involved the Church Board members who participated in the seminars. The evaluation was carried out through observations and group interview.
Strategy for Improving Giving in the Douala I and II Districts, Cameroon
(Adventist University of Africa, 2017-01) Kamga, Etienne
The study on the theoretical bases of tithes and offerings led to survey the biblical teaching on this topic both in the Old and the New Testament. The writings of Ellen G. White and other Adventist authors confirmed the biblical position. The concentration of the study was the understanding of the practice of tithes and offerings with the aim to develop a training guide for a better practice of giving. The field of the study covered two districts of the West-Cameroon Mission of Seventh-day Adventists and it narrowed to two major churches in the city of Douala, the church of New-Bell in the district Douala 1 and the church of Bonamoussadi in the district Douala 2. The members of churches of New-Bell and Bonamoussadi in the districts of Douala 1 and 2 are in majority young men and women without any consistent employment. The economic situation and the disloyalty of the majority of these members in tithes and in offerings prove to slow down the development of the Church. The gifts returned do not always reflect the reality. Information obtained on a theoretical basis, added to the news obtained from the pastors in function and retirement, plus the members interviewed allowed to elaborate a program to answer the problem of the weak rate of the members returning tithes and giving offerings. The program consisted if a set of seminars in the two churches of two different districts. A training on the conception and the implementation of small projects was led to the benefit of the young people. After the assessment following the realization of the program, the situation virtually changed. The number of members returning their tithes and offerings members in tithes and in offerings prove to slow down the development of the Church. The gifts returned do not always reflect the reality. Information obtained on a theoretical basis, added to the news obtained from the pastors in function and retirement, plus the members interviewed allowed to elaborate a program to answer the problem of the weak rate of the members returning tithes and giving offerings. The program consisted if a set of seminars in the two churches of two different districts. A training on the conception and the implementation of small projects was led to the benefit of the young people. After the assessment following the realization of the program, the situation virtually changed. The number of members returning their tithes and offerings
Assessing and Implementing a Suggested Method for Improved Leadership Selection in Cameroon Union Mission
(Adventist University of Africa, 2016-06) Houl, Elie Jean Noel
The use of influence, bribe and other practices to get into leadership positions in local churches in Cameroon Union Mission has been a concern for the researcher. Through the use of lot casting during leadership selection in local churches, the researcher hoped to reduce the impact of negative practices that interfere with legal church procedures for the selection of leaders. A survey of the use of lots in the Old and New Testament has shown that it was a practice allowed by God under some conditions. It was also a very efficient way of dealing with crisis in the selection process (Prov 16:33; 18:18). Through a Bible presentation on the subject, church members and pastors were enlightened on the biblical use of lots. The mixed method was used to gather information. Since CUM has four fields, in south-central conference, 900 pairs of questionnaires were distributed and 673 came back. In north Cameroon conference, 840 pairs of questionnaires were distributed and 686 came back. In west Cameroon mission, 358 pairs of questionnaires were distributed and 318 came back and in east Cameroon mission, 370 pairs of questionnaires were distributed and 291 came back. Churches were selected based on the size of the church membership and the location. Questionnaires gave information on the frequency of members understanding of the concept of lots and interviews (three pastors and one theology student) and focus groups (three formed of six persons in each) brought precise details on how the problem of leader’s selection in church is perceived and managed by pastors, elders, other church officers and members. The data collection through questionnaires in 18 churches and the answers from 1946 respondents with 3892 questionnaires gave a general view of members which was favorable to the use of lots casting in local church election any time there was a high risk of manipulation, fixing or post electoral crisis. Major findings were that: - More than 70% of respondents agreed that lots casting can be used in controversial officer elections in SDA Church. - More than 80% of respondents agreed to use lots to choose officers based on qualifications given by church policy. - More than 87% of respondents considered the use of lots in leadership selection as a sign of faith to rely on God’s guidance. The experience done and the results collected from questionnaires are scientific data which may be useful in a near future. What this research has brought to light will be of less value if some actions are not taken. The researcher recommends that: . The use of church manual under term of office should be emphasized in order to prevent appointing the same person to the same position several times. . Suggestions should be made at the local church level to use this way of voting as a last solution option in case of risk of crisis due to elections. . Pastors should use this method whether publicly or in nominating committees to solve difficult cases in regard to selection of officers. At the conference level, . If possible, a forum of pastors on the practice of lots should be organized . Interviews must be organized with pastors through the ministerial association in order to assess the frequency of pastors using lots in some church decisions pertaining to officer selection Suggestions for a critical contextualization of the practice of lots in Cameroon should be purposefully developed to address politicking and fixing practices in the church. A recommendation should be sent to higher organization to reconsider the practice of church selection in the African and Cameroonian context. For further studies, a comparison of two churches with two systems of selection could be done in order to see the level of impact of the selection by vote only and the selection by lots only on the Christian growth of their respective members.
Developing a Strategy for Ministry to the Unemployed in Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa
(Adventist University of Africa, 2023-03) Mbatha, Ziphozonke Oscar
The research study focused on developing, implementing, and evaluating a strategy to minister to the unemployed in Sandton, Johannesburg. The researcher observed that unemployment is the major challenge in South Africa as a whole, and Sandton, Johannesburg, remains part of the problem. The case for developing a strategy for ministry to the unemployed in Sandton is driven by the reality of the negative impact of unemployment in Sandton. The negative impact of unemployment in Sandton propelled the researcher to examine the biblical-theological understanding, of the origin of work, and how it is linked to human dignity, value, and well-being. The researcher’s arguments for the necessity of providing work or employment for every human being are drawn from the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament), from the New Testament, from Ellen G. White Writings and from other commentators on Bible. Revelation concerning work as God’s design and provision for human dignity, value, and well-being. Furthermore, the researcher strengthened his case for ministry to the unemployed in Sandton by conducting field research to gather appropriate data that respond to the topic on developing a strategy for the unemployed in Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa. In this study, the findings from the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, Ellen G. White, pertinent literature and the field research reveal that work is an integral aspect of human life. Therefore, the overwhelming conclusion is that to deny human beings the opportunity to work to make life meaningful is to relegate human beings to a state of being under human, which is a devoid sense of dignity, value, and self-worth. This situation negates God’s creation of human beings in the image of God and compels redress and restoration. As the researcher builds the case for redressing the life-negating situation of unemployment in Sandton, he also highlights some aberrant consequences that emanate from the situation at Sandton. The situation is linked to enormous costs that are economic, emotional, political, relational, and spiritual. Thus, individuals, families, communities, churches, nations, and society are impacted. The researcher established that the indignity and devaluation of human beings, as is the case in Sandton, warrants the urgency of developing an intervention strategy that he has developed. The study focuses on those who are unemployed and are a more vulnerable group of people who have high demands from their families. As a starting point, the researcher argued from the biblical point of view since unemployment poses a threat to human dignity as underlined in God’s design for human life and the purpose thereof. It was successfully established, as described in the study, that unemployment has shaped the decline of society’s behavior, lack of decency and disrespect. Furthermore, the challenge of unemployment has affected the community socially, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. Adding to the argument, I would like to point out that semi-structured questions were distributed to the unemployed to gather data. Finally, the analysed information gathered from the unemployed in Sandton, and the preliminary results of the intervention programme reveal that unemployment poses a serious challenge in Sandton, Johannesburg that needs to be addressed urgently.
Team Ministry Between Pastors and Spouses: A Case Study of the Seventh-day Adventist Midlands West Zambia Conference
(Adventist University of Africa, 2022-07) Sibanda, Linda
The purpose of this dissertation was to explore and analyze teamwork among pastors and spouses in Midlands West Zambia Conference (Formally known as Midlands Zambia Conference). The total number of pastors together with their spouses in Midlands West Zambia Conference for the period between 2019 and 2020 was 40. In this Conference the involvement of pastors’ spouses is minimal. In most, if not all conferences in Zambia, the pastors are of the view that the roles to be played by their spouses are not clear, and that their spouses lack knowledge, training and the know-how of the ministry. The literature on teamwork in the Bible, and in other religious books, revealed that there is need, among many other things, to teach the spouses on how they can effectively work with their pastors in ministry. A qualitative research design was used to collect data from the purposefully sampled 20 pastors and their spouses. The data collected involved information regarding current programs and outcomes, analyzing the information, and developing a plan to improve the programs. Interviews were used to collect data. The phenomenological analysis was used to analyze the data collected. The main finding of this study revealed that most pastors have difficulties in working together with their spouses in team ministry. Team ministry has its own challenges met by those who endeavor to practice it. Furthermore, a good relationship between the pastor and spouse is cardinal for a successful team ministry. The study recommended that in order for the pastor and spouse to improve the ministry, the two should always work together in order to accomplish the vision of team ministry. Additionally, the pastor and spouse should guard against words that may make people lose trust in their ministry and they should be involved in quality biblical discipleship. The study contributes knowledge that has previously received attention by alerting the pastors, spouses, church leadership and church members of the importance of team ministry between pastors and their spouses.
A Strategy to Address the Challenge of Reaching the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Followers in Tigrai Regional State of Ethiopia
(Adventist University of Africa, 2017-02) Gezahegn, Helina Robel
The Seventh-day Adventist Church mission work in Ethiopia started in 1921 and reached Tigrai region in 1955. Currently, Adventists in Tigrai constitute 0.007 percent of the Tigrai people. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) Christians in Tigrai regard the Protestant Churches, including the Seventh-day Adventist Church, as Menafikan (heretic) and Mete (foreign churches—whose origins are not indigenous). Thus reaching the EOTC Christians with the traditional Adventist approaches, such as public evangelism, the distribution of tracts and door to door witnessing is a challenge. The EOTC has been an official state Church from the reign of King Ezana in 330 AD until the overthrow of Emperor Haileselassie, by the revolution, in 1974. As a result of this long period of existence, Orthodox Christianity became part of the culture and life of many Ethiopians. Thus, it is very difficult for many Ethiopians in general and Tigrains in particular to separate the ETOC from their national identity. The first attempt to convert the EOTC to the Western Roman Catholic church was done by the Portuguese Jesuits in the sixteenth century. The result was a bloody civil war. The Jesuits’ strategy was targeted at uprooting the cultural and religious heritage of the people by labelling them unchristian. Consequently, many Ethiopians today are not open to foreign missions for fear of losing their religious and cultural identity. The purpose of this dissertation was to design and implement an intervention in a seminar form for Pastors, Adventist Mission (AM) and Gospel Outreach (GO) evangelists aimed at equipping them with basic knowledge and skills of contextualizing the gospel as they do missions in Tigrai. It is expected that the intervention used will enhance the Adventist Church’s mission, not only in Tigrai region but in the entire country. This research made use of qualitative method to gather and analyze the data. Six people, including the president, departmental director, AM and GO evangelists were selected for the purpose of interviewing. It was found that pastors, AM and GO workers were not satisfied with current methods of evangelizing the Tigrains and, hence, the need for a new approach of reaching the ETOC Christians in Tigrai.
Developing and Implementing a Family Evangelism Programme in Choma Central Seventh-day Adventist Church, Zambia
(Adventist University of Africa, 2017-02) Hamoonga, Josephat Mombe
The purpose of this study visualized helping families of Choma Central Adventist Church to effectively begin a witnessing programme to other families in the community of Choma town. The initial observation indicated that families in this church were not engaged in family evangelism due to lack of information and further also that the church and its leadership were not yet exposed to this method of witnessing. Although the word family evangelism is not found in the Bible, it embraces a ministry by families to their neighbours and the community as whole. The significance of family witnessing involves either evangelizing members of Christian families or on the other hand, reaching out to non-Christian families though not ignoring family members. The Bible, the writings of Ellen White, and the literature review both agree to the fact that God focuses on the family in the sense that every person is attached to a family. From Eden created to Eden restored the thread line does not overlook the family entity. The study was conducted in two different stages. In the first stage, a survey that used both the quantitative and qualitative (mixed) methods was carried out which formed the foundation from which the implementation was to be developed. It revealed that 97.5% of the families were not trained in family evangelism. The second phase of the survey was done after the implementation of the intervention and it was used to evaluate the effects of the implementation. The implementation began on 17th September 2016, and ended on 6th December 2016—duration of four months. A programme for implementing an intervention initiative was designed in seminar form, which used seven selected modules that were presented through PowerPoint. The implementation of the programme was conducted through well-selected families (30 families representing single parents and married couples) representing major townships of Choma. The evaluation of the implemented programme was conducted and the results were given. The result of the evaluation exceeded expectation for it revealed that families started a witnessing programme after solidifying the home-base devotions. In reaching out they led others to baptism and they also got involved in the nurturing process of the newly baptised members. The study revealed that families are just waiting for guidance from the leadership of the church even to do what they have not done before. It is the intention of the researcher to use Choma Central church families to influence other churches in Choma and Zambia to start a family evangelism programme.
Mobilizing and Equipping the Laity for Effective Evangelism in Mayo-Dannay District of the North Cameroon Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
(Adventist University of Africa, 2017-02) Hacheked, Benjamin
The mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is to make disciples of all people, communicating the everlasting gospel in the context of the three angels’ messages of Revelation 14: 6-12, leading them to accept Jesus as personal Savior and unite with His remnant Church, discipling them to serve Him as Lord and preparing them for His soon return. So, before every individual can be baptized into this church, he or she should abide to this commitment. But there is apathy among the church members in Mayo Dannay district of the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church towards the outreach ministry for which these members should be mobilized and equipped for effective evangelism. By adopting a quantitative method of research and using focus group discussion, many reasons for this phenomenon were discovered such as lack of prayer in the life of members; lack of teaching the new converts on Christian witnessing from the beginning; lack of understanding the importance and responsibility of the members to witness; Mayo Dannay district is a hard place for Christian witnessing specially for the SDA Church with its doctrines of forbidding unclean food and the Sabbath rest day; lack of vision by the various pastors and elders of all those years in charge of the churches; lack of commitment and interest in God’s work by some of the pastors and members in the domain of evangelism; and lack of the presence of the Holy Spirit in members’ life. To seek the solutions of these problems responsible for the apathy of the church members towards the outreach ministry in Mayo Dannay district, an intervention program was developed trying to put all these factors into consideration to mobilize and equip the laity for effective outreach ministry. Two churches were chosen for intervention. The intervention program was in three sections. The first one concerned all the elders of these two churches. A workshop for three days was organized for them in Central Yagua Church. The second and the third ones concerned respectively the entire membership of Vada II Church and Central Yagua Church. A workshop of three days was organized in their respective churches concerning the role and responsibility of discipleship. At the end of these workshops, two implementations were organized in Kalfu. It has been noticed that for the first one, in Yagua Central Church, the percentage of membership involved in evangelism was 4.3%, while Vada II Church was 1.4%. During the second implementation, eight months later, Yagua Central Church was 87, 72% and Vada II Church was 3.29%. The project was evaluated and the result was satisfactory. Lessons have been learned. Recommendations have been made to two local churches, to Mayo Dannay district and to the North Cameroon Conference.

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