The predominant method for ministry formation in the contemporary church consists of a course of study in a Bible college or seminary. While this has been and will continue to be an effective method for theological education, it does not work for everyone called to ministry. Some people for financial or practical reasons cannot follow this path.…

A small sample of faith leaders from the USA's three largest Mainline Protestant denominations (American Baptist, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America and Methodist) were interviewed as part of a case study regarding sexuality education in their churches. The interview schedule, based on a previous Alan Guttmacher Institute designed…

The purpose of the research was to identify and compare strategies being used to make disciples of Christ among college students through Southern Baptist collegiate ministries. The researcher sought to determine the prevalent strategies used by campus-based ministries, church-based ministries, and collegiate church plants. The desired outcome of…

Women in many Christian cultures are told that men are strong and should lead the church. Consequently, some women rationalize that they should not assume top leadership roles in the church. When they do assume such roles, many female pastors experience challenges. The purpose of our qualitative case study was to give voice to Asian female…

The ongoing crisis concerning torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment of prisoners by U.S. personnel or under U.S. auspices in the "War on Terror" raises issues central to the identity of both church and society. The practice of torture cries out for practical theological reflection inasmuch as it threatens to eviscerate the moral…

A well-rounded congregational approach to the elderly should be based on three premises: (1) older persons can give as well as receive ministry; (2) ministry should assist with aging gracefully and supporting the frail, sick, and dependent; and (3) intergenerational solidarity is to be highly valued. (SK)

The challenge of change in the transition from one spiritual leader to another has two facets: the "letting go" of the departing pastor and the adoption of a new spiritual leader. A Transition Committee of a midsized Episcopal church in rural Washington State has used the Rogers 1962 Adoption Model to develop an intentional plan to influence the…

A communication audit (questionnaire) of the First Baptist Church of Pittsburgh was undertaken to help discern the attitudes and beliefs of the congregation about a number of issues and church practices. The goal of the audit team was to: (1) identify the strengths and weaknesses of the Sunday morning worship service; (2) assess the performance of…

The ethnic minority local church and its role in the Methodist ministry is discussed in an effort to emphasize the importance of strengthening Methodist ties with the black community. The black religious heritage and its historical relationship to the Methodist church are also discussed. It is suggested that church boards and agencies should…

As part of an evaluation of the Community College Program of the United Ministries in Higher Education (UMHE), this study surveyed 323 pastors in local churches to determine: (1) local congregations' interest or involvement in working with community colleges; (2) a baseline against which to measure further involvement of the church with the…

Three areas relative to the campus ministry are assessed: the discovery and nurture of the spirit, contemplation and action in higher education, and the ministries of faith communities. The collection of essays addresses the religious events happening within colleges and universities and the religious communities which have been formed within…

Purpose: This article reports on the interest within the religious community in a medical-religious partnership model designed to address some of the health challenges communities face as the population continues to age and become more diverse. Design and Methods: A geographically and religiously diverse group of 183 clergy who were attending a…