Program
Doctor of Ministry
Year Approved
2017
First Advisor
Parolini, Jeanine
Abstract
The project sought to understand the impact of hurts on effective ministry in a local African American church. The research tried to understand hurts, what hurts were and how hurts or past hurts impacted others. The research revealed that hurts had occurred within this local church and that some members reverted to passive aggressive means to handle their hurts. The research also showed that the underlying cause of hurts in this congregation was due to members of this local assembly as well as the way in which they responded to their hurts. The research utilized two surveys one taken by former members and the other taken by current members. The survey's results revealed that current members and previous members had experienced hurts within this assembly and that some hurts lasted for extended periods of time. The research showed that when people were wounded, they reverted to passive-aggressive behaviors such as gossip and spreading rumors and blaming others. Passive-aggressive behaviors caused damage to the church and other individuals. The interviews revealed the underlying cause of hurts within this local church. The cause of hurts caused some members to suffer personal hurts. Although hurts happened, some members saw their hurts as a way in which God works through hurt’s to build one's character. Through studying the Biblical heroes, the researcher was able to understand the how individuals who have experienced hurts harbor hurts in their heart and allow the pain to remain. Pain at times has been authorized to manifest in the present life of some members. Pain in this way becomes an active ingredient that is destined to cause damage to a ministry. To understand the pain that people experience with the church, one must be able to hear the heart’s cry. When people hurt, their heart cries out in a variety of ways. Their heart may cry out through anger, low self-esteem, gossip, the spreading of rumors and blame. An indication for the church that hurts have taken place in her midst is adverse reactions of the heart.
Degree Name
Doctor of Ministry
Document Type
Doctoral thesis
Recommended Citation
Lowery, I. (2017). The Impact of Hurts on Effective ministry in Local African American Church [Doctoral thesis, Bethel University]. Spark Repository. https://spark.bethel.edu/etd/409
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