Program

Doctor of Ministry

Number of Pages

248

Year Approved

2023

First Advisor

Esposito, Jason

Second Reader

Jeanine Parolini; Kate Scorgie

Abstract

The context of this thesis project, “A Model for Transformational Leadership Development in Urban Ministry Contexts,” is the Beloved Community Cooperative Ministry (BCCM) in Baltimore, Maryland. The BCCM was formed in July 2020 and is comprised of three urban United Methodist churches—Epworth Chapel UMC, Sharp Street Memorial UMC, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial UMC. The problem that this project investigated and addressed is the need for transformational leadership development training for leaders (clergy and laity) serving in urban ministry contexts, specifically among the three churches that comprise the BCCM. In response to this problem, the researcher (a) explored biblical models of transformational leadership of Nehemiah and Paul, (b) reviewed relevant literature on characteristics of urban ministry and transformational leadership, (c) conducted a qualitative case study on the three BCCM churches to determine training needs for developing transformational leaders, which included conducting site visits with three additional United Methodist Church, and (d) developed a framework for a transformational leadership development model for leaders (clergy and laity) serving in urban ministry contexts. The framework was informed by insights gleaned from the biblical models of transformational leadership of Nehemiah and Paul, the literature reviewed from urban ministry and transformational leadership, and the qualitative case study on the three BCCM churches, and involved developing and conducting five leadership development training modules, which focused on developing leaders (lay and clergy) serving in urban ministry contexts.

Degree Name

Doctor of Ministry

Document Type

Doctoral thesis

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