A Twenty-First-Century Approach to Empowering the Youth of the Brooklyn Temple Seventh-Day Adventist Church
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Andrews University Digital Commons @ Andrews University Dissertation Projects DMin Graduate Research 2003 A Twenty-First-Century Approach to Empowering the Youth of the Brooklyn Temple Seventh-day Adventist Church Newton Upanton Cleghorne Andrews University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dmin Part of the Practical Theology Commons Recommended Citation Cleghorne, Newton Upanton, "A Twenty-First-Century Approach to Empowering the Youth of the Brooklyn Temple Seventh-day Adventist Church" (2003). Dissertation Projects DMin. 505. https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dmin/505 This Project Report is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Research at Digital Commons @ Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertation Projects DMin by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ABSTRACT A TWENTY-FIRST-CENTURY APPROACH TO EMPOWERING THE YOUTH OF THE BROOKLYN TEMPLE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH by Newton Upanton Cleghome Faculty Adviser: A. Barry Gane ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH Dissertation Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary Title: A TWENTY-FIRST-CENTURY APPROACH TO EMPOWERING THE YOUTH OF THE BROOKLYN TEMPLE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH Name of researcher: Newton Upanton Cleghome Name and degree of faculty adviser: A. Barry Gane, D.Min. Date completed: March 2003 Problem In several churches in the Northeastern Conference and, in particular, the Brooklyn Temple Seventh-day Adventist Church, the adult membership has dominated the positions of leadership. Most of the potential youth leaders have painfully become spectators rather than players and leaders in the church. The goal of this dissertation, therefore, is to develop and implement a program to empower these youth through training, mentoring, positioning, and liberation. The Method Any theology that does not have a biblical foundation is suspect and, therefore, humanistic. A theology of youth ministry was developed within a biblical context. The intent of the study was to embrace the biblical underpinnings that would give it legitimacy. There was an historical overview of the inception and development of youth ministries in the Seventh-day Adventist Church and the Brooklyn Temple Seventh-day Adventist Church. The program to empower youth was presented. This consists of a pre church Leaders-in-Training survey geared to identify responses to the areas of needs for the training seminars, a Post-Leaders-in-Training survey to discover how the effectiveness of the training seminars, and an evaluation of the entire program. The Results The results of the surveys revealed a vast improvement in the lives of the youth with respect to the understanding and detailing of their responsibilities as leaders. The evaluation indicated that there was an overwhelming appreciation for and approval of the program conducted. The participants in the program felt that because of the value and importance of the program, it should be conducted over a longer period in order to get the maximum benefits from it. Between 80 to 100 percent overall improvement was achieved at the end of the presentations, when compared to the beginning of the seminars. The participants believed that the program was worthy of being conducted around the entire conference territory. Hence, there will be an effort developed to take the program to all the churches of the Northeastern Conference. Conclusions The Brooklyn Temple of Seventh-day Adventists has experienced a spiritual renaissance. The youth have been trained and have indicated the confidence they now possess in their theoretical and practical knowledge of the many aspects of their leadership preparation. The church has become a youth-friendly church, creating a positive environment where youth feel like partners in ministry with the adult members. The youth have been placed in numerous offices and have assumed some of the leading ones, which require them becoming members of the church board. The youth have also been given the opportunity to execute their responsibilities in a creative manner. Where the traditional approaches have not been as effective in more contemporary settings, the youth are testing and utilizing innovative approaches to do effective ministry. They are having resounding success. Truly, the youth of the Brooklyn Temple Seventh-day Adventist church have been empowered through training, mentoring, positioning, and liberation, and are ready to make a difference in the lives of the youth of the church and those in the ambit of their influence. Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary A TWENTY-FIRST-CENTURY APPROACH TO EMPOWERING THE YOUTH OF THE BROOKLYN TEMPLE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Ministry by Newton Upanton Cleghome March 2003 A TWENTY-FIRST-CENTURY APPROACH TO EMPOWERING THE YOUTH OF THE BROOKLYN TEMPLE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH A dissertation presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Ministry by Newton Upanton Cleghome DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to the great God of the universe, the God of all the youth-past, present, and future who have been empowered through training, mentoring, positioning, and liberation and have dedicated their lives to the fulfillment of the cause for the total participation and involvement of their gifts, talents, and skills in the ministry, message, and mission of the church. It is also dedicated to the committed adult church members who are always willing to see that the youth are mentored and nurtured to take the baton of leadership from the twenty-first century to the second coming of Jesus Christ. To my beloved wife, Wayne: your constant inspiration, support, and fervent prayers have sustained me during this journey. You are the best. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.............................................................................................. vi Chapter l. INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................1 Statement of the Problem............................................................................3 Statement of the Task .................................................................................. 4 Justification of the Dissertation..................................................................4 Description of the Dissertation Process......................................................5 Expectation of the Dissertation ..................................................................6 D. A THEOLOGY OF YOUTH MINISTRY .................................................. 7 Biblical and Theological Reflection .......................................................... 8 Youth-related Words in the Bible ..............................................................8 Old Testament ..............................................................................11 New Testament ............................................................................14 Incamational Theology ............................................................................17 Ellen G. White and Ministry to Youth ....................................: ..............18 Youth Ministry in Contemporary Christian W riting ............................... 21 Development a Theology and Philosophy of Youth M inistry ................25 Personal Theology and Philosophy of Youth Ministry ............................34 m. THE INCEPTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF YOUTH MINISTRY .... 38 In the Seventh-day Adventist Church ............................ 38 The Year 1844 ............................................................................ 39 IV The Emergence of the Remnant....................................................41 The Formal Establishment of the SDA Church ........................... 42 Youth Ministry in the SDA Church..............................................43 Youth Mini stry Now ....................................................................53 The History of Youth Ministry in the Brooklyn Temple Seventh-day Adventist Church ................................................................55 IV. THE PROGRAM TO EMPOWER YOUTH................................................61 The Empowerment 64 Training ..........•.......................................................................................66 Learning Styles..........................................................................................67 The Curriculum ........................................................................................68 Mentoring..................................................................................................72 Position .................................................................... 77 Term L im its........................... 78 Liberation................................................................................................. 79 V. FIELD TESTING AND ANALYSIS..............................................................85 The Church Leaders-in-Training Pre-course Survey ..............................85 The Church Leaders-in-Training Post-course Survey..............................92 Evaluation ................................................................................................95 Table 1 ....................................................................................................102