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The Study of Brokenness As a Critical Success Factor in the Effective Digital Commons @ George Fox University Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations 2-1-2017 The tudS y of Brokenness as a Critical Success Factor in the Effective Leadership of the Pastor Robert Thompson George Fox University, [email protected] This research is a product of the Doctor of Ministry (DMin) program at George Fox University. Find out more about the program. Recommended Citation Thompson, Robert, "The tudyS of Brokenness as a Critical Success Factor in the Effective Leadership of the Pastor" (2017). Doctor of Ministry. 213. http://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/dmin/213 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Digital Commons @ George Fox University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctor of Ministry by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ George Fox University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. GEORGE FOX UNIVERSITY THE STUDY OF BROKENNESS AS A CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR IN THE EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP OF THE PASTOR A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GEORGE FOX EVANGELICAL SEMINARY IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF MINISTRY BY ROBERT THOMPSON PORTLAND, OREGON FEBRUARY 2017 George Fox Evangelical Seminary George Fox University Portland, Oregon CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL ________________________________ DMin Dissertation ________________________________ This is to certify that the DMin Dissertation of Robert N. Thompson has been approved by the Dissertation Committee on February 24, 2017 for the degree of Doctor of Ministry. Dissertation Committee: Primary Advisor: Darrell Peregrym, DMin Secondary Advisor: Len Hjalmarson, DMin Expert Advisor: Steve Kroeker, BA Copyright © 2017 by Robert Thompson All rights reserved. ii CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................ V ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................... VI SECTION 1 THE PROBLEM ............................................................................................1 One Pastor’s Story .........................................................................................................1 Statement of the Problem and Purpose of the Study ......................................................2 Research Question and Definition of Terms ..................................................................5 A Return to the Old ........................................................................................................9 SECTION 2 ALTERNATE APPROACHES TO BROKENNESS .................................20 Alternate Approaches of Brokenness ...........................................................................23 Shock & Pain Approach .........................................................................................23 Denial (Pretend) Approach ....................................................................................24 Anger (Blame) Approach .......................................................................................25 Bargaining (Strive) Approach ................................................................................26 Depression (Reflection) Approach ........................................................................27 Testing Approach ...................................................................................................27 Acceptance Approach ............................................................................................28 Summary ......................................................................................................................29 SECTION 3 THESIS ........................................................................................................30 Introduction ..................................................................................................................30 Understanding the Process of Brokenness ...................................................................31 Voluntary/Involuntary Brokenness ..............................................................................36 Developing the Attitude of Brokenness .......................................................................41 Paul’s Leadership .........................................................................................................43 Field Research Findings ...............................................................................................54 Blessings ......................................................................................................................57 Summary ......................................................................................................................65 SECTION 4 ARTIFACT DESCRIPTION .......................................................................68 SECTION 5 ARTIFACT SPECIFICATION ....................................................................71 SECTION 6 POSTSCRIPT ..............................................................................................77 SECTION 7 ARTIFACT ..................................................................................................80 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................159 iii FIGURES 1. Alternate Approaches.………………………………………..30 2. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs………………………………..33 3. Hierarchy of Spiritual Needs…………………………………34 4. Self-Actualization versus Servant Mind……………………...35 5. Spiritual Disciplines …………………………………………40 6. Brokenness Brings Blessedness……………..…………..…...62 iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am grateful to the many individuals who have walked with me on this journey: Jackie & Don Gaetz, Ruth Copeland-Holtz, Karen Flanagan, Barb & Rodger Heringer, Dan Russell, Jennifer & Richard Thompson, Kathy & Gerry Toms, and Bill Wong, thank you for all your encouragement and support. To Union Gospel Mission, for the past nine years, for encouraging me to complete my dissertation because you believed it would serve the people we care for and that it would impact the Church. May it be so. To George Fox University, Bakke Graduate School of Ministry and Regent College, thank you for investing in me over the years. To First Church of the Nazarene (Vancouver, British Columbia) and Granville Chapel (Vancouver, British Columbia) where I served as a youth pastor, you showed me grace and patience; to Tsawwassen Alliance Church (Tsawwassen, British Columbia) where my family and I attend, thank you for all your prayers and encouragement. With gratitude to my academic team: Dr. Loren Kerns, Dr. Clifford Berger, Dr. Darrell Peregrym, Dr. Leonard Hjalmarson, Rev. Stephen Kroeker, and Rochelle Deans, thank you for your patience, support, and encouragement in seeing me finish this part of the journey. I am so thankful and indebted to my family: my parents, Lucille and George Thompson; and my sister, Pam, and her husband, Lee, for their love and encouragement. Most of all, thank you to my amazing wife Terri for your love, sacrifice, advice, and encouragement. To my son, Kurtis, and my two daughters, Jenna and Amy, who have sacrificed so that I could complete this dissertation; and to my gracious Lord Jesus, who knows me well, and in spite of that, really likes me. v ABSTRACT In our western culture, many churches, pastors, and Christian leaders have adopted secular leadership that emphasizes performance and results rather than emphasizing spiritual leadership based in our identity in Christ as a servant leader and the process of brokenness that God uses to develop His servants. Recent literature has suggested that pastors and Christian leaders need to revisit the need for brokenness in their Christian formation as a critical success factor in their leadership. The Church should consider brokenness as a critical success factor in the effective leadership of the pastor. This dissertation will concentrate on the importance of brokenness in the life of the pastor as it relates to spiritual leadership in the midst of secular practices and leadership approaches used in the Church. Section 1 outlines the problem pastors and Christian leaders are facing in the church. Section 2 explores the various approaches to brokenness; these approaches fall short of expressing the life and Spirit of the Lord Jesus being released through us. Section 3 outlines the thesis of brokenness as a critical success factor in the life and leadership of the pastor/Christian leader and the blessings derived from a lifestyle of brokenness. Section 4 consists of the Artifact description. Section 5 is the Artifact specification (book proposal). Section 6 is the postscript. Appendix A is the artifact itself, a non-fiction e- book written to inform pastors and Christian leaders about brokenness as it relates to the spiritual formation of the leader and the benefits associated with brokenness. Appendix B shares survey answers regarding brokenness obtained from various pastors and Christian leaders. vi SECTION 1 THE PROBLEM One Pastor’s Story Mark has been a Senior Pastor of a large church for over 10 years. He’s been a visionary: he developed two other church campuses where he preaches via satellite every Sunday; he has taken on a large building project and has seen much fruit in his ministry. Mark has completed his MDiv and is now beginning a DMin with the hope of publishing or maybe even teaching in a Bible College or Seminary setting one day. He faithfully attends an
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