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Liberty University The Religious Persecution of Christians A Thesis Project Report Submitted to The Faculty of the School of Divinity In Candidacy for the Degree of Doctor of Ministry Department of Christian Leadership and Church Ministries By Novella L. Crudup Lynchburg, Virginia November 2018 Copyright Page Copy © 2018 by Novella L. Crudup All rights reserved iii Liberty University School of Divinity Thesis Project Approval Sheet ________________________________ Dr. Adam McClendon, Mentor _________________________________ Dr. Micheal Pardue, Reader iv THE DOCTOR OF MINISTRY THESIS PROJECT ABSTRACT Novella L. Crudup Liberty University School of Divinity, 2018 Mentor: Dr. Adam McClendon The thesis project addressed the religious persecution of Christians in Kenya, East Africa, and the United States. The problem is that Christians deny Christ to avoid persecution. There is a need for a proposed solution that emphasizes the need to believe that persecution is a reality, and that every believer should anticipate and prepare for it. Furthermore, the proposed solution should emphasize that God has a purpose for allowing Christians to face persecution. The methodology used for this project was qualitative analysis. The researcher applied the content analysis approach towards interpreting the data that was collected from thirty-one participants completing the questionnaire. The content analysis approach revealed five themes instrumental in developing a proposed solution to the problem. The proposed solution is intended to encourage Christians to have a proper mindset related to God’s Word, recognize the importance of spiritual growth, and maintain a focus on eternal rewards. The proposed solution will help Christians maintain a focus on God before, during, and after periods of persecution. WORD COUNT: 166 v Acknowledgements The researcher, Novella L. Crudup, wishes to acknowledge the expertise of my mentor, Dr. Adam McClendon, for his tireless instructions, Job-like patience, and professionalism, regarding this DMIN project. He is an individual grounded in Christ, who exhibits unselfishness, agape’ love, and all that it takes to be a memorable and effective witness for Christ. Dr. McClendon encouraged me extensively on this journey. Dr. McClendon was an answer to prayer. It is the researcher’s firm belief that only God can repay Dr. McClendon for the extraordinary attention and guidance that he gave me during this process. Secondly, this researcher acknowledges the expertise of Dr. Micheal Pardue, an extremely observant reader chosen to help with this DMIN project. Dr. Pardue was skillful, knowledgeable, and provided a tremendous amount of help to the researcher. He exhibited great expertise on suggested changes to the project. The researcher felt that Dr. Pardue was an answer to prayer. Many thanks to Dr. Pardue for being a fresh set of eyes that found mistakes that could have prevented the project from helping those who will take the time to read it. Third, I want to acknowledge and congratulate anyone who is very close to turning seventy years old, like myself and taking this academic journey. If God leads you to take this journey, please obey Him by faith, knowing that His will is the safest place to be. Do not worry about the years that have passed, simply trust God to use you during your remaining years (Jer. 29:11). vi Dedication I dedicate this entire project to my daughter, Ericka who is also my friend. She has used her faith in God to deal with many difficult health problems, while simultaneously encouraging others and me, to “swing for the fences.” Ericka is a precious Christian who enjoys inspiring others. vii Contents Acknowledgments……………………………………………………………………………… vi Dedication……………………………………………………………………………………….vii List of Tables………………………………………………………………...………………..… xi List of Charts …………………………………………………………………………...…….…xii Abbreviations .............................................................................................................................. xiii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... 1 Ministry Context .............................................................................................................................................. 2 Statement of the Problem ............................................................................................................................ 4 Purpose Statement ......................................................................................................................................... 6 Basic Assumptions, Definitions, Limitations, and Delimitations ................................................... 6 Basic Assumptions ......................................................................................................................................... 7 Definitions ......................................................................................................................................................... 8 Limitations ........................................................................................................................................................ 9 Delimitations .................................................................................................................................................. 11 Thesis Statement .......................................................................................................................................... 13 CHAPTER TWO: CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK .......................................................................... 14 Literature Review ......................................................................................................................................... 14 Directly Related Literature ....................................................................................................................... 15 Preparation for Religious Persecution .................................................................................................. 21 God’s Purpose for Religious Persecution ............................................................................................. 26 Believing that Religious Persecution Happens ................................................................................... 28 Preparation for Religious Persecution .................................................................................................. 32 God’s Purpose for Religious Persecution ............................................................................................. 33 viii Believing that Religious Persecution Happens ................................................................................... 34 Preparation for Religious Persecution .................................................................................................. 37 Theological and Theoretical Foundation ............................................................................................. 41 Theological Foundation .............................................................................................................................. 42 Believing .......................................................................................................................................................... 44 Preparation ..................................................................................................................................................... 47 Theoretical Foundation .............................................................................................................................. 54 Believing the Warning from a Credible Source .................................................................................. 54 Making Adequate Preparation for What is Believed ........................................................................ 56 Faith to Believe That God Has a Purpose for Christians’ Suffering .............................................. 58 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................. 61 Selection of Leaders ..................................................................................................................................... 61 Distribution and Collection of Information ......................................................................................... 62 Method Used to Analyze Data ................................................................................................................... 68 CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS .............................................................................................................. 72 Definitions of Religious Persecution ...................................................................................................... 74 Known and Experienced Acts of Persecution ...................................................................................... 78 Preparation and Expectation .................................................................................................................... 83 God’s Purpose for Religious Persecution ............................................................................................. 86 Most Persecuted Religious Group in 2017 ........................................................................................... 89 CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION .......................................................................................................
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