A Model for Multicultural Worship Developed at the Fallbrook Seventh-Day Adventist Church

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A Model for Multicultural Worship Developed at the Fallbrook Seventh-Day Adventist Church Andrews University Digital Commons @ Andrews University Dissertation Projects DMin Graduate Research 2013 A Model for Multicultural Worship Developed at the Fallbrook Seventh-day Adventist Church Gerald Hansel Jones Andrews University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dmin Recommended Citation Jones, Gerald Hansel, "A Model for Multicultural Worship Developed at the Fallbrook Seventh-day Adventist Church" (2013). Dissertation Projects DMin. 63. https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dmin/63 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]. Thank you for your interest in the Andrews University Digital Library of Dissertations and Theses. Please honor the copyright of this document by not duplicating or distributing additional copies in any form without the author’s express written permission. Thanks for your cooperation. ABSTRACT A MODEL FOR MULTICULTURAL WORSHIP DEVELOPED AT THE FALLBROOK SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH by Gerald Hansel Jones Adviser: Ernest Furness ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH Project Document Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary Title: A MODEL FOR MULTICULTURAL WORSHIP DEVELOPED AT THE FALLBROOK SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH Name of researcher: Gerald Hansel Jones Name and degree of faculty adviser: Ernest Furness, D.Min. Date completed: October 2013 Problem Seventh-day Adventist Churches in the southern California region are becoming racially, ethnically, and culturally diverse, thus providing a favorable climate to embrace a worship service that includes the needs of all people. How can churches embrace a worship service that emphasizes diversity, is inclusive, and becomes an intentional multicultural worship service? Is there a first step that clergy and worship leaders can take to have a multicultural worship service? How important is the role of leaders in helping this becoming a reality? Method This project developed a multicultural worship service led by church pastors of diverse racial, ethnic, or cultural backgrounds leading worship together. The coming together of at least two pastors will be called an honorary co-pastor service. The Fallbrook Church has two worship services: 8:15 and 11:00. The 8:15 worship service was the intervention service to measure the congregation’s acceptance of multicultural worship. The results of the 8:15 worship service was evaluated against the 11:00 worship service. Results Returns from the survey appear to be positive. The co-pastor intervention of culturally or racially diverse pastors worshipping together affected the attitude of the congregation to embrace multicultural worship. As a result of the survey it appears the honorary co-pastor model can be a first step for congregations with a similar interest in developing a multicultural service. Conclusions A multicultural worship service with the honorary co-pastor model is a tangible and practical response to a foundational text regarding worship found in Revelation 14:6- 7. In this passage, our worship is to the God of the eternal gospel and His transforming grace for all people. Leaders from diverse backgrounds provide an example of unity in worship through scripture, prayer, music, and fellowship. Through this model the congregation has the opportunity to learn acceptance of people from diverse backgrounds. In the worship service there can be no greater response to God’s call than when pastors lead a congregation toward reconciliation with each other. Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary A MODEL FOR MULTICULTURAL WORSHIP DEVELOPED AT THE FALLBROOK SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH A Project Document Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Ministry by Gerald Hansel Jones October 2013 © Copyright by Gerald Hansel Jones 2013 All Rights Reserved A MODEL FOR MULTICULTURAL WORSHIP DEVELOPED AT THE FALLBROOK SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH A project document presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Ministry by Gerald Hansel Jones APPROVAL BY THE COMMITTEE: _______________________________ _________________________________ Adviser, Director of DMin Program Ernest Furness Skip Bell _______________________________ _________________________________ Leslie Pollard Dean, SDA Theological Seminary Jiří Moskala _______________________________ _________________________________ Boubakar Sanou Date approved TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................... v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ........................................................................................... vi Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 1 Foreword .............................................................................................. 1 Personal History ................................................................................... 6 Background to the Problem ................................................................. 9 Purpose.……........................................................................................ 10 Statement of the Problem ..................................................................... 10 Statement of the Task........................................................................... 11 Justification for the Project .................................................................. 11 Expectations for the Project ................................................................. 12 Delimitations ........................................................................................ 13 Limitations ........................................................................................... 13 Definitions of Terms ............................................................................ 14 Description of the Project Process ....................................................... 16 2. A THEOLOGY OF MULTICULTURAL WORSHIP ............................... 17 A Theological Foundation for Multicultural Worship and Its Connection with Unity, Racial and Cultural Harmony .................. 17 Made in God’s Image..................................................................... 19 Worship the Creator ....................................................................... 20 Separation from God and the Fall from Unity ............................... 22 Confusion about Connectedness .................................................... 24 The Promised One.......................................................................... 25 Jesus’ Model of Inclusive Ministry in Matt 28:18-20 ......................... 26 Jesus’ Model of Inclusive Ministry................................................ 26 The Samaritan Example ................................................................. 27 The Syro-Phoenician Example ...................................................... 28 Jesus’ Model of Inclusive Ministry from Matt 28:18-20 ............... 29 Revelation 14:6-7 as the Foundational Text for the SDA’s Message of Inclusion ..................................................................... 31 Adventist History and Rev 14:6-7 ................................................. 31 The Times of Ellen White .............................................................. 36 iii Multicultural Worship and the Hereafter ............................................. 40 3. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF MULTICULTURAL WORSHIP FROM PAST AND CURRENT LITERATURE .................... 45 Introduction .......................................................................................... 45 Leadership and Belief in Unity and Diversity ..................................... 47 Adventist’s Beliefs about Diversity in Worship .................................. 66 The Missing Dimension in Adventist Worship ................................... 75 4. THE FALLBROOK HONORARY CO-PASTOR MODEL ...................... 83 The Fallbrook Church Model............................................................... 84 Area Demographics and Diversity ................................................. 84 Fallbrook a Multiethnic, Multiracial Church ................................. 86 Fallbrook Pastors as Change Agents for a Multicultural Worship Service ............................................................................. 88 Fallbrook Pastoral Intervention Sharing Responsibilities During Worship Services ............................................................... 94 Evaluation of Research Survey Data Collected for the Model Worship Service ................................................................. 100 Survey ...................................................................................... 100 Presentation of Findings .......................................................... 101 5. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............. 108 Summary .............................................................................................. 108 Conclusions .......................................................................................... 110 Recommendations ................................................................................ 113 Appendix A. INFORMED
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