DOCSLIB.ORG

Complexities of Pastoral Change and Transition in the Megachurches Of

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

Luther Seminary Digital Commons @ Luther Seminary Doctor of Philosophy Theses Student Theses 2010 Complexities of Pastoral Change and Transition in the Megachurches of the Baptist General Conference, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and Presbyterian Church (USA) Sheila Strobel Smith Luther Seminary Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.luthersem.edu/phd_theses Part of the Christian Denominations and Sects Commons, and the Christianity Commons Recommended Citation Smith, Sheila Strobel, "Complexities of Pastoral Change and Transition in the Megachurches of the Baptist General Conference, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and Presbyterian Church (USA)" (2010). Doctor of Philosophy Theses. Paper 10. This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Theses at Digital Commons @ Luther Seminary. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctor of Philosophy Theses by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Luther Seminary. For more information, please contact [email protected]. COMPLEXITIES OF PASTORAL CHANGE AND TRANSITION IN THE MEGACHURCHES OF THE BAPTIST GENERAL CONFERENCE, EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AMERICA, AND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (USA) by SHEILA STROBEL SMITH A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Luther Seminary In Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA 2010 UMI Number: 3411418 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI 3411418 Copyright 2010 by ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This edition of the work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 © 2010 by Sheila Strobel Smith All rights reserved ABSTRACT Complexities of Pastoral Change and Transition in the Megachurches of the Baptist General Conference, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and Presbyterian Church (USA) by Sheila Strobel Smith The emergence of the megachurch in the United States represents a unique phenomenon which was shaped by a variety of cultural, political, economic, and religious forces. Megachurches have grown exponentially in recent years and now exercise unprecedented influence on the religious landscape in this country. Accompanying this phenomenon is a new and unique group of leaders who have guided these congregations through periods of rapid growth and substantial organizational change. It is anticipated that many megachurches will encounter significant challenges in the future as the current senior pastors retire. Since existing research on megachurches has focused primarily on the congregations, little is known about the personal and professional characteristics of these pastors, and how, if at all, these pastors and congregations have prepared for changes in pastoral leadership. Protecting the sacred relationship between pastor and congregation is critical because the disruption of the sacred trust impacts the faith and spiritual practices of the pastor(s), staff, and congregation, as well as local and global ministries. These issues were explored in twenty-two megachurches in three denominational systems - the Baptist General Conference, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and Presbyterian Church (USA). The results include a detailed description of the personal and professional characteristics of the senior pastors, and provide new insight into the 11 importance of relationships in their lives and ministries. The unique characteristics of these megachurches, as well as their relationships in the local community and around the world, contribute to the complexities of pastoral change and transition. Historically, most of these megachurches have responded to, rather than prepared for, the inevitable departure of the senior pastor, which resulted in the disruption of the sacred relationship between the pastor and congregation. Many adhere to congregational or denominational policies which discourage, even preclude, any succession planning. Several pastors and congregations in the Baptist General Conference and Presbyterian Church (USA) are employing alternative approaches which promote continuity of leadership rather than disruption. The biblical, theological, historical, and theoretical resources engaged in this study support the anticipation of changes in pastoral leadership, rather than the reactionary approach currently utilized by many congregations. 111 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us .. Hebrews 12:1 This has been a humbling experience. Though I was expected to do individual research, I did not accomplish this by myself. Throughout this long journey, I depended on the grace of God, and "so great a cloud of witnesses" who sustained me through their steadfast love and prayers. Their faith carried me through the wilderness and across the finish line - for this race. There many more races to run so we must continue to pray as we discern God's will for the future. There are many so people who contributed to this study that I chose to thank them privately. However, I would like to mention a few here. Many thanks to Rev. Dr. Richard Bliese, Rev. Dr. Alvin Luedke, and Rev. Dr. Mary Sue Dreier. I really appreciate the sacrifices you made so I could graduate this year. I could not have completed this research without the cooperation of the pastors, congregations, and denominations. In particular, I would like to express my gratitude to the pastors who graciously agreed to be interviewed and trusted me with their personal stories, concerns, and suggestions. Their affirmation of the importance of this research motivated me every day. I would also like to thank all of the people in the libraries I visited online or in person (see appendix Y), especially Luther Seminary, Bethel Seminary, and Metropolitan State University, whose collections and personal assistance facilitated my research. Finally, to my family and dearest friends - thank you for your unconditional love. iv PREFACE IX Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away, I stumbled across one data point that changed my life forever. I was stunned at first, and then became concerned when I discovered that the mean age of pastors serving megachurches in the year 2000 was 52 years old.' What will happen to these congregations as these pastors retire, or accept another call before they retire? Who will lead these congregations in the future? Are these pastors and congregations prepared? • • I realize that many people would not have taken notice, but in retrospect, my discovery was no accident. It was a Holy Spirit moment. God had been preparing me for this moment for my whole life. As Mordecai said to Esther, "And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14 RSV) Why did I take notice? I am a middle-aged, late Baby Boomer who worked for a Fortune 500 corporation in which succession planning was taken very seriously. The company prided itself on promoting from within. My colleagues and I were well aware of the career path that led to the top, so it was fairly easy to predict who would be the next manager, director, or vice president. We were very sensitive to the role that experience and age played in these decisions because age and experience were often equated with a particular place on the corporate ladder. Retirement was a frequent topic of conversation 1 Scott L. Thumina, "Megachurches Today: Summary of Data from the Faith Communities Today Project." (Hartford, CT: Hartford Institute for Religious Research) http://hirr.hartsem.edu/org/faith_iiiegachurches_FACTsuiiimary.html (accessed January 5, 2003). at lunch, particularly when the company's stock price was increasing. CEOs were expected to retire when they were 62 years old. Many of my colleagues retired at the earliest possible moment, some at age 55. Few stayed into their sixties. My plans for retirement were altered by a significant career change. After twenty- one years in corporate America, I enrolled in the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) program at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. In February 2001,1 attended a conference at the Community Church of Joy in Glendale, Arizona with a group of students and professors from Luther Seminary. I had never experienced a congregation so large and vibrant. I was fascinated by the complexity of the organization and the new campus. I was extremely impressed by the pastoral team and the staff. I wondered what it would be like to serve such a congregation. After graduation in 2002,1 pursued my interest in megachurches as a doctoral student in the new Congregational Mission and Leadership program at Luther Seminary. During my research for a course-related paper in the spring of 2003,1 discovered that the mean age of pastors serving megachurches in the year 2000 was 52 years old. As I mentioned earlier, that data point changed my life forever. My immediate concern led to additional research specifically focused on the pastors of megachurches. I was amazed to discover that though interest in megachurches was increasing,
Recommended publications
  • A Guide to Resources for SINGING and PRAYING the PSALMS

    A Guide to Resources for SINGING and PRAYING the PSALMS

    READ PRAY SING A Guide to Resources for SINGING and PRAYING the PSALMS – WELCOME – Voices of the Past on the Psalter We are delighted you have come to this conference, and I pray it has been helpful to you. Part of our aim is that you be encouraged and helped to make use of the Psalms in your own worship, using them as a guide for prayer and Dietrich Bonhoeffer singing. To that end we have prepared this booklet with some suggested “Whenever the Psalter is abandoned, an incomparable treasure vanishes from resources and an explanation of metrical psalms. the Christian church. With its recovery will come unsuspected power.” Special thanks are due to Michael Garrett who put this booklet together. We Charles Spurgeon have incorporated some material previously prepared by James Grant as well. “Time was when the Psalms were not only rehearsed in all the churches from day to day, but they were so universally sung that the common people As God has seen fit to give us a book of prayers and songs, and since he has knew them, even if they did not know the letters in which they were written. so richly blessed its use in the past, surely we do well to make every use of it Time was when bishops would ordain no man to the ministry unless he knew today. May your knowledge of God, your daily experience of him be deeply “David” from end to end, and could repeat each psalm correctly; even Councils enhanced as you use his words to teach you to speak to him.
  • Conference Report

    Conference Report

    40th Annual Conference on Neighborhood Concerns Neighborhoods, USA Conference Report Table of Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................................................................ 3 Overall Conference Evaluation .......................................................................................................................................................... 3 Workshop Evaluations .......................................................................................................................................................................... 3 Workshop Tracks .................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Conference at a Glance .......................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Conference Workshop Titles & Descriptions and Evaluation Scores ................................................................................ 6 Neighborhood Pride Tours ................................................................................................................................................................ 24 2015 Neighborhood of the Year Award Recipients ................................................................................................................
  • Complete List: 1-A

    Complete List: 1-A

    Complete list: 1-a 1 & 2 Chronicles 1 & 2 Thessalonians 1–3 John Acts Louis C. Jonker David J. Williams Robert W. Yarbrough Mikeal C. Parsons Understanding THE BIBLE Understanding THE BIBLE BAKER EXEGETICAL Commentary PAIDEIA: Commentaries Commentary SERIES Commentary SERIES ON THE NEW Testament ON THE NEW Testament 978-0-8010-4825-8 • 352 pages 978-0-8010-4806-7 • 192 pages 978-0-8010-2687-4 • 464 pages 978-0-8010-3188-5 • 464 pages $23.00p* • Baker Books $17.00p* • Baker Books $42.99c • Baker Academic $30.00p* • Baker Academic ebook available ebook available ebook available ebook available UK rights: Paternoster UK rights: Paternoster 1, 2 & 3 John Acts 1 & 2 Kings 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus Thomas F. Johnson Jaroslav Pelikan Peter J. Leithart Gordon D. Fee Understanding THE BIBLE BRAZOS THEOLOGICAL BRAZOS THEOLOGICAL Understanding THE BIBLE Commentary SERIES Commentary ON THE BIBLE Commentary ON THE BIBLE Commentary SERIES 978-0-8010-4671-1 • 224 pages 978-1-58743-354-2 • 320 pages 978-1-58743-397-9 • 304 pages 978-0-8010-4623-0 • 350 pages $17.00p* • Baker Books $28.00p* • Brazos Press $28.00p* • Brazos Press $18.00p* • Baker Books ebook available ebook available ebook available ebook available UK rights: Paternoster EU rights: SCM-Canterbury Press EU rights: SCM-Canterbury Press UK rights: Paternoster 2 Corinthians Acts 1 & 2 Kings 1 Corinthians George H. Guthrie David J. Williams Iain W. Provan David E. Garland BAKER EXEGETICAL Commentary Understanding THE BIBLE Understanding THE BIBLE BAKER EXEGETICAL Commentary ON THE NEW Testament Commentary SERIES Commentary SERIES ON THE NEW Testament 978-0-8010-2673-7 • 736 pages 978-0-8010-4805-0 • 512 pages 978-0-8010-4748-0 • 320 pages 978-0-8010-2630-0 • 896 pages $49.99c • Baker Academic $22.00p* • Baker Books $18.00p* • Baker Books $54.99c • Baker Academic ebook available ebook available ebook available ebook available UK rights: Paternoster UK rights: Paternoster 2 Corinthians 1 Corinthians James M.
  • AVE – February 2017

    AVE – February 2017

    FebruaryFebruary 2017 2017 Saint AVE Mary’s AVE Vol. 84 No. 2 A VE “GreetinGs Mary, full of Grace.” The Episcopal Church of Saint Mary - Falmouth, Maine From the Rector: Mary and the True Work of Love February is the traditional month in our culture Inside this edition when we reflect on love. This single word carries an From the Rector 1 entire universe of meaning within itself. We use it in Live like a monk 1 every conceivable scenario, so we can safely say that it The Appreciative Weekend 2 is over-used. Entire libraries could be filled with writ- Vestry Highlights 3 ings about love. And yet, what do we understand about Couples Checkup 3 it? What is the core meaning of love? Milestone visit 3 Here is my attempt. Love is an intention to act for Outreach Book Sale 4 the well-being of another, regardless of our own per- Souper Supper & Cinema 4 sonal needs or desires. The opposite of love is not ha- Mission Morning 5 tred. The opposite of love is apathy. It is the unwilling- Coffee Hour Hosts needed 6 Schola Concert & Update 6 ness to engage, to pay attention; it is the absence of Music School for youths 6 awareness. In this sense, the opposite of love is ego-obsession. It is the inability to let Our Hymnals..who knew? 7 go of oneself in order to be aware of the needs of another. Guiding RAY Feb. 17 8 We are truly blessed to gather together under the patronage of Mary, the mother CB Young Life 9 of our Lord who provides a window into the godly practice of love.
  • “Loving the Sinner, Hating the Sin”: an Analysis of American

    “Loving the Sinner, Hating the Sin”: an Analysis of American

    1 “LOVING THE SINNER, HATING THE SIN”: AN ANALYSIS OF AMERICAN MEGACHURCH RHETORIC OF HOMOSEXUALITY Presented to The Faculty of the Department of Religion The Colorado College In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Bachelor of Arts By Ann Duncan May/2014 2 Introduction Recently the issue of homosexuality has come to represent a majorly divisive factor within American Christianity as more and more churches are defining their boundaries, or lack thereof, at homosexuality: many congregations believe that practicing homosexuality is not an acceptable aspect of one’s life that will allow passage into God’s Kingdom or salvation. Within megachurches, Protestant churches having at least 2,000 attendees per week, homosexuality often presents itself as a divisive and controversial issue. Megachurches tend to be situated on the more conservative and evangelical end of the spectrum of Protestant Christianity and, therefore, many of their congregations have expressed disapproval of homosexuality; they preach doctrines providing content for rhetoric following the guidelines of sexual purity as follows from divine law within their congregations. These doctrines include the biblical literalist approach to abiding by divine law, the presence of sin in today’s world, and the conscious choice to continue living a life in sin. It is through the combination of these doctrines, one choosing to act in a sinful manner going against the divine law accepted when one takes a literal approach to the Bible, which allows megachurches to arrive at the conclusion that the “homosexual lifestyle” constitutes a sin worthy of condemnation. However, megachurches are also using rhetoric of love and acceptance regardless of sexuality.
  • Mormonism Is a Part of the Christian Faith and Culture It Is Not a Cult; It Is the Church of Latter Day Saints

    Mormonism Is a Part of the Christian Faith and Culture It Is Not a Cult; It Is the Church of Latter Day Saints

    National Black Church Initiative P.O. Box 65177 Washington DC 20035 202-744-0184 [email protected] www.naltblackchurch.com Contact: Rev. Anthony Evans October 24, 2011 202-744-0184 For Immediate Release National Black Church Initiative Declares Mormonism is a Part of the Christian Faith and Culture It is not a Cult; it is the Church of Latter Day Saints Washington DC – The National Black Church Initiative (NBCI), a faith-based coalition of 34,000 churches comprised of 15 denominations and 15.7 million African Americans dedicated to the eradication of racial disparities around the world is urging all religious communities to join together in the promotion of peace. We called upon our Black religious leadership to use the full force of our combined churches to draw attention to the imperative of religious tolerance. The United States is a nation that was founded on religious tolerance and the separation of church and state is a critical pillar of our political culture. As Thomas Jefferson, the principle author of the Declaration of Independence, has noted: “Proscribing any citizen as unworthy the public confidence by laying upon him an incapacity of being called to offices of trust and emolument, unless he profess or renounce this or that religious opinion, is depriving him injuriously of those privileges and advantages to which, in common with his fellow citizens, he has a natural right….Among the most inestimable of our blessings is that...of liberty to worship our Creator in the way we think most agreeable to His will; a liberty deemed in other countries incompatible with good government and yet proved by our experience to be its best support.” In the United States, we respect the right of our politicians to their personal religious beliefs and we work assiduously to maintain a strict separation of church and state.
  • The Poetry Handbook I Read / That John Donne Must Be Taken at Speed : / Which Is All Very Well / Were It Not for the Smell / of His Feet Catechising His Creed.)

    The Poetry Handbook I Read / That John Donne Must Be Taken at Speed : / Which Is All Very Well / Were It Not for the Smell / of His Feet Catechising His Creed.)

    Introduction his book is for anyone who wants to read poetry with a better understanding of its craft and technique ; it is also a textbook T and crib for school and undergraduate students facing exams in practical criticism. Teaching the practical criticism of poetry at several universities, and talking to students about their previous teaching, has made me sharply aware of how little consensus there is about the subject. Some teachers do not distinguish practical critic- ism from critical theory, or regard it as a critical theory, to be taught alongside psychoanalytical, feminist, Marxist, and structuralist theor- ies ; others seem to do very little except invite discussion of ‘how it feels’ to read poem x. And as practical criticism (though not always called that) remains compulsory in most English Literature course- work and exams, at school and university, this is an unwelcome state of affairs. For students there are many consequences. Teachers at school and university may contradict one another, and too rarely put the problem of differing viewpoints and frameworks for analysis in perspective ; important aspects of the subject are omitted in the confusion, leaving otherwise more than competent students with little or no idea of what they are being asked to do. How can this be remedied without losing the richness and diversity of thought which, at its best, practical criticism can foster ? What are the basics ? How may they best be taught ? My own answer is that the basics are an understanding of and ability to judge the elements of a poet’s craft. Profoundly different as they are, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Pope, Dickinson, Eliot, Walcott, and Plath could readily converse about the techniques of which they are common masters ; few undergraduates I have encountered know much about metre beyond the terms ‘blank verse’ and ‘iambic pentameter’, much about form beyond ‘couplet’ and ‘sonnet’, or anything about rhyme more complicated than an assertion that two words do or don’t.
  • Academic Catalog Spring 2017 Bible and Interpretation

    Academic Catalog Spring 2017 Bible and Interpretation

    BAKER PUBLISHING GROUP ACADEMIC CATALOG Spring 2017 SPRING 2017 ACADEMIC CATALOG BIBLE AND INTERPRETATION Christian Doctrine and the Old Testament Theology in the Service of Biblical Exegesis Gary A. Anderson “In this profound and engaging volume, one of the keenest theo- logical minds of our time explores the Old Testament foundations of major Christian doctrines with great respect both for Judaism and for the original context of the Scriptures he discusses. The book is a rarity in scholarship and a major achievement from which anyone with an interest in Christian theology or the Old Testament can profit.”—Jon D. Levenson, Harvard University “Readers will delight in tracking Anderson’s march through the Scriptures with high theological concepts in hand. There is a freshness and originality here that few biblical scholars can match.”—Robert Louis Wilken, University of Virginia “Creative, profound, even startling, these studies by Anderson open up fresh vistas for reading the Old Testament through the resources both of Jewish tradition and of historic Christian theology. A game-changing work of scholarship.”—Walter Moberly, Durham University CONTENTS Introduction PART 1: “WHO IS A GOD LIKE YOU?” 1. Apophatic Theology: The Transcendence of God and the Story of Nadab and Abihu Gary A. Anderson (PhD, Harvard University) is 2. The Impassibility of God: Moses, Jonah, and the Theo-Drama of Intercessory Prayer Hesburgh Professor of Catholic Theology at the University of Notre Dame and is a past president of PART 2: “IN THE BEGINNING” I the Catholic Biblical Association. He is the author or 3. Creation: Creatio ex Nihilo and the Bible editor of more than ten books, including the award April 2017 4.
  • Antichrist As (Anti)Charisma: Reflections on Weber and the ‘Son of Perdition’

    Antichrist As (Anti)Charisma: Reflections on Weber and the ‘Son of Perdition’

    Religions 2013, 4, 77–95; doi:10.3390/rel4010077 OPEN ACCESS religions ISSN 2077-1444 www.mdpi.com/journal/religions Article Antichrist as (Anti)Charisma: Reflections on Weber and the ‘Son of Perdition’ Brett Edward Whalen Department of History, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB# 3193, Chapel Hill, NC, 27707, USA; E-Mail: [email protected]; Tel.: +1-919-962-2383 Received: 20 December 2012; in revised form: 25 January 2013 / Accepted: 29 January 2013 / Published: 4 February 2013 Abstract: The figure of Antichrist, linked in recent US apocalyptic thought to President Barack Obama, forms a central component of Christian end-times scenarios, both medieval and modern. Envisioned as a false-messiah, deceptive miracle-worker, and prophet of evil, Antichrist inversely embodies many of the qualities and characteristics associated with Max Weber’s concept of charisma. This essay explores early Christian, medieval, and contemporary depictions of Antichrist and the imagined political circumstances of his reign as manifesting the notion of (anti)charisma, compelling but misleading charismatic political and religious leadership oriented toward damnation rather than redemption. Keywords: apocalypticism; charisma; Weber; antichrist; Bible; US presidency 1. Introduction: Obama, Antichrist, and Weber On 4 November 2012, just two days before the most recent US presidential election, Texas “Megachurch” pastor Robert Jeffress (1956– ) proclaimed that a vote for the incumbent candidate Barack Obama (1961– ) represented a vote for the coming of Antichrist. “President Obama is not the Antichrist,” Jeffress qualified to his listeners, “But what I am saying is this: the course he is choosing to lead our nation is paving the way for the future reign of Antichrist” [1].
  • Initial Study-Mitigated Negative Declaration Saddleback Community Church Expansion Project

    Initial Study-Mitigated Negative Declaration Saddleback Community Church Expansion Project

    Final Mitigated Negative Declaration Response to Comments on Draft Initial Study-Mitigated Negative Declaration Saddleback Community Church Expansion Project Subject: Response to Public Review Comments and Final Mitigated Negative Declaration This document has been prepared to respond to comments received on the Draft Initial Study-Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS-MND) prepared for the Saddleback Community Church Expansion Project (SCH#2019109096). The Draft IS-MND found that with implementation of the mitigation measures, impacts on the environment from the proposed project were less than significant. The list of comment letters received by the City of Lake Forest are listed below. Letter No. and Commenting Agency Date 1 State Clearinghouse December 3, 2019 2 California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), District 12 December 2, 2019 None of the comments received identified new impacts or resulted in a substantial increase in the severity of impacts. Responses to the comments received do not constitute new information that warrants recirculation of the Draft IS-MND. This Response to Comments (RTC) Document provides responses to comments received. Per the comments received, no changes to the Draft IS-MND were necessary. This RTC Document, together with the Draft IS-MND, constitutes the Final IS-MND for the Saddleback Community Church Expansion Project. Amanda Lauffer Date of Issuance of Associate Planner Final Mitigated Negative Declaration City of Lake Forest Saddleback Community Church Expansion Project Responses to Comments on the Draft IS-MND 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 PURPOSE OF THE RESPONSE TO COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT IS-MND This document is in response to comments received on the Draft Initial Study-Mitigated Negative Declaration (Draft IS-MND) prepared for the proposed Saddleback Community Church Expansion Project (project).
  • Bush, Obama and a Faith-Based US Foreign Policy

    Bush, Obama and a Faith-Based US Foreign Policy

    Bush, Obama and a faith-based US foreign policy LEE MARSDEN US foreign policy in the first decade of the twenty-first century has been dominated by religion in a way that would not have seemed possible for most of the second half of the twentieth. Al-Qaeda’s attack on the United States in September 2001, the subsequent US invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, the upsurge in Islamist militancy and the populist overthrow of despotic US allies in the Middle East all focus atten- tion on the importance of religious actors. For much of this period academic interest has centred on radical Islam and the attempts by western governments, and the United States in particular, to contain Islamism through embarking on the global ‘war on terror’ in its various manifestations, and supporting pro-western despots in the Middle East. While there has also been much interest in the emergence of elements of the Christian right as foreign policy actors,1 until recently insufficient attention has been paid to the increasing role played by religious organizations in the delivery of US foreign policy objectives. American faith-based Inter- national Relations (IR) scholars and political scientists have successfully agitated for an increased religious dimension to foreign policy, in particular in the areas of diplomacy and overseas assistance and development.2 While such an emphasis is designed to further US foreign policy interests, this article argues that such a policy can be counterproductive where these religious actors pursue sectarian rather than secular objectives. Using faith-based initiatives supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as a case-study, the article highlights the potential dangers of faith-based foreign policy approaches.
  • Pentecostal Profits: the Prosperity Gospel in the Global South

    Pentecostal Profits: the Prosperity Gospel in the Global South

    University of Lethbridge Research Repository OPUS http://opus.uleth.ca Theses Arts and Science, Faculty of 2014 Pentecostal profits: the prosperity gospel in the global south MacTavish, Ron Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Religious Studies, 2014 http://hdl.handle.net/10133/3527 Downloaded from University of Lethbridge Research Repository, OPUS PENTECOSTAL PROFITS: THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH Ron MacTavish B.A. History, University of Alberta, 1973 B.Ed. (with distinction), University of Alberta, 1974 B.A. (with great distinction), University of Lethbridge, 2012 A Thesis Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies Of the University of Lethbridge In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree MASTER OF ARTS Religious Studies University of Lethbridge LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA, CANADA © Ron MacTavish, 2014 PENTECOSTAL PROFITS: THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH RON MACTAVISH Approved: * (Print Name) (Signature) (Rank) (Highest Date Degree) _______________________ ____________________ ________ _______ ________ * Supervisor _______________________ ____________________ ________ _______ ________ * Thesis Examination Committee Member __________________________ _____________________ ________ ________ ________ * Thesis Examination Committee Member __________________________ _____________________ ________ ________ ________ * Thesis Examination Committee Member __________________________ _____________________ ________ ________ ________ * Thesis Examination Committee Member __________________________ _____________________ _________ ________ ________ * Chair, Thesis Examination Committee Abstract: This study explores the link between the development of the so-called prosperity gospel and the explosive growth of Pentecostalism in the Global South. It examines the evolution of the prosperity gospel as a strand of Pentecostalism in its country of origin, the United States. It then investigates the dramatic acceptance of the theology in selected pockets of the Pacific Rim, Latin America and Africa.