Gardner-Webb University Digital Commons @ Gardner-Webb University Divinity Projects School of Divinity 5-2018 Storytelling as a Pastoral Care Intervention that Ministers Healing to Adult Parishioners of St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church in Canton, Georgia Who Have Experienced Violence Lemora Dobbs Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/divinity_etd Part of the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Dobbs, Lemora, "Storytelling as a Pastoral Care Intervention that Ministers Healing to Adult Parishioners of St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church in Canton, Georgia Who Have Experienced Violence" (2018). Divinity Projects. 41. https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/divinity_etd/41 This Project is brought to you for free and open access by the School of Divinity at Digital Commons @ Gardner-Webb University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Divinity Projects by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Gardner-Webb University. For more information, please see Copyright and Publishing Info. STORYTELLING AS A PASTORAL CARE INTERVENTION THAT MINISTERS HEALING TO ADULT PARISHIONERS OF ST. PAUL AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN CANTON, GEORGIA WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED VIOLENCE A PROJECT SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE M. CHRISTOPHER WHITE SCHOOL OF DIVINITY GARDNER-WEBB UNIVERSITY BOILING SPRINGS, NC IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE DOCTOR OF MINISTRY BY LEMORA B. DOBBS MAY 2018 APPROVAL FORM STORYTELLING AS A PASTORAL CARE INTERVENTION THAT MINISTERS HEALING TO ADULT PARISHIONERS OF ST. PAUL AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN CANTON, GEORGIA WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED VIOLENCE LEMORA B. DOBBS Approved by: __________________________________________ (Faculty Advisor) __________________________________________ (Field Supervisor) __________________________________________ (D.Min. Director) Date:____________________________ Copyright @ 2018 by Lemora B. Dobbs All rights reserved ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit without whom this Research would not have taken place. To spouse, Donald; children, Tobias (Lakesha), Christina, and Tiffany; grandchildren, Brianna and Madison; Dad, Deacon Willie L. Banes (whose unconditional love for others profoundly shaped my theology of pastoral care); and siblings, Eleanor, Reginald (Ann), and Regina (Sylvester) for your unwavering love, faith, and support. To countless family members, friends, prayer partners, ministry colleagues, CPE supervisors, and mentors for praying and speaking encouraging words of life throughout this process. To members of my Doctor of Ministry cohort group, Drs. Gary W. Jordan and Yhanco Monet Rodriguez for your accompaniment along the journey. To the late Rev. Dr. Kenneth E. Marcus, my father in ministry and former Pastor, and Rev. Dr. Cassandra Y. Marcus, Co-Pastor; Mrs. Terra White, Project Transcriptionist; the administrative staff, Associate Ministers, and parishioners of Turner Chapel AME Church in Marietta, Georgia for all the love you display. To the St. Paul AME Church family in Canton, Georgia and Pastor Ferrun Johnson for participation in this body of research. To the Mt. Zion AME Church family in Decatur, Georgia for your prayers and cheers during the final stages of this process. To the Faculty and Staff of the M. Christopher White School of Divinity at Gardner-Webb University including but not limited to Kheresa Harmon, Lisa Holifield, my faculty advisor, Dr. Hebert Palomino, Dr. Doug Dickens, Dr. Danny West, Dr. Robert Canoy, and Dr. Gerald Keown for your impartation of knowledge and wisdom throughout this Doctor of Ministry degree program of studies. (Dr. Keown, thanks especially for your video on how to develop the Theological Rationale section of the project without which this work would not have culminated.) This has been a long, arduous journey. Thanks to all of you for every act of kindness and every word of encouragement spoken along the way. Without God’s help and yours, arriving at this destination would not have been possible. Thank you! iv ABSTRACT The goal of this project was to test whether storytelling could be used to facilitate healing in adult parishioners who had experienced violence. The project engaged congregants of St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church in Canton, Georgia in a series of five workshops that taught, modeled, and used storytelling as a pastoral care intervention. The personal stories of five research participants were recorded in individual sessions. Common themes within the individual stories shared were identified and discussed with the research group. The group brainstormed ideas about how the church could use storytelling to minister healing to violence victims. The outcome of the study bears implications for future research. v LIST OF CHARTS AND TABLES Chart 1: Gender Composition of Control Group ..............................................................26 Chart 2: Gender and Age Composition of Control Group ................................................26 Chart 3: Control Group Experiences of Violence .............................................................28 Chart 4: Control Group Well Being Assessment ..............................................................28 Chart 5: Gender Composition of Research Group ............................................................29 Chart 6: Gender and Age Composition of Research Group .............................................29 Chart 7: Research Group Experiences of Violence ..........................................................30 Chart 8: Research Group Well Being Assessment ...........................................................31 Chart 9: Gender Composition of Research Group (Post-Workshop) ...............................32 Chart 10: Gender and Age Composition of Research Group (Post-Workshop) ................32 Chart 11: Research Group Experiences of Violence (Post-Workshop) .............................33 Chart 12: Research Group Well Being Assessment (Post-Workshop) ..............................34 Table 1: Interviewee Data .................................................................................................34 Chart 13: Workshop Attendance .......................................................................................55 Chart 14: Gender Composition of Modified Control Group ............................................62 Chart 15: Gender and Age Composition of Modified Control Group ..............................62 Chart 16: Modified Control Group Experiences of Violence ...........................................63 Chart 17: Modified Control Group Well Being Assessment ............................................63 vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ iv Abstract ................................................................................................................................v List of Charts and Tables ................................................................................................... vi Table of Contents .............................................................................................................. vii Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................1 Theology of Pastoral Care 1 Project Setting 3 Key Concepts Defined 8 Statement of the Problem 9 Project Goals 9 Means of Evaluation 10 Literature Review 12 Chapter 2: DETAILED PROJECT DESCRIPTION ........................................................23 Project Implementation and Design 23 Project Results 25 Chapter 3: THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION ..................................................................35 Soteriology 35 The Missiology of the Church 41 Chapter 4: CRITICAL EVALUATION ...........................................................................53 Assessment of the Project 53 Assessment of Personal Growth and Development 64 Chapter 5: CONCLUSION ................................................................................................68 Appendices A. CONTROL GROUP SURVEY .................................................................70 B. RESEARCH GROUP PRE-INTERVIEW SURVEY ...............................71 C. RESEARCH GROUP POST-INTERVIEW SURVEY .............................72 D. WORKSHOP #1 EVALUATION FORM .................................................73 E. WORKSHOP #2 EVALUATION FORM .................................................74 vii F. WORKSHOP #3 EVALUATION FORM .................................................75 G. WORKSHOP #4 EVALUATION FORM .................................................76 H. WORKSHOP #5 EVALUATION FORM .................................................77 I. RESEARCH GROUP POST-PROJECT SURVEY ..................................78 J. WORKSHOP BULLETIN ANNOUNCEMENT ......................................80 K. TEXT MESSAGE INVITATION .............................................................81 L. PASTOR’S APPEAL FOR PROJECT PARTICIPATION .......................82 M. GROUP CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT .......................................83 N. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, CONSENT, AND WAIVER .........................84 O. WORKSHOP #1: INTRODUCTION TO PROJECT AND STORYTELLING......................................................................................86 P. WORKSHOP #2: BIBLICAL AND THEOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS OF STORYTELLING ..................................................88 Q. WORKSHOP #3: EXPERIENCES