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University Microfilms International A Bt'ii & Howell information Com pany 300 Nortti t'eeD Road Ann Arbor Ml 48106-1346 USA 313 761-4 700 800 5 2 1 0 6 0 0 Order Number 0022567 A rhetorical study of Eastside Christian Church and Del Amo Christian Church as a means of ascertaining what enables and/or disables a congregation Webb, John David, Ph.D. The Ohio State University, 1900 Copyright ©1990 by Webb, John David. All rights reserved. UMI 300 N. Zeeb Rd. Ann Aibor, MI 48106 A RHETORICAL STUDY OF EASTSIDE CHRISTIAN CHURCH AND DEL AMO CHRISTIAN CHURCH AS A MEANS OF ASCERTAINING WHAT ENABLES AND/OR DISABLES A CONGREGATION DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of the Ohio State University By John David Webb, A.B., M.S., M.Div. The Ohio State University 1990 Dissertation Committee: Approved by J. L. Golden J. Hikins Adviser P. Bowers fe part men t of Com m unication Copyright hy John David Webb 1990 D ED IC A TIO N I dedicate this work to the one person who has stood beside me throughout my entire graduate education. Without the loving support of my wife and best friend, Judy, this work would have never gotten started. And to our three children, Leslee, Brad, and Michal, who probably paid a high price in terms of time so that their father could complete his dream. These four people shall never fully know how much I appreciate them. I also share this work to the memory of my finest mentor in both education and ministry. My father, John M. Webb, challenged his children to excellence in all things. He created the dream that his children would surpass his educational achievement. Though we have achieved higher degrees, we are not yet his equals. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I express my sincere appreciation to Dr. James L. Golden, professor emeritus, for his guidance, insights, and encouragment thoroughout my studies and especially in the writing of this dissertation. He has been a good friend and a valuable ally. I also wish to thank the other members of my committee, Dr. Paul Bowers and James Hikins, for their suggestions and assistance. I also wish to thank the members of Martin Road Christian Church, Eastside Christian Church, and Del Amo Christian Church for their assistance. The Martin Road congregation gave me the freedom to pursue the degree at a critical time in their history. Eastside and Del Amo Christian Churches provided the openness needed to evaluate their records and materials to do the research. Special thanks to my good friend, Ben Merold, and his staff for their encouragement and help. I am grateful also to Pacific Christian College and Dean Gerald Tiffin for their willingness to provide the time for me to complete the research and writing of this dissertation. Finally, I am deeply grateful to Kathy Ganz Teermer for her editorial advise and help. And to Julia Staton and Judy Webb for their willingness to proofread and offer writing suggestions. VITA December 9, 1943 ................................................... Born - Herrin, Illinois 1966 ............................................................................ A.B., Lincoln Christian College, Lincoln, IL 1 9 7 1 ............................................................................ M.S., Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 1973 ............................................................................ M.Div., Lincoln Christian Seminary, Lincoln, IL 1970 - 1973 ........................................................... Associate Minister, First Christian Church, Herrin, IL 1973 - 1975 ........................................................... Professor of Preaching, Minnesota Bible College, Rochester, MN 1975 - 1977 ............................................................. Minister, Gallatin County Christian Church, Shawneetown, IL 1977 - 1978 .......................................................... Minister, University Christian Church, Minneapolis, MN 1978 - 1983 .......................................................... Consultant, USDCLprograms 1983 - 1988 .......................................................... Minister, Martin Road Christian Church, Dublin, CH 1988 - Present..................................................... Associate Professor of Communication, Pacific Christian College, Fullerton, CA FIELD OF STUDY Major Field: Communication TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION ................................................................................................................ ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................... iii VITA ...................................................................................................................................... iv LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................... vi CHAPTER PAGE: I. INTRODUCTION.................................................................................... 1 General Nature of the Study................................................ 2 Perspective of the Study ........................................................ 5 Questions to be Addressed.................................................. 11 Importance of Research ........................................................ 13 Key Assumptions of the Study............................................. 14 Limitations of the Research .................................................. lb Contribution to Knowledge.................................................. 20 Descriptions of Chapters........................................................ 21 II. THE EASTSIDE CHRISTIAN CHURCH AND DEL AMO CHRISTIAN CHURCH HISTORIES ....................................... 23 Early American Religious History....................................... 24 The Great Awakening.............................................................. 2K The Seconding Awakening and the Rise of Frontier Religion................................................................... 30 Alexander Campbell and the Restoration M ovement....................................................................................... 31 Divisions in the Campbell Movement ............................... 34 Fullerton and Orange County G row............................... th 37 Torrance and Los Angeles County G row.................... th 42 The Christian Churches of Southern California 50 The Early Days of Eastside Christian Church ............... 54 The Merold Years .........................................................................02 A Ministry Growing Through the Commitments of People ........................................................ 72 Communication Ministry........................................................... 74 The Current State of ECC’s Multiple Ministries...................................................................................... 76 Del Amo Christian C hurch..................................................... 82 Summation .................................................................................... 89 III. A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO CHURCH GROWTH . 90 The Rise of the Church Growth Movement ................. 91 The Foundations of Church Growth................................ 97 The Principles of Church Growth .................................... 102 Applications of Church Growth Principles.........................109 Key Principles to he Applied in the Research ........... 118 Summation ....................................................................................146 IV. A LITERATURE REVIEW LEADING TO THE METHODOLOGY OF A COMMUNICATION STUDY OF EASTSIDE CHRISTIAN CHURCH AND DEL AMO CHRISTIAN CHURCH ..........................................................................125 Perspectives of Organization Communication................. 149 Other Categorizations of Organizational Communication Studies............................................................ 155 Bormann’s Symbolic Convergence Theory .................... 157 Criticisms of Symbolic Convergence Theory................. 170 Organizational Communication