Phase 2 - After current church-based pastoral training approaches are sufficiently categorized, case studies of an exemplar church or churches in each category will be conducted. Data will be compiled from direct observations, personal interviews, document analysis, and audio-visual materials.
Reporting - The data will be synthesized and an analysis of the motivations, methods, and characteristics of the exemplar churches will be conducted. A list of
recommendations for practice will be constructed from the data gleaned from these exemplar churches. Finally, the thesis will explore conclusions, implications, and applications related to the research findings. This report will also explain how the research findings of the study contributes to the gap in the existing literature base.
Recommendations for further empirical study on pastoral training in the local church will be presented.
Population and Sample
The research population for this project will be conservative evangelical churches that have an approach to train pastors for ministry. Due to the large number of churches that employ pastoral training strategies, an expert panel will be assembled to categorize pastoral training approaches and identify churches that are effectively implementing a training method. Thus, the research population will be narrowed from all churches that have a pastoral training method to a sample of churches that are training pastors
effectively in each category of approach. It is hypothesized that the research sample will be three to five churches, containing at least one church from each category of training approach.
Delimitations
Since the sampling will be purposive criterion sampling, the research will only apply to churches that have pastoral training programs and are developing pastors from among the major categories of approaches. Therefore, this study contains the following
delimitations:
1. The research will be delimited to conservative evangelical churches.
2. The research will be delimited to churches that have pastoral training programs.
3. The research will be delimited to churches developing pastors from among the selected categories of training approaches.
4. The research will be delimited to the participating sample churches.
Limitations of Generalization
This study has several limits of generalization based on the delimitations discussed
beyond the purposive sample that desire to train their pastors effectively. The data
collected and analyzed from the case study churches contains the following limitations of generalization:
1. The data does not necessarily generalize to churches beyond the scope of conservative and evangelical.
2. The data does not necessarily generalize to churches that have no strategy or approach to train pastors.
3. The data does not necessarily generalize to churches training pastors by other methods than those categorized in this study.
4. The data does not necessarily generalize to churches beyond the case studies.
APPENDIX 5
LEADER INTERVIEW INSTRUMENT Agreement to Participate
The research in which you are about to participate is designed to categorize the pastoral training approaches used by evangelical churches today and investigate exemplar churches of each category. A pastoral training approach is being defined as a method, model, or program that a local church employs for preparing pastors to lead their churches effectively and fulfill the responsibilities of their calling. Scholars and
practitioners in the field of Christian leadership have identified your program as a model to be further explored and studied.
This research is being conducted by Andrew T. Hancock for purposes of completion of a capstone thesis for the Doctor of Education at The Southern Baptist Theological
Seminary.
In this research, you will participate in a 30 minute to an hour-long interview that will be audio taped to assist in the researcher in understanding your responses and taking
adequate notes. The main purpose of the interview is to help the researcher investigate how your pastoral training approach equips pastors for the work of the ministry. Your responses will provide valuable information for this research project.
Any information you provide during the interview will be held strictly confidential, and at no time will your name be reported, or your name identified with your responses.
Participation in this study is totally voluntary and you are free to withdraw from the study at any time.
By your completion of this interview, you are giving informed consent for the use of your responses in this research.
Preliminary Questions
What is your name and age?
What is your denominational affiliation?
What is your position at the church and responsibilities?
How long have you been serving at the church?
Program Questions (history and heart): general questions about the training program 1. Why was your program started and what is the history of your program?
(initial motivations and significant changes)
2. What are the biblical and theological foundations of your program?
(key theological themes and verses that are at its core)
3. How would you explain the mission and vision of your program?
(purpose of program and what you hope to see God do through it)
4. Explain the basic structure--what are the main components and the important roles people have within the program? How do they work together to help train future pastors? (such as classes, mentoring, cohorts – teachers, coaches, mentors) Categorical Questions – organized around 3 c’s - convictions, character, competency Convictions:questions about how the church builds into their program essential knowledge pastors need, such as biblical and theological foundations for ministry.
5. What are the topics that your program highlights in order to provide the essential knowledge for effective pastoral ministry?
(what topics to participants need to grasp? biblical, theological, practical) 6. How does your program help students learn the biblical nature and function of
pastoral leadership? (biblically, what is a pastor and what does he do, why) 7. What are the major factors that have influenced your program’s curriculum?
(significant resources, books, other churches leaders and programs, etc.)
Character:inquiry on program strategies for developing the character and personal spiritual formation of the pastoral candidates.
8. How does your program develop the character of its participants? Are there any structures in place to observe and measure character growth?
(intentionally aim to influence character growth)
9. How does your program encourage the personal spiritual formation of its
participants? (how do you help them grow spiritually, practice disciplines, walk) Competency:questions about how the training program imparts the necessary skills needed for effective pastoral ministry.
10. What are the ministry skills that your program seeks to build in these future pastors?
What strategies are in place to build these skills for pastoral ministry?
Concluding Questions (wrap-up)
11. Overall, how do you evaluate the effectiveness of your program? Moving forward, how can you improve your program?
12. As you have led this program, what has been a significant challenge and also your greatest joy? (something difficult, result of program that has been meaningful) 13. Is there anything else you would like me to know about your program that will help
me get a full view of it?
Thank you for your time and for providing valuable information to assist me in this research project.1
1Based upon feedback from the pilot testing and instrument validation process, the following changes were made to the interview instrument: (1) a general shortening of the questions while preserving their basic intent, (2) interviewer prompts were added for further clarification about the meaning of the
APPENDIX 6
PARTICIPANT INTERVIEW INSTRUMENT Agreement to Participate
The research in which you are about to participate is designed to categorize the pastoral training approaches used by evangelical churches today and investigate exemplar churches of each category. A pastoral training approach is being defined as a method, model, or program that a local church employs for preparing pastors to lead their churches effectively and fulfill the responsibilities of their calling. Scholars and
practitioners in the field of Christian leadership have identified your program as a model to be further explored and studied.
This research is being conducted by Andrew T. Hancock for purposes of completion of a capstone thesis for the Doctor of Education at The Southern Baptist Theological
Seminary.
In this research, you will participate in a 30 minute to an hour-long interview that will be audio taped to assist in the researcher in understanding your responses and taking
adequate notes. The main purpose of the interview is to help the researcher investigate how your pastoral training approach equips pastors for the work of the ministry. Your responses will provide valuable information for this research project.
Any information you provide during the interview will be held strictly confidential, and at no time will your name be reported, or your name identified with your responses.
Participation in this study is totally voluntary and you are free to withdraw from the study at any time.
By your completion of this interview, you are giving informed consent for the use of your responses in this research.
Preliminary Questions
What is your name and age?
How long have you been at the church? In the program?
What leadership positions have you held at the church? Responsibilities.
Program Questions: general questions about the training program 1. How did you decide this program was a fit for you?
2. What has your experience in this program been like so far?
3. Describe your typical week related to this program (how much time do you spend studying, in class, in ministry, who do you meet with, etc.)
Categorical Questions – organized around 3 c’s - convictions, character, competency Convictions:questions about how the church builds into their program essential knowledge pastors need, such as biblical and theological foundations for ministry.
4. What biblical and theological topics or classes have been helpful to build your knowledge? Why?
5. How would you describe what you have learned about the biblical nature and function of pastoral leadership? (what a pastor is and what he does, why) Character:questions about program strategies for developing the character and personal spiritual formation of the pastoral candidates.
6. How would you describe the character qualities that are necessary for pastoral ministry? And how has this program developed you in these important areas?
7. How has this program helped your spiritual growth?
(helped you in the spiritual disciplines, develop a closer walk with Christ?) Competency:questions about how the training program imparts the necessary skills needed for effective pastoral ministry.
8. What are the important ministry skills needed for effective pastoral ministry? And how have you developed these skills through this program?
Concluding Questions
9. What has been the most challenging part? Anything unexpected/disappointing?
10. What have you enjoyed most about this program?
11. Is there anything else you would like to tell me that you think would help as I seek a full picture of this pastoral training program?1
1Based upon feedback from the pilot testing and instrument validation process, the following changes were made to the interview instrument: (1) a general shortening of the questions while preserving their basic intent, (2) interviewer prompts were added for further clarification about the meaning of the question, (3) the original competency questions were combined into one question to aid in simplicity, and
APPENDIX 7