Engaging the Men of Bethel Seventh-day Adventist Church in Building Authentic Relationship with

139 Pages·2017·1.26 MB·English

AAnnddrreewwss UUnniivveerrssiittyy
DDiiggiittaall CCoommmmoonnss @@ AAnnddrreewwss UUnniivveerrssiittyy
Dissertation Projects DMin Graduate Research
2015
EEnnggaaggiinngg tthhee MMeenn ooff BBeetthheell SSeevveenntthh--ddaayy AAddvveennttiisstt CChhuurrcchh iinn
BBuuiillddiinngg AAuutthheennttiicc RReellaattiioonnsshhiipp wwiitthh OOtthheerr AAffrriiccaann AAmmeerriiccaann MMeenn
Ronald Dave Williams Jr.
Andrews University
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dmin
Part of the Practical Theology Commons
RReeccoommmmeennddeedd CCiittaattiioonn
Williams, Ronald Dave Jr., "Engaging the Men of Bethel Seventh-day Adventist Church in Building
Authentic Relationship with Other African American Men" (2015). Dissertation Projects DMin. 308.
https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dmin/308
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].
ABSTRACT

ENGAGING THE MEN OF BETHEL SEVENTH-DAY
ADVENTIST CHURCH IN BUILDING AUTHENTIC
RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER
AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN

by
Ronald Dave Williams, Jr

Adviser: Charles W. Drake, III
ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH
Project Document
Andrews University
Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary

Title: ENGAGING THE MEN OF BETHEL SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST
CHURCH IN BUILDING AUTHENTIC RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER
AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN

Name of Researcher: Ronald Dave Williams, Jr

Name and degree of faculty adviser: Charles W. Drake, III, PhD

Date completed: June 2015

Problem

According to the Pew Study (2009), the majority of African Americans are
Protestants (78%) as compared to 51% of the United States population as a whole.
However, African American men (16%) are more likely than African American women
(9%) to be unaffiliated with any religion. The Pew Study also noted that nearly one-in-
five African Americans under age 30 (19%) are unaffiliated with any religion. Pastoral
observation further reveals a disproportionate number of women attending regular church
services compared to men at Bethel Seventh-day Adventist Church. This is a historical
problem not only with the Bethel Church, but also in many churches across
denominational large imbalance in the ratio of
communities. The consequence of a
men-to-women within the congregation presents a need for a ministry directed toward
reaching men, especially within the urban context.

Purpose

The purpose of this project is to identify a prescriptive approach in relationship
authoring among African American men. Utilizing a small group of men who are
members of Bethel Seventh-day Adventist Church, it is desired that in the formulation of
authentic male relationships, church growth will be a by-product of friendship
evangelism. Additionally, men within Bethel church will experience deeper, more
meaningful relationships with one another and be able to disciple other men in
relationship-building experiences.

Method

In order to create a robust healthy church environment of African American (AA)
men, male members of Bethel Seventh-day Adventist Church (BSDAC) were invited to
participate in an intervention project. This proposed project involved a process of
establishing a curriculum for training, discipling, and integrating men into a community
of authentic relationship building (ARB). Participants were asked to journal their
experience, views, and reflections of Bible studies, socials, community engagement, and
outreach opportunities. The journals would be part of the process of compiling and
evaluating a qualitative research strategy that also included interviews of participants.

Result

The project was successful in partially completing the task I originally desired.
However, my expectation regarding church growth was not realized in the outcomes. I
believe the main factor affecting this was the length of time needed to develop trusting
and equitable friendships with men outside the church, so that participants could then
invite them to a church encounter.
The interviews and reflections of participants indicate the men experienced the
following: a) Increased sensitivity to personal reflection in relationship authoring; b)
Increased priority to build relationships; c) Greater awareness of male leadership; and d)
Clear opposition to journaling.

Conclusion

This project has demonstrated that there is no one method for achieving a greater
representation of African American men in churches. It can, perhaps, be used in
conjunction with a number of other intentional initiatives to reach the objectives set forth
by a congregation to grow male participation in church, as well as enrich the relational
lives of men already in attendance.
Bethel Seventh-day Adventist Church has the potential to be a groundbreaking
congregation in Kansas City, Kansas, that reaches out to African American men.
Considering the population of men in the community and the dearth of churches with a
specific initiative to invest in this community, makes it a church with no rival in
ministering to men.
Andrews University

Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary

ENGAGING THE MEN OF BETHEL SEVENTH-DAY
ADVENTIST CHURCH IN BUILDING AUTHENTIC
RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER
AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN

A Project Document
Presented in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirement for the Degree
Doctor of Ministry

by

Ronald Dave Williams, Jr

June 2015
© Copyright by Ronald Dave Williams, Jr. 2015
All Rights Reserved
Ronald Dave Williams, Jr.
DEDICATION
Dedicated to my wife: Janene, you have been nothing less than my best friend,
soul mate, and God’s gift to me. Without you holding me at times when I
wanted to quit, encouraging me when I was discouraged, and believing in
me when I was down, I thank you from the bottom of my heart that
together we are destined for greater and better in
marriage, ministry, and life. I love you
always and forever...
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................. vii
LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................. vii
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ...................................................................................... viii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ........................................................................................... ix
Chapter
1. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 1
Statement of the Problem ....................................................................... 3
Statement of the Task ............................................................................. 4
Justification for the Project .................................................................... 4
Methodology .......................................................................................... 5
Expectation for the Project ..................................................................... 5
Delimitations of the Project .................................................................... 6
Limitations ............................................................................................. 6
Definition of Terms ................................................................................ 7
2. THEOLOGICAL AND BIBLICAL FOUNDATION ................................... 8
Created for Community .......................................................................... 9
Authentic Man-to-Man Relationships .................................................... 11
Why a Man Does not Fit ........................................................................ 12
Why a Man Must fit ............................................................................... 15
Two are Better Than One ....................................................................... 17
Principles for Authentic Relationship Authoring ................................... 19
Covenant Agreement and Love - Jonathan and David ........................... 20
Providential Relationship – Elijah and Elisha ........................................ 22
A Broken Man can be a Better Man – Jesus, Peter, and the
Demon-Possessed Man ................................................................... 25
An Upper Room Experience .................................................................. 30
Pastor as Equipper .................................................................................. 34
Conclusion .............................................................................................. 37
3. CURRENT LITERATURE ON AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN’S
RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION, RELATIONSHIP AUTHORING AND
MALE IDENTITY ........................................................................................ 40
iv