Professional Dissertations DMin

Date of Award

2008

Document Type

Project Report

Degree Name

Doctor of Ministry

College

Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary

Program

Doctor of Ministry DMin

First Advisor

Rudi Maier

Second Advisor

Bruce Bauer

Third Advisor

Skip Bell

Abstract

Problem

Ever since the General Conference introduced Union and Conferences to run local churches, progress of the gospel work in Ghana has been slow. Before their introduction, churches were grouped into districts and run by district pastors. Due to their high administrative expenditure, local churches have become poor with no proper pastoral care. When church administration is given back to the districts and district pastor’s role is strengthened, conference expenditure will be reduced, more pastors will be sent to the churches, and local churches will be saved from financial collapse.

Method

Studies were carried out by reviewing current literature on church structures. Interviews with conference leaders, departmental directors, retired ministers, district pastors, church pastors, church elders, and all interest groups were conducted. A ministerial manual for district pastors has been developed for future training needs.

Result

A new administrative model that includes districts has been developed. A ministerial manual for the district pastors has also been developed. In order to strengthen the new church structure, a curriculum for training church leaders has been outlined with evaluation and monitoring tools. The restructuring of the church organization will hopefully free more pastors for the work in the districts that will lead more churches in holistic ministries and rapid church growth in Ghana.

Conclusion

A new administrative structure including districts has been designed to be implemented throughout Ghana. A program to strengthen the roles and functions of district pastors has also been developed that will strengthen church members who offer voluntary services in the spreading of the gospel. The new leadership manual for district pastors will be used by pastors to guide them in their ministerial duties. Finally, with expenditures reduced and a new conference administration in place, local churches will be saved from financial collapse.

Subject Area

Church management--Ghana; Seventh-day Adventists--Clergy; Christian leadership--Seventh-day Adventists; Church--Ghana--Seventh-day Adventists

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

DOI

https://dx.doi.org/10.32597/dmin/402/

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