Professional Dissertations DMin

Date of Award

2007

Document Type

Project Report

Degree Name

Doctor of Ministry

College

Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary

Program

Doctor of Ministry DMin

First Advisor

Bruce L. Bauer

Second Advisor

Rudi Maier

Third Advisor

James J. North, Jr.

Abstract

Problem

The dissertation project establishes the existence of nearly one hundred million tribal people who are forgotten but continue to live in human isolation from the main stream of Indian society. They have their own culture and history. How can the Adventist Church make a difference in reaching them? There is a need for trained pastors in tribal ministry who are culture sensitive and knowledgeable in missiological perspectives.

Method

Through historical, cultural, religious, and political analysis, tribal peoples and their challenges are identified. The contribution of Christianity to India, particularly, the impact of the Adventist Church among tribals is reviewed. A Logical Framework methodology is utilized to outline a strategy for tribal ministry and a curriculum is developed to train Adventist pastors for tribal work. The dissertation project also reviews the profile of Calvin Joshua by looking at his personal and theological understanding of tribal work and ministry.

Results

This dissertation project developed curriculum for a three-hour graduate course, Introduction to Tribal Ministry. Relevant topics were selected, thirty-seven lesson outlines were prepared, and a sample fifty-minute class lecture was written. Visual aids and group activities were organized to compliment the lectures. The curriculum is divided into five sections: (1) introduction to tribal anthropology, (2) tribal culture and Christianity, (3) tribal worldview and dynamics of change, (4) spiritual dynamics for tribal ministries, and (5) Adventist outreach to tribals.

Conclusion

The study illustrates the enormous possibility for the Adventist Church to train and equip pastors for successful tribal ministry. There are recommendations for the Adventist Church to consider. The developed curriculum will be implemented at Spicer Memorial College and other Adventist colleges. The resources also will be condensed to meet the training needs of experienced pastors during annual workers’ meetings, pastors’ workshops, and professional seminars. A Field School of Missions will later provide field activities and practical experiences for pastors. However the pastoral seminars and field school are beyond the scope of this dissertation project.

Subject Area

Clergy--Training of; Missions--India; Curriculum planning; Seventh-day Adventists--Missions--India

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/612

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