A Biblical-Based Strategy for Discipling Women Who Convert to the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Malawi

Author

Alilce Abigail Takomana-Luwemba, Andrews UniversityFollow

Date of Award

2014

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Ministry

College

Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary

Program

Doctor of Ministry DMin

First Advisor

Jeanette Bryson

Second Advisor

Stanley E. Patterson

Third Advisor

James J. North, Jr.

Abstract

Problem

New converts, particularly women, continue to leave the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Some converts experience adverse conditions after joining. Some women are rejected by their significant others: Parents, spouses, or other family members. Some are even banished from the community and often deprived of the joy of bringing up their own children. It seems that the lack of follow-up after baptism is one issue, but many are not spiritually grounded.

Method

In this study, historical, religious, and traditional practices are explored. The library research, interviews, and personal experience formed the basis for the contextualization of the traditional practices. The information was gathered from American and Malawian libraries.

Conclusion

Problems related to cultural and traditional practices will not disappear overnight. The belief system is embedded in the cultural memory of the people. The suggested approach to discipling women in Malawi has to include practices that appeal to the followers in a holistic manner: spiritually, socially, psychologically, and economically. The presentation of the Seventh-day Adventist message must seek ways in which to alleviate illiteracy and other maladies in order to reach the women who face threats and abusive situations when attempting to join the church. A discipling process that provides a holistic approach to meeting the common needs of the women in the context of life in Malawi would be the most effective in stemming the current lack of retention.

Subject Area

Discipling (Christianity); Seventh-day Adventist women--Malawi; Seventh-day Adventists--Malawi

Recommended Citation

Takomana-Luwemba, Alilce Abigail, "A Biblical-Based Strategy for Discipling Women Who Convert to the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Malawi" (2014). Professional Dissertations DMin. 831.

https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dmin/831

Creative Commons License

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