Professional Dissertations DMin

Date of Award

2020

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Ministry

College

Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary

Program

Doctor of Ministry DMin

First Advisor

Jorge E. Rico

Second Advisor

Ricardo Norton

Third Advisor

David Penno

Abstract

Problem

The Fort Worth North Spanish Seventh-day Adventist Church has no record of a seminar on biblical fasting, a practice that is perceived as spiritually and physically beneficial in several cultures and religions worldwide. Within Adventism, fasting is seen as an outward expression of the person’s inner commitment and reliance on God (Rodriguez, 2001). Furthermore, pastoral observation revealed that in this local church there are conflicting views and a lack of knowledge about biblical fasting. The observation also disclosed the need for developing a training program in the area.

Method

The task of this project was to develop, implement, and evaluate a seminar regarding biblical fasting at the Fort Worth Spanish North Seventh-day Adventist Church. In order to fulfill the purpose of this research project, a study on biblical fasting and related issues was undertaken in biblical literature, in the writings of Ellen White, and in extra biblical literature. An analysis of the Fort Worth North Spanish Seventh-day Adventist Church and its surrounding community completed the theoretical platform for the design, implementation, and evaluation of a seminar on biblical fasting. Direct observation and surveys were among the tools the researcher used in order to evaluate the results of the project.

Results

A significant contribution of this project was that it facilitated the implementation of a seminar on biblical fasting for church members and friends of the Fort Worth North Spanish Seventh-day Adventist Church. The seminar was presented in eight modules, forty-five minutes each. The hand-written expressions of gratitude and other personal comments reveal that the participants received the program with great interest. Also, thirty-three participants filled out the pre-intervention and post-intervention questionnaires, and these surveys reveal that the intervention had a positive impact on the participants. Furthermore, as a result of the training, participants recommended the creation of a fasting ministry in the local congregation, and church members have already started showing interest in it.

Conclusion

The results of this project confirm what the studies already indicate: a training program on biblical fasting has the potential of impacting the local church in a positive way, as was the case of the Fort Worth Spanish Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Subject Area

Fasting--Religious aspects--Seventh-day Adventists; Fort Worth Spanish North Seventh-day Adventist Church (Fort Worth, Tex.)

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