Professional Dissertations DMin

Date of Award

2022

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Ministry

College

Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary

Program

Doctor of Ministry DMin

First Advisor

Abraham Guerrero

Second Advisor

Ricardo Norton

Abstract

Problem

Jesus called the church to make disciples of Him among all people groups, and urbanization is a major issue to consider in the fulfillment of that mission. In 1950, only 30% of the world’s population was residing in urban areas; in 2018, urban dwellers were already 55% of the world’s population; and that number is projected to be at 68% by 2050 (United Nations, 2018, p. xix). As the world grows more and more urban, the church needs to be more and more intentional in reaching out to people in urban settlements, in order to reach people where they are. -- Although the Delancey Spanish Seventh-day Adventist Church, in lower Manhattan, is located within one of the largest urban centers of the world, there are no records that this congregation has ever implemented a seminar on urban evangelism. Besides the benefits that such an initiative might have on the local church, the lessons learned from such a project have the potential of benefiting other congregations with similar realities and within urban centers.

Methodology

In order to fulfill the purpose of this research, a study on urban evangelism and related subjects was undertaken from the perspective of the Bible and in the writings of Ellen White, as well as in contemporary literature. An analysis of the Delancey Spanish Seventh-day Adventist Church and its surrounding community completed the theoretical platform for the design, implementation and evaluation of a seminar on urban evangelism in that congregation. Direct observation and participant surveys were the main assessment tools that were used to measure the results of the initiative.

Results

This research project led to the implementation of a seminar on urban evangelism at the Delancey Spanish Seventh-day Adventist Church, in lower Manhattan. A total of 47 people attended the sessions of the seminar. After the initiative, participants felt motivated to work in various aspects of urban evangelism, and as a result of their evangelistic work, two new congregation were planted: the Canaan Hispanic Seventh-day Adventist Church and the Highland Falls Hispanic Seventh-day Adventist Company.

Conclusions

The results of this project confirm what the Old and New Testaments, the writings of Ellen White and relevant literature had already suggested: that the implementation of a seminar on urban evangelism would have a positive impact on the Delancey Spanish Seventh-day Adventist Church, in lower Manhattan, and that initiatives like this one have the potential of benefiting other congregations within urban centers.

Subject Area

City missions; Evangelistic work--New York--Seventh-day Adventists; Delancey Spanish Seventh-day Adventist Church (New York, N.Y.)

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