Doctor of Ministry Projects

Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Ministry

College

Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary

Program

Doctor of Ministry DMin

First Advisor

Isaac Olatunji

Second Advisor

Tara VinCross

Third Advisor

Hyveth Williams

Abstract

Problem.

The COVID-19 pandemic eliminated thousands of jobs, including positions held by women within the Northeastern Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Unemployment and underemployment may contribute to diminished self-esteem and adverse mental-health outcomes. The problem of unemployment and underemployment is not simply economic—it is theological. For women in the Northeastern Conference, the lack of an ordered pathway to explore technology-related fields as a career option represents both an economic and a spiritual loss. A course combining technical and evangelistic training may promote members' involvement in evangelistic initiatives (i.e., TMI) while simultaneously providing technological skills. Also, women who do not regularly use the internet and web-based platforms may not be prepared to participate in digital evangelism because they lack training in technical subjects such as web design. A clear, structured pathway for this type of training did not exist.

Method.

Project ABIDE, an online course taught for eight weeks, was designed and delivered via a Moodle platform in the fall of 2025 to sixteen women within the Northeastern Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. The course met twice a week for synchronous instruction and once a week for question-and-answer sessions. One-on-one tutoring took place during the web design component of the course. The learning platform provided asynchronous access to course content, including videos, handouts, Articulate Rise lessons, and PowerPoint materials. Four badges (within Moodle) representing competency levels were integrated. Instructional and encouraging videos were created and posted on a Vimeo channel. The course intentionally sought to teach subject matter taking a layered and linked approach. Web design skills, devotional writing for publication, personal blog composition (as digital evangelism) and personal goal setting were a part of the course. Spiritual formation was grounded in the concept of abiding as expressed in John 15:4 and the SUCCESS model, and metacognitive development. Sixteen participants participated in devotional writing, web design instruction, and digital evangelism practice that was structured around the SUCCESS transformational tri-dimensional model which I devised. I gathered data through pre- and post-course surveys, a focus group discussion, a Zoom-based learning poll, discussion board submissions, and Vimeo channel analytics. The project was evaluated using a participatory action research design with mixed methods.

Results.

A group of sixteen women participated in this initiative to develop proficiency in digital evangelism and web design. The women produced a devotional collection of 63 compositions, totaling over 240 pages, titled Woman to Woman I Hope You Win: Stories of Faith, Hope, & Transformation. All proceeds from the book go toward Period Provision, a women’s hygiene assistance ministry of the Northeastern Conference of Seventh-day Adventists patterned after the Canadian charitable organization with a similar purpose.  The data point to a tri-dimensional transformation of the spiritual, vocational, and educational domains that occurred simultaneously. The participants reported a growing sense of their vocational calling as digital evangelists and reported increased confidence in their ability to learn web design and obtain either employment or further training in that field. Eight participants completed websites; seven shared a link to their site in Moodle. Five participants are monetizing their ministries. One participant served as a co-instructor after the course’s formal close date. Her participation facilitated the formation of the community for three months following the project’s implementation.

Conclusions.

Based on the participants’ survey responses, focus group data, and written work, the findings indicate that web design and digital evangelism may be taught together as redemptive work in the context of spiritual formation. The participants reported increased spirituality and confidence in their understanding of digital evangelism and web design. They also began to identify themselves as digital evangelists. The concept of abiding as presented in John 15:4 grounded the three strands of the SUCCESS tri-dimensional model, and participants reported increased internalization of the framework, suggesting movement toward diminishing the sacred-secular divide. Further exploration of methods for teaching technology-related subjects within women’s ministries to foster spiritual growth, vocational development, and personal goal-setting is recommended.

Subject Area

Digital media--Religious aspects; Church work with women--Seventh-day Adventists.; Evangelistic work; Web sites--Design; General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. North American Division. Atlantic Union Conference. Northeastern Conference of Seventh-day Adventists; Northeastern Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

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