Search

Many Church of England parishes with Black-majority congregations have a White parish priest. Clergy undergo mandatory racism awareness training yet do not necessarily understand cultural difference or the ways in which their priestly authority and their Whiteness may collude to have significant implications for ministerial privilege and power. What little study of these issues has taken place, is predominantly from a protestant, American viewpoint. The author’s reflection as a White priest ministering in a Black majority congregation in Manchester focussed on his experiences of pastoral ministry, congregational participation and the expected role of the priest. Three questions arose from this reflection: in what ways are White priests aware of their Whiteness? How do White priests adapt their model of ministry according to their awareness? And in what ways do Black congregation members respond to any adaptation?Using an action-research methodology a conversation was set up between the priest’s experience and a focus group from his congregation. Work on White ministers’ typologies by leading British Black Theologian, Anthony Reddie, was used to present the author’s experiences through three models: pastoral, organisational and radical approaches to ministry. These results formed the basis of a trial training workshop with newly ordained priests to test the assumptions which lay behind my original research questions. Within the three typologies of minister (pastoral, organisational, radical), the author identified ways in which the priest’s power and knowledge influenced practice, and also ways in which congregations assumed clergy to receive training intervention, and from where this knowledge attainment might come. Alongside observations about ministers’ inherent power and the resourcing of ministers from external and internal sources, the research also highlighted frustrations arising from normalising White experience above that of the Black majority. The results confirmed the assumptions behind the questions: White clergy, aware of their own colour, culture and privilege adapt their ministry in different ways and with varying success. The research presents significant contributions to the understanding of how Black congregations perceive White ministers and how such clergy locate themselves within a different culture. Three distinct outcomes were identified: the need for intentional signposting for White clergy to be resourced by their congregations and from external sources, the liberation of Black congregational voices to enable full participation, and the necessity of acknowledging past hurts and the need for reconciliation. These three are brought together in an example surrounding the interventions required for clergy and congregations involved in the appointments process of White clergy to Black majority congregations within the Church of England.

The purpose of this project was to create and evaluate a manual for the equipping of worship leaders in The Word Church and The Light Church of Northeastern Ohio. The manual was evaluated by a panel of twenty-four experts using a five-point Likert scale survey administered electronically via Google documents and in person. Major findings suggested an overwhelming response by the panel experts who believed the manual is a usable tool that would help church worship leaders be equipped to lead and enhance the worship ministry.

This qualitative study described how the Black Church and African American Spiritual Leaders in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, understood the issue of elder abuse and the Black Church's role in navigating education and resources to those who are victims or at risk. African-American Spiritual Leaders' role and leadership are integral in combating elder abuse among their older members of the church and society. African Americans have always placed a significant portion of their support in the church and frequently turn to them before considering other options. Acknowledging the church's and spiritual leaders' involvement in comprehending the awareness of elder maltreatment is essential when working with the older population, which further emphasizes this obligation. Understanding how the Christian church expresses hope and the likeness of God to its elderly population depends critically on understanding how pastoral leadership illustrates hope and the image of God. This framework outlined used Burn's (1978) transformational leadership theory to explain the Spiritual Leaders' knowledge and expertise to represent their capacity to communicate vision and inspiration for change to the senior population. This study used one research question and two supporting questions. A survey questionnaire and in-depth interviews with African American church leaders who had any information or experience with elder maltreatment served as the primary data-gathering methods for this study. This researcher aims to gather pertinent information for future research studies by looking at the leadership styles of pastoral leaders, their knowledge of elder abuse, and the role of the Black Church in successfully navigating elder abuse.

The utilization of mental health treatment in the Black community has been diminished in comparison to other ethnic groups (Avent, Cashwell, & Brown-Jeffy, 2015). Members of the Black Church may have been socialized to seek help from their spiritual leader as opposed to mental health professionals. A transcendental phenomenological qualitative study (Moustakas, 1994) was used to gain an understanding of how twelve (5 male and 7 female) Black clergy experience mental health and the stigma relating to mental health. The participants completed a survey and a semi-structured interview with the researcher and described their experience with mental health issues personally and with their congregants. The data was analyzed by utilizing the Van Kaam method (Moustakas, 1994) via the lens of critical race theory (Utecht, 2014) and symbolic interactionism (Carter & Fuller, 2016). Five major themes with subthemes were discovered from the interviews. The themes included (1) views of mental health, (2) cultural beliefs regarding mental health, (3) response of clergy; (4) barriers, and (5) recognized requirements. The general theme was having a community or the need to connect with others. A few practice implications were (1) enhance understanding of mental health issues as experienced by Black clergy in the Black church, (2) partnering with Black clergy, the Black Church, and mental health professionals through community-oriented training and education, (3) improve the ability to seek assistance through associations and connections, and (4) new ways of thinking and new discoveries and/or methods of dealing with mental health issues. As Black people have been conditioned not to speak about mental health issues or pursue professional mental health treatment, a connection between mental health professionals and the Black Church and community may improve the ability to seek assistance (Rudolfsson & Milstein, 2019).

Foundations are fundamental. Whether in the structure of a building, developing the mind, or establishing the faith, foundations are critical. The five solas of the Protestant Reformation are foundational to the Christian faith. When thinking of the Reformation and the five solas it produced, Psalm 11:3 comes to mind. This passage reads, “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do” (Psalm 11:3, King James Version)? Today’s church needs to return to its foundations. This study argues that the five solas are a firm and solid foundation for the church. During the turbulent times of the Reformation, they held the church together. The Catholic church, like today’s church, got off course, off-centered, and strayed away from doctrinal truths. In the words of the Apostle Paul, “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God” (Romans 10:3, KJV). While God has given the church truth and righteousness, there are times when the church becomes complacent and moves away from it. Today’s church, especially the African American church, needs to go back to the foundations. During the Reformation, the solas were instrumental in leading the people back to the truths of the Bible. As a result, restoration and reformation took place. The five solas: sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone), sola fide (Faith Alone), sola gratia (Grace Alone), solus Christus (Christ Alone), soli Deo Gloria (God’s Glory Alone) are fundamental doctrines that can help the church regain her footing.

The purpose of this project was to create a social justice outreach manual for Black Churches in Flint, Michigan. The manual was evaluated by a panel of experts using a five-point Likert scale survey administered electronically via email and in-person. Major findings suggested an overwhelming response by the panel experts who believed the manual is a usable tool and would help church leaders improve their social justice outreach ministries. A number of experts also commented that the church must take a more active role in the world and send off a clarion call for justice.

Attracting and retaining volunteers is essential to the success of any non-profit organization, including the church, and is critical to broadening our understanding of volunteer behaviors across all racial groups. Most volunteer activities are affiliated with faith-based organizations (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015). Blacks account for 9.11% of all volunteers, with 41.2% focusing those efforts on religious organizations (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015; Congressional Digest, 2006). Understanding the behaviors and motivations of different volunteer segments becomes even more important when endeavoring to meet the diverse needs of our communities. Though nearly 63 million Americans volunteer yearly, this number is declining, impeding nonprofit organization's ability to service those in need (Do Good Institute, 2018). The primary purpose of this narrative inquiry was to learn more about the factors driving change in volunteer behaviors to increase outcomes. The perspective of an underrepresented population informed the narrative regarding volunteer behaviors and motivations.The data collection method used was a focused inquiry through semi-structured interviews of a purposive sampling. To analyze the data, a thematic review was completed, identifying recurring themes and patterns. The thirteen interviews provided insight into volunteer behaviors from the perspective of the Black church volunteer. Two emerging themes aligned with the literature review: prosocial motivation and recognition/appreciation. Other emergent themes were dissatisfaction with unclear objectives, lack of provisions and communications, and community outreach and engagement. Several questions were explored, including why people volunteer and cease volunteering, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volunteer engagement, specific barriers to volunteering, and how church culture influences volunteer behavior.

Black male pastors are at risk for overlooking self-care and for experiencing mental health crisis while striving to address the complex ministry situations of black churches and communities that historically were traumatized and oppressed. Burdens are typically borne in silence out of fear of appearing weak or lacking in faith. This study calls for pastors and congregations together to reexamine their understandings of discipleship, followership, authenticity, and success, and to recognize a pastor’s humanity and vulnerability, thereby enabling him to lay aside an unhealthy superman persona imposed internally and externally, and allow for healthy conversations about well-being.

The Black Church in the United States has historically played a significant role in the community providing a sense of belonging and purpose. However, there has been a significant decline in the attendance of Black men in the church. Despite being the largest ethnic group to attend a place of worship, 70-80% of Black men do not attend church services, either in-person or online. This trend is concerning, especially since over 80% of those who do not attend consider themselves religious and believe in a higher power. This paper explores the reasons for this trend and its effects. Chapter 1 delves into the problem of the high number of absent men in churches and the impact it holds. Chapter 2 provides a historical context, examining how Black historical data in the United States has contributed to this problem. Chapter 3 explores the biblical and religious aspects that perpetuate these behaviors and attitudes. Chapter 4 analyzes the data that highlights the effects of the issue and provides a breakdown that can be utilized to identify solutions. The decline in Black male attendance is not a recent phenomenon. However, the pandemic further highlighted the lack of regular attendance and contributions from Black men in the church. Chapter 5 presents potential solutions to address this issue, including efforts that individuals and the church can take to promote inclusion and participation. This dissertation provides a comprehensive understanding of the dilemma facing churches, particularly Black churches, with a significant number of men being absent. It examines historical and biblical data, as well as statistical information, to identify possible solutions. Ultimately, this paper contributes to a better understanding of the 2 reasons for the decline in Black male church attendance and provides potential solutions to promote participation and inclusion in the church.

Spirituality is an essential and deeply embedded part of Black Americans’ psyche. The counseling field has largely overlooked the roles of spirituality and religious beliefs in the development of the consciousness of this demographic. In the treatment of Black Americans, particularly Black churchgoers, this can be a serious oversight. The purpose of this DMin action research thesis is to provide sufficient intradisciplinary integrative spiritual teaching to effect holistic coping strategies for Lake Providence’s Mid-Week Bible Study Service members. The goal is to bring healing through an intradisciplinary integrative teaching approach utilizing psychology, theology, and spirituality. If the members of Lake Providence’s Mid-Week Bible Study Service receive intradisciplinary integrative teaching, then holistic coping strategies could be created. This research was conducted utilizing Participant Response Questionnaires. Ten members of the Lake Providence Missionary Baptist Church who attend the Mid-Week Bible Study Service were chosen to form the sample group. Gathered data was reduced to create recurrent themes of spiritual relationship, transformation, faith, the Holy Spirit, and storytelling. Results demonstrated that a pedagogy addressing integrative techniques utilizing cognitive and narrative therapeutic approaches along with an emphasis placed on spirituality provided spiritual and psychological revelation and a behavioral assist for the interviewees. The desired influence of this thesis project is to add to the underrepresented literature on the impact spirituality has on the cognitive behavior of Black American churchgoers relative to affecting holistic life outcomes.

Researchers have described the clergy profession as one of several occupations for which stress exists as an integral part of their job, which can impact their well-being. The research has investigated this topic of pastoral stress from a color-blind, etic perspective without regard to the multicultural factors of racial identity and ethnicity. While Black pastors exist as a major subset of clergy nationwide, the exploration of stressors Black pastors experience and the relationship between their specific vocational stressors and wellness has been rarely studied. This study seeks to fill the gaps in the literature by targeting Black pastors from historically Black denominations as well as Black independent and nondenominational churches in its sample. Utilizing the ABCX stress model along with hierarchical regression and path analysis, this study identified clergy distress (A-factor) experienced by Black pastors with pastors in medium and large congregations having significantly higher clergy distress than pastors in small churches. The coping strategies (B-factor) of stress management, spiritual well-being in daily life, and spiritual well-being in ministry provided some protection against clergy distress. Black pastors further experienced some irritation (C-factor) from clergy distress, but only stress management provided protection against it. None of the coping strategies contributed to satisfaction with life (X-factor). The best safeguard against clergy distress and irritation was a joint praxis of spiritual well-being in daily life and stress management. In their own words, Black pastors identified major stressors they experienced in the church and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Black pastors further identified their levels of stress during the pandemic, social protests against racial injustice, and the number of additional areas of stress they experienced.

This study addressed the relevance of assessing the attitudes and expectations of African American congregants regarding the succession and transition of their senior pastor. The study focused on a local church in Baltimore, Maryland. The research assumed that including laity within the succession planning of their senior pastor would produce a healthy transition and future of the church. It further examined how the lack of succession planning within the Black church has caused challenges that could be prevented. The literature and biblical text suggest that the people’s role in the success of their leader was critical to the operation of the ministry. The surveys administered to the church’s congregation revealed that 82% of respondents believed that two to four years was a sufficient timeframe for the founding pastor to transition the church to his successor and for the church to get acclimated. This information would not have been known without this study. After interviewing the church's founding pastor in question, he advised that assessing the congregants was relevant and needed. This study and research revealed that including congregants in succession planning can yield positive results.

The African-American pastor is a trusted provider of leadership and counseling within the Black church and community. Pastors and ministry leaders are often the first responders of mental health issues faced by their congregants and community members. As a trusted and sought-after source for counseling, the African-American Pastor is a mental health provider to a community who often does not pursue professional mental health counseling. Although the community is susceptible to the same mental illness as other ethnic groups, there is mistrust for the medical and mental health community and inequality in the available resources. This study 1) examined what the research literature says about African American Pastors’ knowledge of mental health literacy 2) how the domains of mental health literacy were integrated into the African-American Pastor’s roles of leader and counselor. A systematic review was conducted and fifteen research articles met the criteria for the systematic review. Results suggest African-American pastors and ministry leaders who provide counseling services have knowledge of mental health literacy and have used it to provide appropriate counseling programming or have referred to mental health professionals. African-American pastors and ministry leaders who werenot identified as having education in mental health literacy have a low or not applicable response on the mental health literacy domains. In conclusion, the knowledge of mental health literacy is necessary tool to provide appropriate counseling intervention and referrals to mental health professionals.

This thesis explores liturgical dance in the 21st century, in relation to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Dance ministries throughout the nation were severely impacted by COVID-19. The project examines the impact that COVID-19 has had on liturgical dance within the Black Church. Interviews with Pastors and Dance Ministry Leaders, key figures in these communities, uncovers the methods and strategies they used, throughout varying stages of the pandemic, to enable liturgical dancers to continue their mission(s). The research uncovers and reflects upon the opportunities the pandemic brought to expanding the field of liturgical dance. Additionally, the study proposes present and future strategies that support and reinforce the church’s vital embodied expression of worship.

Berger's theory of religion and world construction fails to consider the critical issue of power and who is allowed to construct their own reality and thus, does not adequately capture the experience of Black Christians and the Black religious experience. I use White Jesus as a case study to analyze this process. Though the White Jesus phenomenon has been more readily explored in theological and historical fields, very little sociological research discusses this phenomenon. I argue that a Europeanized Jesus has had harmful sociocultural effects on Black Christians and Black people, in the form of cultural trauma. Yet, the White Jesus phenomenon still persists in the Black Church. This study utilizes abductive analysis with 14 interviews and 1 focus group with Black Baptist women and men to understand the significance, prevalence, persistence, and experience of this phenomenon, specifically in Black churches.

Black communities are greatly affected by barriers that negatively impact their mental health. One of the significant barriers is that of stigma. Leaders of Black churches are in a position to shift the narrative. Black women church leaders, specifically, are uniquely positioned to provide a more progressive perspective and style of leadership to encourage the destigmatization of mental health. From the standpoint of Black Feminist Theory and sensemaking, this dissertation assesses Black women religious leaders' current role in discourse normalization surrounding Black mental health through sensebreaking. A series of in-depth interviews were conducted to capture the perception, personal experiences, and sensegiving messages Black women religious leaders shared around mental health. Findings indicated that Black women religious leaders combat the norm of stigmatized messages shared by communicating sensebreaking messages to promote the importance of mental health with their congregants and community members.

Learning from the experiences of Black adult learners within the Black church provides an opportunity to learn from a culturally relevant space that has deeply rooted historical ties in the Black community. The over-arching research question in this study is: How does the Black church meet the needs of its adult learners, and what can higher education institution learn from these practices to retain Black students while creating a more inclusive environment? While research on adult learners is plentiful, the intersection of the Black church as a lens in which to design more culturally relevant spaces and pedagogy has not been as prominent. These experiences provide insight into how higher education institutions can provide a more learning centered and welcoming environment for Black students. This mixed methods study centered on the experiences Black adult learners who engaged in educational programs within the Black church. The quantitative analysis focused on preset motivational dimensions to measure how they impacted the adult learners' reasons for participating in church based adult education using a survey instrument. The qualitative analysis centered on their experiences during their engagement in the educational programs and their reasons for engaging through utilizing semi structured interviews. The findings suggest that adult learners perceived their experiences within the Black church as ones in which they developed a greater sense of empowerment and achievement. The participants' construction of their experiences was guided by their conceptualizations of what it meant to be Black student in an educational setting, and more specifically in the Black church. There were four major themes that highlighted the experiences of these adult learner learners, which included: (1) The Black church shielded learners from negative identity association, (2) Advocacy from the Black church was considered significant to learner engagement, (3) Trust in the educational spaces contributed to the learners' success, (4) Culturally relevant learning spaces positively influenced learner engagement. The findings of this study continue the discussion on how adult learners make sense of their experiences related to the Black church and higher education, and more importantly how create more inclusive learning spaces that remove barriers for Black students.

The African American church has been the cornerstone of many urban centers since its birth in the United States. While it has been a haven for so many, the African American church (or Black church) has faced conflict, especially among its leaders. Senior Pastors and staff are keys to ministry progress in urban centers. This study utilized data from leaders within the African American church in the form of surveys, focus groups, and private interviews to identify the sources of conflict between Senior Pastor in the church and their ministry staff or team members. The results showed that while there is conflict between Senior Pastor and staff, it is more indirect than direct and that the majority of the respondents acknowledged there was more interpersonal conflict within the church leadership. Further, the results showed that familial upbringing and nurture has a definite impact on the way African American church leaders manage conflict. These results suggest that African American church leaders need to focus on developing conflict resolution training specifically directed toward their ministry staff and volunteers.

This project bridges the gap between the culture of stagnation in New England Black congregations and the history of vibrant creativity in Black culture and churches by crafting an engaging teaching resource in the form of a digital application, built on the core fundamentals of gamification. As such, this project weaves gamification, technology, the Black church, and cross generational ministry together in order to assist in the renewal of New England Black churches. Positioning gamification in conversation with practical theology with a focus on Black church history and culture, the project confronts matters related to gender, age, and social location in Black churches. The project argues that we are in the midst of the “#Church,” which should be embraced by the dying Black church, in the midst of a crisis, as a legitimate mechanism for revitalization and relevancy in this hashtag (#) culture. On social media, the hashtag (#) denotes a trending topic, word, phrase and is a form of grouping like topics together for search parameters as well as social interaction and affiliation. The project leverages this hashtag culture by presenting a three-year revitalization project in the form of a web-based game addressing matters of project design and implications, implementation strategy, and evaluative measures.

Many African American churches in America are experiencing a decline in attendance and participation. The typical church goes through a life-cycle that includes the church's birth, infancy, maturity, stagnation, and death. However, it is possible to create a rebirth process that will restart the life-cycle from the beginning. This thesis develops a strategic plan to initiate church rebirth and build momentum for the congregation. This project's research approach will include interviews with the leaders of a medium-size African American church in Dallas's suburbs. The project will also include survey questionnaires to congregants, former church members, and random subjects selected through social media to determine the church's perceptions and leadership trends. The research will also include a sociological review of the church’s dialectic characteristics to ascertain its community involvement. The project will generate value for the ministry by helping church leaders understand how to create momentum to build churches using the tools designed in this study.

This document analyzes Adolphus Hailstork’s cantata, I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes, featuring text from Psalms 121, 13, and 23. The author contends that Hailstork uses cultural musical elements of the Black Church throughout the entire composition. Beginning with a brief biography of the composer, the author then provides a movement-by-movement examination of salient musical features and Black Church cultural traditions Hailstork employs to highlight the text of his selected psalms. Advisor: William Shomos

Discipleship and technology are interrelated. Discipleship is the process of maturing in Christ through our actions, life, and words, as well as how we present ourselves to the world. This must become integral to the vitality and mission of the traditional Black Church. Technology is a resource that can assist the traditional Black Church to fulfill the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19-20. This thesis premise is supported by applied research (survey findings from pastoral leaders within the General Missionary Baptist Convention of Georgia), academic research (scholarly material from experts in the fields of theology, sociology, statistics, and church growth), and the Bible.

The purpose of this project was to discover the roles and responsibilitiesof black pastors' wives in the Shepherds Connection. In designing this project, afive-point Likert scale questionnaire was distributed to sixty-six participants.Results revealed that prominent roles included: women's ministryoverseer, teacher, counselor, worship leader, and preacher/minister. Leastprominent roles were: prophet, supervisor, children's ministry leader, and teenministry leader. Furthermore, a majority of participants found responsibilitiesincluded involvement in administration, church-running decisions, programmaticministry design and worship design. Most participants also responded thatmeeting with political leaders and officiating weddings, funerals, and baptisms felloutside responsibilities.

Although the United States is becoming more accepting of LGBTQ identities, black people are still more likely than other racial groups to disapprove of non-heterosexuality. Previous research points to religion as a potential explanation for the more conservative sexual mores among blacks, but few studies have examined how religious institutions influence individual perspectives concerning sexual orientation. Using cultural theory and the institutional logics perspective, this article draws upon in-depth interviews with 20 black Christians to examine congregational climates toward non-heterosexuality. Further, this study examines how congregants perceive and evaluate their congregations’ climates concerning sexual orientation. Findings suggest black congregations tend to foster climates that are not affirming of non-heterosexuality; however, there is variation in how black congregations demonstrate non-affirmation. Respondents recalled similar experiences of non-affirmation of non-heterosexuality in their congregations but differed in their understanding of what constituted condemnation of LGBTQ identities. Furthermore, the majority of respondents expressed disapproval with black churches’ stances concerning non-heterosexuality, indicating dissonance between congregational climates and congregants’ individual views. These results help clarify the role religion plays in shaping individual views concerning sexual orientation and have implications for efforts to reduce homophobia among black people.

This research is a qualitative examination of African American pastors from urban communities who address the needs of congregants and/or local communities affected directly, or indirectly by mass incarceration. The Black Church, because of its unique sociocultural location and historic role as resource for Black social and economic problems, must help supply the answers to the devastating collateral damage of mass incarceration that primarily affect children and families. The study sets out to understand urban pastors’ perceptions of the role of the Church in the post mass incarceration era. Specifically, the study examines the unique contributions of the African American religious experience via strategies, practices and experiences of urban pastors that directly and indirectly address the harms and collateral damage of mass incarceration on individuals, children, families and communities of color. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA: Antioch University Repository and Archive, http://aura.antioch.edu/ and Ohiolink ETD Center, https://etd.ohiolink.edu/

This study concentrates on issues dealing with the decline of attendance in African American churches. Although long-standing statistics since the Civil Rights Era have always shown the African American Church keeping higher audience percentage than European American churches, the tide has changed, and now African American churches are uncharacteristically declining at a faster rate than usual. Unchurched young adults, particularly African American males, are disproportionately missing in the African American church. The fundamental purpose of this study is to focus specifically on evangelical denomination African American churches in Johnston County, North Carolina by employing quantitative and qualitative research. The survey collected recorded interviews with twenty pastors of African American or multicultural churches. The results of this study suggest several factors contribute to the decline of African American church attendance. Without a doubt, the African American Church has an epidemic attendance problem that has a backdrop of spiritual, social, and economic factors. This report makes recommendations for reversing the dwindling attendance problem.

Despite the Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision to legalize same-sex marriage, none of the seven mainline historically Black denominations have sought to redefine marriage or affirmatively welcome “out” LGBTQIA bodies of color. Notwithstanding the lack of radical hospitality and LGBTQIA affirmation within Black denominations, there are Black churches that unashamedly provide unprejudiced pastoral care, hospitable spiritual formation, and radically affirmative ecclesial settings for LGBTQIA persons of color. To date, no ecclesiological or practical theological research has been conducted on the practices of radical hospitality within these open and affirming Black congregations. Within my dissertation, I examine how three historically Black churches have queered their ecclesial contexts. I research three open and affirming Black congregations in the Boston, Massachusetts Metro Area to answer the following questions: How do these congregations understand what it means to be the church? What are the key defining characteristics of their ecclesiology? How and why have these churches “queered” their Black ecclesial contexts, including both their theology and praxis? The purpose of this investigation is to better understand why some Black congregations practice more radical inclusivity and what that might mean for the future of “Black churches” and Black ecclesiology. I intend to reimagine the nature, mission, and practices of the Christian church itself. While I am sure the findings of this research will contribute to the fields of Black church studies, ecclesiology, and practical theology, my goal is to preserve the history, protect the dignity, address the needs, examine the obstacles, foster understanding, reflect on the experiences, humanize the narratives, and analyze the ecclesiological elements of these particular congregations in order to work towards a Black queer ecclesiology.

This project explores the role of Black Baptist churches – both past and present – in educational reform. Transformative civility offers a practical theological leadership model that engages in phronēsis and conscientization for liberation. The study focuses on Northumberland County, Virginia, and draws upon Robert London Smith’s Black Existential Theological Hermeneutic (BETH) method. The BETH method uncovers practical and theological challenges and demonstrates how transformative civility can promote educational reform. In such reform, phronēsis (practical wisdom) and conscientization (critical consciousness) awaken and empower the church and community to take action and provide equal access and justice for all citizens regardless of race.

An educational group curriculum was developed whereby a controlled trial involving an HIV prevention program designed and tailored to the lives of older African American women was carried out in a church setting. The model was tested using a sample of 62 women, 29 of whom were assigned to the experimental condition and 33 to the comparison condition. Measures of HIV knowledge, stigmatizing attitudes toward people living with HIV, self-efficacy beliefs and behaviors, and psychological wellbeing were utilized to test the effect of the 4-session group intervention on change in these variables from pretest to posttest. Between-within subjects analyses of variance showed that participation in the study was associated with an increase in HIV knowledge and self-efficacy regarding taking control of one’s life and circumstances, regardless of group assignment. In addition, participation in the study was associated with a significant improvement in the women’s psychological wellbeing; i.e., decreased depressive symptoms. This change in depressive symptoms was due in part to the experimental condition assignment. Efficacy beliefs about condom use and stigmatizing attitudes about people living with HIV were nonsignificant. Implications for future HIV prevention interventions and research are discussed.

Contending for the Faith Church Ministries was founded in 2004. It is a predominantly African American congregation located in the eastern North Carolina city of Wilson. Since the church’s founding, the gender gap in involvement has been obvious. It is quite clear that men’s involvement is significantly lower than the than that of women within this congregation. This project will suggest a model to increase involvement of African American men at Contending for the Faith Church. Taking into consideration the challenges faced by African American men in America as well as specifically in the community surrounding the church, this study will assist Contending for the Faith Church in its goal to get African American men more involved and to effectively address these challenges. This project will be constructed in the form of a case study involving select members of Contending for the Faith Church. It will use questionnaires and interviews to establish the problem, discuss related issues, and reach positive solutions.

This study explored the lack of financial literacy and accountability of church leaders within black Baptist Church in fulfilling their financial stewardship responsibilities in overseeing the church’s resources. In order for churches to grow both spiritually and financially, the church leaders are critical to the overall success and sustainability of the organization. The conceptual framework for this study was based on the stewardship theory, which implied that church leaders would perform as responsible stewards in managing the church’s resources. In this study, the researcher used a qualitative method with a case study design to explore the education and experiences of 12 church leaders in performing their financial responsibilities and to discover their perceptions in fulfilling their financial stewardship responsibilities. Prior research revealed that black church leaders had minimum skills, education, and experience in dealing with the financial operations of the church, and ineffective financial practices and procedures led to fraudulent activities or misappropriation funds. Inconsistent with prior research, this study revealed that church leaders in black Baptist Churches in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the U.S. were educated and appeared capable of implementing proper stewardship over the church’s resources.

Objective: To identify pastors’ and parents’ opinions of the Black Church’s role in promoting adolescent sexual health and preventing teen pregnancy. The Black Church institution is an important partner in preventing teen pregnancy. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with Black Church pastors (n=31) and parents (n=36) in two counties in a southwestern state. Interviews were conducted September 2014-July 2015 (pastors) and February-June 2017 (parents). The question paths were developed based on interviews with local leaders, literature searches, and key informant interviews. Questions included knowledge/beliefs about sexuality education, church’s role in preventing teen pregnancy, and implementation obstacles. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed for themes. Results: Seven pastor themes emerged: 1) all pastors believed the Black Church should address teen pregnancy with parents/congregants; 2) two major obstacles emerged: a) all pastors perceived social consequences, including resistant parents; and b) many were uncomfortable discussing contraceptives/condoms; 3) all pastors were willing to partner with organizations, but most had reservations based on conflicting missions/values; 4) pastor response to teen sexual activity and teen pregnancy was grounded in patriarchal Black Church institution; 5) pastors discouraged teen sex based on biblical beliefs and complications of sex but used different ways; 6) many pastors perceived their church congregants’ responses to teen pregnancy as loving and supportive, other pastors said congregants were judgmental and insisted on negative consequences for the pregnant/parenting female; 7) pastors’ opinions of their leadership role and their response shifted when dealing with teen sexual activity to teen pregnancy. Five parent themes emerged: 1) most parents said there should be no boundaries on the type of sexuality information shared by their church, but later changed their minds after reviewing a list of potential topics; 2) parents listed parent-child communication, goals and dreams, and relationships as the most important topics for a teen pregnancy prevention intervention; 3) parents said the information shared during workshops should be judgement-free and realistic; 4) parents most often said pastors and/or youth pastors/directors should deliver sexual health information; 5) parents believed older adults and other parents may oppose teen pregnancy prevention programs. Conclusions: These studies add to sexual health literature that explores the interrelationship between the Black Church and public health institutions and their roles in preventing teen pregnancy. Black Church pastors and parents were supportive of teen pregnancy prevention programs in the church. However, public health partners must be willing to compromise and overcome significant obstacles.

This dissertation evaluates the political decision-making process of black clergy around President Obama's gay rights agenda. Specifically, I use quantitative and qualitative techniques to determine how clergy shaped their public discourse in response to the liberalization of Obama's beliefs on gay rights throughout his presidency. My analysis finds that a range of cues, including sociodemographic, ideological, and contextual factors, drives the decision of clergy to speak out for or against Obama on gay rights. Furthermore, I find that clergy rely on compartmentalization and issue pivoting in order to balance overall support for Obama with repudiation of his gay rights agenda. Finally, I find that, contrary to conventional thinking on attitudes toward social regulatory issues, clergy exhibit a continuum of mainstream and radical beliefs on gay rights. These findings collectively suggest that the popular narrative of homophobia among black church leadership should be revised in favor of less monolithic treatments. iii

Historically, the Black church has acted as the leader and social service provider in the black community. Despite the church’s successes in providing support to alleviate health disparities, the HIV/AIDS epidemic has remained largely ignored. Research has shown that rather than just providing information about high risk HIV behavior, underlying inequities also need to be addressed. This analysis contains data from four separate qualitative focus groups containing faith leaders and community members and preliminary quantitative data from community members. Responses from community members and faith leaders are compared and reported relating poverty, violence, HIV, and other inequities within their neighborhoods. The analysis focuses on the common themes of perceived barriers and future recommendations given by the community members and faith leaders. Community members and faith leaders both identified structural barriers and inequalities. With regards to HIV services, community members were concerned with confidentiality as well as availability and extent of services. Faith leaders discussed possible conflicts with church teachings and funding. Both groups acknowledged the impact of stigma. These findings highlight greater environmental factors that impact HIV services in black ministries, but also includes changes that could be addressed by ministries at the local level.

The perennial problem of intimate partner violence (IPV) has gained national attention due to the increased awareness efforts of advocates, law enforcement, government, education, and social service agencies. This awareness serves as the catalyst for the upsurge in legislation, law enforcement involvement, and incarceration of abusers. Although the secular community has strategically implemented tactics and policies to combat abuse, the Black church continues to experience challenges with awareness and effective stratagems to address the issue. Further, the issue of domestic violence in the Black church has significant impact on women who suffer intolerable mistreatment at the hands of their abusers. The motive for domestic abuse against women is grounded in power, control, and fear. Therefore, it is imperative for the church to examine the current practices utilized to address IPV against women. The Black church must also analyze why women are hesitant to report and remain in abusive relationships. The outcome of the writing will emphasize training for pastors and church leaders to recognizing the signs and symptoms of IPV and empower women to report abuse. The training will also present a component on the development of policies embedded within church bylaws and the creation of a human resource department to embed domestic violence awareness and prevention within the church bylaws. The training will also equip congregants to assist in the awareness campaign and prevention efforts to increase reporting. The writing will provide a pragmatic, holistic, and collaborative partnership between the faith-based and advocate communities to build a fence around victims and survivors to provide them with resources and serves to address IPV, provide safe spaces for women not ready to report, and services to assist victims who desire to flee abusive situations. First Lady Bonita James, affectionately known to her congregation as First Lady B., is an intelligent and compassionate woman who brings a sense of joy to any room with her contagious smile. She is a proud fourth generation Church of God in Christ (hereafter referred to as COGIC) member from the red hills of Georgia prior to her family relocating to New York City, New York in 1986. She became a Christian at the age of 15. First Lady B. has two brothers and one sister who serve in their father’s church, St. Matthew COGIC. Her younger brother Thomas serves as the assistant pastor while her sister Mary serves as the minister of music. The older brother Michael pastors his own congregation with his wife and family. First Lady B met a handsome and debonair preacher named Delbert James, an ordained elder at a local COGIC in New York City. They soon married in a storybook wedding ceremony. The family quickly grew in size with the birth of four children in an eight year span, the purchase of a five bedroom home in an upper middle class neighborhood, and two vehicles to support the new additions to the family. After Delbert entered into pastoral ministry, church membership quadrupled in the first year – it was hailed as one the fastest growing churches in the city. However, what began as the dream of a lifetime quickly turned into a nightmare. First Lady B. had strong reservations concerning meetings her husband conducted alone with women in the church, but would usually remain silent. The issue never subsided and instead grew more intense. Her concerns escalated after a heated confrontation in which she stood her ground and after one such fight, Pastor Delbert slapped her in the face. In the past, he had only raised his voice, however, this was the first of many times he began to use physical force. Pastor Delbert left an imprint of his hand on her face as she withdrew to her room and drenched her pillow with tears of shock and pain. The experience continued to grow worse as Delbert became more abusive and their conflict escalated through increasing confrontation, verbal arguments, threats, and abuse that was kept veiled from the children, her family, and the congregation. The family was perceived as the perfect family, always smiling and interacting with congregants, dressed impeccably, and very well behaved when attending family and church events. Pastor Delbert continued to preach every Sunday and remained faithful in addition to the sacerdotal duties of the church. Although he promised on many occasions to never hit her again, the abuse continued for the next twenty-five years and only ended when Pastor Delbert breathed his last breath.

This study uses phenomenological methods to answer the research question, “what do black pastors perceive as the role of the church in the black community?” I asked 20 Central Florida black pastors 17 questions, most of them open-ended, to determine their perceptions of the current black church. First, these pastors are dismayed at the condition and the position of the current black church. They view the history the black church as strong and stalwart, and the Civil Rights Movement as an example of what the institution is capable of doing and being. Second, they perceive the primary roadblock of the black church to be leadership. They do not see current pastors as having neither the vision nor the desire to make the church the instrument of social justice and change that it once was. They see current pastors trying to make a name for themselves instead of impacting the communities they serve. They also see member apathy as another issue that hinders the impact of the black church. They argue that many black people have climbed the social ladder and no longer desire to reach back and help other blacks in the community that they have exited. This study provides important insight into the current state and the perception of the direction of the black church from the vantage point of these men and women who lead black churches in Central Florida.

The question of the Black church's relevancy, power, and influence has been at the forefront of theological and social debates since the Civil Rights era. The continuation of these debates in the 21st century has postulated that today's Black church has become less theologically grounded and less vision-driven in initiatives and movements and is becoming ineffective advocates in addressing the social ills and challenges that cripple the upward mobility of individuals and communities. This study attempts to support the hypothesis that the Black church still possesses the relevancy, power, and influence as a vital and progressive community institution for positive social change in the twenty-first century. South Carolina's Black Baptist denomination is instrumental in providing empirical knowledge that introduces a proper perspective on how the Black church cultivates and utilizes social capital to promote engagement in social change, thus, supporting its claim of relevancy, power, and influence in this present day and age. This study utilizes a quantitative methodology to describe how Black Baptist churches in South Carolina, through their use of social capital, mobilize congregations for collective effort in shaping civic discourse, bringing about social change and facilitating the development of thriving individuals and communities. A convenience sample of 174 Black Baptist pastors from South Carolina completed a 57-item questionnaire. The overall results revealed that social capital has a positive effect on the likelihood of Black Baptist churches engaging in social change. Regression analyses were used to examine the predictive nature of pastor and congregation characteristics on social capital and social change engagement in South Carolina's Black Baptist churches. A total of nine predictor variables, including the pastor's age, seminary training, employment status, and pastor's view of the role of the church and the church's age, socioeconomic status, location, group importance, and membership size, were used to predict social change engagement and social capital. A correlation analysis was used to explore the relationship between social capital and social change engagement in Black Baptist churches in South Carolina. Results from these analyses indicated that seminary-trained and full-time pastors and that larger membership churches both had higher levels of social change engagement. The correlation analysis revealed that there is a significant positive relationship that exists between social capital and social change in Black Baptist churches in South Carolina. These findings have important implications for strengthening and mobilizing South Carolina's Black Baptist pastors and churches for engagement in social change initiatives and movements. This study signifies the unique dynamics of South Carolina's Black Baptist pastors and congregations that guide and impact their usage of social capital in addressing social change issues. The study also supports the need for a qualitative assessment of South Carolina's Black Baptist denomination's degree of effectiveness in engaging in social change issues and challenges. The findings may initiate dialogue and strategic planning that will provide the education, technical assistance, and resources needed for South Carolina's Black Baptist denomination to expand and develop new capacities, and to develop a multi-faceted, systemic approach to address social change issues.

In 2008, African Americans overwhelmingly supported Senator Obama in his bid for the Presidency. Their supported averaged at 95% of African American voters. At the same time that Senator Obama was on the ballet, Prop 8 - legislation designed to amend California's Constitution to define marriage as between a man and woman - was passed with a large majority of African American support. Why did strong Democrats vote in favor of a law that most Democrats rejected? Previous research has concluded it was the role of the Black Church in African American politics that moves the community to a more conservative ideology on social issues. Using polling data from 2010 and 2012, I will look at if President Obama had any impact on views on African Americans to see if he has sway in the same way as the Black Church. The key to these two data sets is that he changed his opinion on the issue of same-sex marriage very publically between these two polls. If he had an effect, a sizable change should show African American views on same-sex marriage.

Studies have examined the ways in which other mothering functions in the black community. Yet, few scholars have investigated how other mothering may operate in religious environments. This study utilizes a qualitative design with a feminist phenomenological approach to explore the ways in which the phenomenon of other mothering has evolved into a ministry for black women. A sample of 14 African American women were selected from the membership of two metropolitan Atlanta area churches, Mt. Olive Baptist Church and Big Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Focus groups and semi-structured interviews were analyzed using descriptive and pattern coding. Womanist theology was chosen as the theoretical framework. The researcher believes that this study contributes to the body of existing literature that examines mothers’ ministries and that the participants find liberation through their mothering roles despite their historical marginalization in the church.

Social capital scholars suggest that race influences an individual’s ability to access and mobilize resources. Since social capital is embedded in social relationships and not individuals, understanding the context of relationships is imperative for understanding social capital development. Organizations facilitating access to racially and socioeconomically diverse network ties are rare; however, interracial religious congregations may illuminate the mechanisms that influence interracial social development. Using data from in-depth interviews of 37 interracial congregation attendees in Columbus, OH, I investigate the influence of race on social capital development. Results reveal racial mechanisms impact how people characterize their close friendships and interracial resource exchanges. Using qualitative analyses, two major themes emerge: 1) people of color perceive comparatively greater relational intimacy with whites and, consequently, invest more frequently and with greater magnitude in resource exchanges and 2) whites include weak, institutionally tied friendships in their close network for cultural legitimation. Both themes, respectively named social deficits and the one friend rule, comprise the nuanced view of the impact of race on social capital development in interracial churches.

This essay examines three critiques that are broadly focused on the dimension of the black church: The identity of black folk through the lens of Christianity; the subjective content of what a black Christian constitutes that is often distorted; the objective significance of the Black Church that’s been polluted.1 With an amalgamation of political theory and philosophy of religion, it is important to redefine what Christianity means for those who take the Cross seriously. That is, the Cross is meant to symbolize a calling that reconciles suffering and sacrifice to the plight of black folk. In light of these critiques, I offer two reconstructive practices that may contribute to the discourse of black Christianity. The first is known as “Shalom,” raised by Presbyterian Minister Timothy Keller. The second prescription is a term I am coining called “Faithful Suicide.” This project contributes to the discussion of normative political theory which not only reckons infinitude in Christian theology but also in a way welcomes humility, orientation to judgment, and the possibility of Shalom in the face of the finite.

When it comes to the Black churchwoman’s identity her place in the Black church is highly prescribed and restrained. Black churchwomen are reduced to roles such as ushers, nurses, Sunday school teachers, hostesses, secretaries, clerks, deaconesses, first ladies and mothers of the church. However limited the roles and identities of Black women are thought to be it rarely includes a queer sexuality. It is within this context that the Black lesbian church member has been marginalized, spoken for and in many ways silenced. Using Foucault's theory of pastoral power and obligational salvation, this paper demonstrates how the discourses that come out of the church combined with the secular and spiritual power of the church has enabled the Black church to continue to fulfill its traditional obligations to both the spiritual self - in which the goal is salvation - and to the social self - in which the goal is civil liberties and freedom, whilst also holding on to forms of homophobia which both damage the spiritual self of Christian lesbians and restrict their civil liberties and freedom. Through the ethnographic study of four Black Christian lesbians this project begins to fill the profound gap in the knowledge, analysis and understanding of Black lesbian experiences within the Black church by unpacking: (1) Black Christian lesbians’ experiences in the Black church; (2) strategies they have developed for dealing with homophobia found in Black churches and (3) the spaces they find for themselves in the church in which they can create a sense of belonging.

A disproportionate number of African American adults are susceptible to influenza- related morbidity due to chronic health conditions. The purpose of this study was to examine factors influencing influenza vaccination decisions among African American adults ages 18 and older in Blount County, Tennessee. Factors included constructs of social influence, access, vaccine safety, doctor recommendations, and sources of knowledge regarding the flu vaccine. Research questions were formulated to specifically address factors influencing one’s decision to be immunized for influenza. The theory of planned behavior served as the framework for developing the study. A survey based on national phone surveys was modified and used with permission. The survey was revised and modified based on results from the nominal group technique and pilot testing. The convenience sample for the study was drawn from local Black Churches, a barber/beauty shop, and community center events. A total of 230 completed surveys were used for the study, with 18 surveys omitted due to missing data. Statistical analysis was conducted with SPSS 18.0. Descriptive statistics, content analysis, logistical regression modeling, and chi-square testing were used to analyze the data and address the research questions. According to this study, 53% of the participants received the flu vaccine during the 2009-2010 flu season, while 47% did not. Results indicated that there were no significant differences in demographic factors between vaccinated and non-vaccinated study participants. However, three specific factors were predictors of influenza immunization status between vaccinated and non-vaccinated study participants. Statistically significant predictors were social influence, vaccine safety, and sources of knowledge. For the predictor, social influence, study participants were twice as likely to receive the vaccine if family and close friends recommended immunization. Influenza immunization practices differed significantly according to positive perceptions of vaccine safety. Lastly, influenza immunization status differed significantly according to sources of knowledge about the vaccine. Family/friends, news/media, employer/work, community center, and school were significant sources of knowledge. The level of statistical significance was set at 0.05 for this study. Further research and health education efforts on influenza immunizations need to focus on vaccine safety, social influence, and culturally appropriate sources of knowledge. The three areas impact influenza immunization status among African Americans.

Despite the increased interest in the social institutional role of the Black Church in the African American community, few scholars have given serious attention to the role (or lack thereof) of the Black Church in addressing the sexual risk-taking behaviors of African American youth. The escalating concern with the increase in STD/STI contraction, unplanned pregnancies, and HIV/AIDS among African American youth has incited interest for expanding systematic research focusing on the African American youth population. The primary purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions of ministerial leaders and sexual health advocates in regards to the sexual risk behaviors of African American youth. This study differs from previous research by focusing specifically on the African American youth population as well as Black Churches within a specific southern geographical location that is traditionally defined as the ‘Bible Belt’ region. The specificity of this geographical region is directly related to the disproportionate impact of sexual risk behaviors in that area for African American youth, as reported by the CDC. This study describes the perceptions of Black ministerial leaders and sexual health advocates regarding the relevance and effectiveness of the Black Church as a social and religious institution. More specifically, the research is focused on sex education and faith in the lives of African American youth. In contrast to majority reports this study suggests that the voice of the Black Church is not silent. The voice of Black Church leadership acknowledges HIV/AIDS as a dire health challenge and pandemic in the African American community. More specifically, participants overwhelming agree that the church has a social responsibility to address sexuality issues, including the provision of faith-based sex education for African American youth. While the contention of sexual health advocates indicate that the Black Church has a long way to go in addressing preventive education they do support the voice of ministerial leaders that suggests the church is not only concerned, but has made notable efforts in promoting a trans

The discourse on homosexuality is by no means new. However, within the last several years we have seen an increase in the drive towards marriage equality. That drive coupled with technological advances has allowed people to take their conversations into new venues. Historically closed institutions such as churches have always had opinions on homosexuality yet the conversations stayed within the church or at the very least within the community. The increase in participatory media outlets such as Facebook, MySpace and YouTube has taken the dialogue surrounding homosexuality and the role of religion in assigning rights and worth outside of many private institutions including the Black church, making it part of public discourse. One of the places this dialogue can be found is YouTube. Serving as a platform rather than just a destination for social engagement, YouTube allows people to give life to their own conceptions from the convenience of home, opening up the possibility of global discourse. This opportunity to share your thoughts with the world is significant when looking at the Black church and homosexuality. The Black church has traditionally been a closed institution serving the needs of mainly Black people. The shift to public mediated outlets as a way to express oneself has altered the idea of what is appropriate to discuss in public and what remains inside of the Black community. YouTube helps to chart a generation of people whose civic participation challenges the conservative traditions of Black churches as well as demonstrates an inevitable progression in thought. My paper explores the myriad of public opinions on homosexuality and the Black church, using YouTube as the medium for discovery. Through analysis of video clips and comments, I explore the unique relationship between the Black church and homosexuality while analyzing the cultural and social significance of the Black Church as well as homophobia within the Black community.My research shows that the Black church operates out of: a conservative stance on issues surrounding gender and sexuality. I argue that this stance is both outdated and neglects the reality of the population of most Black churches. My analysis of YouTube shows that there is a grassroots movement to challenge the traditional teachings of the church on homosexuality. The larger public dialogue demonstrates: that despite the church’s teachings there are many people who 1) disagree with theological teachings and interpretations of homosexuality, 2) do not view homosexuality as a threat to the Black community or the Black family and 3) acknowledge the conflict between the dual identities that Black LBGT people have. The church needs to engage in a discourse that celebrates diversity and empowers LGBT people to embrace and claim all aspects of their identity.

Many Americans in the nineteenth century argued for limited education for blacks –or no education at all for African Americans in the south. As a result, black churches took up the role and pushed for education as a means to liberate African Americans. The African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church stands as a good exemplar for a black denomination that explicitly expressed in their policies that they understood the connection of education to African American liberation. This study is a historical analysis of the AME Church’s advocacy of African American empowerment through education from 1816 to 1893. In the AME Church’s nineteenth century doctrinal statements and publications the leaders explicitly stated that education was a necessary component for black liberation. In this dissertation I argue that, although there were other organizations that pushed for African American education in the nineteenth century, the African Methodist Episcopal Church stood at the fore in advocating for education and connecting it to African American liberation. My primary question is: How did the AME Church connect their advocacy for black education to liberation for African Americans in the nineteenth century?The dissertation will explore two aspects of liberation in the nineteenth century. During the first half of the nineteenth century–from the AME Church’s founding in 1816 through the end of the Civil war in 1865 –the Church worked toward a liberation that was focused on the abolition of slavery and overcoming racial oppression. In the latter half of the nineteenth century from 1865 to 1893 –with the death of Bishop Payne– the AME Church focused on a liberation that was geared toward the notions of uplift and self-agency within the black community, namely black social, economic, and political advancement. The last chapter will examine how this historical analysis has implications for transforming African American education in present times. The text will examine the black church and its ability to empower the African American community through education, focusing on research that has been done on the role of the contemporary black church in African American education.

This is a series of essays that explore one black woman’s journey that she embarks on to alter her body size to save her life and allow her to pursue her dream of a college career. As with any venture into unfamiliar territory, this woman encounters unexpected repercussions from her decision to undergo a major surgical procedure to facilitate her weight loss. As a child and young woman growing up in a community that does not disparage overweight women, the protagonist experiences intense feelings of guilt when she makes the choice to lose weight. Culturally, overweight women in her community hold places of respect and honor. The Roux-n-Y, the weight loss surgery she chooses, is commonly known as a gastric bypass. This is an invasive procedure which entails the cutting and rerouting of the intestines, as well as the reduction in the size of the stomach. This woman experiences the loss of several friends, especially a friend she’d had since childhood, who project their displeasure regarding the reduction of the size of her body. In addition, there is also reluctance on her friend’s part to encourage her pursuit of higher learning. They view the combined desire for weight loss and education as a double threat to their friendship and to the culture they have been immersed in since an early age. Throughout the essays this black woman demonstrates a stoic resolve and dedication to the betterment of her life and circumstances through efforts that will provide her with optimal health and academic success.

This dissertation argues that womanist rhetoric is a cultural discourse. It asks the questions, what is womanist rhetoric, who engages in womanist rhetoric, and what are the implications for womanist rhetoric in the everyday lives of Black women? I ask and answer these questions within the context of the Black Church as a cultural location and social institution. This allows for a rich and complex discussion of the organic elements of womanist rhetoric, which enter the academy but are not limited to the academy. I define the Black Church in both historic and contemporary terms to demonstrate the cultural location of womanism within African America.Womanist rhetoric has three pillars: authentic womanist voice, gendered cultural knowledge, and ethical discourse for salvation. This dissertation uses a mixed-methods approach to present each of these three elements. Historic and literary womanist shape my definition of womanist rhetoric. In centralizing Black women's narratives through womanist discourse, Black women create spaces in which and through which they make their voices heard and their presence known. Through this engaged discourse within and outside of the Black Church, African American women have created and maintained spaces for authentic womanist voice. African American women daily embody the process of womanist rhetoric. Through an analysis of Wanda Davis Turner as a womanist minister, I am able to discuss womanist rhetoric in the context of the sermon. Womanist rhetoric goes beyond womanist theory and beyond womanist theology to get at the root of the cultural meanings within the deep cultural spaces African American women inhabit daily. Through her sermon Sex Traps, Wanda Davis Turner presents herself as an authentic womanist voice within the Black Church. Her sermon and book series Sex Traps utilizes gendered cultural knowledge to explore issues of morality and the ethical discourse of salvation that constitute womanist discourse.

This qualitative study examines the ways in which an elderly African American clergywoman constructs meaningful communication and makes sense of her life, in an effort to identify culturally appropriate pedagogical models for teachers of African American students. Extensive attention is given to past records of African American clergywomen in the United States to foster greater understanding of the struggles and historical significance of a community and academic resource that has previously received little, if any attention in educational research. Combinations of the folkloristic and womanist approaches were utilized in the analysis of three field observations, and narratives included in a sermon. Three distinct themes emerged relating to celebration, prophecy, and the call. Findings were developed to suggest pedagogical strategies that teachers can learn from preachers.

This research is an ethnography which investigates the effects of Hurricane Katrina upon the capacity of African American Protestant churches in New Orleans to provide spiritual and social ministry to the city's underprivileged. More than three years after Hurricane Katrina unleashed its fury upon the city, fifty per cent of the churches remain as the hurricane left them. Pre-Katrina, fifty per cent of the population lived at or below the poverty line and depended upon faith-based programs as part of their support network and ladder toward selfsufficiency. Because of the disaster, there was substantive loss of parishioners, financial resources, and program operational infrastructure that severely limited or destroyed faith-based capacity to serve. The purpose of the study is to examine what social vulnerabilities and barriers hinder churches' capacity to serve community needs in four particular areas, including providing and advocating for affordable housing, quality health care, strategies for eliminating poverty, and disaster evacuation education, preparedness and response. The researcher hypothesizes that structural and institutional racism were already undermining that capacity pre-Katrina and continues to hinder it more than three years since. The study investigates the veracity of this hypothesis. It attempts to offer strategies to help mitigate the social vulnerabilities and increase the community's resiliency and sustainability against future disasters. This research is important because it provides increased awareness and understanding of how pre-existing social vulnerabilities in combination with Hurricane Katrina contributed to the lingering diminished capacity of the church and community. It also provides insight into how the faith community's attitude and action toward handling its vulnerabilities lead to increased resiliency and sustainability, and suggest a course of action toward the alleviation of marginalization of both the faith institutions and the people they serve.