View Item 
  •   Boyce Digital Repository Home
  • Dissertations, Theses, and Projects
  • Open Access Dissertations and Theses
  • View Item
  •   Boyce Digital Repository Home
  • Dissertations, Theses, and Projects
  • Open Access Dissertations and Theses
  • View Item
JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

Browse

All Digital CollectionsCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjects

Social ecological factors in shaping the attitudes and responses of ministers' children toward full-time Christian ministry

Thumbnail
View/Open
3128845.pdf (5.023Mb)
Date
2004-05-01
Author
Fung, Kam See Cheung
Advisor
Williams, Dennis E.
Metadata
Show full item record
Subject
Children of clergy
Clergy--Family relationships
Clergy--Office
Abstract
This dissertation examines the social ecological factors in shaping the attitudes and responses of ministers' children (PKs) toward full-time Christian ministry. Data emerging from the descriptive qualitative research methodology of this study broaden Christian leaders' understanding of PKs, and inform clergy parents who seek to raise PKs with a positive attitude and response toward full-time Christian ministry. The research consisted of thirty-four semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. Each provided rich descriptive data for analysis. The targeted population for this study was ministers' children who are adults in full-time Christian ministry or those preparing for full-time Christian ministry in North America. In this study, the sample included adult PKs who are students, staff, and faculty at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. The findings have shown that the minister's family and its interactions with the church play an important role in shaping the attitudes and responses of the ministers' children toward full-time Christian ministry. The predominant positive factors identified were the following: parents/family, youth ministers/other mentors, Christian college experience, sheltered from church conflicts, ministerial exposure and involvement, positive church experience, and missions experience. The number one positive factor is from the family microsystem, especially the parents. The father's role in setting a proper boundary between family and church, such as shielding the church conflicts from the PKs, is important. The predominant negative factors identified were the following: negative church experience, church conflicts, expectations from church members, forced termination, financial stress, and lack of spiritual nourishment at home. A predominant theme mentioned across the cases, although not strictly social ecological, was the calling for full-time Christian ministry and the transforming power of God. Many PKs expressed that these had overridden the negative factors they had experienced. Further research is encouraged to examine the specific ways in which each pattern/theme influences the attitudes and responses of ministers' children toward full-time Christian ministry. It is the present researcher's goal that the findings will inform the clergy parents as well as the church in their effort of raising the next generation of men and women who would support the Christian ministry.
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10392/319
Collections
  • Open Access Dissertations and Theses

DSpace software copyright © 2002-2025  DuraSpace
Contact Us | Send Feedback
DSpace Express is a service operated by 
Atmire NV