CAREY THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE
DENOMINATIONAL ATTRITION
AMONG ADULT CHILDREN OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CLERGY
BY
MARTIN HERBERT WEBER
A Doctor of Ministry Project submitted
In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Ministry.
Vancouver, British Columbia
MARCH 2008
CAREY THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE
DOCTOR OF MINISTRY PROGRAM
The undersigned certify that they have read, and recommend for acceptance a
Doctor of Ministry Project entitled
DENOMINATIONAL ATTRITION
AMONG ADULT CHILDREN OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CLERGY
Submitted by MARTIN WEBER
In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF MINISTRY.
Dr. Brian F. Stelck (Supervisor)
Dr. Timothy Colborne
April 2008
CAREY THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE
RELEASE FORM
NAME OF AUTHOR: MARTIN HERBERT WEBER
TITLE OF PROJECT: DENOMINATIONAL ATTRITION AMONG ADULT
CHILDREN OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CLERGY
DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF MINISTRY
YEAR THIS DEGREE GRANTED: 2008
Permission is hereby granted to the Regent-Carey Library to reproduce copies of this Doctor Of Ministry project and to lend or sell such copies for private, scholarly or scientific research purposes only.
The author reserves all other publication and other rights in association with the copyright in the project, and except as hereinbefore provided neither the project nor any substantial portion thereof may be printed or otherwise reproduced in any material form whatever without the author’s prior written permission.
Martin Weber
Current address in full
5327 Tipperary Trail; Lincoln, Nebraska 68512, U.S.A.
March 17, 2008
I dedicate this research project to the retired clergy parents of the Mid-America Union of Seventh-day Adventists, half of whom conscientiously and courageously cooperated with the researcher in this project.
My prayer is that their prayers on behalf of children in attrition will be answered, so that every pastoral family will enter the joy of the Lord together, worshiping the Lamb at the throne of God.
Section V: Finding and Recommendations
Appendix A: Letter #1 to Clergy Parents
Appendix B: Letter to Conference Leaders
Appendix C: Letter to Retired Clergy
Appendix D: Parental Questionnaire
Appendix E: Letter #2 to Clergy Parents
Appendix F: Adult Child Questionnaire #1 (long)
Appendix G: Letter to Adult Children
Appendix H: Adult Child Questionnaire #2 (condensed)
Appendix I: Letter to Parents Requesting Contact Info
Appendix J: Numerical Coding Keys
Seventh-day Adventist clergy, with colleagues of all faith groups, often suffer the loss of adult children to denominational attrition. To identify the causative factors, a 111-point questionnaire was mailed to each of 222 active and retired clergy in the Mid-America Union of Seventh-day Adventists who have adult children. Data requested was based on the research question: What influences ...
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About Denominational Attrition among Adult Children of Seventh-Day Adventist ClergyWhy do so many pastors’ children abandon the church upon growing up? What’s behind this exodus from the parsonage into an unchurched adulthood? This study is unique in its focus on Seventh-day Adventist clergy parents, specifically their philosophy and methods of upbringing. Weber’s research provides a valuable window into the formative surroundings that contribute to or detract from future adult faithfulness. The core question is: What type of parsonage environment is associated with retention rather than attrition? Extracted from 21,000 data cells of information, Weber identifies 40 attrition factors—11 of them extreme. Among his findings: • The strongest predictor of future faithfulness as an adult is whether the PK during growing up years takes initiative to approach a clergy parent to discuss spiritual matters. • There is no greater cause of attrition than attempting to shield children from knowledge of, or to resist discussion about, church or denominational conflict. • While parental conservatism regarding lifestyle standards is not statistically significant in attrition, legalism in teaching or practicing those principles is a major negative factor. Undertaken as Martin Weber’s doctoral project, this study won top prize among his cohort at Carey Theological College, a Baptist seminary on the campus of University of British Columbia. |
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