Identification, Intervention, and Implementation of a Church Substance-Abuse Program for Twenty ...

146 Pages·2017·4.7 MB·English

LIBERTY UNIVERSITY

RAWLINGS SCHOOL OF DIVINITY

IDENTIFICATION, INTERVENTION, AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A CHURCH

SUBSTANCE-ABUSE PROGRAM FOR TWENTY-SIX TO FORTY-SIX YEAR OLDS

A Thesis Project Submitted to
Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

DOCTOR OF MINISTRY

BY

Michael Schmidt

Lynchburg, Virginia

February, 2017
DEDICATION

This author is deeply indebted to the mentor of this thesis project, Dr. Charlie Davidson,
and to the reader of this thesis, Dr. David W. Hirschman.

The high standards of scholarship in the Liberty University Doctor of Ministry program
are laudable. This student is also deeply indebted to Mountain Park First Baptist Church, Stone
Mountain, Georgia Pastor Dr. Paul Ballard.

To my wife, Officer Patricia Schmidt, and to my wonderful daughter, Emily Schmidt,
praise is offered for your patience and for continued encouragement and support. To my parents,
Beverly and Hoke Smith, thankfulness is given for supporting me from my early and green days
at Florida Bible College in 1982, until this very day.

To the faculty of Liberty University Rawlings School of Divinity, I profoundly cherish
and appreciate every single professor. I would like to thank Graduate Research Assistance
Librarian and Seminary Liaison Librarian, Randy Miller, who goes well above and beyond what
he is required to in order to assist Liberty University doctoral students to help them become
better researchers. The time that I spent at Liberty is worthy of admiration. The Liberty
University faculty and students have, since 1988, all been a great encouragement and inspiration
to me, helping me to truly become a “Champion for Christ.”

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IDENTIFICATION, INTERVENTION, AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A CHURCH
SUBSTANCE-ABUSE PROGRAM FOR TWENTY-SIX TO FORTY-SIX YEAR OLDS

RESEARCH PROJECT APPROVAL SHEET

______________
GRADE

___________________________
MENTOR, Dr. Charlie Davidson

__________________________
READER, Dr. David Hirschman
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ABSTRACT

IDENTIFICATION, INTERVENTION, AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A CHURCH
SUBSTANCE-ABUSE PROGRAM FOR TWENTY-SIX TO FORTY-SIX YEAR OLDS

Michael Schmidt
Liberty University, Rawlings School of Divinity
Mentor: Dr. Charlie Davidson

Peer-reviewed empirical research indicates that the church can improve how it equips
ministers to reach out to twenty-six to forty-six year olds suffering from substance abuse. This
thesis project will help ministers evaluate, rethink, and implement better addiction-outreach
programs. It is the intent of this thesis project to guide ministers and church workers, to give
them levelheaded, real-world, hands-on, sensible solutions in order to see clear-cut positive
progress in their outreach program to substance abusers. This thesis will answer the question: Is
the church doing a good job of identifying and ministering to substance-abusing addicts? This
doctoral thesis will provide helpful suggestions that ministers and church members can use to
help those who are suffering from substance abuse.

Abstract 118 words
iv
CONTENTS
DEDICATION ii
ABSTRACT iv
CONTENTS v
TABLES viii
ILLUSTRATIONS ix
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1
Statement of Importance and Purpose of Research 1
Statement of Limitations 9
Theoretical Basis for Topic Choice 9
Statement of Methodology 10
Review of Literature 14
Review of Scripture 29
CHAPTER TWO: SUBSTANCE-ABUSE DEPENDENCE 39
Substance Abuse: Extent of Problem 39
Generation X and Generation Y 41
The Difficulty of Overcoming Substance Abuse 43
The Church Investing in the Lives of Those Struggling with Addiction 48
Working with Healthcare Professionals 53
Alcohol Abuse 54
CHAPTER THREE: SUBSTANCE-ABUSE STUDY 56
State of Substance-Abuse Ministry in the Church 56
The State of Substance-Abuse Care 57
v
Substance-Abuse Care: Ministry 61
Hypothesis 62
CHAPTER FOUR: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY 78
Identifying the Problem 78
Intervention 82
Counseling 86
Spirituality and the Integration of Science and Scripture 87
Mentorship 91
Small Groups 93
Studying the Bible 94
Family Initiative 95
Leadership Training 96
Technology 98
Education 98
GED Classes – Adult High School 98
Dropout Prevention 99
Fatherlessness 100
Jail and Prison Ministry 101
CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION 103
The Church Must Be There for the Addicted 105
Opportunities for Further Development and Research from This Thesis Project 106
A New Hope for Church Substance-Abuse Ministry 107
BIBLIOGRAPHY 111
vi
APPENDIX A: SURVEY QUESTIONS 122
APPENDIX B: IRB REVIEW 137
vii
TABLES
Table 1. Part of the country in which survey respondents live 66
Table 2. Gender of survey respondents 67
Table 3. Involvement of survey respondents in ministering to substance abusers 70
Table 4. Substance-abuse programs in churches of survey respondents 72
Table 5. Contact of survey respondents with substance abusers in the last 5 years 75
Table 6. Percentage of ministers serving substance abusers, according to survey 83

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ILLUSTRATIONS
Figure 1. Part of the country in which survey respondents live 66
Figure 2. Gender of survey respondents 67
Figure 3. Involvement of survey respondents in ministering to substance abusers 69
Figure 4. Contact of survey respondents with substance abusers in the last 5 years 76

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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION

Statement of Importance and Purpose of Research
In the abstract of his doctoral thesis, Philip Watkins wrote: “A review of the literature
reveals that approximately half of all problems impacting American families are caused or
exacerbated by the abuse of alcohol or other drugs.”1 The significance of this thesis is that it
addresses the largest demographic of substance abuse in the United States, which is twenty-six to
forty-six year olds.2 Substance abuse often results in incarceration. Substance abuse among
African Americans is a tremendous problem in the United States. According to Sharon E. Moore,
the substance-abuse ministry in the Black church can be part of the solution:
Its work in effecting change in the current judicial and legislative policies on illegal drug-
related activity can help to eliminate the disparity that currently exists in the judicial
system as it relates to the inordinate number of young Black males who are interned for
drug related offences.3

“In the United States, men are incarcerated at a rate of 14 times higher than women and
young Black males are at a disadvantage relative to other groups who are in jail or prison.”4
Many have died from overdoses of illegal drugs; many have also died from abusing alcohol:

1 Philip A. Watkins, "Waltzing with the Monster: Interventions with the Substance-Abusing Adolescent for
Pastors, Treatment Providers, and Family" (PhD diss., Liberty University, 2006), 4.
2 National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Principles of Adolescent Substance Use Disorder Treatment: A
Research-Based Guide.” Accessed https://www.drugabuse.gov/sites/default/files/podata_1_17_14.pdf
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, substance-abuse problems in the United States are
greatest among twenty-six to forty-six year olds.
3 Sharon E. Moore et al., "The Black Church: Responding to the Drug-Related Mass Incarceration of
Young Black Males: ‘If You Had Been Here My Brother Would Not Have Died!’," Social Work & Christianity 42,
no. 3 (2015): 313.
4 Ibid., 315.
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