Staying in Ministry: a Qualitative Study of Seventh-day Adventist Women Pastors

217 Pages·2016·8.99 MB·English

by  Leslie Helfer Bumgardner

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Dissertations Graduate Research
2005
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Leslie Helfer Bumgardner
Andrews University
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Bumgardner, Leslie Helfer, "Staying in Ministry: a Qualitative Study of Seventh-day Adventist Women
Pastors" (2005). Dissertations. 252.
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Andrews University
School of Education
STAYING IN MINISTRY: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST WOMEN PASTORS
A Dissertation
Presented in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
by
Leslie Heifer Bumgardner
March 2005
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
UMI Number: 3164584
Copyright 2005 by
Bumgardner, Leslie Heifer
All rights reserved.
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STAYING IN MINISTRY: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST WOMEN PASTORS
A dissertation
presented in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree
Doctor of Philosophy
by
Leslie Heifer Bumgardner
APPROVAL BY THE COMMITTEE:
Chair: Shirley A. Freed Dean, School of Education
James R. Jeffery
Member: Eldte Jaakson
yErich Baumgartnl
:emal: Pamela Harris Date approved
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
ABSTRACT
STAYING IN MINISTRY: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST WOMEN PASTORS
by
Leslie Heifer Bumgardner
Chair: Shirley A. Freed
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH
Dissertation
Andrews University
School of Education
Title: STAYING IN MINISTRY: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF SEVENTH-DAY
ADVENTIST WOMEN PASTORS
Name of researcher: Leslie Heifer Bumgardner
Name and degree of faculty chair: Shirley A. Freed, Ph.D.
Date completed: March 2005
Problem
Women pastors in the Seventh-day Adventist Church function under limitations
not imposed upon their male colleagues. This study explored the pastoral experiences of
11 Adventist women clergy serving in the United States and what contributed to their
longevity in ministry.
Method
This qualitative study followed a narrative design. Data from the purposive
sample were obtained through face-to-face, semi-structured interviews. The constant
comparative method was utilized to code data into emergent themes. The following
methods were utilized to enhance internal validity: triangulation; member checks;
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clarifying researcher bias; rich/thick description; including negative or discrepant
information; and peer debriefing. Two composite women were used to represent the
themes from the interviews. The image of what a female pastor with longevity in ministry
looks like can be formed by the reader and provides the ability to assess if the results of
this analysis fit a particular situation, thus providing external validity. Hughes’s (1945)
conceptual framework, Dilemmas and Contradictions of Status, provided further
understanding of the findings.
Results
The women in this study show they are responding to the call of God. For many,
their entry into ministry and subsequent service involved challenges, a lack of female role
models, and juggling multiple roles, notably that of pastor and mother. Their joys revolve
around connections with people and making a difference in the lives of individuals.
Thoughts of leaving have entered their minds. Ultimately, deep commitment to
their pastoral calling overrides thoughts of leaving. A life changed as a result of their
work as pastors further solidifies their decision to stay. When speaking of needed
supports, they express a desire for greater trustworthiness in church leaders, and appeal
for equality in function, if not ordination.
Conclusions
The women show depth of conviction about their calling. Making a difference in
the lives of people is a focal point of their ministry. When challenges come from church
members, colleagues, or church leaders, they remember that the authority by which they
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live their lives exceeds the authority of any earthly power, and until God makes clear to
them that they should change course, they will remain pastors.
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