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THE IMPORTANCE OF CONGREGATIONAL ANALYSIS FOR NEW PREACHERS A THESIS-PROJECT SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GORDON-CONWELL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF MINISTRY BY MICHAEL WASHINGTON MAY, 2020 Copyright ©2020 By Michael Washington. All Rights Reserved. Dedicated to Pastor Isaiah E. Smith. Thank you, Pastor Smith, for seeing God’s calling on my life when I was a young boy, investing thirty-nine years into my life, giving me an opportunity to exercise my spiritual gifts, and developing me into the servant leader I am today. Your wisdom has been a well of water that I have often drunk from. Your words have encouraged me. Yours prayers have kept me. Your actions demonstrated how much you believed in me. Your leadership has guided and developed me. Your life has modeled godly character and biblical manhood before me. Your ministry has inspired me. Your right hand has blessed me. Your faithfulness and perseverance has taught me. Your expository preaching has convinced and convicted me. No one has had more spiritual impact on my life than you. I am forever indebted and grateful. —I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. Jeremiah 3:15 v CONTENTS List of Illustrations ...................................................................................................... vii Acknowledgements .................................................................................................... viii Abstract ........................................................................................................................ ix Chapter 1. The Problem and Its Setting .........................................................................1 Identification of the Problem .............................................................................2 The Author’s Personal Desire for the Study ......................................................4 Research Questions ............................................................................................6 Chapter 2. Biblical and Theological Backgrounds ........................................................8 Theology of Preaching .......................................................................................8 Theology of Pastoring ......................................................................................19 Theology of the Church ...................................................................................26 Chapter 3. Literature Review .......................................................................................37 Differing Perceptions on What Constitutes a Good Sermon ...........................38 Methods for Doing Congregational Analysis ..................................................46 Conclusion .......................................................................................................53 Chapter 4. Project Design ............................................................................................55 Research Design ...............................................................................................56 Research Methods ............................................................................................58 Data Processing ................................................................................................63 Conclusion .......................................................................................................64 Chapter 5. Outcomes ....................................................................................................66 Introduction ......................................................................................................66 vi Interpretation of Findings ................................................................................66 Congregational Analysis Training Manual ......................................................76 Implications......................................................................................................81 Limitations and Suggestions for Further Study ...............................................82 Conclusion .......................................................................................................84 Appendices ...................................................................................................................86 Appendix A. Survey Group A .........................................................................86 Appendix B. Transcribed Interview with Industry Expert ...............................93 Appendix C. Congregational Analysis Training Manual ..............................101 Bibliography ..............................................................................................................105 Vita .............................................................................................................................108 vii ILLUSTRATIONS TABLES Table 1. Participant Groups .........................................................................................58 Table 2. Survey Questions Group A ............................................................................61 Table 3. Interview Questions Group B1 ......................................................................62 FIGURES Figure 1. Do you struggle to write effective sermons or sermon series? .....................67 Figure 2. Have you been trained in congregational analysis? .....................................68 Figure 3. Do you think that conducting a congregational analysis would enhance you ability to write effective sermons or sermon series? ........................................69 Figure 4. Do you currently conduct congregational analysis? .....................................69 Figure 5. The five methods of congregational analysis ...............................................77 Figure 6. Increased positive feedback ..........................................................................81 viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thank you to: Kandice Washington, my wife, who has supported me in so many ways throughout my writing process. Michael, Dylan, Micah, Mya, and Danah, my children, who have sacrificed time spent with me in order to allow me time to research and write. Jeffrey Arthurs, my D.Min. professor, who has encouraged me over the past seven years not to give up on completing my thesis. Jean Turman, my editor, who helped me with thesis structure and grammatical editing. Dr. Draper Wright, my longtime friend, who has inspired me academically starting in undergraduate school through my doctoral program. ix ABSTRACT This thesis-project set out to determine whether first-time pastors struggle to write effective sermons or sermon series because they do not know their congregations and they do not make use of the methods employed through congregational analysis. The author reviewed literature, surveyed first-time pastors and interviewed seasoned pastors, and consulted with an industry expert. Then, he compiled this quantitative and qualitative data. Next, the author looked at the implications of the findings and walked through the scenario of the first-time pastor’s usage of a congregational analysis training manual, designed by the author. Limitations of the study and recommendations for further research are presented, followed by a summary of the study overall. 1 CHAPTER ONE THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING This thesis explores one facet of preaching: congregational analysis. Preaching can be described as the communicating of God’s truth by God’s servant to meet the needs of people.1 Parishioners sit in the pews each week with spiritual and emotional needs that they are expecting to be met by the preaching of God’s Word. Andrew D. Lester writes, “Ministry in crisis situations has a long history in the Christian Church (as in all religions). When religious people are in crisis, they frequently seek out the pastor/priest because the suffering that attends crises raises spiritual and theological questions.”2 Preaching can also be used as a tool for discipleship with the purpose of helping individuals to grow in their obedience to God. This is what Paul had in mind when he states, “Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16, NET). This thesis deals with the world of the contemporary audience. It addresses the disparities that exist in developing and preaching sermon series that address the needs of the congregation. It also addresses the process of eliminating those disparities through congregational analysis. Chapter One sets forth the problem and setting as well as my thesis statement. Chapter Two lays out the theological framework that informs my thesis. Chapter Three consists of the literature review. In it I discuss what other authors have written about homiletics, public speaking, new pastors, and church analysis. Chapter Four 1 Warren Wiersbe and David W. Wiersbe, The Elements of Preaching (Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. , 1986), 17. 2 Andrew D. Lester, Hope in Pastoral Care and Counseling (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1995), 57.