Date

8-20-2026

Department

Rawlings School of Divinity

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Christian Leadership (PhD)

Chair

Rich Sironen

Keywords

Discipleship, spiritual formation, diversity, intergenerational

Disciplines

Christianity | Religion

Abstract

Despite the availability of Christian education curricula and teaching tools in churches today, a significant disconnect exists in the programs designed to develop spiritually mature adults who actively live as disciples of Christ. This gap between religious instruction and transformative spiritual growth represents a critical challenge for contemporary Christian education. Traditional approaches have underperformed due to inadequate professional development and implementation fidelity. Grounded in Morris’ (2020) Four Pathways for Christian Discipleship framework and Hull’s (2010) Church-Centered Disciple-Making Plan, with this phenomenological qualitative study, the researcher explored effective strategies for discipleship and spiritual formation among adults in Southern Baptist Convention ministries in Texas. This researcher examined intergenerational, relationally based discipleship models that bridge the implementation gap, offering a more impactful framework for discipleship leveraging relational depth across age groups. Participants included individuals aged 18–80 who have maintained at least two years of active engagement in Bible training within selected Southern Baptist Convention ministries in Texas. Data collection includes a demographic survey administered to participants and semi-structured interviews with leadership team members. The study findings showed servant leadership and relational presence is significant to the discipleship process. The findings also affirmed theological fidelity serves as a critical anchor for discipleship. And finally, this researcher found learning together across generations is critical for bridging the gap.

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