Date
8-20-2026
Department
Rawlings School of Divinity
Degree
Doctor of Education in Christian Leadership (EdD)
Chair
Jacob Dunlow
Keywords
Sustainability, strategic leadership, mentorship, Christian leadership, leadership development
Disciplines
Christianity | Educational Leadership
Recommended Citation
Brisco, Christopher David, "Building Sustainable Ministry Through Leadership Development: Evaluating a Biblically Grounded Leadership Model" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8791.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8791
Abstract
Many churches face declining participation, leadership fatigue, and inadequate succession planning, often due to a lack of intentional, structured leadership development systems. Although research indicates that mentoring, leadership training, and supervised ministry experiences strengthen leadership capacity and organizational sustainability, many congregations struggle to implement leadership development models that effectively integrate biblical principles with strategic organizational practices. This researcher examined the implementation and effectiveness of a biblically grounded leadership development model within The Church of the Redeemed of the Lord in Baltimore, Maryland, a multigenerational church with diverse ministry departments that provided an appropriate context for evaluating intentional strategic leadership development. Using a mixed-methods design, the researcher implemented a seven-week leadership development initiative that included four phases: assessment, orientation, development, and evaluation. The researcher identified opportunities to strengthen succession planning, formalize leadership development pathways, and increase cross-departmental collaboration. Benchmark and post-intervention assessments showed that intentional mentoring and structured leadership development enhanced participants’ understanding of strategic leadership planning and increased their confidence in it. Participants' awareness of strategic leadership increased while fostering greater organizational learning and collaboration. The resulting leadership development model offers a practical, biblically grounded approach that other ministry organizations can adapt to cultivate emerging leaders, strengthen succession planning, and sustain long-term ministry effectiveness.
