Date

9-17-2026

Department

Rawlings School of Divinity

Degree

Doctor of Education in Christian Leadership (EdD)

Chair

Daniel Thompson

Keywords

Choctaw, Ministry, partnerships, Native American, Cross-Cultural Ministry Guide, Imago Dei, servant stewardship, storytelling.

Disciplines

Religion

Abstract

This project filled a gap in the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board’s ministry agenda by creating a Cross-Cultural Ministry Guide for those who desired to work with Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (MBCI) churches. Historically, Choctaw people were wrongly told they had to give up their heritage to follow Jesus, creating a painful tension between their faith and culture. The purpose of the Ministry Guide was to build a stronger relationship with the Choctaw community by encouraging outside ministry teams to understand past hurts and see Choctaw culture through a biblical perspective. To test the guide, group discussions were held after both a curated MBCB team and Choctaw leaders took questionnaires. The results showed that MBCB gained a much better understanding of Choctaw history and realized why their past ministry methods failed. Most notably, 81.3% of partners agreed that staying for the long haul matters more than hosting large, one-time events. Learning from history and respecting local culture help heal old wounds and build lasting partnerships. Ministry groups should use similar cultural guides before starting work in new communities.

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