Date
9-17-2026
Department
Rawlings School of Divinity
Degree
Doctor of Education in Christian Leadership (EdD)
Chair
Baylor Whitney
Keywords
Leader development, Experience-Driven Leader Development, Christoform development, Spiritual Direction
Disciplines
Leadership Studies | Religion
Recommended Citation
Tanner, Virgil Lee Jr., "The Amateur Class: A Christoform, Communal, Experience-Driven Leader Development Approach for the Missionary Church" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8952.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8952
Abstract
The Missionary Church, like many Christian organizations, faces recurring leadership transitions in which emerging leaders must assume responsibilities that exceed their developmental preparation. This challenge reflects the absence of a shared, coherent leader development framework that leverages experience for development and integrates Christoform spirituality and professional growth. This study examined the feasibility and potential impact of The Amateur Class, a Christoform, experience-driven leader development intervention combining narrative reflection, a three-day in-person retreat, virtual learning cohorts, and a capstone virtual retreat. Using a mixed-methods design, the study quantitatively assessed changes in self-awareness (Self-Reflection and Insight Scale [SRIS]), tolerance for ambiguity (Multiple Stimulus Types Ambiguity Tolerance Scale-II [MSTAT-II]), and meaning-making capacity (Formative Narrative Coherence Coding) through pre- and post-intervention measures. Post-intervention qualitative data explored participants’ perceived developmental growth, relational connection, competence with experience-driven learning, and perceived spiritual formation, collected through a structured Hybrid Developmental Formation Instrument and triangulated with researcher reflexive field notes. The sample (n=11) included four missionaries, four pastors, and three organizational leaders within the Missionary Church. The intervention occurred over ten weeks. This study aimed to evaluate a measurable and replicable model of leader development that integrates spirituality and leadership experience developmentally, to inform future research into the integration of spirituality and experiential development, and to provide the Missionary Church with a practical approach to Christoform leader development.
