Date
4-2016
Department
School of Divinity
Degree
Master of Arts (MA)
Chair
David J. Pederson, Augusto P. Rodriguez
Keywords
African-American, Education, Global Missions, Global Missions Training, Missionary/Missionaries Missions, Training Curriculum
Disciplines
Christianity | Missions and World Christianity | Other Religion | Religion
Recommended Citation
Saunders, Linda, "A Feasibility Study to Develop a Missions Training Center to Recruit African-American Young Adults for Global Missions through Education and Training" (2016). Masters Theses. 390.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/masters/390
Abstract
African-Americans have too long been disengaged from global missions; they represent less than one half of one percent of all global missionaries. Re-engaging the African-American church community in global missions can be accomplished by recruiting African-American young adults to participate in global missions by way of a global missions training center focused on education and training. For the African-American church to become engaged in global missions there are a myriad of obstacles to overcome; namely, the lack of global missions education and training within the African-American church community. While obstacles exist, they are not insurmountable. The key components for engaging the African-American church community as active participants in global missions are: recruiting African-American young adults; educating and training the African-American church specifically focusing on the African-American young adult populace; and, mobilizing African-American young adults for global missions participation. African-American young adults are willing to participate in a global missions training program if given the opportunity; therefore, the objective is to recruit African-American young adults to participate in a global missions education and training program to equip them with the tools and skills necessary for effective engagement in global missions. Positive peer influence may play a role in catapulting the African-American church community into global missions involvement as well. This research discovered that African-American young adults, while they have not been sufficiently educated and trained, are willing to join global missions endeavors if their local pastors endorsed it, if a group of their peers were participating, and if they were given incentives for engaging in global missions. This research found that creating a global missions training center to recruit African-American young adults is feasible.
