Date
3-21-2025
Department
Rawlings School of Divinity
Degree
Doctor of Education in Christian Leadership (EdD)
Chair
Gary J. Bredfeldt
Keywords
African American Church, Reciprocal Support Networks, Social Support Theory, Community Engagement Theory
Disciplines
Education | Educational Leadership
Recommended Citation
Baston, Tasha Sharron, "Empowering the African American Community Through a Support Network Program at St. Luke Cathedral" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 6584.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/6584
Abstract
This action research dissertation-in-praxis project designed and implemented a strategic intervention to enhance the effectiveness of reciprocal support networks within an African American church. The researcher collaborated with a predominantly African American church and community facing socioeconomic challenges in need of an anchor for community support, a role historically filled by the Black church in these circumstances (Moore, 2014). Under the praxis project plan, the researcher worked with a strategic team and coach from the collaborating organization, St. Luke Cathedral, to design, develop, and implement reciprocal support network-building activities for the church. The project was based on the findings of Taylor et al. (2016), which emphasized the importance of network characteristics such as contact and subjective closeness, studies that highlight the role of African American churches in providing social support and promoting community well-being and Acts 2:44-47 foundational practices within the early Christian community. The researcher's objectives included re-establishing and enhancing the church's support network and community engagement. The project created a scalable model for faith-based support and provided policy recommendations for socioeconomic impact. The outcomes include a strengthened community, improved access to socioeconomic resources, and a replicable model for church-led community support. The project hoped to achieve long-term, systematic transformation in practices, policies, and understandings within and beyond Jamaica Queens.
