Date

12-4-2025

Department

Rawlings School of Divinity

Degree

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Chair

Rodney Phillips

Keywords

lay-led, mental health, crisis, intervention, advocate, isolation, pastoral, counseling

Disciplines

Counseling

Abstract

This DMIN action research project focused on the care, counsel, and advocacy lay leaders can provide to church members who experience a crisis. Due to the growing member-to-minister ratio at First Baptist Dallas, lay leaders can supplement the work of the ministers by providing frontline support. The problem is that most lay leaders within the church have limited training in crisis management outside their own life experiences. If lay leaders are equipped in biblical crisis management and intervention responses, then they will be able to provide guidance to church members in crisis. The qualitative research for this project was completed through five focus group meetings, pre-training questionnaires, one-on-one interviews, and a post-training survey. The goal of this action research project was to devise a training tool for lay leaders that reviewed ten crisis scenarios including abuse; addiction; salvation and crisis of faith; grief and the death of a loved one; marital issues, divorce, and separation; financial issues and job loss; health issues, medical diagnoses, and hospital visits; same-sex attraction and gender identity issues; and suicidal ideation. Giving lay leaders insights on biblical responses and an opportunity to discuss potential responses prepares them to provide meaningful care and counsel to care seekers. A pathway to care includes both personal advocacy and referral-based responses to pastors and other professional care givers. Research results provide justification and direction for enhanced lay leader training and integrated crisis intervention within the church as a supplement to the work of the ministers.

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