Date

12-16-2025

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)

Chair

James Kasten

Keywords

Church Hurt: African American, Black Church, Conflict, Pastor, Congregation, Religious/spiritual abuse

Disciplines

Counseling

Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of African American Christians in the Mississippi Delta who have experienced church hurt in the Black Church. The theory guiding this study was Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, which consists of five levels of needs: physiological, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization. This study addressed the following research questions: How do African American Christians in the Mississippi Delta describe their experience with church hurt in the Black Church? How do African American Christians in the Mississippi Delta describe their relationship with the church after their church-hurt experience? How do African American Christians describe their response to the hurt they receive from church members? Data was collected from nine participants via interviews and cognitive representations. The data was analyzed using epoche, phenomenological reduction, imaginative variation, and synthesis of meanings and essences. This study provided an opportunity for individuals who have experienced hurt within the church to share their perspectives on church-related hurt. The finding can help pastors and other church leaders recognize emotional problems that may be caused by church hurt, enabling them to deal with this issue more sensitively and effectively, ultimately leading to a more fulfilling religious experience.

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