Date

4-7-2026

Department

Rawlings School of Divinity

Degree

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Chair

Denise Moitinho

Keywords

African-American, Biblical, Family, Fatherlessness, Fatherhood, Ministry, Trauma, Trauma-Informed Care

Disciplines

Religion

Abstract

This DMIN action research project proposed that the Bethlehem Baptist Church (BBC) did not develop ministries that specifically addressed the persistent unbiblical endemic of fatherlessness within its congregation. The initial tragedy of fatherlessness can be transformed into the beautiful design of godly families when proper attention is given to the root cause of damaged relationships and effective means of correcting abnormalities are properly instituted in the church. Therefore, the researcher created the Trauma-Informed Care Ministry for Fatherless Fathers to guide fathers who experienced fatherlessness into a biblical model of fatherhood. When the church remains silent on important matters of faith, it creates impotent tolerance for detrimental behavior. Fatherlessness is a persistent occurrence in both the church and society at large with far-reaching implications creating fragile family structures that adversely impact communities. Thus, this training ministry was created to initiate a transformative approach to this serious issue. This ministry was comprised of trauma education, biblical perspectives of fatherhood, peer interaction and discussion, and independent expert observations. Participants completed pre- and post- assessments and questionnaires to provide data that evaluated the efficacy of the project and its ability to adequately transform men into biblical fathers. The project suggested that the training methods created through this intervention designed specifically for men had a positive impact on the select group of fathers and thereby influenced the structures of families within the congregation.

Download

Included in

Religion Commons

Share

COinS