Looking back to look forward: Engaging the history of First Baptist Church of Jamestown, North Carolina to shape its future.

摘要

The congregation of First Baptist Church of Jamestown, North Carolina has two distinct cultures within its membership. These two cultures have increasingly clashed over disagreements regarding the direction and future of the church. These disagreements have led to difficulties in planning and hinder the ministry and mission of the church.;The purpose of this study is to determine whether the history of the church could provide insight for how best to intentionally work to bring the two cultures back together. This qualitative project utilized historical study and focus group interviews to determine the efficacy of the design. A small group of members selected from each culture gathered to examine the historical documents of the church and listen to oral histories from older members. The group then used the methods of Appreciative Inquiry as well as Charles Gerkin's Christian Hermeneutical Theory of Practical Theology to examine the historical data to determine common themes and moments of faithful risk in the history of the church.;The results from this study show that the methods of examination provided significant moments of growth and learning for the group members. The group was also able to identify four types of faithful risks in the history of the church and then develop plans for how best to engage those risks in future ministry and programming. The use of Appreciative Inquiry proved especially helpful in the small group's work.;Further study could entail developing and utilizing a different approach to engage and implement Gerkin's method. This project creates the space and opportunity for congregants to discover historic themes within a congregation that could be repeated in intentional ways.