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| author |
Anna Thomas
| | title |
An Anglo-American Church Facing Change: Strategies to Guide Transitions in Ministry with Immigrants
| | abstract |
Immigration at the beginning of the 21st century impacts existing towns and neighborhoods, displacing old identities and bringing new faces to the old neighborhoods. This Doctor of Ministry project is a critical inquiry into mission and ministry with respect to the issue of immigration at Centenary United Methodist Church, a predominantly Anglo-centered congregation in the local townships of Metuchen and Edison, New Jersey. Through interviews with local religious leaders I developed practical strategies and faith practices to begin to equip the congregation to better understand kinship in the kingdom of God with respect to immigrants and refugees. A critical aspect of the study is to help church members uncover what the Bible says about the issue of immigration, to see mission and ministry differently, and to recognize prejudice and discover their own "foreignness." The goal is to help church members move from fear and self-centered practices toward a new paradigm of hospitality, welcoming the stranger as other, becoming a compassionate and unifying harmonious community of belonging. Centenary is a work in progress and we as the body of Christ are called to discover new opportunities in this time of change.
| | school |
The Theological School, Drew University
| | degree |
D.Min. (2019)
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| advisor |
Susan Kendall
Meredith H Schol
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| full text | AThomas.pdf |
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