Towards a postmodern approach to urban ministry: multi-ethnic leadership development at Cambridge Community Fellowship Church

Soong-Chan Rah

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Towards a postmodern approach to urban ministry: multi-ethnic leadership development at Cambridge Community Fellowship Church

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MLA citation style (9th ed.)

Soong-Chan Rah. Towards a Postmodern Approach to Urban Ministry: Multi-ethnic Leadership Development At Cambridge Community Fellowship Church. Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/3fb585e4-4f3d-4385-be8b-647dbd2a6f2a.

APA citation style (7th ed.)

S. Rah. Towards a postmodern approach to urban ministry: multi-ethnic leadership development at Cambridge Community Fellowship Church. https://rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/3fb585e4-4f3d-4385-be8b-647dbd2a6f2a

Chicago citation style (CMOS 17, author-date)

Soong-Chan Rah. Towards a Postmodern Approach to Urban Ministry: Multi-Ethnic Leadership Development At Cambridge Community Fellowship Church. Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. https://rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/3fb585e4-4f3d-4385-be8b-647dbd2a6f2a.

Note: These citations are programmatically generated and may be incomplete.

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Soong-Chan Rah

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Abstract

This thesis seeks to study leadership development and spiritual formation in the context of a postmodern, multi-ethnic, urban church. The complex system of Cambridge Community Fellowship Church served as the case study for this project. The framework for this study is provided by Eldin Villafañe's hermeneutical circle, which progresses as clarification (clarify the issue and the challenges at hand), conceptualization (applicable theological and sociological analysis), and confrontation (principles or next steps of addressing the issue). Clarification involves examining two of the central elements of CCFC, its postmodern ethos and its emergence from the immigrant experience. To that end, postmodern culture was studied from various angles. Additionally, the development of second generation ethnic American identity was also studied. Conceptualization involved the movement towards developing a relevant postmodern theology applicable in the urban context. Conceptualization also involved the application of systems thinking to unpack the system of CCFC in order to address specific issues at CCFC. Confrontation calls for the development of strategies and principles to address the various issues. The dramatic changes occurring in the demographic and cultural aspects of the American church call for an examination of the issues related to ministering to postmoderns, developing multi-ethnic ministry and ministry in the urban context.

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