Running head: DISSERTATION OUTLINE

Dissertation Outline
Karin Fonseca
Valdosta State University

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Dissertation Outline

Problem
The evolution of the world has challenged effective leadership in the Church in the 21st
century. According to Roozen, D. (2016), American Congregations 2015: Thriving and
Surviving a study from Hartford Institute for Religion Research, less then 35% of Congregations
in America have grown more than 2% in the years of 2010 to 2015 (p.4). Earls (2016)
summarize the same study in the article 7 Statistics That Predict Church Grown with an analysis
of the seven statistics that played a role in the growth of churches in the five years, categorizing
as: growing location, younger congregation, innovative worship, lack of serious conflict,
involves church members, unique identity and specialized program (p.1-2).
There are many factors that have influenced the evolution of church in the past decades.
For the church to evolve in dealing with these factors, leadership in the church must play a
fundamental role. According to Nye (2015) in the article Leading the 21st Century Church:
Pining for the days of the early church can distract us from leading faithfully today, he states
As pastors we cannot dismiss technology or ignore the complex questions of our day regarding
nuclear weapons, Wall Street, global poverty, or scienceall things the 1st century church never
dealt with. We must also not shame churches that spend money on videos, social media, or
brandingall things that were not available to the 1st century church, but can (in many ways)
support and help the 21st century church reach more people (para. 8). It is empirical for leaders
to reexamine their leadership skills and strategies in the world today, to continue to grow their
communities and lead for success.
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the leadership characteristics that effective lead

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the growth of a Christian community church in the 21st century as well as what are the factors
and tools that influence leadership in church.
Research question 1
What factors influence church leadership in the 21st century?
Research question 2
What strategies and tools did successful leaders employ to adapt to the rapid changes in society
in a small Christian church community in Georgia with the intent of community growth?
Significance
The evolution of the world has directly impacted and influenced leadership in church
communities in the past decades. Globalization, technology, marketing are some of the aspects
that have played a role in the growth of church. This study will determine what are the factors
that have influenced the leadership of a Christian church in the 21st century as well as what
strategies successful church leaders have used to adapt to the many changes of the world today.
The findings of this study may impact the many church leaders in the community and elsewhere.
Furthermore other institutions nationally and internationally may benefit from the tools and
strategies as well as leadership styles discovered from the findings to develop successful
leadership implementation in the 21st century.

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References

Earls, A. (2016). 7 Statistics That Predict Church Growth. Facts & Trends.1-2.
Retrieved from http://factsandtrends.net/2016/03/17/7-statistics-that-predict-churchgrowth/#.WA1g2sdy9lI
Nye, C. (2015). Leading the 21st Century Church: Pining for the days of the early church can
distract us from leading faithfully today. Christianity Today. 1-5. Retrieved from
http://www.christianitytoday.com/pastors/2015/june-web-exclusives/leading-21stcentury-church.html
Roozen, D. (2016). American Congregations 2015: Thriving and Surviving. Hartford Institute
for Religion Research. Retrieved from
http://www.faithcommunitiestoday.org/sites/default/files/American-Congregations2015.pdf