Andrews University Digital Commons @ Andrews University Project Documents Graduate Research 2014 Strategies Towards Dignity in the Experience of Poverty Among Two Predominantly African- American Seventh-day Adventist Churches in Birmingham, Alabama Roy E. Gaiter Sr Andrews University This research is a product of the graduate program in Doctor of Ministry DMin at Andrews University. Find out more about the program. Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.edu/dmin Recommended Citation Gaiter, Roy E.
Sr, "Strategies Towards Dignity in the Experience of Poverty Among Two Predominantly African-American Seventh- day Adventist Churches in Birmingham, Alabama" (2014).edu/dmin/1 This Project Report is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Research at Digital Commons @ Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Project Documents by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact repository@andrews. Thank you for your interest in the Andrews University Digital Library of Dissertations and Theses.
Please honor the copyright of this document by not duplicating or distributing additional copies in any form without the author’s express written permission. Thanks for your cooperation. ABSTRACT STRATEGIES TOWARDS DIGNITY IN THE EXPERIENCE OF POVERTY AMONG TWO PREDOMINANTLY AFRICAN-AMERICAN SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCHES IN BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA by Roy E. Russell Seay ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH Project Document Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary Title: STRATEGIES TOWARDS DIGNITY IN THE EXPERIENCE OF POVERTY AMONG TWO PREDOMINANTLY AFRICAN-AMERICAN SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCHES IN BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA Name of researcher: Roy E.
Name and degree of adviser: G. Russell Seay, PhD Date Completed: March 2014 Problem African Americans have a higher rate of poverty than any ethnic group. The dearth of dignity through slavery and beyond became a societal pathway to poverty. Seventh-day Adventist African Americans in Birmingham Alabama are not exempt from this predicament.
The Norwood and Ephesus Seventh-day Adventist churches are located in the midst of communities of poverty. Some members live in these and other poverty distressed areas. This study is to determine the extent of poverty and the lack of dignity of members of these two predominantly African American churches. The church community is uniquely positioned to share the message that all human beings are made in the image of God.
Although the church community has been slow and fail to communicate a clear message of dignity essentials as love, freedom, and equality it is still equipped with divine conviction from God’s word on the dignity of humankind and the sense of duty towards humanity. Method This project used the questionnaire method to gather information about beliefs, behaviors, poverty levels, and other related indignity experiences of African Americans of the above-mentioned congregations. The questionnaire was distributed to consenting members age 18 years old and above. The purpose was to determine the level of poverty and other relating factors among African Americans at the Norwood and Ephesus churches.
In addition, dignity seminars were conducted to highlight how dignity awareness contributes to an elevated sense of worth and purpose regardless of statuses. Results African American members of both Norwood and Ephesus churches in Birmingham, Alabama experience high rates of poverty. Yet 50% of respondents (both churches together) indicated that they had “hopeful dreams for a better day.” They instituted adjustments in their experience that allow them to express hope for a better future. The seminars explored strategies to understand and improve their dignity.
Evaluations of the seminars were conducted with both churches. The evaluation question, “Did this seminar raise your awareness that true worth comes from God” was the highest affirmative response of all questions. Accordingly the objective of raising the awareness of dignity was verified among the participants. Conclusion The study speaks to the erosion of dignity among African Americans as a result of poverty and arising from the institution of slavery.
The participants learned that in spite of their economic situation, possessing dignity is crucial to their involvement in society and that dignity occurs as a result of their origins -- being sons and daughters of God with unique qualities and abilities of intelligence and moral contemplation. Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary STRATEGIES TOWARDS DIGNITY IN THE EXPERIENCE OF POVERTY AMONG TWO PREDOMINANTLY AFRICAN-AMERICAN SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCHES IN BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA A Project Document Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Ministry by Roy E. March 2014 © Copyright by Roy E. 2014 All Rights Reserved STRATEGIES TOWARDS DIGNITY IN THE EXPERIENCE OF POVERTY AMONG TWO PREDOMINANTLY AFRICAN-AMERICAN SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCHES IN BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA A project document presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Ministry by Roy E.
APPROVAL BY THE COMMITTEE: _______________________________ ____________________________ Adviser, Director, DMin Program G. Russell Seay Skip Bell _______________________________ ______________________________ Leslie Pollard Dean, SDA Theological Seminary Jiří Moskala _______________________________ _____________________________ Kelvin Onongha Date approved TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. 1 Historical Background of the Problem. 6 Statement of the Problem.
7 Statement of the Task. 8 Justification for the Project. 8 Expectations From This Project. 11 Terms and Definitions.
12 Description of the Project Process. A BIBLICAL THEOLOGICAL RESPONSE TO POVERTY WITH A CONCERN FOR DIGNITY AMONG AFRICAN AMERICANS. 16 God’s Initial Purpose for the Poor. 18 Humanity Made in the Image of God and Poverty as a Result of the Fall.
19 Evolution: An Alternative View of Humanity. 20 All Humankind Endowed With Dignity From God. 21 Alex Haley’s Roots: A Chronicle of Ancestral Dignity. 22 Dignity Resists Identity Change.
23 Imposed Treatment of a System of Indignity and Poverty. 24 Physical and Spiritual Poverty Demean as Slavery. 25 Poverty not From a Vindictive God but a Derivative of Sin. 26 The Nature of Poverty Among Israel.
27 Old Testament Descriptions of the Poor. 27 New Testament Descriptions of the Poor. 28 Poverty in the Old Testament. 28 Poverty in the New Testament.
29 Poverty in the Book of Proverbs. 29 Provision for the Poor and Salvation. 30 God’s Provision for Those in Poverty in the Bible. 30 God Provided Legislation on Behalf of the Poor.
32 iii Opportunity for Service to Those in Poverty. 34 Humility and Serving. 35 Healing Ministry for the Hopeless. 36 Appreciation of Praise From the Hopeless.
37 Christian Duty to Physical and Social Needs While on Earth. 39 Prosperity a Distorted Gospel. 39 Prosperity Gospel a False Works-Based Gospel. 40 God Misrepresented Through Emergencies and Vindictiveness.
41 Satan’s False Dignity and Identity Antithetical to Christ. 41 Vicious Encounters on African Americans and Dignity. 42 A Biblical View of Those of Poverty. 42 Jesus, Poverty, Dignity, and Mission.
43 Jesus Incarnation and Mission. 44 Jesus, Dignity, Identity and Internal Significance. 45 Jesus Sacrifice the Riches to Preserving Dignity. 46 Jesus Maintains Dignity in the Midst of Vicious Encounters.
47 Jesus Volunteers to become a Servant. 49 Jesus Elevates the Poor. 50 Jesus Elevates the Blind Beggar. 50 Jesus Elevates the Poor Woman With the Widow’s Mite.
51 Jesus Elevates Zacchaeus—The Irony of the Rich who are Poor. LITERATURE ON THE EROSION OF DIGNITY AMONG AFRICAN AMERICANS. 56 Definitions of Human Dignity and Human Rights. 57 Garbooshian’s View of Dignity and Others.
58 Debate of Dignity as Ranking Social Order or Wider Humanity in France. 61 Secular Ideas on Dignity and Contrast to African Americans. 61 Dignity of “All People” or “All Men” in America Except Slaves. 63 Dignity and Responsibility of Christians.
64 Dignity in the Image and Shared Governance With God. 65 Dignity and Moral Philosophers. 65 Dignity, Justice, and Attitudes. 66 Dignity of man Distinct From Other Beings.
66 View of Dignity in Medieval Age. 67 Digniatas Etymological Root Word for Dignity. 67 Psychological Implications of Dignity. 68 Poverty and Ancestry Humiliation an Affront to Dignity.
68 Slavery and Dignity. 69 Slavery in America. 69 Slavery a Contradiction of Democratic Principles. 70 iv The Constitution and Maintaining Slavery.
71 Slavery Implications in 1787 Constitution and Finkelman’s Response. 73 Slavery and Slave Markets a Disgrace of Dignity. 75 Collars, Chains, Prods, and Whips. 76 Making Black Men as Brutes.
76 Slaves a Security Risk if Taught to Read and Write. 76 Fredrick Douglass’ Address “Hypocrisy of American Slavery”. 77 Fines and Whippings for Teaching Slaves to Read or Write. 77 Celebrations of Dignity, Worship and Leadership for Slaves.
77 Some in Christian Community Theologized Slaves Into Inferiority. 78 Abraham Lincoln’s Challenge to Slavery. 79 Lack of Dignity the Crossroads of our Being. 81 Discrimination and Dignity.
81 Discrimination Laws and Code of Repressive Democracy. 82 Discrimination and an Elaborate Racial Etiquette of Personal Relations. Supreme Court Upholds “Separate but Equal”. 85 “Separate but Equal” Challenged by Brown vs.
Board of Education. 86 “With All Deliberate Speed” an Oxymoron Time Table for Court Action. 87 Stalled Debate for Civil Rights. 88 Martin King and John F.
Kennedy Wage war for Civil Rights. 88 Birmingham, Alabama Before the Nation. 89 African Americans and Obstacles to Voting. 90 President Lyndon Johnson and the Civil Rights Act.
90 Poverty and the Present Experience. 91 Poverty the new Slavery. 92 Poverty the Recognizable Remaining Repression. 92 Harrington Followed Common Practice of “Culture of Poverty”.
93 Oscar Lewis Credited With the Term “Culture of Poverty”. 94 Culture of Poverty or a Taste of Inequalities. 95 More Prisoners Than 14 Other Countries Combined—A Taste of Inequalities. 95 Politicians Reduce Dignity to Historical Fact not Contemporary Life and run for Office on a Taste of Inequalities.
96 African Americans Disproportionate Number of Incarcerations. 97 Virtually Every Black American Will Experience Poverty. 101 Financial Worth and Dignity. 102 The Experience of two African American Congregations.
102 Advantages and Disadvantages of the Method. 103 Research Procedure and Purpose. 104 v Levels of Poverty Determined. 104 Education Level and Poverty.
106 Structural Design of Questions. THE ANALYSIS OF TWO CHURCHES AND DIGNITY IN THE EXPERIENCE OF POVERTY IN BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA. 109 Statement of Purpose. 109 Establishing Poverty by Government Sources.
110 Norwood Yearly Income. 112 Ephesus Yearly Income. 114 Norwood Level of Education. 116 Ephesus Level of Education.
117 Norwood Employment and Unemployment. 117 Ephesus Employment and Unemployment. 118 Norwood Gender and Marital Status. 119 Ephesus Gender and Marital Status.
120 Norwood on Home Rental and Ownership. 121 Ephesus on Home Rental and Ownership. 121 Housing for African Americans Past and Present. 121 African Americans and Home Buying.
122 Norwood on Getting Physicals Every Year. 123 Ephesus on Getting Physicals Every Year. 124 Dignity and Medical Physicals. 124 Norwood on Parents as Domestic Workers.
125 Ephesus on Parents as Domestic Workers. 125 Dignity and Domestic Work. 125 Norwood and Government Assistance for Food. 126 Ephesus and Government Assistance for Food.
127 Government Food Assistance. 127 Norwood on Feeling Lower Than Others on a Job. 128 Ephesus on Feeling Lower Than Others on a Job. 128 The Importance Issue of Feeling Lower on a Job.
129 Norwood on Degree of Poverty in Neighborhood. 130 Ephesus on Degree of Poverty in Neighborhood. 130 Dignity and Poverty in Neighborhood. 130 Norwood on the use of Advanced Money Systems.
131 Ephesus on the use of Advanced Money Systems. 131 The use of Advanced Money Systems. 132 Title Loans and Interest Rates. 132 The Real Customers of Advanced Money Systems.
134 Norwood on Ranking the Reason for Poverty. 135 Ephesus on Ranking the Reason for Poverty. 136 Norwood on Describing Their Situation of Poverty.