PHILOSOPHICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN DEFINING AND STUDYING THE CONCEPT OF WORSHIP

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CHAPTER 4 EMPIRICAL STUDY: AN EVALUATION OF WORSHIP PERCEPTIONS, CURRICULA, INSTRUCTION AND PRACTICES IN THE PENTECOSTAL ASSEMBLIES OF CANADA

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

In addition to a review of relevant literature, the researcher felt that the best way to discover the perception of worship in the PAOC denomination, the content and effectiveness of worship and spiritual formation curricula and instruction in PAOC theological colleges, and the communication on worship issues within the PAOC denomination, was to send out questionnaires to PAOC theological college graduates and PAOC national, district and college leaders. The qualitative and quantitative data retrieved from the questionnaires supplied important information about present perceptions of the concept of worship within the PAOC, and worship and spiritual formation curricula and instruction in PAOC theological colleges. The data from the questionnaires assisted the researcher in making accurate findings and relevant recommendations for curriculum development and instruction in PAOC theological colleges in the area of worship and spiritual formation.
Ultimately, the researcher would desire PAOC people to have an accurate biblical understanding of Christian worship and express it in all of life (whole-life worship). A key place that PAOC people learn and experience Christian worship is in PAOC churches, which, for the most part, are led by PAOC theological college graduates. When PAOC congregants have an inaccurate understanding of worship and do not live all of life as worship, it indicates that there is a gap somewhere resulting in negative consequences. One way to bridge the gap, is to ensure that PAOC pastors and church leaders learn the true meaning of worship and develop in the expression of whole-life worship during their training at PAOC theological colleges. These trained leaders would, in turn, be able to teach and guide their congregations in biblical whole-life worship, with hopes that congregants would live a life of worship, which is the desired outcome. If there are indications from the questionnaire data that PAOC theological colleges have gaps in their curricula related to worship and spiritual formation, recommendations regarding aims, content and methodology can be suggested.

DATA COLLECTION

Questionnaires were sent to graduates of PAOC theological colleges, namely, those who graduated between 1980 and 2005, and to current PAOC leaders, namely, national-office and district-office officials, and theological college personnel. PAOC theological college graduates were contacted mainly through PAOC churches. A postcard was sent to 750 PAOC churches through the Canadian postal service, using the addresses in the PAOC directory, requesting college graduates to respond via e-mail or telephone if they were willing to complete a questionnaire. A special e-mail address and a toll-free phone number were set up by the researcher prior to the mailing. Those who e-mailed their willingness to answer a questionnaire were sent the PAOC Worship Questionnaire via email attachment. Those who preferred a hard-copy of the questionnaire were sent one through the post. The researcher also contacted graduates that she was acquainted with, by phone, e-mail and personal meeting, and handed out questionnaires at a local PAOC conference. Over a period of a few months and after numerous reminders, a total of 102 PAOC theological college graduates responded and completed the questionnaire.
The rationale for sending a questionnaire to PAOC leaders was to discover their understanding of worship and what they felt should be taught at PAOC theological colleges, since they have the power to make changes in the denomination, theological colleges and churches of the PAOC. Over 50 PAOC leaders were contacted via an e-mail letter with the questionnaire attached. Over a period of a few months and after a few reminders, a total of 25 leaders responded and completed the questionnaire. For the most part, the questionnaire sent to graduates and leaders included the same questions, with only minor revisions.
The questionnaires consisted of 56 questions under the following categories: Biographical and Educational Information (Questions 1 through 7); Church and Ministry Information (Questions 8 through 16); Views on the Church (Questions 17 through 22); Views on Worship (Questions 23 through 32); Worship and Spiritual Formation Instruction in PAOC Bible Colleges (Questions 33 through 52); and Communication on Worship Issues within the PAOC Denomination (Questions 53 through 55). Question 56 was an open-ended question, namely, “Was there any question not asked in this survey that you would have liked to see? If yes, what is that question, and what answer might
you provide for it?” Question 52 was the only other open-ended question, asking, “Since the majority of PAOC pastors and church leaders are trained at PAOC Bible colleges, in your opinion, how could our PAOC Bible colleges better address worship issues?” All the questionnaires were sent to a company in Ottawa Canada for data entry and the production of data tables (see DaRos in bibliography). Tables were produced for both questionnaires separately, as well as comparison tables between the two.
What follows is a summary of results from the questionnaires under three main categories, namely: perceptions and understanding of worship in the PAOC; worship and spiritual formation curricula and instruction in PAOC theological colleges; and, communication on worship issues within the PAOC denomination. For the rest of this chapter, PAOC theological college graduate respondents will be referred to as ‘graduates’, and PAOC leader respondents will be referred to as ‘leaders’. The four PAOC theological colleges will be labeled only by their abbreviations in this chapter, thus: Western Pentecostal Bible College and Summit Pacific College as WPBC/SPC; Northwest Bible College and Vanguard College as NBC/Vanguard; Central Pentecostal College as CPC; and Eastern Pentecostal Bible College and Master’s College and Seminary as EPBC/MCS.

RESULTS: BACKGROUND DATA OF QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONDENTS

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

The kinds of questions that questionnaire respondents were requested to answer regarding background data, related to personal biographical, educational, church and ministry information. This information included: gender; biological age; Christian age; church attendance; college graduated; degree, diploma or certificate received; college program taken; the location and size of the church that respondents ministered in or attended; the type of ministry the respondent was involved in within the congregation; the congregational service style; and whether the concept of worship had been addressed from the pulpit in their church. The heading within the tables, namely ‘Col %’, refers to the column percentage.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION

GRADUATES

Table 1: Graduates by Gender In the questionnaire completed by graduates, of the 102 respondents, 81.4% were male and 18.6% were female.
In regards to the gender split within each of the four colleges, WPBC/SPC had the greatest percentage of females respond (28.0%, n = 50). Within the other three colleges, the percentage of females ranged from 9.1% to 12.5% . The greater amount of females responding from WPBC/SPC could be due to the fact that the respondents from WPBC/SPC were more likely to be acquaintances of the researcher.
Regarding the biological age of graduates (n = 102), 21.6% were 29 years old or less, 36.3% were between 30 and 39 years old, 34.3% were between 40 and 49 years old, 5.9% were between 50 and 59 years old, and 2.0% were age 60 or older. The vast majority of respondents (i.e. 92.1%) were under the age of 50.
In regards to the biological age of respondents from the four colleges, WPBC/SPC was the only college that had respondents who were 60 years of age or older. In all the colleges, the majority of respondents were 49 years of age or less, with the 30 to 39 age bracket having the most respondents except CPC. In regards to Christian age of graduates (n = 101), only 5.9% had been Christians 10 or less years, 15.8% had been Christians for 11 to 20 years, 45.5% had been Christians 21 to 30 years, and 32.7% had been Christians for 31 or more years. A good majority of the respondents (i.e. 78.2%) had been Christians for 21 or more years.
All four colleges generally had similar percentages within Christian age ranges, except CPC, although the amount of respondents from CPC was low (n = 8). The majority of CPC graduates (62.5%) had been Christians for 31 or more years.
Regarding the church attendance of graduates (n = 100) during their childhood and/or teen years, only 8.0% of respondents did not attend church when they were young. The majority of respondents (i.e. 69.0%) attended a PAOC church in their younger years, and 12.0% attended a non-PAOC church. 11.0% indicated the ‘other’ option. The fact that 78.2% (45.5% + 32.7%) of respondents had been Christians for 21 or more years (see Table 5, p. 339) and that 81.0% (69.0% + 12.0%) attended church when they were younger (see Table 7 above), seems to indicate that there is a connection between the two phenomena. The majority of respondents had a Christian and/or church background which would affect their knowledge and understanding of such concepts as Christian worship. Regarding the college of graduation, of the 102 respondents, 49.0% graduated from WPBC/SPC, 10.8% from NBC/Vanguard, 7.8% from CPC, and 32.4% from EPBC/MCS. The reason that a greater number of respondents were from WPBC/SPC could be due to The years of graduation were grouped into the following ranges: 1980-1984; 1985-1989; 1990-1994; 1995-1999; 2000-2005; and no year given. The greatest percentage of respondents from WPBC/SPC (28.0%, n = 50) graduated between 1985 and 1989. The researcher was teaching at this college during this time. At NBC/Vanguard, the greatest percentage of respondents graduated between 1985 and 1989, and 2000 and 2005 (27.3% each, n = 11). At CPC, the greatest percentage of respondents graduated between 1985 and 1989, and 1990 and 1994 (37.5% each, n = 8). At EPBC/MCS, the greatest percentage of respondents graduated between 1985 and 1989 (30.3%, n = 33). In regards to all the respondents (n = 102), the greatest percentage of respondents (29.4%) graduated between 1985 and 1989, with 21.6% having graduated between 2000 and 2005.
the fact that the researcher was more known to those respondents.In regards to the degree, diploma or certificate that respondents received upon graduating, of the 102 respondents, 73.5% received a degree (generally a 4-year program), 25.5% received a diploma (generally a 3-year program), and 2.0% received a certificate (generally a 1- or 2-year program). 3.9% indicated the ‘other’ option. Almost threequarters of the respondents received a degree.
The only significant difference between colleges was that, of the eight respondents from significant difference between colleges was that, of the eight respondents from CPC, only 37.5% received a degree, whereas, with the other three colleges, the percentage of those who received a degree ranged between 72.7% to 81.8%.
Regarding the program or major that respondents were in while in college, listed are the programs from the greatest to the least adherents: pastoral theology/pastoral ministries (48.0%); biblical theology/biblical languages (18.6%); general Bible/Christian studies (10.8%); religious/Christian education (8.8%); youth ministries (7.8%); music/arts/ worship ministries (5.9%); missions/inter-cultural/global ministries (4.9%); other (2.0%), and counseling ministries (1.0%). Almost half of respondents took pastoral studies indicating their interest in serving as pastors in churches.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
SUMMARY
LIST OF TABLES
CHAPTER 1 PROBLEM FORMULATION, CLARIFICATION OF CONCEPTS, AIMS OF THE STUDY, RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND WORK PROGRAMME
1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
2 ORIGIN AND NATURE OF THE PROBLEM
2.1 THE FORMATION AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONCEPT OF WORSHIP IN THE PAOC
2.2 A MISUNDERSTANDING OR IGNORANCE OF THE BIBLICAL MEANING OF WORSHIP AND THE MISUSE OF THE WORD WORSHIP IN THE PAOC
2.3 INADEQUATE AND/OR OPTIONAL WORSHIP INSTRUCTION IN PAOC THEOLOGICAL COLLEGES
2.4 UNQUALIFIED PAOC CHURCH LEADERS
2.5 A MISUNDERSTANDING OR IGNORANCE OF THE PURPOSE OF CORPORATE WORSHIP IN THE PAOC
2.6 FOLLOWING TRENDS RATHER THAN SCRIPTURE IN THE PAOC
3 PROBLEM STATEMENT AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS
3.1 SUBPROBLEM 1: THE PENTECOSTAL ASSEMBLIES OF CANADA’S PERCEPTION AND UNDERSTANDING OF WORSHIP AND ITS EXPRESSION
3.2 SUBPROBLEM 2: THE EXTENT AND NATURE OF WORSHIP AND SPIRITUAL FORMATION CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION IN PAOC THEOLOGICAL COLLEGES
3.3 SUBPROBLEM 3: COMMUNICATION AND NETWORKING ON WORSHIP ISSUES WITHIN THE PAOC DENOMINATION
4 CLARIFICATION OF CONCEPTS, DELIMITATIONS AND ASSUMPTIONS
4.1 CLARIFICATION OF CONCEPTS
4.2 DELIMITATIONS
4.3 ASSUMPTIONS
5 AIMS OF AND MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY
5.1 AIMS OF THE STUDY
5.2 MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY
6 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
6.1 CHOICE OF SUITABLE TOPIC
6.2 PRELIMINARY STUDY
6.3 LITERATURE STUDY
6.4 DATA RETRIEVAL METHODS
6.5 CRITICAL EVALUATION AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA
6.6 WRITING OF THE RESEARCH REPORT
7 WORK PROGRAMME
CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE STUDY: A SURVEY OF THE THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION PROVIDED IN THE THEOLOGICAL COLLEGES OF THE PENTECOSTAL ASSEMBLIES OF CANADA WITH SPECIAL FOCUS ON WORSHIP AND SPIRITUAL FORMATION
1 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
2 ADULT POST-SECONDARY THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION: ADULT EDUCATION, CHRISTIAN HIGHER EDUCATION AND THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION
2.1 ADULT EDUCATION OR ANDRAGOGY
2.2 CHRISTIAN HIGHER EDUCATION
2.3 THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION
3 RATIONALE FOR ESTABLISHING PENTECOSTAL ASSEMBLIES OF CANADA THEOLOGICAL COLLEGES AND THE ORIGINS OF PRESENT INSTITUTIONS
3.1 DESIRE AND NEED FOR BIBLICAL AND THEOLOGICAL TRAINING IN THE PENTECOSTAL ASSEMBLIES OF CANADA
3.2 AN OUTLINE OF THE ORIGINS OF PRESENT PAOC THEOLOGICAL COLLEGES
4 NATIONAL MANAGEMENT OF PAOC THEOLOGICAL COLLEGES
4.1 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
4.2 ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL BIBLE COLLEGE COMMITTEE, NATIONAL DEPARTMENT OF BIBLE COLLEGES AND NATIONAL BIBLE COLLEGE STANDARD
4.3 CURRICULUM AND SPIRITUAL REQUIREMENTS AS SET OUT BY THE EDUCATION STANDARDS COMMITTEE AND THE NATIONAL BIBLE COLLEGE STANDARD
5 ACCREDITATION AGENCIES OF AND ACCREDITATION ISSUES IN PAOC THEOLOGICAL COLLEGES WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO SPIRITUAL FORMATION AND WORSHIP INSTRUCTION
6 MISSION AND CURRICULA OF THE FOUR EXEMPLAR PAOC THEOLOGICAL COLLEGES WITH SPECIAL FOCUS ON WORSHIP AND SPIRITUAL FORMATION
6.1 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
6.2 CENTRAL PENTECOSTAL COLLEGE
6.3 EASTERN PENTECOSTAL BIBLE COLLEGE AND MASTER’S COLLEGE AND SEMINARY
6.4 WESTERN PENTECOSTAL BIBLE COLLEGE AND SUMMIT
6.5 NORTHWEST BIBLE COLLEGE AND VANGUARD COLLEGE
7 CONCLUDING REMARKS
CHAPTER 3 LITERATURE STUDY: THE CONCEPT OF WORSHIP
1 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
2 PHILOSOPHICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND EDUCATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS IN DEFINING AND STUDYING THE CONCEPT OF WORSHIP
2.1 PHILOSOPHICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN DEFINING AND STUDYING THE CONCEPT OF WORSHIP
2.2 PSYCHOLOGICAL AND EDUCATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS IN DEFINING AND STUDYING THE CONCEPT OF WORSHIP
3 BIBLICAL-THEOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN DEFINING AND STUDYING THE CONCEPT OF WORSHIP
3.1 THE HOLY BIBLE AS THE STANDARD FOR UNDERSTANDING CHRISTIAN WORSHIP
3.2 THE TERMINOLOGY AND MEANING OF WORSHIP FROM THE ORIGINAL BIBLICAL LANGUAGES OF HEBREW AND GREEK
3.3 DISTINGISHING BETWEEN WHOLE-LIFE WORSHIP AND CORPORATE WORSHIP
3.4 COMPARING AND FINDING CONGRUENCE BETWEEN WHOLE-LIFE WORSHIP AND SPIRITUAL FORMATION
3.5 BIBLICAL PASSAGES RELATING TO WHOLE-LIFE WORSHIP AND CORPORATE WORSHIP
3.6 BIBLICAL PRECEDENT FOR THE NEED TO TEACH AND LEARN THE CONCEPT OF WORSHIP
3.7 A BIBLICAL DEFINITION AND CONTEMPORARY UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONCEPT CHRISTIAN WORSHIP
4 CHRISTIAN WORSHIP IN RECENT HISTORY WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO PENTECOSTAL WORSHIP IN NORTH AMERICA
5 CONCLUDING REMARKS
CHAPTER 4 EMPIRICAL STUDY: AN EVALUATION OF WORSHIP PERCEPTIONS, CURRICULA, INSTRUCTION AND PRACTICES IN THE PENTECOSTAL ASSEMBLIES OF CANADA
1 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
2 DATA COLLECTION
3 RESULTS: BACKGROUND DATA OF QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONDENTS
3.1 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
3.2 BIOGRAPHICAL AND EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION
3.3 CHURCH AND MINISTRY INFORMATION
4 RESULTS: PERCEPTIONS AND UNDERSTANDING OF WORSHIP IN THE PAOC
4.1 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
4.2 VIEWS ON THE PURPOSES OF THE LOCAL CHURCH AND CONGREGATIONAL SERVICES
4.3 VIEWS ON WORSHIP
5 RESULTS: WORSHIP CURRICULA AND INSTRUCTION IN PAOC THEOLOGICAL COLLEGES
5.1 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
5.2 WORSHIP CURRICULA AND INSTRUCTION
5.3 SPIRITUAL FORMATION CURRICULA AND WHOLE-LIFE WORSHIP INSTRUCTION
5.4 OPINIONS OF RESPONDENTS ON WORSHIP AND SPIRITUAL FORMATION CURRICULA AND INSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS AT PAOC THEOLOGICAL COLLEGES
6 RESULTS: COMMUNICATION AND NETWORKING ON WORSHIP ISSUES WITHIN THE PAOC DENOMINATION
6.1 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
6.2 GRADUATES
6.3 LEADERS
6.4 COMPARISON OF GRADUATES AND LEADERS
7 CONCLUDING REMARKS
CHAPTER 5 FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
1 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
2 FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS
2.1 THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION AND WORSHIP PERCEPTION, UNDERSTANDING AND EXPRESSION IN THE PAOC: PAST AND PRESENT
2.3 CHURCH AND MINISTRY INFORMATION OF QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONDENTS
2.4 VIEWS ON THE PERCEPTIONS AND UNDERSTANDING OF WORSHIP IN THE PAOC
2.5 VIEWS ON WORSHIP AND SPIRITUAL FORMATION CURRICULA AND INSTRUCTION IN PAOC THEOLOGICAL COLLEGES
2.6 VIEWS ON COMMUNICATION AND NETWORKING ON WORSHIP ISSUES WITHIN THE PAOC DENOMINATION
3 RECOMMENDATIONS
3.1 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
3.2 GENERIC RECOMMENDATIONS
3.3 SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS
4 FINAL REMARKS
BIBLIOGRAPHY