Doctoral Dissertations

Phil Garver

Date of Award

12-1988

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Major Professor

Bill C. Wallace

Committee Members

Robert Kirk, Jack Pursely, Charles Thompson

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the current health related counseling skills of the Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) pastors in the Southeastern United States. The uniqueness of this study was its attempt to classify the pastors typical counseling responses to three specific situations. Each response was classified as a level I, II, or III depending on whether the response was hurtful, neutral, or helpful in nature.

It was decided to use the entire population of SDA pastors in the Southern Union which is made up of the following states: Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and North and South Carolina. There were 502 SDA pastors in these states, and each of them were included in the study.

An instrximent was designed to collect the data. Then a jury was selected to give the professional analysis needed. The jury consisted of pastors, seminary professors, psychologists, behavioral scientists, health educators, and a sociologist. After three revisions the instrument was approved and mailed.

After the returns were in and all of the pastors were asked a second time (in person) to respond, the total number who responded was 211 or 42% of the target population. The following describe what was reported or what was found to be so upon completing the analysis.

1. The pastors reported that much of their time was spent in health-related counseling,

2. The pastors believed that counseling is an important part of their ministry.

3. In some cases, the pastors need to develop referral systems so as to better meet their parishioner's needs.

4. Advice giving within the counseling setting is a common problem with many of the pastors.

5. Slightly over half of the pastors had been able to upgrade counseling skills.

6. Ninety seven of the pastors indicated they did want seminars and/or workshops to assist them with their counseling skills. The pastors indicated a real need for help.

7. Responses to hypothetical counseling problems indicated the counseling being given was of poor quality.

8. The record keeping practices of the pastors was almost non-existent in their counseling.

9. When counselee and pastor disagreed over issues such as jewelry. caffeine, and movies the pastors were more likely to deal with them doctrinally or allow for personal differences. They did not tend to support the individual in his or her personal choices.

10. There is a small segment (less then 2%) of pastors that reported that they believed pastors should not do any counseling at all.

11. The most common topics that the pastors were asked to deal with were Diet and Weight. Spiritual. Marital. Divorce. Weight Control. STD's. Interpersonal Conflict. Suicide, and Human Sexuality.

12. The pastors indicated that they believed the seminary should better prepare them to be better health related counselors.

As a result of this study it would appear that the institutions preparing pastors to work for the SDA church should evaluate the counseling exposure of their students prior to graduation. and that the church leadership should initiate a plan to provide seminars and workshops for the upgrading of pastoral counseling skills.

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