Perceptions of Builder women's contributions to intergenerational mentoring relationships in the Presbyterian Church in America

This dissertation identifies PCA women's perceptions of Builder women's contributions to intergenerational mentoring relationships. Research examined involves PCA women's perceptions of the general concept of mentoring, values contributed by Builder women, contexts that facilitate communication between mentor and mentoree, and Builders' character qualities necessary for effective mentoring. The researcher explores a theological foundation for women's mentoring relationships, and offers a ministry model adaptable to individuals according to their ministry style and lifestyle needs. A look at the psychosocial factors that enhance or impede mentoring relationships aids older women in personal perceptions of their contributions to the church. These factors benefit younger women in understanding how to initiate contact with older women and how to minister to them. The methodological design of the project includes two phases, the ethnographic phase for questionnaire interviews of a convenience sample of PCA adult women, and the survey phase utilizing a larger convenience sample of PCA adult women representative of PCA churches throughout the United States of America. Procedures used in the data analysis involved coding and categorizing in the ethnographic interview phase, with storage on software specifically designed for statistical analysis. Descriptive statistics were employed for the survey phase of the research. Objective evaluations were drawn from the analyses based on the four research questions. Concluding the project is a discussion of each research question based on the findings and precedent literature. Interpretation of the findings as they relate to the research questions precede the impact of the findings on PCA Christian educational philosophy of adult women including any theological implications concerning women's psychology according to four principles from Thomas Groome's five-fold taxonomy of Christian education. The researcher suggests additional research projects for the future that arise from the current research on this project.

Author dc:creator

• Davis, Maria Jerdone

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Pettegrew, Hal K.

• Presbyterian Church in America.
• Presbyterian women--Attitudes.
• Mentoring in church work.
• Church work with women.
• Discipling (Christianity)

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Dc Identifier Other

THESES Ed.D. .D295p

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.sbts.edu:10392/271