• Login
    View Item 
    •   Athenaeum Home
    • University of Georgia Theses and Dissertations
    • University of Georgia Theses and Dissertations
    • View Item
    •   Athenaeum Home
    • University of Georgia Theses and Dissertations
    • University of Georgia Theses and Dissertations
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Congregational social services

    Thumbnail
    Date
    2009-08
    Author
    Kang, Byungdeok
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    In the United States, the current social welfare policies emphasize local responsibility and faith-based organizations’ involvement in social safety net systems. This study was to explore congregational leaders perceptions related to social services and examine congregational social services provided in the Athens metropolitan area of Georgia. At two times of data collection, 109 local congregations participated in this study. This study collected various facets of congregational leaders’ perceptions related to social services and congregational social service program information by paper-based questionnaires and face-to-face interviews. Descriptive statistics (frequencies and mean), independent sample t-tests, and bivariate/multivariate regression analyses were used to analyze quantitative data. General thematic analysis was used to examine qualitative data. Local congregations were not only interested in social services but actively participated in them. Based on the programs identified by congregational leaders, the 109 congregations participated in 977 programs, an average of nine programs per congregation. The congregations spent a total of $1,883,440 annually: an average of $17,279 per congregation. The main reason for congregations to engage in social services was to honor and obey God/Jesus. However, in most of the congregational social service programs, there were no spiritual or evangelistic activities. Congregations had an open attitude toward collaborating with other organizations including secular and government agencies. However, they did not want to receive public money to do social services because they did not want government control in any congregational activities. The key determinant of congregational involvement in social services was congregational resources (people and money): the greater resources a congregation had, the higher involvement in social services. Having alternative programs to social services, theological orientation (liberal) and open attitudes of collaboration showed positive associations with the extent of involvement. From the findings of this study, there were six recommendations to encourage congregations to engage in social services: (1) learn/study about the congregation, (2) build trusting relationships, (3) engage with the congregation, (4) establish common grounds of interest, (5) advertize social service programs, and (6) be flexible.
    URI
    http://purl.galileo.usg.edu/uga_etd/kang_byungdeok_200908_phd
    http://hdl.handle.net/10724/25836
    Collections
    • University of Georgia Theses and Dissertations

    About Athenaeum | Contact Us | Send Feedback
     

     

    Browse

    All of AthenaeumCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjects

    My Account

    LoginRegister

    About Athenaeum | Contact Us | Send Feedback