"Let excellence be your brand... When you are excellent, you become unforgettable. Doing the right thing, even when nobody knows you're doing the right thing will always bring the right thing to you." Oprah Winfrey
Instructors:
Aaron D. Black Sr., M.Div., MPA, D.Min. ablacksr@msn.com
Andriette Jordan-Fields MPA, MASC, PhD afields@iliff.edu
Required Texts:
Massey, Floyd, J 2003.r., Samuel Berry McKinney. Church Administration in the Black Perspective. Valley Forge, PA: Judson Press, 2003. ISBN 081701453 ( Required Chapters on Canvas)
McKenzie, Vashti. Not Without a Struggle: Leadership Development for African American Women in Ministry. Cleveland, Ohio: United Church Press, 1996. ISBN 0829810765
Tribble, Jeffrey L. Transformative Pastoral Leadership in the Black Church. New York, New York: Palgrave McMillan, 2005.
Supplemental Text:
Fluker, Walter. The Ground Has Shifted: The Future of the Black in Post-Racial America. Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International, 2016.
Fluker, Walter. The Stones that the Builders Rejected: The Development of Ethical Leadership from the Black Church Tradition. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 1998.
Harris, James Henry. The Courage to Lead: Leadership in the African American Urban Church. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers Inc., 2002. ISBN 0742502139
McKinney, Lora-Ellen. Getting to Amen: 8 Strategies for Managing Conflict in the African American Church. Valley Forge, PA: Judson Press, 2005. ISBN 0817014772
Overview and Objectives:
Black Church Leadership prepares leaders planning to do ministry in the African American Church and/or serves as a skills enhancement tool for those already doing ministry in this venue. Leadership is explored both as a matter of individual gifts and skills and as a community practice shaped by shared or contested needs and expectations. Issues of administrative management, transformative leadership as influenced by the unique culture of the African American Church.
Objectives:
Requirements:
Attendance - 20% of course grade
Completion of assigned readings before class the day they are listed. Class sessions will presuppose student reading of assignments ahead of time and may include discussion of the readings. Lectures that are given will provide context, interpretation, integration and/or present material not in the readings. The written assignments will test the depth and completeness of your readings. Class attendance and participation is essential. Classroom discussions are particularly important. Please come to class, and please come well read and prepared to take part in vital discussions.
Interview and Presentation - 30% of course grade . Three times during the course you will be asked to do online research related to specific topics. Each research posting assignment will be outlined within the syllabus. Each will be graded on a 10-point scale (see end of syllabus for grading-point rubric) and all three will be averaged for an overall “research posting” grade. You must post your answers to Canvas by Wednesday night at midnight.
Final Paper – 50% of course grade
Students will write analytical posts on Canvas during five weeks throughout the quarter. Your postings should be concise and well-written, analytical and embodied responses to the content of the current week’s assigned materials. Guiding questions will be provided. Some weeks you will have to answer more than one analytical question. Some weeks may be a combination of analytical and research postings. Regardless of the mixture of postings, each separate answer (for analytical and research postings) will be graded on a 10-point scale (see end of syllabus for grading-point rubric). At the end of the quarter, all of the grades for each analytic posting will be averaged to reach a final “analytical posting grade.” The mere expression of personal opinion is unacceptable without coherent argumentation (based on the readings) to support one’s opinion. Critical argumentation must be founded on the assigned literatures, citing text wherever appropriate. You should not quote readings at length, but make appropriate parenthetical textual citations to demonstrate the material to which you are referring. Refer to the text, make an argument. You must post your answers to Canvas on the weeks they are due by Wednesday midnight.
Additional Information on Final Paper:
Final Paper :
Write a final integrative posting of 6-8 pages. Length: double-spaced, typed, 2500-2800 words. This short, analytic paper should address how I/we have come to grips with the content of this course, related again to the questions framed by the work you have done in your previous postings. You may use themes from your writings and integrate them into the paper, but you should not quote yourself at length. This is not a mere reflection essay. Build your reflection with careful analytical argumentation and on an analysis of actual text from the course. A letter grade will be assigned. A more detailed description of the assignment will be distributed mid-way through the quarter . Due by Monday October 16th . Please submit all the final papers by email in a format that is MSWord compatible . The final paper should be uploaded as a Word document to Canvas.
A general word about assignments :
There will be no examinations in this course. However, since the quarter system is notorious for the term being over before students [or faculty] realize it, it is crucial to plan your reading and writing carefully. There will be a penalty for a late final paper and, in accord with the faculty’s more stringent policy on I ncompletes , no Incompletes will be given except in the case of a bona fide emergency.
Keep in mind these points when writing your final paper!
Thesis (Make a claim that answers the question)
Thesis is evident, is clearly and concisely stated, and meaningful. (When provided, guiding question is answered)
Textual Evidence (Integration of material)
Variety of course materials are used and appropriately cited. Evidence that material was understood and applied appropriately. Connections between different materials are made, using texts in conversation with each other and in relation to the thesis.
Writing (Organization and Clarity)
Well organized, coherent and structured. Writing strategy to develop arguments evident (chronological, spatial, or comparison / contrast). Organization supports overall goal for the paper. Writing remains focused on central point, appropriate transitions assist reading, and conclusion serves the thesis and goal for the paper. Writing style is appropriate to intended purpose, shows variety of sentence patterns and rhetorical effectiveness, avoiding jargon and discriminating language.
Reflection (Depth and Quality)
Thesis is developed throughout the paper with well-chosen, appropriate argumentation. Arguments are used to show rather than tell, assertions are well defended and logical. Personal reflection shows understanding of complexity and context of issue discussed as it relates to embodied context of student.
Policies And Services
This course looks at the emergence of Christianity in the modern world, from the colonialism of the late fifteenth century to Christianities in the Americas, Asia and Africa. An examination of the Abrorignal-Euro-African culture of North America; the impact of Christian missions on indigenous cultures and religions; Christianity in Latin America, Asia and Africa, and the non-Chirsitan world; contemporary theologies in their carious contexts.
To explore historically the interrelationship between Christianity and cultures in the Americas, Asia, and Africa in order that we might begin to:
1.) Trace the correlation between the expansion of Christianity and European colonialism since 1492.
2.) Come to grips with the emergence of an economic and political world system in the modern period and the implicit participation of Christian in that modern world system with its structures of power.
3.) Recognize the confusion of gospel with Euro-American cultural values that occurred in even the best-intentioned Christian missionary efforts, resulting in the unintended evil of destroying the cultures and values of other peoples in the name of conversion to the Christian gospel.
4.) Develop the intellectual and spiritual discipline to enter into the perspective of the historical "other," and especially to confront courageously the meaning and continuing legacy of cultural contact in our common past.
5.) Discover intellectual and spiritual resources for overcoming that past and participating in transformative processes that can lead to a world of genuine mutual respect among peoples, communities, and nations.
Requirements:
Preparation for and participation in Journey Days - 10% of course grade
Completion of assigned readings before class the day they are listed. Class sessions will presuppose student reading of assignments ahead of time and may include discussion of the readings. Lectures that are given will provide context, interpretation, integration and/or present material not in the readings. The written assignments will test the depth and completeness of your readings. Class attendance and participation is essential. Classroom discussions are particularly important. Please come to class, and please come well read and prepared to take part in vital discussions. (See the note below on excessive absences.)
Research Postings - 15% of course grade. Three times during the course you will be asked to do online research related to specific topics. Each research posting assignment will be outlined within the syllabus. Each will be graded on a 10-point scale (see end of syllabus for grading-point rubric) and all three will be averaged for an overall “research posting” grade. You must post your answers to Canvas by Wednesday night at midnight.
Analytical Postings – 50% of course grade
Students will write analytical posts on Canvas during five weeks throughout the quarter. Your postings should be concise and well-written, analytical and embodied responses to the content of the current week’s assigned materials. Guiding questions will be provided. Some weeks you will have to answer more than one analytical question. Some weeks may be a combination of analytical and research postings. Regardless of the mixture of postings, each separate answer (for analytical and research postings) will be graded on a 10-point scale (see end of syllabus for grading-point rubric). At the end of the quarter, all of the grades for each analytic posting will be averaged to reach a final “analytical posting grade.” The mere expression of personal opinion is unacceptable without coherent argumentation (based on the readings) to support one’s opinion. Critical argumentation must be founded on the assigned literatures, citing text wherever appropriate. You should not quote readings at length, but make appropriate parenthetical textual citations to demonstrate the material to which you are referring. Refer to the text, make an argument. You must post your answers to Canvas on the weeks they are due by Wednesday midnight.
Additional Information on Research and Analytical Postings:
Posting length: Students are responsible for answering all of the questions for posting. However many given questions there on any given week, we expect the total word count for all answers to be between 500-1000 words.
Posting evaluation criteria: See rubric module with detailed grading rubric.
Responsibility for evaluating the postings: will rotate among the instructors and teaching assistant every week so that each one responds to your posting during the quarter. The initials of the respondent will appear at the end of the posted response. With certain exceptions that will be delineated in the syllabus, only you and the members of the teaching team will be able to view your posting on Canvas.
Late postings: will be penalized one full point per day. Further, you must communicate with your instructors and TA (all of them, since the evaluation will be rotating every week and you may not know which one will be grading you from week to week) that the posting will be late, and when you intend to post within the coming week.
Final Posting: 25% of course grade
Write a final integrative posting of 6-8 pages. Length: double-spaced, typed, 2500-2800 words. This short, analytic paper should address how I/we have come to grips with the content of this course, related again to the questions framed by the work you have done in your previous postings. You may use themes from your writings and integrate them into the paper, but you should not quote yourself at length. This is not a mere reflection essay. Build your reflection with careful analytical argumentation and on an analysis of actual text from the course. A letter grade will be assigned. A more detailed description of the assignment will be distributed mid-way through the quarter. Due by Saturday March 12 . Please submit all the final papers by email in a format that is MSWord compatible. The final paper should be uploaded as a Word document to Canvas.
A general word about assignments:
Criteria / Points for Grading Quizzes and Final Paper
The quiz and the final paper will be graded in relation to four overall criteria: Thesis, Textual Evidence, Writing, and Reflection.
Thesis (Make a claim that answers the question)
2.5 points - Thesis is evident, is clearly and concisely stated, and meaningful. (When provided, guiding question is answered)
2 points – Attempt at formulating thesis is evident, lacks clarity / only partially answers guiding question
1 point – No thesis / failed to respond to guiding question
Textual Evidence (Integration of material)
2.5 points - Variety of course materials are used and appropriately cited. Evidence that material was understood and applied appropriately. Connections between different materials are made, using texts in conversation with each other and in relation to the thesis.
2 points – Some course materials are used. Some course materials are misunderstood. At times, material is incompletely cited or inappropriately used (original material does not support thesis or claim made).
1 point – No or little material used or no appropriate citation. Material misunderstood.
Writing (Organization and Clarity)
2.5 points – Well organized, coherent and structured. Writing strategy to develop arguments evident (chronological, spatial, or comparison / contrast). Organization supports overall goal for the paper. Writing remains focused on central point, appropriate transitions assist reading, and conclusion serves the thesis and goal for the paper. Writing style is appropriate to intended purpose, shows variety of sentence patterns and rhetorical effectiveness, avoiding jargon and discriminating language.
2 points – Organized and structured, appropriate style and word choices. At times lacks cohesion or relevancy to main goal of paper unclear.
1 point – Lacks structure and organization. Uses inappropriate language. Lacks focus.
Reflection (Depth and Quality)
2.5 points – Thesis is developed throughout the paper with well-chosen, appropriate argumentation. Arguments are used to show rather than tell, assertions are well defended and logical. Personal reflection shows understanding of complexity and context of issue discussed as it relates to embodied context of student.
2 points – Most arguments support thesis, at times claims miss supportive evidence or lack clarity. Reflection at times appears to miss contextual connections or complexity of issue, remains abstract.
1 point – Arguments do not support thesis or lack evidentiary nature. Issue is discussed without attention to complexity and context or personal context of student.
Degree Learning Goals: Please take some time to look over the Professional Degree Learning Goals (Links to an external site.) (MDiv, MASC, MAPSC) and the Academic Degree Learning Goals (Links to an external site.) (MTS)
Incompletes : If incompletes are allowed in this course, see the Master's Student Handbook (Links to an external site.) for Policies and Procedures.
Pass/Fail: Masters students wishing to take the class pass/fail should discuss this with the instructor by the second class session.
Academic Integrity and Community Covenant: All students are expected to abide by Iliff’s statement on Academic Integrity, as published in the Masters Student Handbook (Links to an external site.) , or the Joint PhD Statement on Academic Honesty, as published in the Joint PhD Student Handbook (Links to an external site.) , as appropriate. All participants in this class are expected to be familiar with Iliff’s Community Covenant (Links to an external site.) .
Accommodations : Iliff engages in a collaborative effort with students with disabilities to reasonably accommodate student needs. Students are encouraged to contact their assigned advisor to initiate the process of requesting accommodations. The advising center can be contacted at advising@iliff.edu or by phone at 303-765-1146.
Writing Lab: Grammar and organization are important for all written assignments. Additional help is available from the Iliff Writing Lab (Links to an external site.) , which is available for students of any level who need help beginning an assignment, organizing thoughts, or reviewing a final draft.
Inclusive Language: It is expected that all course participants will use inclusive language in speaking and writing, and will use terms that do not create barriers to classroom community.
| Date | Day | Details |