A qualitative collective case study of ministry to men in Southern Baptist mega-churches in North Carolina

The goal of the study was to identify and describe men's ministries in Southern Baptist mega-churches in North Carolina. The researcher did not attempt to measure the effectiveness of these ministries, but did identify and document the existence of discipleship ministries to men. The strategies employed were identified and compared to what the literature review revealed about current strategies of men's ministry.;The basic research design followed a qualitative collective case study format. A qualitative format was chosen because the researcher was interested in identifying and describing discipleship ministries to men in the churches selected. A collective case study approach allowed for one issue to be selected (men's ministry), but several cases to be used to illustrate the topic and offer different perspectives. Certain generalizations about men's ministries in Southern Baptist mega-churches in North Carolina were discovered.;To accomplish the stated research purpose, the researcher began by examining what the Bible teaches about the existence of gender roles. The complementarian and egalitarian positions were evaluated. A biblical understanding of masculinity was examined. One's position on the existence of and nature of gender differences and roles will have a foundational effect on the philosophy of ministry to men in the local church.;The next step was to examine what Scripture teaches about the responsibility of the local church to disciple men and the nature of the discipling process. Discipleship is a foundational function of the local church. This function was explored as it applies to men and women regardless of gender; and specifically as it applies to men. If one takes the position that God created men and women with different roles, then a logical implication would be that this difference should be taken into account when implementing a strategy of effective discipleship.;Contemporary literature on ministry to men was examined to determine what researchers and practitioners in the field offer as effective strategies for men's discipleship. Essential principles of effective ministry to men were identified in the current literature and offer a solid framework by which contemporary men's ministries in the local church may be viewed.;In the final phase of the research, Southern Baptist mega-churches in North Carolina were studied to determine what is actually taking place with the discipleship ministry to men in these locations. An individual presentation of data from each church is offered as a within-case analysis, followed by a cross-case analysis which allowed the researcher to identify what intentional discipleship ministry to men is taking place in the sample churches.