Date of Award
3-14-2025
Document Type
Project Portfolio
Degree Name
Doctor of Ministry (DMin)
Department
Seminary
First Advisor
Linda Sommerville, DMin
Second Advisor
Jason Wellman, DMin
Third Advisor
Ken Van Vliet, DMin
Abstract
Harm caused by Fundamentalist Evangelicalism prevents individuals from re-engaging in a faith community, creating a need for compassionate spaces that foster healing and reconciliation. What is one supposed to do when the only group they have known to be a healing and life-giving community is the source of their hurt, disappointment, and confusion? Often, individuals disengage from the religious community and are left to navigate the complexities of life and faith on their own. Yet these individuals, while skeptical of the Church, have increasingly expressed a desire to reengage with a faith community—but if not within the formal structures of the Church, then where?
This is a reality I frequently experience within my church—a Wesleyan-Holiness community within a denomination that has increasingly embraced a fundamentalist-evangelical expression. Addressing the historical, theological, and cultural dynamics contributing to church hurt is crucial for fostering reconciliation. Further, creating space for intentional dialogue, reflection, and shared practices empowers individuals to process their hurt and rediscover their spiritual identity.
Wilderness & Wonder is designed for those who have experienced hurt within the Church, have disengaged from their religious community (physically or mentally), yet still desire to engage their faith in meaningful ways with others. It is a ten-week small group curriculum that gives individuals a safe space to ask questions, express doubts, and be curious about faith in ways that churches typically do not welcome. This program is a gentle invitation to experience the unburdened and unforced rhythms of rest into which Jesus leads. Wilderness & Wonder is a practical approach to address church hurt and create spaces for healing, enabling individuals to reimagine their faith in life-giving ways.
Recommended Citation
Dresbach, Tyler, "Wilderness & Wonder: Creating Compassionate Spaces for Those Who have Been Wounded and Forgotten by the Church" (2025). Doctor of Ministry. 677.
https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/dmin/677