Date of Award
2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Ministry (DMin)
Department
Seminary
First Advisor
Jamale Kempt, DMin
Second Advisor
Laura Gordon, DMin
Third Advisor
Danielle Boone
Abstract
The search for meaning, identity coherence, and belonging often intensifies when individuals cross cultural boundaries. Faith communities can serve as sanctuaries for identity renegotiation, but congregations may also reproduce the social distance and exclusion found in the broader society. This dissertation addresses a scholarly and pastoral gap at the intersection of acculturation and Christian faith formation, and more specifically how identity, belonging, and spiritual formation are negotiated within multicultural congregations led by African American pastors in San Jose, California, and similar contexts.
Drawing on acculturation research in psychology, sociology, and anthropology, this study examines how culturally diverse newcomers experience culture shock, acculturation stress, and identity disruption within congregational life. The U-Curve Hypothesis offers a framework for phases of adjustment (honeymoon, crisis, recovery, and adaptation), yet prevailing models often treat adaptation, integration, and identity as separate domains without sufficiently accounting for the spiritual and relational dimensions of congregational belonging.
This dissertation argues that churches can better support culturally diverse newcomers when three mechanisms operate together: intentional leadership formation for cultural responsiveness, congregational structures that create belonging without assimilation or cultural erasure, and theological commitments that ground inclusive ministry in scripture. Through narrative analysis of immigrant, refugee, and diaspora believers, the study documents pathways from identity fragmentation toward coherent belonging.
To name this phenomenon, Authentigrate® is introduced as a construct denoting Authentic Integration, whole-person cultural adaptation that preserves dignity, cultural particularity, and identity coherence while cultivating ecclesial belonging.
Recommended Citation
Partee, Alicia L., "No One Told Their Story: Acculturation, Faith Formation, and Belonging in Multicultural Congregations Led by African American Pastors" (2026). Doctor of Ministry. 726.
https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/dmin/726