Pastoral Accountability in Selected Southern Baptist Churches: A Multiple Case Study
Division of Church Ministry, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
How they used Delve
A PhD candidate in Christian Leadership at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary used Delve to apply in vivo coding to six interviews with the pastor and a lay leader at each of three Southern Baptist churches, plus church documents and meeting observations, in a multiple case study of how the churches practice pastoral accountability, arriving at twelve themes.
“Analyzing interview transcripts involved the Delve Qualitative Analysis Tool, a web-based computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS) program. Each transcript went through three rounds of review to ensure consistency and accuracy of the coding. Following the third review, the transcripts went through three rounds of theming.”
- Field
- practical theology; church leadership; pastoral accountability
- Data
- 6 semi-structured interviews (the pastor and one lay leader at each of 3 Southern Baptist churches), organizational documents submitted by each church for document review, and on-site observations of an official meeting at 2 of the churches
- Approach
- Multiple case study (three churches); in vivo coding (Creswell / Saldaña) with three rounds of coding and three rounds of theming per transcript; within-case and cross-case themes; validation by triangulation, member checking, an eight-member expert panel, and reflexivity
- Data types
- Interviews, Documents, Observation
Abstract
The purpose of the dissertation is to identify how selected Southern Baptist churches practice pastoral accountability. Three churches served as cases for the study. The pastor and a lay leader from the churches provided data through the interview responses. The churches also submitted organizational documents to give supplemental data through a document review process. Two churches permitted on-site observations of an official meeting to offer further data. Particular attention focused on how churches understood the concept of pastoral accountability, communicated their expectations regarding the concept, and the methods the churches used to ensure pastoral accountability. Temi Transcription Service transcribed the interview responses, and Delve Qualitative Analysis Tool assisted with data analysis, resulting in identifying twelve themes. The findings indicated the presence of pastoral accountability in the selected churches; however, the findings also noted significant gaps in the accountability framework. The research offered practical implications for pastors and churches as well as denominational leaders and entities. The study concluded with suggested recommendations for further research.
Citation
Larry S. Johnson (2025). Pastoral Accountability in Selected Southern Baptist Churches: A Multiple Case Study. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses.