Development and Evaluation of a Manual to Assist Participants in Credential Disciplinary Processes in the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada

Abstract

A need was identified in The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC) to clarify the disciplinary procedures outlined in the General Constitution and By- Laws (GCB 2018, 42-52). Individuals engaged in various dimensions of the disciplinary process noted the challenge of appropriately understanding and applying the by-laws in actual disciplinary experiences.

This thesis-project utilized Action Research (AR) and incorporated Curriculum Development (CD) to create and evaluate a manual to assist all participants in the constitutional disciplinary process of the PAOC. The manual was originally drafted by the author. Feedback was then received from individuals with expertise in the area of church discipline, both internal and external to the PAOC. This feedback enabled valuable amendment to and evaluation of the manual. Data was collected through an initial questionnaire, responses from two panels of experts, an evaluation by practitioners, self-assessments, and participant journaling. The manual is available to all PAOC leadership responsible for the oversight of credential disciplinary processes in the PAOC and has the potential of enabling greater understanding of the disciplinary processes by each participant.