The role of music education in the First Baptist Church of Panama City, Florida (1979-2009)

Thesis (D.M.A.)--Boston UniversityThe purpose of this case study was to investigate and analyze the role of music education as it had been programmed and executed over a period of thirty years (1979- 2009) within an evangelistic Southern Baptist Church, the First Baptist Church of Panama City. It also analyzed the perceptions of the congregants at large and participants within the musical organizations that comprised the Music Ministry concerning the effectiveness and influence of the music education programs of the church during this same time period. To the researcher's knowledge, current quality research was not readily available concerning the role of music education within the framework of a local Southern Baptist church's Music Ministry. This study sought to qualitatively examine one particular church's Music Ministry and its educational facets in a holistic fashion. The specific research questions to be answered through this study were as follows: 1) What were the perceptions of Rev. John Boozer concerning the church Music Ministry and the music education facet of that ministry, during his tenure as Minister of Music and Instrumental Director at the church? 2) What were the perceptions of congregants regarding the Music Ministry of the church and music educational facet of that ministry, during the 30-year period of 1979- 2009? 3) What were the perceptions of participants within the various musical organizations regarding the Music Ministry of the church and music educational facet of that ministry, during the 30-year period of 1979-2009? 4) How did perceptions of congregants and music ministry participants compare regarding the Music Ministry of the church and music educational facet of that ministry during the 30-year period of 1979-2009? Individuals, including Boozer, church congregants, as well as Music Ministry participants were interviewed. Surveys with Likert-scaled responses were administered to the congregation, as well as to the participants in the choirs and orchestra that comprised the church's Music Ministry. Therefore, the educational facets of this specific church's Music Ministry were qualitatively researched, evaluated and chronicled