Table of Contents
The Docent Research Group
The Docent Research Group is an illegal practice at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS), and is therefore prohibited for students seeking an advanced degree or one requiring a dissertation. This policy is part of SBTS’s conduct agreement and the M.Th. program manual, which was updated in 2019. The practice became notorious in the wake of the Sermongate scandal when J.D. Greear allegedly used a group of seminary students to research his sermons.
Book summaries
When preparing a sermon, you might find it helpful to have a brief summary of what a book teaches. Docent provides a wide variety of book summaries for pastors and leaders, covering over 300 different authors. Alternatively, you can request a new book summary by specifying the type of summary you need. This service is designed to help pastors and leaders better understand the books they teach.
Docent research group book summaries are a popular choice among pastors, especially those who do not have the time to read the entire book. This kind of project requires a lot of research and collaboration and can be a challenging endeavor. However, pastors face a lot of pressure from high expectations and countless demands, making it difficult to find the time to read.
Congregational surveys
If you want to learn more about the current congregational climate in your congregation, you should consider hiring a Docent research group. These professionals have extensive experience working with large churches and can provide detailed demographic and cultural reports. They can also provide pastors and preachers with a fresh perspective on Scripture and their congregation.
One church used a congregational survey to understand how members of the congregation feel about the parish and whether they would support the continuation of a full-time rector. The survey asked 33 households about their attitudes toward worship, communication, and stewardship. The survey also asked if parishioners would give more if the parish kept a full-time rector. Stewardship ministry leaders can use the results of congregational surveys in their Annual Report to thank their parishioners and remind them of their commitment. This helps them feel connected to their community and to their congregation.
Sermon planning assistance
Docent is a research group that has been helping pastors prepare sermon series for over 14 years. Their writers have all completed graduate-level degrees and are well-versed in academic tools that pastors need to prepare a good sermon. They also understand the use of illustrations, stories, and images to support a sermon.
The Docent research group is a valuable resource for pastors who wear too many hats. The organization provides congregational surveys, sermon planning assistance, and research aids. Unlike the pastor, the research group is not bogged down in management duties. Its mission is to support pastors by extending their research abilities and guarantee the resources necessary to do the job well.
Ghostwriting
The Docent Research Group ghostwriting scandal was prompted by a reader tip. It led to the discovery that Docent employee Grayson Pope was a ghostwriter for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), a Southern Baptist entity. A review of Pope’s portfolio revealed a study for the Cavary Church, the same one that pastor Willy Rice attends. The study is somewhat banal, and Pope isn’t credited for his work.
While the company claims to only provide illustrations and research for its clients, this is not the case. The group has been accused of degrading the Southern Baptist Convention in the past. In fact, one of its clients, JD Greear, has publicly endorsed the group. This is a troubling development, as the Southern Baptist Convention has consistently been a proponent of the group’s theological works. Despite this controversy, however, Docent has been in damage control mode. In an attempt to defend itself, the group is saying that it provides illustrations and research, but it isn’t.
0