Constructing a Transformative Methodology of Discipleship: A Qualitative Case Study of the African Strategic Discipleship Movement (ASDM)

The purpose of this study was to discover how discipleship can be transformative for the learners within the African Strategic Discipleship Movement (ASDM) training program currently being offered to Christian denominations located in 33 countries throughout Africa. The educational theory that guided this study was Bruner’s constructivism methodology of learning as it suggested a theoretical framework that could be integrated into the field of discipleship. The Central Research Question asked how the specific instructional methods and practices of discipleship presented by the African Strategic Discipleship Movement (ASDM) provide or not provide the participants with transformational results. Sub-research questions asked about the learner’s use of the 4H Model, mentoring, digital platforms during discipleship, as well as the transferability or multiplication of the ASDM methodologies. The research design demonstrated an intrinsic case study approach that established a broad investigation and evaluation of the ASDM program. The participants included a sample of 13 second and third generation disciples who had been trained by ASDM Disciple Making Leaders (DMLs). The African setting provided a contextual site for the qualitative data to be collected both in-person and virtually. The data collection involved a triangulation of sources that offered a wide range of information for depth and insight including the three data sources of interviews, document analysis, and participant observations. Analysis included the evaluation of repeated themes of transformation acquired from interviews, the use of a spiral affect method of analyzing ASDM documents, and the assistance of observed field notes with reflection. Research findings revealed transformational results were experienced among the learners of the ASDM program.