Sabbath School Action Units/Small Groups, contradictions, integration, disintegration, cultural dissimilarity, self-regulation

Frank Barden Chirwa, PhD

Abstract

This research examines the effectiveness of the Sabbath School Action Units initiative within the Malawi Union Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, investigating the persistent tendency of members to revert to larger groups despite the program’s 1995 introduction to maximize membership growth. Analysis of membership statistics from 2000 to 2020 reveals a decadal growth rate of approximately 45% to 46%, suggesting that small group objectives were only minimally achieved compared to the exponential growth patterns of the early New Testament church. To investigate this stagnation, the study utilizes Audrey V. Sidorenkov’s theory of small group dynamics which focuses on the processes of contradiction, integration, and disintegration alongside theories of cultural dissimilarity and social self-regulation. The findings indicate that cultural differences were not the primary driver of this regression; rather, the challenge stems from a lack of leadership competency in managing internal group contradictions. Consequently, the research concludes that achieving maximum qualitative and quantitative growth requires training leaders in self-regulation mechanisms, specifically goal setting and feedback seeking, to effectively harmonize group integration and prevent unit disintegration.