Testing for Maturity

Christian educator Lois LeBar’s “educational cycle” of biblical objectives, current needs, program, evaluation, and revised needs is well known to Christian educators. But often we can’t put the theory of the cycle into practice because we are without tools to help us.

Two years ago in this column I told about my development of a battery of tests designed to evaluate programs that are attempting to fulfill the biblical imperative of producing spiritually mature people (November 21, 1969, issue, p. 22). The series is called “The Spiritual Inventory Battery” (SIB).

The SIB follows the criteria for maturity outlined by J. Dwight Pentecost in Pattern For Maturity. Pentecost maintains that spiritual maturity involves three things: (1) knowledge of Scripture, (2) independent study of and personal interaction with Scripture, and (3) ability to apply Scripture to Christian living.

To measure proficiency in these areas, approximately 400 tests were administered and scored with the help of a computer, and participants were given a print-out of their test results. But the program, limited by computer capability, was inadequate. We could give a print-out only of the scores of the individual tests and the cumulative total. We could not get into the theory of maturity evaluation, which we now are able to do.

The new program provides a print-out of five profiles for a given group and for every person in the group taking the battery. The first is a “Maturity Evaluation Profile.” That gets to the heart of the matter of spiritual maturity. First, scores on each test are tabulated. Then the computer compares the scores on the tests dealing with Bible knowledge and Christian experience. The theory is that the Christian experience should be directly correlated with biblical knowledge. This correlation can be computed in terms of maturity level. The person with a high knowledge score and low experience score or a high experience score and low knowledge score is not correlating biblical knowledge with Christian experience and thus would have a lower maturity level than the person who does correlate them.

People are at widely varying levels of Christian experience because of time of conversion and other personal factors. For that reason, every person taking the tests is put into a statistical section. The statistical section takes into account the following personal data: age, sex, length of time a Christian, length of time attending church regularly, length of time attending Sunday school regularly, last grade completed (elementary through graduate school). The information obtained puts every person into one of 2,048 statistical sections. This makes it possible to give the examinee an idea of how he compares with others of similar background. The profile also offers information on how well the individual’s group did on the tests and the average score of all who have ever taken them.

With this profile the person examined may see not only what his test scores and maturity level are, but also how his performance compares with those of his statistical section, the group taking the test with him, and all who have taken the test.

When the “Maturity Evaluation Profile” is scored on a group taking the test, two sets of figures are shown. They are the test scores and maturity level of the group and of all who have ever taken the test. The group examiner may use these figures to see how his group compares with the norm.

The next four profiles provide information (for the group taking the tests and for each person in the group) on performance on each test in the battery. There are four, measuring general Bible knowledge, knowledge of doctrine, degree of independent Bible study, and degree to which Bible truth is applied to Christian living. The first two tests form the “knowledge” part of the battery, and the latter two the “experience” part.

By examining these four profiles, the individual or group may determine areas of weakness in either knowledge or experience. And it is here that the battery becomes a valuable aid in evaluation. For example, the individual (or group) tested may look at his profile on the first test and see whether he is weak in Old Testament or New Testament and specifically what section of the Bible he is weakest in. His profile on the second test will reveal what area of doctrine he is weak in. This profile breaks down doctrine into the ten areas of systematic theology. The profiles on the other tests show the specific areas of Christian experience where the examinee needs strengthening.

The battery is now ready for further experimental use. More samples must be gathered before reliable norms can be established, and the questions on the test must be screened for validity.

The first report on the Spiritual Inventory Battery brought more than seventy-five inquiries. I hope many of these who have inquired and many others will participate in testing and development. The courage churches have shown in their willingness to evaluate their teaching results portends a healthy future for Christian education.—The REV. ANDRE BUSTANOBY, Temple Baptist Church, Fullerton, California.

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