TWENTY-FIVE PASTOR-BOY CASES WERE INVESTIGATED THROUGH COURT RECORDS AND INTERVIEWS WITH PERSONNEL, PARENTS, PASTORS, AND BOYS. BIBLIOGRAPHICAL DATA WAS EVALUATED ON A MASTER RATING TABLE. ALL SUBJECTS WERE WHITE, AND ONLY 'NORMAL' BOYS WERE CONSIDERED. THE CASES WERE OBTAINED FROM COURT RECORDS NATIONWIDE AND THEN INVESTIGATED. THE FINDINGS SUPPORT THE HYPOTHESIS THAT THE PASTOR'S MOST EFFECTIVE ROLE IS THAT OF 'TRUSTED FRIEND,' AND THE ROLE PROVED ADAPTABLE AND MOTIVATIONAL TO ALL OTHER ROLES CONSIDERED IN THE EXAMINATION, PRODUCING IDENTIFICATION AND LIKING ON THE PART OF THE BOY. THE FINDINGS ALSO SUPPORTED THE HYPOTHESIS THAT THE PASTORAL STATUS AND INSTITUTIONAL MILIEU ARE HIGHLY ADVANTAGEOUS. THE STATUS AFFORDED THE PASTOR PRIOR ACQUAINTANCE AND TRUST WITHIN THE DELINQUENT'S FAMILY, AND THE PASTOR'S REMOVED POSITION FROM THE POLICE, COURT, AND LAW WERE AN ASSET. HE HAD ACCESS TO COURT HEARINGS, AND WAS EXPERIENCED IN COUNSELING. THE INSTITUTIONAL MILIEU PROVIDED THE BOY WITH A SUPPORTIVE PEER GROUP AT A TIME WHEN HE MIGHT OTHERWISE BE ISOLATED. THE FINDINGS DID NOT SUPPORT THE HYPOTHESIS THAT A SENSE OF FAILURE IS A PASTOR'S MAJOR INHIBITING FACTOR. AUTHORITARIANISM AND FUNDAMENTALISM WERE FOUND TO BE SLIGHTLY INHIBITING, BUT NOT SIGNIFICANTLY. IN INDIVIDUAL CASES, FEAR OF FAILURE, INFERIORITY COMPLEX, TIMIDITY, DISGUST, CONFLICT OF INTEREST, SOCIAL CLASS DIFFERENCES, AND LACK OF FAMILY CONFIDENCE IN THE PASTOR WERE FOUND TO BE DETRIMENTAL. OVERALL, LACK OF CONFIDENT READINESS, RELATED TO INSUFFICIENT PREPARATION, WAS AN INHIBITING FACTOR. CASE STUDIES ARE PRESENTED IN EXAMINING THE MAIN HYPOTHESIS -- THAT THE PASTOR ROLE IS EFFECTIVE IN REHABILITATION -- AND THE HYPOTHESIS IS SUSTAINED. A BIBLIOGRAPHY AND APPENDIXES CONTAINING DATA ANALYSIS ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--DAG)