Leadership styles used in the Anglican Diocese of Nairobi, Kenya

Stephen Omuchen Shisia; Crispinous  Iteyo; Elijah. O.S.  Odhiambo

doi:10.51867/ajernet.7.3.126

Authors

Stephen Omucheni Shisia Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya https://orcid.org/0009-0004-3243-0686
Prof. Crispinous Iteyo Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya https://orcid.org/0009-0000-3370-8804
Rev. Dr. Elijah. O.S. Odhiambo Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4725-5655

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51867/ajernet.7.3.126

Keywords:

Anglican Diocese of Nairobi, Anglican Church of Kenya, Conflicts, Leadership Styles

Abstract

Leadership styles is an integral part of a leader consequently creating either positive or negative dynamics within the organization depending on the manner they are used. The Anglican Diocese of Nairobi, Kenya, has experienced recurring conflicts; disputes over leadership succession, church property and legal battles. Different leaders within the Diocese have used different styles of leadership that has resulted into conflicts, often leading to a clash of expectations and a lack of clear-cut conflict resolution mechanisms. The study interrogated the leadership styles in the Anglican Diocese of Nairobi, Kenya. The study was justified in three-fold: academic, policy and philosophical taking the scope into consideration. The literature was done thematically adopting the contingency theory of leadership. The study adopted the descriptive and evaluative research designs. The study area was the Anglican Diocese of Nairobi, Kenya. The simple random sampling was used to select the parishes and respondents from the selected parishes while purposive sampling was used to select the key informants. The sample size comprised of 256 respondents. The participants included Bishop, Archdeacons, and Vicars, Curates, Parish Church Council (PCC), Mother’s Union, Kenya Anglican Men’s Association (KAMA) and youth. Questionnaires and interview guides were used to collect primary data. Desk top review was used to collect secondary data. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics via SPSS Version 30. Validity and Reliability of research instruments, limitations of the study, and ethical considerations were taken into consideration. The findings were presented in frequencies, percentages, mean scores, and standard deviation. Qualitative data was processed via thematic and content analysis. The findings indicated transformational leadership style was the most used style of leadership in the Anglican Diocese of Nairobi, Kenya.The study findings would contribute to helping policymakers in the Anglican Church of Kenya, Diocese of Nairobi, in coming up with new policies or improving the existing ones to address the various conflicts that are occasioned by leadership styles. The study recommends that Clergy are given the orientation of the parishes that they are serving by being given the historical background that includes the culture of the parish, strengths and weaknesses of the parish, financial status of the parish and the demographics of the parish.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Adebomi, J. A., & Omotosho, O. J. (2022). Efficiency of distinct leadership styles on the productivity of church administration. Humanus Discourse, 2(4), 1-10.

Al Khajeh, E. H. (2018). Impact of leadership styles on organizational performance. Journal of Human Resources Management Research, 2018, Article 687849, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.5171/2018.687849

Atieno, W. (2019, December 25). The church struggles to find its way in the fast-changing world. Daily Nation. https://doi.org/10.12968/nuwa.2019.1.24

Bass, B. M. (1985). Leadership and performance beyond expectations. Free Press.

Bass, B. M. (1997). Does the transactional-transformational leadership paradigm transcend organizational and national boundaries? American Psychologist, 52(2), 130-139. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.52.2.130

Bass, B. M., & Riggio, R. E. (2006). Transformational leadership (2nd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

https://doi.org/10.4324/9781410617095

Benincasa, H. (2015). Christian leadership. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Church diary & lectionary. (2022). ACK Uzima Publishing House.

Deo, G., & Shitote, Z. (2023). Empowering church leaders in leadership effectiveness: A transformational approach in Anglican Church in Butare Rwanda, Africa. European Modern Studies Journal, 7(2), 326-333. https://doi.org/10.59573/emsj.7(2).2023.30

Etemesi, H. (2004). Eulogy of the late Archbishop Habakkuk Festo Olang' (1914-2004) [Unpublished funeral address].

Fape, M. O. (2010). Knowing the fundamentals of Anglicanism. Joash.

Foster, D. E. (2002). A method of comparing follower satisfaction with the authoritarian, democratic, and laissez-faire styles of leadership. Communication Teacher, 16(2), 4-6. https://doi.org/10.1080/29945054.2002.12290067

Funga, Y. I., & Sambu, J. K. (2023). The role of servant leadership in the African church environment. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, 13(3), 353-361. https://doi.org/10.29322/IJSRP.13.03.2023.p13542

Gathuki, D. M. (2015). Conflicts in Pentecostal churches: The case of Christian Church International, Kiria-ni Town, Murang'a County, Kenya [Unpublished master's thesis]. Kenyatta University.

Gifford, P. (2009). Christianity, politics and public life in Kenya. Oxford University Press.

https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230100510_8

Gill, R. (2011). Theory and practice of leadership (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.

Gumbihi, H. (2019, February 6). Land dispute threatens to split ACK church. The Standard. https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001312167/land-dispute-threatens-to-split-ack-church

Gumbihi, H. (2022, February 24). Court orders church to pay wrongly sacked cleric. The Standard.

Harris, A., Leithwood, K., Day, C., Sammons, P., & Hopkins, D. (2007). Distributed leadership and organizational change: Reviewing the evidence. Journal of Educational Change, 8(4), 337-347.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-007-9048-4

Harrison, C. (2018). Leadership theory and research: A critical approach to new and existing paradigms. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-68672-1_3

Haynes, J. (2019). Religion and politics in Africa. Routledge.

https://doi.org/10.1093/obo/9780199846733-0209

Im, B. J. (2020). A study on the conflict resolution in church: Focus on Sekwang Church [Doctoral dissertation, Liberty University]. Doctoral Dissertations and Projects, 2449. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/2449

Iqbal, Z., Adeel, M., & Khan, M. M. (2021). The effect of leadership styles (laissez-faire, transactional and transformational leadership) on employees job satisfaction: A case study on banking sector of Pakistan. Elementary Education Online, 20(2), 1387-1396. https://ilkogretim-online.org/index.php/pub/article/view/2635

Judge, T. A., & Piccolo, R. F. (2004). Transformational and transactional leadership: A meta-analytic test of their relative validity. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89(5), 755-768. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.89.5.755

Kaleem, Y., Asad, S., & Khan, H. (2018). Leadership styles and using appropriate styles in different circumstances. ResearchGate.

Kalu, O. (2008). African Pentecostalism: An introduction. Oxford University Press.

https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195340006.001.0001

Kamau, J. M. (2020). Leadership and conflict resolution in the Anglican Church of Kenya. University of Nairobi Press.

Kantharia, B. N. (2011). Servant leadership: An impressive leadership style for leader managers. ResearchGate. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1980625

Karanja, L. N. (2018). The role of church leadership in managing conflicts: A case study of the Anglican Church of Kenya. Journal of Religious Studies, 12(3), 45-61.

Keita, Y., & Lao, T. (2020). Leadership styles and their impact on church growth in Alexandria and Springfield, Virginia. Journal of Leadership, Accountability and Ethics, 53-72.

https://doi.org/10.33423/jlae.v17i2.2868

Koech, J., & Onyancha, B. K. (2015). Religion and politics: Examining the life and contribution of Bishop Alexander Muge to the struggle for social justice in Kenya in the 1980s: Biographical and historical perspectives. International Journal of Development Research, 5(5), 4319-4322.

Kohls, P. (1998). A look at church leadership in Africa. Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology, 17(2), 107-126.

Korejan, M. M., & Shahbazi, H. (2016). An analysis of the transformational leadership theory. Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, 8(3), 452-461. https://doi.org/10.4314/jfas.v8i3s.192

Kothari, C. R. (2004). Research methodology: Methods and techniques (2nd rev. ed.). New Age International Publishers.

Mbiti, J. S. (2017). Introduction to African religion (2nd ed.). Heinemann.

Mehrotra, S., & Sinha, A. (2017). An analysis of leadership styles in Indian organizations. Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research, 3(4), 1735-1740. http://www.onlinejournal.in/

Middleton, J., Harvey, S., & Esaki, N. (2015). Transformational leadership and organizational change: How do leaders approach trauma-informed organizational change…twice? Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services, 96(3), 155-163. https://doi.org/10.1606/1044-3894.2015.96.21

Mitonga-Monga, J., Coetzee, M., & Cilliers, F. V. N. (2012). Perceived leadership style and employee participation in a manufacturing company in the Democratic Republic of Congo. African Journal of Business Management, 6(15), 5389-5398. https://doi.org/10.5897/AJBM11.2443

Muthuku, M., Oginde, D., & Chiroma, N. (2023). Relationship between transformational leadership and church health: A survey of selected denominational churches in Nairobi City County, Kenya. European Scientific Journal, ESJ, 19(13), 107. https://doi.org/10.19044/esj.2023.v19n13p107

Mwenje, J. (2016). An investigation of the leadership styles of Pentecostal church leaders in Zimbabwe. African Journal of Business Management, 10(3), 55-74. https://doi.org/10.5897/AJBM2015.7882

Ncube, L. B. (2010). Ubuntu: A transformative leadership philosophy. Journal of Leadership Studies, 4(3), 77-82. https://doi.org/10.1002/jls.20182

Ngaruiya, P. W. (2019). Clash of leadership styles and its impact on church cohesion: A case study of selected parishes in the Anglican Diocese of Nairobi. Kenya Theological Review, 8(1), 78-95.

Nguyen, T. T., Mia, L., Winata, L., & Chong, V. K. (2017). Effect of transformational-leadership style and management control system on managerial performance. Journal of Business Research, 70, 202-213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.08.018

Northouse, P. G. (2022). Leadership: Theory and practice (9th ed.). SAGE Publications.

Nyakundi, T. I., & Ayako, K. (2020). Leadership styles and their influence on church membership growth: A study of the Pentecostal Assemblies of God Church Kianungu District, Nyamira County. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, 10(8), 1-8.

https://doi.org/10.29322/IJSRP.10.08.2020.p10438

Obiwuru, T. C., Okwu, A. T., Akpa, V. O., & Nwankwere, I. A. (2011). Effects of leadership style on organizational performance: A survey of selected small-scale enterprises in Ikosi-Ketu council development area of Lagos State, Nigeria. Australian Journal of Business and Management Research, 1(7), 100-111. https://doi.org/10.52283/NSWRCA.AJBMR.20110107A11

Odhiambo, E. (2017). The nature of conflicts experienced among the churches in the Anglican Diocese of Maseno North, Kenya. Asian Academic Research Journal of Multidisciplinary, 1(18), 1-36.

Olita, T. (2012). The nature of conflicts experienced among the churches in the Anglican Diocese of Maseno North, Kenya. International Journal of Education and Research, 8(5), 1706-1716.

Oluwaseun, O. A. (2018). Church conflict and its management: The experience of the Nigerian local churches. African Notes, 42(2), 179-194.

Omollo, K. (2014, February 13). Bishop Okullu: A man of God with a heart for justice. The Standard, 2-3.

Orobia, L. (2021). Schisms and succession: An analysis of conflict dynamics in the Anglican Church of Kenya. African Christian Studies, 34(2), 112-130.

Orodho, A. J. (2003). Essentials of educational and social sciences research method. Masola Publishers.

Orodho, A. J., & Kombo, D. K. (2002). Research methods. Kenyatta University, Institute of Open Learning.

Peter, J. M., Kobuthi, E., & Mwamba, G. (2024). Influence of church leadership conflict management on congregational growth: A case of Africa Inland Churches, Machakos Region, Kenya. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, 14(6), 334-344.

https://doi.org/10.29322/IJSRP.14.06.2024.p15029

Rensburg, R. (2002). Archbishop Desmond Tutu as moral sage and servant leader: A compassionate zealot. Verbum et Ecclesia, 23(3), Article 1237. https://doi.org/10.4102/ve.v23i3.1237

Rubin, R. S., Dierdorff, E. C., Bommer, W. H., & Baldwin, T. T. (2009). Do leaders reap what they sow? Leader and employee outcomes of leader organizational cynicism about change. The Leadership Quarterly, 20(5), 680-688. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2009.06.002

Schultz, D. P., & Schultz, S. E. (2020). Psychology and work today: An introduction to industrial and organizational psychology. Routledge.

https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003058847

Srivastava, P. C. (2016). Leadership styles in Western and Eastern societies and its relation with organizational performance. Pranjana: The Journal of Management Awareness, 19(1), 60.

https://doi.org/10.5958/0974-0945.2016.00006.6

Wangui, J. (2020, February 20). Fresh bid to end AIPCA church leadership wrangles. Daily Nation.

Ward, K. (2006). A history of global Anglicanism. Cambridge University Press.

https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511607509

Willis, D. (2020). Transformational leadership. In The Church; Bethlehem Baptist Church. Odessa, Texas.

Yukl, G. (2013). Leadership in organizations (8th ed.). Pearson Education.

Zu, L. (2019). Purpose-driven leadership for sustainable business: From the perspective of Taoism. International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility, 4(1), Article 3.

https://doi.org/10.1186/s40991-019-0041-z