Institutional functionality and economic empowerment across churches in Western Region, Kenya: A reassessment of Weberian perspectives

Werunga Benjamin Wafula; Ochieng Lukes Ahaya; Angeline Savala

doi:10.51867/ajernet.7.3.153

Authors

Werunga Benjamin Wafula Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9096-998X
Ochieng Lukes Ahaya Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2813-6527
Angeline Savala Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9914-1975

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51867/ajernet.7.3.153

Keywords:

Economic Empowerment, Institutional Functionality, Christianity, Weberian Perspectives, Church

Abstract

The debate on the relationship between economic development and Christianity remains one of the most advanced issues within the sociological circle. The aim of the study is to reassess the traditional Weberian perspective of economic empowerment beyond Protestant doctrine by examining Institutional functionality across Western Region Churches. The study was guided by Weberian theory by Max Weber (1864-1920), from his work “The Protestant Ethics and the Spirit of Capitalism” and Functionalism theory associated with Émile Durkheim 1895. The study was anchored on a qualitative descriptive design. The research was conducted in four Counties of Western Kenya: Busia, Bungoma, Kakamega, and Vihiga. The study targeted 4065 church members, which included members and their clerics. A total sample of 408 respondents (384 members & 24 clerics) who took part in the study. Data collection was conducted through Focus Group Discussions with members and Interviews with clerics. Qualitative data was analysed thematically through the identification of patterns and themes that were recurrent. The study demonstrated that economic empowerment should move beyond Weber’s doctrinal emphasis toward result-oriented actions to realize economic mobility. The study demonstrates that this is possible given that initiatives taken by some of the churches in context, such as supporting education, healthcare, business and church-based financial initiatives for members, can uplift members’ economic status. The study further reveals that institutional capacity determines the direction the church takes in formulating and implementing its economic transformation agenda, with the support of proper governance. In this case, governance determines how resources are mobilized and wisely used, initiatives that are prioritized and evaluation of the practical outcomes to determine areas of improvement. Churches should strengthen their institutional functionality by translating religious values of stewardship, discipline, and responsibility into practical, accountable, and sustainable economic empowerment programmes that enhance members’ financial literacy, entrepreneurship capacity, and overall economic wellbeing.

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