Pastoral Leadership: An Application of Servant Leadership Characteristics for Effective Ministry Among Roman Catholic Pastors in Southeast, Nigeria
General Material Designation
[Thesis]
First Statement of Responsibility
Omogo, Peter Okwoeze
Subsequent Statement of Responsibility
Arfsten, Debra J.
.PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION, ETC
Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.
Concordia University Chicago
Date of Publication, Distribution, etc.
2019
GENERAL NOTES
Text of Note
123 p.
DISSERTATION (THESIS) NOTE
Dissertation or thesis details and type of degree
Ph.D.
Body granting the degree
Concordia University Chicago
Text preceding or following the note
2019
SUMMARY OR ABSTRACT
Text of Note
Leadership is very important for growth in any organization, and the type of leadership style that a leader exhibits determines who will follow such a leader. Like any other organization the Church needs servant leaders who will serve the people of God from their heart with care and love as Christ did. To be a pastor is to be a leader. It is therefore necessary for pastors to equip themselves with the leadership skills necessary to lead parishioners effectively. The purpose of this study was to identify the servant leadership characteristics necessary for pastors to excel in their ministry as strong Catholic Church leaders in the parishes of southeast Nigeria. Data collected were analyzed for emerging themes to align with the key characteristics of servant leadership as described by Larry Spears. The themes were identical to some of the characteristics of servant leadership: service, commitment to the growth of the people, foresight, listening, stewardship, conceptualization, healing, and building community. The results of the interviews conducted indicate that servant leadership characteristics are partially practiced by some of the participants in their pastoral ministry. This implies that these servant leadership characteristics must be made known to pastors currently serving in their various ministries and to seminarians who will become priests in the future. If church leaders want to be relevant to the world and the Church by preaching the gospel and inspiring society, they need to start becoming servant leaders.