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Church Leadership Elections and Personal Interest Interference: Implications for Members’ Spiritual Growth and Development in protestant churches in Kisumu County
Subject area: Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities · Area of research: Religion
DOI: https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I10-1717057
Abstract
The Bible provides a spiritual framework for selecting church leaders, emphasizing prayer, integrity, and divine guidance. Church leadership plays a critical role in shaping the spiritual direction, governance, and overall health of Christian congregations. In Protestant churches, leadership elections are often designed to reflect biblical principles such as integrity, service, and divine calling (1Timothy3:1). However, in recent years, there has been growing concern about the infiltration of personal interests and practices into church leadership selection processes. These practices tend to shift focus from spiritual qualifications to popularity, financial influence, and social status. As a result, leadership positions risk being occupied by individuals who may not possess the spiritual maturity required to guide the church effectively. This study examined the extent to which personal interest interferes in church leadership elections and its implication on the spiritual growth and development of members within Protestant churches in Kisumu County. The following were the objectives of the study; to analyze the nature and forms of personal interest interference in church leadership elections, to assess how personal interest affects the selection of church leaders, to evaluate the impact of personalized leadership on the spiritual growth of church members. The study was anchored on Servant Leadership Theory Developed by Robert K. Greenleaf (1970), the theory emphasizes that true leaders prioritize serving others before seeking personal gain or power. Leadership is viewed as a moral and ethical responsibility, focusing on the growth, well-being, and spiritual development of followers. The study adopted a qualitative approach, drawing on existing literature, observations, and insights from church leadership structures in Kenya. It explores how individual behaviors such as campaigning, favoritism, lobbying, and external influence compromise the spiritual integrity of church elections. The target population were 110 church leaders from 3 protestant churches from 3 sub counties in with a sampled size of 99 respondents Kisumu County namely ; SDA Church, Anglican Church, and Christ is the answer (CITAM).Methods of data collection included Oral interviews, Focused group discussion. Primary data and secondary data was derived from manuals, journals, articles, and newsletters which form the literature review for the study. Findings indicated that personal interest interference in church elections often leads to divisions among members, loss of trust in leadership, and a decline in spiritual engagement. Members may become disillusioned when leadership processes mirror secular political systems, thereby weakening their commitment to spiritual growth and participation in church activities. The study recommends strengthening church policy frameworks, promoting spiritual discernment in church leadership election, and reinforcing biblical principles as the foundation for church leadership.
Keywords
Election, Politics, Leadership, Bible, Church, Spiritual Growth and Development
References
[1] Anyanwu, A. (2018). Church Leadership and Spiritual Growth in African Protestant Churches. Nairobi: African Theological Press.
[2] Blackaby, H. T. (2011). Spiritual leadership: Moving people on to God’s agenda. B&H Publishing Group. Brengle, S. (1903). The soul winner’s secret. The Salvation Army.
[3] General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. (2022). Church Manual.
[4] Greenleaf, R. K. (1970). The servant as leader. Robert K. Greenleaf Center.
[5] Greenleaf, R. K. (1977). Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness. Paulist Press.
[6] Karanja, P. (2020). Politics and Power in Kenyan Church Leadership Elections. Nairobi: Jomo Kenyatta University Press.
[7] Sanders, J. O. (2007). Spiritual Leadership. Moody Publishers.
[8] SDA Church (Kenya Union Conference). (2019). Governance and Leadership Guidelines. Nairobi: KUC Publications.
[9] Stott, J. (2002). Basic Christian Leadership.
[10] Tagwirei, K., 2023a, ‘Battling with the baton: (Dis)connecting today and tomorrow’s leaders in African Pentecostalism’, HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies 79(1), a9179. https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v79i1.9179
[11] Tagwirei, K., 2023b, ‘Hearing the loud voices of the silent church in Zimbabwe’, in B. Dube (eds.), Regime, religion and the consolidation of Zanu-PFism in Zimbabwe, pp. 115–139, African Histories and Modernities, Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
[12] The Holy Bible (Ephesians 4:3; 1 Timothy 3:1–7; Titus 1:5–9).
[13] Wagner, C. P. (2012). Your spiritual gifts can help your church grow. Baker Books.
[14] Wanjala, J. (2021). Implications of Leadership Selection on Congregational Spirituality. African Journal of Church Studies, 15(2), 45–67.
[15] White, E. G. (1905). Gospel Workers.
How to cite this paper
@article{1717057,
author = {Ondoo Beatrice Atieno, Dr. Ahaya Lukes Ochieng, Dr. Ekwenye John},
title = {Church Leadership Elections and Personal Interest Interference: Implications for Members’ Spiritual Growth and Development in protestant churches in Kisumu County},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2026},
volume = {9},
number = {10},
pages = {3618-3631},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1717057.pdf},
abstract = {The Bible provides a spiritual framework for selecting church leaders, emphasizing prayer, integrity, and divine guidance. Church leadership plays a critical role in shaping the spiritual direction, governance, and overall health of Christian congregations. In Protestant churches, leadership elections are often designed to reflect biblical principles such as integrity, service, and divine calling (1Timothy3:1). However, in recent years, there has been growing concern about the infiltration of personal interests and practices into church leadership selection processes. These practices tend to shift focus from spiritual qualifications to popularity, financial influence, and social status. As a result, leadership positions risk being occupied by individuals who may not possess the spiritual maturity required to guide the church effectively. This study examined the extent to which personal interest interferes in church leadership elections and its implication on the spiritual growth and development of members within Protestant churches in Kisumu County. The following were the objectives of the study; to analyze the nature and forms of personal interest interference in church leadership elections, to assess how personal interest affects the selection of church leaders, to evaluate the impact of personalized leadership on the spiritual growth of church members. The study was anchored on Servant Leadership Theory Developed by Robert K. Greenleaf (1970), the theory emphasizes that true leaders prioritize serving others before seeking personal gain or power. Leadership is viewed as a moral and ethical responsibility, focusing on the growth, well-being, and spiritual development of followers. The study adopted a qualitative approach, drawing on existing literature, observations, and insights from church leadership structures in Kenya. It explores how individual behaviors such as campaigning, favoritism, lobbying, and external influence compromise the spiritual integrity of church elections. The target population were 110 church leaders from 3 protestant churches from 3 sub counties in with a sampled size of 99 respondents Kisumu County namely ; SDA Church, Anglican Church, and Christ is the answer (CITAM).Methods of data collection included Oral interviews, Focused group discussion. Primary data and secondary data was derived from manuals, journals, articles, and newsletters which form the literature review for the study. Findings indicated that personal interest interference in church elections often leads to divisions among members, loss of trust in leadership, and a decline in spiritual engagement. Members may become disillusioned when leadership processes mirror secular political systems, thereby weakening their commitment to spiritual growth and participation in church activities. The study recommends strengthening church policy frameworks, promoting spiritual discernment in church leadership election, and reinforcing biblical principles as the foundation for church leadership.},
keywords = {Election, Politics, Leadership, Bible, Church, Spiritual Growth and Development},
month = {April},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I10-1717057}
}