Strategic Leadership and its effect on retention of adolescents in the church: a case of the gospel celebration, Nairobi, Kenya. Church

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of strategic leadership on the retention of adolescents in the church focusing on G.C.C. The study was guided by the following research questions; how do the church programmes affect the retention of adolescents at G.C.C? To what extent does leader competence influence the retention of adolescents at G.C.C? How does ethical practices adherence affect retention of adolescents at G.C.C? The study was guided by the following theories; strategic leadership, servant leadership and transformational theories. The study adopted descriptive research design. The target population for this study was theurban adolescents of the East lands region of Nairobi County using the Gospel Celebration Church as the case study. Census sampling was adopted where all the population of 32 church leaders and 50 adolescents between the age of 13 and 18 years were included. From the church records 17 leaders were also parents while 15of them were youths at G.C.C. Primary data was collected through administration of questionnaires to the respondents while secondary data was collected from the attendance registers at G.C.C. The questionnaires contained closed ended questions. Qualitative data was collected by conducting youth group discussion with the help of interview guide in answering the questions presented with regard to church programmes, leaders’ competence and ethical practices adherence. The study found out that correlation results based on adolescents suggested that church programmes, leader’s competence and ethical practises adherence positively influenced adolescent’s retention. Based on correlation results of leaders, the study established that church programmes, leader’s competence and ethical practises adherence negatively effect to adolescent’s retention. The study concludes that church programmes, leader’s competence and ethical practises adherence have mixed effect (both positive and negative) on adolescent’s retention. The researcher recommends that the church should embrace a mentorship programme for adolescents whose main role and agenda is to retain and absorb more adolescents into fellowshipping with the church. The researcher recommends that church leaders ought to be well trained with relevant skills and competences that enable them to nurture and influence retention of adolescents in the church. The leaders also ought to uphold high Christian Biblical ethics in a manner that the adolescents can emulate since they look up to them as role models.