INFLUENCE OF OCCUPATIONAL STRESS ON QUALITY FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS AMONG CLERGY: A CASE OF CHRIST IS THE ANSWER MINISTRIES, KENYA

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dc.contributor.authorMAKENA, VERONICA KAARI
dc.date.accessioned2025-03-05T09:35:22Z
dc.date.available2025-03-05T09:35:22Z
dc.date.issued2023-06
dc.description.abstractThe clergy profession is a challenging one as they are expected to provide spiritual leadership by providing comfort and support to members of the congregation. If the clergy do not intentionally manage their occupational stress by exercising proper self-care, the quality of their family relationships can be impacted negatively by the stress. This study investigated the influence of occupational stress on quality family relationships among clergy in Christ Is The Answer Ministries, Kenya (CITAM). The study also investigated social stress and health related stress, time management stress, emotional and work-related stress and their influence on quality clergy family relationships. In addition, the study formulated appropriate self-care and occupational stress intervention measures to the clergy. A pragmatist lens which informs the adoption of mixed methods research design was used. The total population was 204 with a sample size of 135 which comprised of pastors, their spouses and children aged 18 years and above. A total of 115 respondents comprising of 57 pastors, 40 spouses and 18 children participated in the study. Ethical considerations were adhered to by receiving the necessary approvals and licenses before commencing the study. Primary data was collected using questionnaires and focus group discussions. Quantitative data was analyzed using the linear regression technique in Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 28 and presented in tables, histogram and box plots. The qualitative data was transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis approach with identification of key themes. Cronbach’s Alpha test was performed using SPSS for reliability. The research raised awareness about the significance of self-care and offered practical solutions for improving the quality of family relationships among clergy members. Findings showed that the clergy families have high quality family relationships (x=3.4635, x = .37655) with social and health-related stress (B=-.240, p<.05) having a significant influence on the quality of clergy family relationships. In addition, time-management stress (B=-.224, p<.05) had a negative effect on the quality of clergy family relationships while both emotional stress (R2 = 0.664, F(1), p < .05) and work related stress (R2 = 0.722, F(1), p < .05) had significant influence on quality family relationships. Thematic analysis revealed that having intentionality about their self-care and maintaining clear boundaries between work and personal life would help clergy reduce occupational stress and improve the quality of their family relationships. The study recommended that churches should collaborate with family therapists to offer therapy sessions to all members of the clergy. This would enable the clergy and their families to gain new insights and perspectives in dealing with occupational stress and thereby improve the quality of their family relationships. An important suggestion put forward was for the theology department at Pan Africa Christian University to actively engage and empower spouses of clergy members, equipping them with strategies to effectively manage occupational stress before they join their spouses in ministry.
dc.identifier.urihttps://repo.pacuniversity.ac.ke/handle/123456789/5240
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherPAC University
dc.titleINFLUENCE OF OCCUPATIONAL STRESS ON QUALITY FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS AMONG CLERGY: A CASE OF CHRIST IS THE ANSWER MINISTRIES, KENYA
dc.typeThesis
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TD-Department of Psychology (PhD)