Date of Award
8-2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
Executive Leadership
First Supervisor
Dr. Guillermo Montes, Ph.D.
Second Supervisor
Dr. Marlowe V.N. Washington, Ed.D.
Abstract
This comparative phenomenological study researched how church leaders impact race relations in emerging multicultural Protestant churches, by analyzing the lived experiences of church members in multicultural churches. This study explored the strategies pastors use to manage race relations through the lens of transformational leadership theory. This comparative study compares the experiences of church members in an urban and suburban church setting. Semi-structured interviews were conducted at two multicultural churches in the Rochester, NY area. The first location included a suburban multicultural church setting with at least 50-75 members. The second location was a larger, more established congregation in an urban multicultural church with 75-100 members. During data analysis, transformational leadership theory assisted the researcher with emerging themes. Prevalent themes were coded and analyzed at the culmination of data collection. Results from the study reveal faith leaders profoundly influence race relations. The research gathered from interviews determined that there were minimal differences in the strategies pastors used to manage race relations. The comparative analysis revealed that participants value similar leadership qualities regardless of race, gender or geographical location of their church. After the data were analyzed, a series of recommendations were made to improve race relations for pastors in multicultural Protestant churches. Recommendations for aspiring multicultural church leaders were cited based on participant preferences. Church members recommended making intentional connections with members by asking, learning, and listening to their unique experiences.
Recommended Citation
Slade, Janee M., "Erasing the Dividing Line Between Race and the Protestant Church: A Phenomenological Comparative Research Study" (2024). Education Doctoral. Paper 597.
https://fisherpub.sjf.edu/education_etd/597
Please note that the Recommended Citation provides general citation information and may not be appropriate for your discipline. To receive help in creating a citation based on your discipline, please visit http://libguides.sjfc.edu/citations.