Date

4-17-2024

Department

Rawlings School of Divinity

Degree

Doctor of Education in Christian Leadership (EdD)

Chair

Jeffrey M. Davis

Keywords

Millennials, transformational leadership, generations, cultural contextualization, methodology

Disciplines

Education | Leadership Studies

Abstract

Population statistics point to an exodus of Millennials from local churches, reinforcing the increasingly widespread opinion that the church is no longer relevant or relatable (Barna Group, 2019a, 2019b; Conway, 2019; Del Rosario & Bock, 2017; Earls, 2022; Easton & Steyn, 2022; Fry, 2019; Gale et al., 2023; Kinnaman & Matlock, 2019; Omilion-Hodges & Sugg, 2019; Packard & Ferguson, 2019; Sumpter, 2019; Wilson, 2019). Culturally contextual ministry leadership methods are needed if the trajectory of these statistics is to change. To reach the population of the Millennial generation, ministry leaders need to examine the cultural needs of those they are trying to reach. By embracing the complexities of this disconnected population, ministry leaders can develop culturally contextual ministry methods of leadership, such as transformational leadership, that connect with their audience while protecting the integrity and purity of the biblical scriptures. Transformational leadership is an exchange in which “leaders and their followers raise one another to higher levels of morality and motivation,” resulting in a transformative experience (Burns, 1978, p. 20). This qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study evaluated the influence of transformational leaders on the lived experience of volunteer leaders from the Millennial generation (born between 1984-1998) who have remained connected to the local church community. The findings of this research helped to determine whether the Millennial generation responds to the leadership characteristics of transformational leaders and whether this connection affects their decision to remain connected to their faith communities.

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