Date
12-4-2025
Department
Rawlings School of Divinity
Degree
Doctor of Education in Christian Leadership (EdD)
Chair
Gary Bredfeldt
Keywords
Black, Church, Leadership, Perception
Disciplines
Christianity
Recommended Citation
Lewis, Eric, "A Phenomenology Study of African American Male’s Perception of Black Church Leadership" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7673.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7673
Abstract
Previous research has identified a gender disparity exists within the context of the Black Church. More specifically, the gender disparity focuses on the fact that there are more women than men in the context of the Black Church. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions and attitudes that African American males have about Black Church leadership. In addition to this, to also identify if there is a congruence between the perceptions that Black males have about Black Church leadership and their level of engagement or non-engagement. The theory guiding this study is hermeneutic phenomenology, also known as interpretative phenomenology, which originated with Martin Heidegger, because it explains the relationship between an individual and their world (Neubauer et al., 2019). Individual interviews of 20 males, who were identified as Black were divided into two subjects, Engaged Black Males and Non-engaged Black Males, and were analyzed. In the results of this study, it was found that these participants have both positive and negative perceptions of Black Church leaders. In addition to this, the results indicated that there was a congruence between the perceptions that Black men have about Black Church Leadership regarding their level of engagement or lack of engagement within the Church. However, the two important themes that emerged from this study were Black Men’s Unmet Needs and Leadership Styles (positive and negative). The results of this study show a need for Black pastors and leaders to understand the struggles and challenges that Black men face and create an environment within the context of the Black church that meets their needs. Also, the results of this study highlight effective leadership styles that Black pastors and leaders can use to recruit, retain, and disciple Black men.
