Date
12-16-2025
Department
Rawlings School of Divinity
Degree
Doctor of Education in Christian Leadership (EdD)
Chair
Rich Sironen
Keywords
Young Adults, Black Male(s), Mentor, Volunteer, Serving
Disciplines
Education
Recommended Citation
Ojo, Veronica, "Why Not Me: Increasing Black Male Participation in Church Leadership" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7851.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7851
Abstract
This ethnographic qualitative study aimed to understand how the volunteerism and service of young Black males between the ages of 18 and 25, who were raised in and currently attend African American Baptist churches in the State of Georgia, are influenced by Transformational Leadership behavior. During the research, volunteerism and service were defined as those who participated or were connected to church ministries within their home church. The theory guiding this study was Burns’s (1978) transformational leadership theory as it relates to the behavior behind senior pastors’, youth ministers’, and senior church leaders’ mentorship of young Black males for leadership, volunteerism, and service. An online survey was conducted, and a total of twenty-five participants completed the survey in its entirety. Fifteen Zoom interviews were conducted and recorded with senior pastors, youth pastors, church leadership, as well as a select group of young Black males who grew up attending church but did not pursue leadership or ministry positions. One Sunday, the youth service was chosen to observe participants’ activity in the church. Data analysis results showed that leaders are aware that there is a problem, and many have chosen to deal with the problem, but in very different ways. Some leaders believe that with better financial backing, youth ministries can make a difference in the lives of both male and female participants. Others believe that making youth ministry a priority in church and improving the current program is the way to address the problem. Still other leaders believe that parents should take on a more visible role in teaching their young adults outside of the church and encouraging them to attend the church and become more involved.
