LEADERSHIP STYLES AND MANAGEMENT OF CHURCH YOUTH DEVELOPMENT IN KENYA; A SURVEY OF SELECTED PENTECOSTAL CHURCHES IN NYERI TOWN SUB COUNTY

Abstract

This study was undertaken on leadership styles and management of church youth development in Kenya, a survey of selected Pentecostal churches in Nyeri Town Subcounty. The objectives of the study were to assess the influence of transformational leadership style, democratic leadership style, strategic leadership style and the servant leadership style and management of church youth development in selected Pentecostal churches in Kenya. The study used strategic leadership theory, transformational leadership theory and servant leadership theory. The study was anchored on transformative leadership theory as church leaders are able to inspire followers to change expectations, perceptions, and motivations in order to work towards common goals. The study used a descriptive survey research design, where the target population was purposively selected. The study used census method where data was collected using self-administered questionnaires from 57 youth officials, with 48 of them responding sufficiently from the seven selected Pentecostal churches in Nyeri Town Sub-County. The study findings were that transformational leadership style was the most significant variable, followed by strategic leadership style, then servant leadership style and finally democratic leadership style. The study concluded that once youth are taught on the leadership skills and roles in the church system, they can assume the leadership position with confidence and certainty; strategic leadership style triggers the youth to be future oriented thereby allowing their development on the church affairs which leads to increased management of church youth while youth officials have the requisite skills for management of church systems, but their capacity is not embraced in church activities by the selected Pentecostal churches in Nyeri Town Sub County. The study recommended that youth need engagement in teaching, training and supervising them while undertaking the church activities; for democratic leadership style study advocated for avenues of skills impartation, capacity building programmed and inclusion of the youth in church decision making; strategic leadership style called for church youth leadership to organize meetings, gather relevant data on leadership, and participate in designing, implementing and reviewing of church policies; and for servant leadership style the study recommended that there is need for environment diversity of youth opinions coupled by church youth participation, cultivating a culture of inclusivity and trust of the youth in the affairs of the church, and managing the church youth development through the persuasion and creating incentives for the youth that triggers their leadership in selected Pentecostal churches in Nyeri Town Sub County. The study recommends that for comparative analysis the same study can be replicated to other regions in Kenya and in other churches.