The Impact of Authentic Leadership Factors on Church Growth in Embu County, Kenya

Abstract

Leadership is one of the biggest challenges facing churches operating in the ever changing and complex 21st century environment with authentic leadership playing a critical role in the church growth. This study sought to assess the impact of Authentic Leadership factors on Church Growth in Embu County, Kenya. The specific objectives of the study are: to establish the impact of trust in church growth; to determine the impact of transparency and accountability on church growth; to evaluate the impact of visionary leadership on church growth; to determine the impact of teamwork on church growth and to examine the moderating effect of personal characteristics on the relationship between authentic leadership factors and church growth. The study was confined on impact of Authentic Leadership factors on Church Growth in Embu County. Descriptive survey design and positivism philosophy was adopted in this study. The target population of this study was all congregants of churches in Embu west Sub County. Purposeful sampling technique was employed to obtain the sample. Questionnaires and interview schedules were used in collection of data. Data analysis utilized both descriptive and inferential statistics. The descriptive statistics revealed high scores of authentic leadership dimensions beginning with teamwork (4.14, SD = 0.636), followed by trust in church leadership (4.18, SD = 0.518), visionary leadership (4.17, SD = 0.623), and lastly, transparency and accountability (3.92, SD = 0.729). A strong positive correlation was found between church growth and teamwork (r = .820, p<.01), visionary leadership (r = .803, p<.01), transparency and accountability (r = .747, p<.01), and trust (r = .722, p<.01). Regression analysis showed that authentic leadership significantly predicted church growth (R² = .740, p <.01). However, personal characteristics did not significantly moderate the relationship between authentic leadership and church growth (ΔR² = .000, p >.05). Thematic analysis showed that integrity, transparency, and accountability were seen as key components of authentic leadership, with leaders who embodied these traits fostering strong relationships and trust within their communities. However, challenges such as breaches of trust, lack of vision, poor accountability, and hierarchical overreach were identified as barriers to church growth. Conclusions were drawn that: trust is indispensable to church growth, and so are transparency and accountability, visionary leadership, and teamwork. The study affirmed authentic leadership as a critical leadership framework with implications for church growth. Therefore, church leaders should prioritize building trust within the congregation. Church policymakers should implement and enforce policies that promote transparency, accountability, and trust within the church. It is also recommended that church members actively engage in church activities and hold leaders accountable for their actions. Leadership developers should prioritize and recommend the development of leaders who embody trust, transparency, and teamwork. Further research should explore the concept of authentic leadership within other faith-based organizations such as church-sponsored organizations.