The Effect of Church Members' Empowerment on Church Growth among Pentecostal Churches in Kenya

Abstract

Despite the known effect of employees' empowerment in education and health, little is known regarding empowerment on church growth. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of church members' empowerment on church growth among Pentecostal Churches in Kenya. Empirical literature in this study provided the basis for the study gap. The study was guided by pragmatism research philosophy, which is typically related with mixed method approach and, with the focus being on the significance of research and research questions as opposed to focusing on methodologies (Zukauskas et al., 2018). Theories guiding the study were Shared Leadership Theory (Conger & Pearce, 2003) and Mead's Theory of Church Growth (1993). The descriptive survey design targeted 1235 pastors and 1210 church elders in Pentecostal churches in Machakos, Murang'a, Kajiado, Nakuru and Nairobi Counties under the umbrella of Evangelical Alliance of Kenya (EAK). The study employed simple random, purposive and stratified sampling techniques. The study was made of 245 respondents. The study employed convergent mixed method design approach, which had open ended and closed ended questionnaires. Focus group discussion was also employed to gather qualitative data. Descriptive, correlation and multiple regression analysis used Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and STATA. The results revealed that Church members' empowerment had significant relationship with church growth with a correlation co - efficient of 0.342, p< 0.05. Regression analysis results revealed that church members' empowerment significantly affected church growth in Pentecostal churches in Kenya. The inference of the outcomes was discussed and proper pastoral leadership practice commendations made to apprise the work of Church leaders in Kenya.