Research Project proposal

Assessing the Effective Leadership and church

Sustainability: A Case study of ADEPR

by

By UMI Pascal

Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Leadership and Administration

December 2019
 Abstract

A sustainability plan of an organization is useless without effective leadership in its design

and execution. The purpose of this case study is to explore strategies that church leaders
having at least nine continuous years of organizational financial sustainability and
leadership used to ensure economic sustainability. The study includes face-to-face and
phone interviews with national executive committee members, regional and district
reverends, pastors, and accountants who work in different fields of the church. The
transformational leadership theory will be used to frame this study. Audio recordings will
be transcribed and analyzed along with interview notes and publicly available documents
to identify themes regarding strategies used by church leaders to successfully achieve
economic sustainability.

Data analysis will consist of coding, thematic analysis, and key word analysis, which result
in 4 major themes: mentoring strategies, where a pastor might get some good advice from
someone knowledgeable about economic sustainability; training strategies on subjects like
planned giving; education strategies on the use of concerts and social media tools to
improve the effectiveness of fundraising activities; and the importance of choosing the
right leadership style as a strategy in improving economic sustainability. These strategies
may contribute to social change if they are used by pastors and other church leaders to
ensure economic sustainability in their congregations. Social implications may include
increased attention on the varied benefits of sustainability and their adoption by
individuals, businesses, organizations, governments, and society.
 Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 4
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................... 10
3.0. Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 10
3.1. Research Design .................................................................................................................. 10
3.2. Area of the Study ................................................................................................................. 10
3.3. Population of the Study........................................................................................................ 10
3.4. Sampling Procedures and Sample Size................................................................................ 10
Table 3. 1: Sample Distribution .................................................................................................. 11
Sampling Procedures .................................................................................................................. 11
Data Collection Tools / Techniques............................................................................................ 12
Questionnaires ............................................................................................................................ 12
Interviews.................................................................................................................................... 12
Document Reviews ..................................................................................................................... 12
Data Reliability and Validity ...................................................................................................... 13
Data Analysis .............................................................................................................................. 13

3. Ethical considerations.......................................................................... 14

4. Limitations of the Study ...................................................................... 14

Transition and Summary............................................................................................................. 15
Appendix A: Case Study Protocol .............................................................................................. 18
 4
INTRODUCTION

Individuals and groups are meeting in different facilities of the church and discuss the challenges of
church leadership even though but they are still enjoying enriched spiritual lives. Since the leadership
crisis of 2012, it has caused instability in church leadership at high level and many changes to
restructure to survive, yet although some have found a pathway to sustainability, many others have
been unable to remain solvent and have become silent on this case or relocated. Top leadership in
the church have been among the hardest hit with management collapse, and some of the leaders have
been impeached or imprisoned in recent years. Like many other faith-based organizations, one of the
most important contributing factors is the organization’s leadership and its role in development
(Sejeli & Mansor, 2015). My research will indicate that when organizations fail to perform at
expected and sustained levels, and after all the excuses, explanations, rationalizations, and
justifications for the organization’s problems, only one plausible reason emerged for organizational
failures and consequent closures: poor leadership coupled with poor decision making (Sejeli &
Mansor, 2015).

Background of the Problem

The inception of the Pentecostal Church of Rwanda, ADEPR goes back to 1940 by Swedish
Missionaries who were recognized as “Swedish Free Mission”. This was effected in accordance with
the royal decree which was issued on the 30th of September, 1930. The Pentecostal Church of
Rwanda, ADEPR comes in the second position in terms size in Rwanda after the Catholic Church.

In 1962, the “Swedish Free Mission” changed the name and became “Joint Support Association of
Pentecostal Churches of Rwanda (ADEEP).” The association was registered through a ministerial
decree No 485 / 08 issued on the 19th of October, 1962. The Pentecostal Churches operated
independently up to 1984. In that time, they merged and had the same legal statute and a single
administration unit. This was published by a ministerial decree No 03/7 issued on the 6th of January
1984. Since then, these Churches have formed only one association known as ADEPR (Association
of Pentecostal Churches of Rwanda). ADEPR’ statutes were revised in 1998, 2005 and 2010. This
endeavor led to a denominational name – “the Pentecostal Church of Rwanda, ADEPR”- according
to a ministerial decree No 079/08.11 issued on the 7th of July 2010.

The statutes of the Pentecostal Church of Rwanda, ADEPR were revised again in 2013. This attempt
entailed a restructuring of the Church and the creation of 30 local Churches regrouping more than
 5
350 Parishes which are positioned in five ecclesiastical Regions. This new statute was published in
the official newspaper of the Republic of Rwanda nº 34 that was issued on 26/08/2013.

After forming this association, the ADEPR, its struggled to create strong leadership that plays an
important supporting role in the community, especially in the areas of social services, education,
vocational training and civic skills. This failure led some of its leaders and pastors to commit crimes
during the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi. Some fled the country and others have been sentenced by
courts.

Poor leadership coupled with poor decision-making resulted in poor management of church projects,
while more than $ 2 million were stolen in 2015-2017, resulting in the Executive Committee being
imprisoned and removed. Predecessors have tried to console and return things positively, but that
seems to be failing as there are still unresolved issues of mismanagement and poor decision-making
in the church leadership. And yet, due to unsustainable leadership in the church, a number of people
have left ADEPR and started their own organization, resulting in the creation of more than 700 faith-
based organizations in the country over the last 25 years. Nevertheless, in 2018, the Rwandan
government used its powers to enforce a draconian building code, closing churches accused of failing
to comply with health, safety and noise regulations. Of the 8,000 churches that have been closed,
four out of ten belong to the country's network of Pentecostal churches, numbering 3,300 (RGB
Report, 2018).

The main challenge for church leaders is to meet the spiritual needs of the community and, second,
to meet the financial and business management requirements, as well as to keep the church and
services available to the community. community. On the basis of the emphasis on social
responsibility in relation to their for-profit peers, it is essential that pastors and church leaders be
business leaders and organizational administrators as effective as their peers lay people for profit.
(McMurrary et al., 2012). Church leaders, as well as for-profit corporate and lay administrators,
ensure that all goals and objectives of the organization are met, while meeting their need for external
sources of funding. Unlike ADEPR, various sources of funding come from its members: offerings, a
tenth, donations, contributions, etc.
 6
Problem Statement

The leaders of organizations struggle to meet the needs of stakeholders while preserving human,
fiscal and natural resources (Tata and Prasad, 2015). The leadership problem I will investigate in this
study is that church leaders do not seem prepared and reluctant to deal with the secular dimensions
of their work during a difficult and uncertain economic period. The specific business problem I am
addressing in this study is that church leaders and finance committee members seem to have limited
strategies for ensuring the sustainability of the church.

Purpose Statement

The purpose of this exploratory and multiple qualitative case study is to identify strategies that
reverend or finance committee members representing 30 ADEPR local district churches apply to
maintain the viability of the church economy so that it is economically viable, rather than relying
solely on the offers of its members as their only strategies for sustainability. Finally, the results of
the study will identify strategies for reverends and finance committee members to ensure the financial
sustainability of the church.

Nature of the Study

The qualitative research method is the best method of research to study aspects of social life and
generates words rather than numbers as analytical data (Patton, 2014). Qualitative methods address
questions about what, how or why of a phenomenon (Patton et al., 2014). Quantitative methods,
opposed to qualitative methods, deal with measurable issues in a controlled environment (Kruth,
2015). Quantitative research tests relationships, assumptions, and examines cause-and-effect
relationships in an objective environment (Kruth, 2015). A mixed-method research design includes
the collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data in a single study related to the research
problem (Yin, 2012). This study has no quantitative component, no survey and no statistical analysis.
thus, quantitative and mixed methods are not appropriate.

The qualitative research designs include case studies, ethnography, grounded theory, and
phenomenology (Kruth, 2015). This study will not indicate a single aspect, but a phenomenon from
the perspective of a small group for analysis (Kruth, 2015). The case study design convey itself to
synthesizing experiences from multiple participants and allow descriptions of each participant’s
experience (Bradley-Levine, 2011).
 7
An ethnographical study, contrary to this study, involves long-term and detailed study of people and
their culture, and it targets specific and delocalized phenomena (Smets, Burke, Zarzabkowski, &
Spee, 2014). Ethnographic research indicates a holistic perspective for the researcher of the behaviors
and interactions between group members (Weber & Cheng, 2013). The ethnographic study is a short
and subjective interaction between the participants and researcher. A phenomenological researcher
seeks understanding of a phenomenon from a lived experience perspective and its meaning
(Englander, 2012). The business application of a phenomenological study indicates understanding
the individual decision maker and decisions according to that individual’s lived experiences of issues
and situations (Gill, 2014).

Research Question

The research question for this study is: What strategies can church leaders or finance committee
members can use to ensure financial sustainability.

Interview Questions

In this study, participants will have to answer the following interview questions providing financial
planning information:

1) How does your church receive funding?

2) What is the long-range financial planning process within your church?

3) How does your church implement its long-range financial planning decisions?

4) How has long-range financial planning affected your church?

5) How has long-range financial planning benefitted your church’s ability to deal with economic
downturns specifically?

6) What factors guide your budget?

7) How have you communicated sustainability within your church?

8) Have members within the church demonstrated their commitment to the concept of
sustainability?

9) How has your church evaluated its financial performance over the last 5 years?
 8
10) Is there anything else you can tell me about what types of training you might need to make
yourself a more effective leader for your church or congregation?

11) What are the strategies implemented to ensure financial sustainability?

12) What is the long-range financial planning process within your congregation?

Conceptual Framework

The transformational leadership theory that will be applied to this survey owes its practical
application to organizational sustainability. The theory of transformational leadership as a conceptual
framework indicates that strengthening the relationship between leaders and stakeholders in the
organization could be a means to establish and maintain sustainability, especially financial
sustainability. Transformational leadership is able to use the power of inspired vision and
communications to achieve transformational goals of reforming and transforming the views of its
subscribers and organizational culture to achieve the goals and objectives of the leader. (Nye, 2014).

The transformational leadership theory will be applicable to this study because the transformational
model includes the dynamics of change in leadership behaviors to drive follower behaviors and
implement change while improving performance (Balyer, 2012). The purpose of this study is not to
measure or predict the influence of transformational leadership behaviors on employee through the
multifactor leadership questionnaire (MLQ) (Piccolo et al., 2012); therefore, the MLQ will not be
administered. The intention is to consider the transformational leadership theory along with the
components of the literature review as a concept and strategy toward sustainability.

The study’s sole purpose is to research and report findings related to the leadership strategies needed
by reverends and lay persons to assist church leadership to achieve and maintain effective leadership
and sustainability of financial operations. This approach may alert church leaders to the need for a
systemic resolution that may serve as the infrastructure in leadership that is adaptive and proactive
in developing sustainable strategies throughout the church. The core elements of the transformational
leadership theory couple with the selected themes of the literature review that provide a framework
by which church leaders may devise strategies’ toward financial sustainability.
 9
Operational Definitions

Cognitive interview: A cognitive interview is an interview method developed by cognitive

psychologists for use in law enforcement interviews increasing gathered information in both quantity
and quality (Condie, 2012).

Learning organization (LO): A learning organization is an organization creating, acquiring,

disseminating, and retaining new knowledge toward establishing and modifying behaviors (Senge,
Kleiner, Roberts, Ross, & Smith, 1994).

Long-range planning: The application of long-range planning provides a roadmap for

understanding and coping with change within a corporation and preparing for unforeseen events that
would affect the corporation (Porter, 2008).

Strategy maps: Strategy maps are plans using visual aids to organize and communicate change
plans, strategy, and implementation (De Salas & Huxley, 2014).

Sustainability: Sustainability is using a resource to diminish its depletion or damage, as well as

relating to the lifestyles involving the use of sustainable methods (Emery, 2013).

Organizational defense routines (ODR): ODRs are patterns of behavior that keep companies from
embracing big change (Euchner, 2013).

Significance of the Study

The significance of this study is important and critical, as it addresses the specific leadership problem
facing church and its sustainability. This study may influence the management and leadership of
ADEPR. The research question and qualitative approach will be valuable to identify strategies that
prepare church leaders to lead ADEPR in a more effective and sustainable fashion.

A Review of the Professional and Academic Literature

The literature review includes secondary sources such as peer-reviewed journal articles, qualitative
and quantitative studies, and various websites. These sources provide the reader with a strong sense
and understanding of what others in the academic field have learned about the social influences and
economic concerns of nonprofit organizations. Some examples of peer-reviewed, scholarly journals
included International Journal of Business and Management, Journal of Leadership Studies, Business
Information Review, and Journal of Applied Behavioral Science.
 10
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.0. Introduction
This chapter explains the research methodology that will be used to achieve the study objectives. It
explains the study designs, population of study, sampling techniques, data collection instruments,
research procedure, data analysis processes, reliability and validity, ethical consideration and
limitation of the study. The basis of this research is the problem of church leaders and reverends
struggling in today’s economic climate to operate sustainably.

3.1. Research Design

Research approach will be conducted; it constitutes the blue print for the collection, measurement
and analysis of data. Saunders, et al (2008), a research approach is a master plan specifying methods
and procedures for collecting and analyzing the required data.

This research will employ a descriptive cross-sectional survey method known as descriptive research
to assess the Effective Leadership and church Sustainability by focusing on leadership performance
in the church.

3.2. Area of the Study

The study will be limited to ADEPR. Respondent will be chosen among church leadership
managements from local churches to the national level in ADEPR in helping for data collection.

3.3. Population of the Study

The term population is an entire group of individuals, events or objects that have a common
observable characteristic Babbie (2011). It refers to all elements that meet certain criteria for
inclusion in a given universe. The population of this study is 297 and limited to individuals in a
specific church leadership sector. The eligibility criteria for this study will be participants who are
reverends and finance committee lay leaders with specific knowledge of organizational financial
matters and demonstration of leading a financially sustainable organization for at least 5 years.

3.4. Sampling Procedures and Sample Size

This study will use purposive sampling. Purposive Sampling is a non-probability sampling technique
whereby the researcher selects participants on the strength of their experience of the phenomenon
under study (Fenny et al., 2001). It is also called judgmental or deliberate sampling. The choice of
the sample elements depends exclusively on the discretion of the researcher (Milanzi, 2009).
 11

Table 3. 1: Sample Distribution

Categories of hotel Number of churches Population Sample size

Local churches 30 60 23
Regions 5 12 12
Opinion leaders 30 21
Employees 424 424 170
Total 529 226
Source: R.V.Krejcie and D.W.Morgan (1970).

X 2 NP1 P
S  2
d N  1 X 2 P1  P
Where

S = required sample size.

X2= the table value of chi-square for 1 degree of freedom at the desired confidence level for 0.95
confidence level

N = the population size.

P = the population proportion

d = the degree of accuracy as reflected by the amount of error that can be tolerated in the fluctuation
of a sample proportion p about the population proportion P- the value of d being .05 in the
calculations for entries in the table, (Appendix iii) Respondents will be selected by using purposive
sampling. Respondents in this non-probability sampling will be selected on the basis of their
accessibility or by the purposive personal judgment of the researcher.

Sampling Procedures

This study will use purposive sampling method. Purposive Sampling is a non-probability sampling
technique whereby the researcher selects participants on the strength of their experience of the
phenomenon under study (Fenny et al., 2001). It is also called judgmental or deliberate sampling.
The choice of the sample elements depends exclusively on the discretion of the
 12
researcher/investigator (Milanzi, 2009). Purposive sampling will also be preferred because it would
suit for both quantitative and qualitative methodology (Kombo & Tromp, 2006). The formula for
determining sample size provided by Krejcie and Morgan (1970) will be used in sample size
calculation. Therefore, the study will employ it as a target population for this study.

Data Collection Tools / Techniques

The most commonly used data collection tools in researches consist of self-administered surveys or
questionnaires, personal interviews and/or focus groups. This study will employ questionnaires and
interviews as primary data collection methods documentary review will also be used to collect
secondary data. The questionnaires will be pilot test to determine their suitability to both hotel staffs
and customers.

Questionnaires

Saunders et al. (1996,) defined a questionnaire as a method of collecting data where respondents are
asked to respond to the same set of questions in a predetermined order. The general advantage of the
Questionnaire method is that it allows collection of a large amount of data from sizeable population
in a highly economical way, (Kothari, 1990). Questionnaire method has the following advantages:
time and money saving, if the research covers large area. According to Cockburn and Mackenzie
(2000), “The main attraction of questionnaires is the relative ease of gathering a large set of
responses. The questionnaire consists of a section on demographic information on age and gender
and education level.

Interviews

An interview is a purposeful discussion between two or more people, Saunders et al. (1996). This
will be used by the researcher to obtain data directly from the respondents. The researcher will
administer some structured, semi-structured and unstructured questions to interrogate customers and
selected staffs of hotels. This approach aims to capture customer’s aspects of the independent
variable and provide participants with an opportunity to give more spontaneous, in-depth accounts
of their information.

Document Reviews

In order to obtain more information on the Assessment of the Effective Leadership and church
Sustainability, the documents review will be mainly focusing on leadership and strategic
 13
management employed by nonprofit organizations. This will help the researcher in cross- checking
the consistence of information obtained through the questionnaires.

Data Reliability and Validity

Reliability

Reliability is the extent to which results of a study are consistent over time and there is an accurate
representation of the total population under study (Golafshani, 2003). Reliability analysis aims at
finding out the extent to which a measurement procedure produces the same result when the process
is repeated over and over again under the same conditions (Toke et al., 2012). Reliability will be
assessed using the split half technique and questionnaires administered to a small group of
respondents. The questionnaire items will be assigned arbitrary scores and data will be entered into
computer program.

Validity

Validity determines whether the research items truly measures what they were intended to
measure or how factual the research results are (Golafshani, 2003). To test the extent to which the
sample is a representative of the population, research supervisor opinion will be needed.

Data Analysis

This study includes the interview method of gathering data for analysis, and asking participants a
specific list of open-ended questions. Johnson, Dunlap, and Benoit (2010) defined qualitative data
analysis as organizing data into manageable units, discovering patterns important as relevant and
shareable information. Data analysis will be done after collecting the raw data from the field, editing
and checking for accuracy of information, consistency and uniformity. The collected data will be
analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Quantitative data will be grouped and statistical
description such as tables showing frequencies and percentages and pie- charts will be developed for
better representation of the study findings.

Qualitative data refers to the data collected from respondents that cannot be easily presented in
numerical form and the researcher analyze this type of data by only identifying the responses from
respondents that will be relevant to the research problem at hand (Stergios1991; Vlahos, 1984).
Mainly such data will be analyzed in way of explaining the facts collected from the field under which
the researcher will be in position to use themes developed from the study objectives as the researcher
will also be in position to quote respondents responses.
 14
3. Ethical considerations

The main ethical consideration will be voluntary participation, signing informed consent, ensuring
confidentiality and privacy of the respondents. The protection of rights and integrity of participants
will be observed.

Ethical considerations will also include obtaining authority to conduct research. It will try to
minimize risks to respondents as much as possible. In relation to holding interviews, the researcher
feels the most important ethical consideration to make the interviewees be aware of the following;
entirely voluntary, free to withdraw from the interview at any time and their information or views
will be kept strictly confidential by the researcher.

4. Limitations of the Study

There will be extraneous variables which are beyond the researcher’s control such as respondents’
honesty, personal biases and uncontrolled setting of the study. As a remedy the researcher will
explain objectives to the respondents and educate them about the purpose of the study.

Instrumentation: The research instruments on resource availability and utilization will not be
standardized. Therefore, a validity and reliability test will be done to produce a credible measurement
of the research variables.

Testing: The use of research assistants can bring about inconsistency in the administration of the
questionnaires in terms of time of administration, understanding of the items in the questionnaires
and explanations given to the respondents. To minimize this threat, the research assistants will be
oriented and briefed on the procedures to be done in data collection.

Attrition/Mortality: Not all questionnaires maybe returned neither completely answered nor even
retrieved back due to circumstances on the part of the respondents such as travels, sickness,
hospitalization and refusal/withdrawal to participate. In anticipation to this, the researcher will
reserve more respondents by exceeding the minimum sample size. The respondents will be reminded
not to leave any item in the questionnaires unanswered and will be closely followed up as to the date
of retrieval.
 15
.

Transition and Summary

Section 2 includes vital points including the research method and design, participants and population
sampling, data collection and analysis techniques, as well as the study’s reliability and validity. Data
will be collected through the interviews and associated field notes to support the understanding and
knowledge of financial and long-range planning skills necessary for sustainable organizations. The
usefulness of this study reflects potential to provide crucial information for church leaders and
pastors in particular, but to business leaders generally. The intention is that this qualitative study’s
findings would expose the importance and beneficial influence of understanding and applying
financial and long-range planning for organizational sustainability. Section 3 included the results of
this qualitative study, explored through semi-structured interviews, observations and notes, data
collection and analysis, as well as, theme coding and categorization, identified strategies for financial
sustainability
 16
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Appendix A: Case Study Protocol

A. Case Study Introduction

1. Research Question - What strategies can pastors or finance committee members use to
ensure fiscal sustainability?

2. Research questions.
1. What are the strategies implemented to ensure fiscally sustainable?

2. What is the long-range fiscal planning process within your organization?

3. What factors guide your budget?

3. Conceptual Framework - The transformational leadership theory applies to this

investigation due its practical application in organizational sustainability. The
transformational leadership theory as the conceptual framework may demonstrate that
strengthening the relationship between leaders and organizational stakeholders may be a
means to establish and maintain sustainability, specifically fiscal sustainability.
Transformational leadership is capable of using soft power of inspirational vision and
communications to achieve transformational goals to reform and transform the views of
followers, and ultimately the organizational culture to meet the leader’s goals and
objectives.

B. Protocol Purpose and Intended Use

1. Protocol to be used by the researcher to guide and inform all study data
collection, analysis, and findings and conclusions preparation efforts.

2. Researcher will use the protocol to ensure dependability of case study

methods, findings, and conclusions
 19

C. Data Collection Procedures

1. Data to be collected from conducting interviews and the review of recorded

interview and interviewer’s notes.
2. Researcher will recruit interviewees from industry contacts and contact referrals.
3. Pre-interview contact via telephone.
4. All preparation takes place prior to interview.
5. Data collection tools: Digital audio recordings, researcher field notes, and case
study database.

D. Outline of Case Study Report Contents

1. Overview of study
2. Presentation of the findings
3. Applications to professional practice
4. Implications for social change
5. Recommendations for action
6. Recommendations for further study
7. Reflections
8. Summary and study conclusions

E. Case Study Interview Questions

1. What are the strategies implemented to ensure fiscally sustainable?

2. What is the long-range fiscal planning process within your organization?

3. What factors guide your budget?

F. Data Analysis Techniques and Tools

1. Coding (deductive and open)

2. Analysis tools
 20
a. NVivo
b. Microsoft Excel
c. Microsoft Word

G. Study Dependability, Credibility, and Transferability Methods

1. Dependability methods
a. Case study protocol use
b. Case study database creation

2. Credibility and transferability methods

a. Multiple data sources (credibility)
b. Assessment of rival explanations and research bias identification (credibility)
c. Rich description of study sample population. Designation.