Leadership Quality and Moral Character as Determinants of Local Church Growth at Sebat Bett Gurage Kale Heywet Churches

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to examine the effects of leadership quality and moral character on the numerical and spiritual growth of local churches in the Sebat Bett Gurage Kale Heywet Church (SBGKHC) district. There is an apparent gap between the significant evangelistic potential of the Sebat Bett Gurage Kale Heywet Church (SBGKHC) and the relatively low numerical and spiritual growth of the local churches since their inception in 1949. The church operates in a socio-cultural environment that offers numerous possibilities for growth, but this has not been achieved to a satisfactory degree. This raises the question of whether there are shortcomings in leadership quality and moral character that hinder its effectiveness in fulfilling its responsibilities. This research was therefore conducted to examine the effects of leadership quality and moral character on the numerical and spiritual growth of local churches in the SBGKHC district. The research adopted an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) design. Data was collected from twenty-five purposively selected participants through in-depth individual interviews, focus group discussions, and the analysis of relevant documents. The results suggest that leadership quality and moral character play a significant role in determining church growth. Traits such as integrity, spiritual maturity, accountability, and relational leadership contributed to the congregation's numerical and spiritual growth. On the other hand, deficiencies in these areas contributed to mistrust and limited the ministry's effectiveness. It can therefore be concluded that the key to sustained local church growth in the SBGKHC district will be the nurturing of responsible, God-fearing leaders. This report proposes training of leaders through mentoring and accountability programs that combine character building and leadership training.