Leading the practice of social justice through evangelical congregations: a multi-case study

Abstract

If Evangelical pastors are going to lead their congregation in the practice of social justice, it is essential that these pastors receive appropriate training on social justice engagement. This qualitative study identified the required skills that an Evangelical pastor needs for leading a successful social justice engagement through their respective congregations. The problem this study addressed is the lack of training of Evangelical pastors in the skills that can guide their leadership of social justice efforts in their communities. Some Evangelical Pastors assert that they received no training in social justice engagement in their seminary program. This multi-case study identified the skills necessary for social justice leadership efforts among Evangelical pastors. The researcher interviewed a broad cross-section of 16 Evangelical pastors on the experience of leading social justice efforts through their congregations. The findings indicated that self-education was the primary source of training in social justice. Secondly, the Bible, Martin Luther King Jr., and injustice were major factors of influence that inspired them to acts of social justice. Thirdly, passion, communication skills, and vision were the core competencies that corroborated with the Transformational Leadership Theory (Northouse, 2007).