scholarly journals Exodus of clergy: The role of leadership in responding to the call

Author(s):  
Shaun Joynt

Leaders play an important role in clergy’s response to their call. Toxic leadership, also known as the dark side of leadership, negatively influences their decision to remain in full-time pastoral ministry. There is a shortage of clergy in the Roman Catholic Church and a distribution or displacement challenge facing the Protestant church. This shortage adversely affects the future of the church as clergy play an integral part in the preparation of congregants for their works of service (Eph 4:11–12). The purpose of this study was to discover what factors were involved in clergy’s response to the call to full-time pastoral ministry. A practical theological grounded theory approach was used to discover the properties of the category ‘leadership’. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and data were coded using Glaser and Strauss’s grounded theory methodology. The category of ‘leadership’ includes properties such as favouritism, leaders abdicating responsibilities, leaders taking no action/being inactive, leaders ‘labeling’ subordinates, leaders’ ‘unethical’ behaviour, nepotism, poor conflict handling, poor handling of multi-racial issues, being placed on a pedestal, affirming subordinates and autocratic leadership style. Osmer’s descriptive-empirical task was used as a practical theological lens through which to view the category ‘leadership’. The results indicated three responses by clergy to the call to full-time pastoral ministry: not being called in the first place, a dual call (being bi-vocational or ‘seasonal’) and being called but leaving anyway because of, among other factors, toxic leadership. A steward leadership approach is recommended in response to the dark side of leadership.

2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaun Joynt

Conflict affects clergy’s response to the call. Unresolved conflict negatively influences their decision to remain in full-time pastoral ministry. This contributes to a shortage of clergy in the Roman Catholic Church, but to a lesser extent, the Protestant church, as it faces a distribution or displacement challenge. The shortage negatively affects the church, as clergy equip congregants to live the faith and transmit it to the next generation. The purpose of this study is to discover what factors are involved in responding to the call to full-time pastoral ministry. A practical theological grounded theory approach is used to discover the properties of the basic social process responding to the call and more specifically one of its categories, namely conflict. Semi-structured interviews are conducted and data coded, using Glaser and Strauss’ grounded theory methodology in order to determine a basic social process, namely responding to the call. The category of ‘conflict’ includes properties such as conflict due to lack of communication, dealing with favouritism, conflict with leadership and managing conflict or leaving due to conflict. Osmer’s descriptive-empirical task is used to view the category conflict from a practical theological perspective. The results of this study indicate three responses to the call by clergy who left full-time pastoral ministry: not called in the first place, a dual call (being bi-vocational or seasonal), and being called, but leaving anyway due to, among other factors, conflict.


2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaun Joynt

�Who will lead the sheep when the shepherds are gone?� Clergy plays an important role in the establishing and sustaining of the church; without them, congregants will not be rooted in the faith nor will the faith be transmitted to the next generation. The shortage of clergy in the Roman Catholic Church and the distribution or displacement challenge facing the Protestant church pose a risk to the future of the church; therefore, the response of clergy to their call to full-time pastoral ministry is crucial for the continued existence of the church. The purpose of this study was to discover the variables involved in responding to the call to full-time pastoral ministry in a church. A grounded theory approach was used to discover the properties of the core category: �calling�. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and data were coded using Glaser and Strauss� grounded theory methodology. The core category �calling� included properties such as age, defining what a call is or is not; it evolves over time, it has an aspect of timing and it requires �worldly experience� to be effective. Osmer�s descriptive-empirical task was used as a practical theological lens through which to view the core category �calling�. The results indicated three responses by clergy who had left full-time pastoral ministry: not being called in the first place, a dual call (being bi-vocational) and being called but leaving anyway. Further research is needed to assist clergy in accurately identifying and developing their call to full-time pastoral ministry.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The research calls for an ongoing dialogue with regard to the concept of clergy calling and initiates this by means of a practical theology perspective of a grounded theory study. Future research recommendations are suggested.


Author(s):  
Shaun Joynt ◽  
Yolanda Dreyer

There is a shortage of clergy, at least in the Roman Catholic Church. Protestant churches in general are experiencing more of a distribution or placement challenge than a shortage. The two greatest hindrances to addressing the Protestant clergy distribution challenge are a lack of adequate compensation for clergy and the undesirable geographical location of a number of churches, as perceived by clergy. Influences such as secularisation, duality of vocation, time management, change in type of ministry, family issues, congregational and denominational conflict, burnout, sexual misconduct, divorce or marital problems, and suicide, affect clergy. Studies on the shortage of clergy have been conducted mostly in the USA and Europe and not in South Africa. This article focuses on the research gap by means of a practical theological grounded theory exploration of the exodus of clergy. Grounded theory methodology is used to identify the reasons why clergy trained at a Bible college of a Protestant charismatic mega church leave full-time pastoral ministry. Findings correspond to previous studies with two reasons appearing more frequently than others: responding to a call and leadership related issues. Firstly, respondents differed in their replies with respect to reconciling their exit from full-time pastoral ministry with their call. The replies included not being called, a dual call, or called but left anyway. Secondly, respondents indicated that leadership influence was mostly negative with regard to affirming their call.


foresight ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajasshrie Pillai ◽  
Shilpi Yadav ◽  
Brijesh Sivathanu ◽  
Neeraj Kaushik ◽  
Pooja Goel

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the use of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technology and its barriers in human resourcemanagement (HRM) for Smart HR 4.0 and its impact on HR performance. Design/methodology/approach The research has been conducted using the grounded theory approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 122 senior HR officers of national and multi-national companies in India after the extensive literature review. NVivo 8.0 software was used for the analysis of the interview data. Findings I4.0 technology is used for HRM functions by HR professionals. It is revealed that Smart HR 4.0 that emerged from the I4.0 technology has leveraged the HR performance. It is also found that usage barriers, traditional barriers and risk barriers affect the use of I4.0 technology in HRM. Originality/value A model is developed using the grounded theory approach for HR managers to understand the impact of I4.0 on HRM. This study reveals the barriers affecting the use of I4.0 technology in HRM. It also provides the model for HR performance that emerged through the use of I4.0 technology in HR and Smart HR 4.0. The research delivered key insights for the HR professionals, marketers of HR technology and technology developers.


Sexual Abuse ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (8) ◽  
pp. 908-929
Author(s):  
Miriam Ryan ◽  
Mathew McCauley ◽  
Davina Walsh

Sexual offenses evoke strong emotional responses and frequently elicit demands from society that offenders be indefinitely incarcerated or treated until they are deemed safe, which may impact the provision of therapeutic treatment for offenders. However, in recent years, there has been a proposal to move toward a positive, strengths-based treatment approach, namely the Good Lives Model (GLM). The present study used semi-structured interviews and a constructivist grounded theory approach to examine the experience of 13 men who were voluntarily engaging in or had completed a GLM community-based treatment program. A conceptual model emerged which outlines the process the men underwent, the factors they identified as crucial for change, and the perceived gains. The model extends previous work by exploring the process from the clients’ perspective. Implications for future research, prevention, and treatment are discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (34) ◽  
pp. 164-180
Author(s):  
Ashraf ALAM

When students learn a calculus construct, both a concept image as well as a concept definition is imprinted in their mind, and because of it, concrete and real-life examples become a prerequisite for a contextually rich learning environment for the abstractions inherently present in calculus. In the light of aforementioned propositions, the current study focusses on delving into several issues, few of the prominent ones include the epistemological nature of calculus curriculum in India’s senior-secondary schools, role of Indian calculus teachers in students’ cognition, possibility of enumeration of characteristics of a successful calculus teacher with regards to India’s socio-cultural milieu, challenges regarding complete immersion of calculus in manipulation of symbols that eventually give rise to cognitive obstacles, interrelationship between teachers’ calculus content knowledge and their pedagogical practices, effect of secondary school calculus on performance of Indian students’ college calculus, and the nature of effect on Indian learners having calculus in school on their procedural and conceptual performance. For this extensive study, data were collected from PGTs and Assistant/Associate Professors having more than 8 years of calculus teaching experience drawn from 76 different schools, colleges and universities belonging to 23 different states and union territories of India. A total of 323 teachers took part in this study. Multiple methods of data collection were used including naturalistic observation, structured interviews, classroom observations, focussed group interviews, and informal discussions, and these were done both before and after the classroom teaching. The researcher transcribed the interviews, identified emerging and repeated themes, and used NVivo and Concordance software to conduct content and classroom discourse analysis, with simple counting methods and applied grounded theory approach using which empirical data were thematically categorized and in the process of it, employed the induction approach. The researcher analyzed the transcripts using N5 (NUD*IST 5.0; QSR International, Melbourne) with the grounded theory approach. This research study is purely qualitative in nature and its framework lies within the interpretative paradigm. The current study was carried out between June 2016 and March 2019. Findings indicate that there are lots of cognitive obstacles in understanding the concepts inbuilt in calculus: two of the prominent ones that came out from the study include the one related to intuitions and the other related to linguistic/representational aspects.


Author(s):  
Eimile Holton ◽  
Rachel Fitzpatrick ◽  
Rebecca Maguire ◽  
Seán Commins ◽  
Thomas Scharf ◽  
...  

In the Republic of Ireland (RoI), COVID-19 public health guidelines have been most restrictive for people aged 70 and over. Such individuals are most likely to avail of befriending services offered by a network of Irish organisations. The aim of this study was to explore the impact of COVID-19 guidelines on befriending service users, and to develop recommended adaptations to befriending services compatible with such guidelines. A qualitative constructivist grounded theory approach was taken to the study design and analysis, using semi-structured interviews to collect data from 11 participants by telephone between May 2020 and January 2021. Results show a grounded theory describing how older users of a befriending service maintained their personal autonomy in the face of strict government guidelines. Participants described living life as usual, often contravening guidelines, and how they chose to adapt to the situation, yielding both positive and negative outcomes. Some potential adaptations were discussed to the befriending service (including a preserved focus on the social and emotional functions of the befriending relationship, and the accommodation of collaborative decision making about communicative alternatives), but ultimately it was made clear that participants would tailor the services to their own preferences. Results have implications for befriending service design and delivery, and for public health officials who wish to support the health of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 309-310
Author(s):  
Maria Reyes ◽  
Maldonado Daniela ◽  
Méndez Carlos ◽  
Maria Ariza ◽  
Vannesa Arias ◽  
...  

Abstract Trans people around the world represent one of the most marginalized and stigmatized groups in society who are at high risk of discrimination, violence and abuse (White Hughto, Reisner, & Pachankis, 2015). In Colombia, older adults face a situation of vulnerability and poverty, and this situation is even more dramatic for older people with diverse gender identities. The research focused on understanding the challenges that a group of Colombian trans women experience in the process of aging and old age. An exploratory qualitative research project was carried out using constructionist Grounded Theory. Twenty five trans-women from 50 to 67 years old who live in Bogotá, Colombia participated. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews. The results address three main research questions: (a) How the participants overcome the life expectancy and achieve middle and older adulthood? (b) What are the barriers the participants faced in the aging process? (c) How do the group of Colombian trans women imagine and considered a successful aging? The results evidenced that the process of aging of the participants was influenced by six psycho-socio-cultural categories. A central category that was identified as opportunity, which was influenced by five categories: a) Violence, discrimination and transphobia, b) Transit process, c) Personal strengths d) Mobilization and activism and e) experience and perception the old age. Discussion. The challenges that the participants experienced were those associated with the process of aging and to their gender identity. Trans women achieve middle and old adulthood for their personal strengths, activism and mobilization.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. e058885
Author(s):  
Viola Sallay ◽  
Andrea Klinovszky ◽  
Sára Imola Csuka ◽  
Norbert Buzás ◽  
Orsolya Papp-Zipernovszky

ObjectivesThe rapid worldwide increase in the incidence of diabetes significantly influences the lives of individuals, families and communities. Diabetes self-management requires personal autonomy and the presence of a supportive social environment. These attributes can considerably ameliorate the outcomes of the chronic condition. However, little is known about individual variations in overcoming the illness-related challenges and in the achievement of autonomy in daily activities. This paper seeks to bridge this knowledge gap.DesignThis qualitative study used the grounded theory approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and the data collection and data analysis probed participant experiences of autonomy through the self-management of their daily socio-physical environments.SettingParticipants were recruited from the outpatient ward of a university clinic in Hungary.ParticipantsThe study was conducted with 26 adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (15 females and 11 males aged between 26 and 80 years; M=62.6 years; SD=13.1). The inclusion criteria were: T2D diagnosis at least 1 year before the beginning of the study; prescribed insulin injection therapy; aged over 18 years; native Hungarian speaker and not diagnosed with dementia or any form of cognitive impairment.ResultsThe study established three principal aspects of the active construction of personal autonomy in diabetes self-management: coping strategies vis-à-vis threats posed by the symptoms and the treatment of the disease; autonomous ways of creating protective space and time and relationship processes that support everyday experiences of self-directedness.ConclusionsThe results of this study confirm the validity of the self-determination theory in diabetes self-management. They also imply that pathways towards constructing everyday experiences of self-directedness in participants lead through self-acceptance, supporting family relationships and a doctor–patient relationship characterised by partnership. The tentative empirical model of pathways towards patients’ experience of self-directedness can serve as a framework for future research, patient-centred clinical practice, and education.


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