Exploring the Leadership Competence Strategies and Assessment Procedures in Southern Baptist Churches in a Small County in the Southeastern United States: A Qualitative Research Case Study

This dissertation explores the strategies of Southern Baptist churches which contribute to the competence of their lay leadership. It examines the procedures for evaluating lay leaders’ knowledge of church doctrine and goals, as well as their motivation for pursuit of successful ministry. The research assessed Southern Baptist churches in a small county in the Southeastern United States through a qualitative case study with the primary research instrument being one-on-one, semi-structured interviews of church staff. The researcher sought an understanding of these churches’ practices to ensure that lay leaders are equipped for their ministry positions with regard to their leadership approaches, knowledge of church doctrine, and alignment with church goals. The project embraced a constructivist epistemology and a theoretical framework based on the Situational Approach to Leadership. The outcome of the project is an assessment of the local churches’ lay leadership evaluation procedures or lack thereof. Also discussed are avenues for future research. The research found that many churches’ lay leadership training programs were narrowly focused and based on tactical instead of strategic goals. The churches in the study are not utilizing the Situational Leadership model which encourages one-on-one assessment of development levels and mutual goal setting. Further, no church in the study conducts structured classes in doctrine for the laity; rather, they are relying on the congregation to learn dogma from the sermon. The study encourages future research into how the paradigms of pastors and members are being constructed and persisting in the local church’s culture. Plus, the study calls for a mixed methods, longitudinal study to measure the effects of employing Situational Leadership and formal instruction on the Baptist Faith and Message of 2000 in these churches.