ISSN 2360-7998
Abstract
The study determined the relationship between church leadership-membership relations and church growth, with a focus on Assemblies of God churches in Lagos State. The research explores how leadership styles affect the physical as well as the spiritual growth of the church. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population for this study comprised congregants and church leaders from Assemblies of God Church in Lagos State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study targets active members of Assemblies of God churches, aged 18 and above, with varied educational backgrounds and socio-economic statuses. The estimated population size is approximately 5,000 church members from Assemblies of God churches in Lagos State, Nigeria. The study's sample consisted of 224 participants, comprising 24 clergy and 200 congregants, selected from 8 Assemblies of God churches in Lagos State, Nigeria. A stratified random sampling technique was employed to ensure representation across church sizes. The instrument that was used for data collection is a well-structured questionnaire titled "Church Leadership-Membership Relationship on Church Growth.". Questions are drawn based strictly on the stated objectives and literature reviewed. The validity of the instruments was determined by 3 experts, and a reliability index of 0.80 was obtained. The research questions were answered using simple descriptive statistics such as the mean and standard deviation, while the hypotheses were tested at 0.05 levels of significance with appropriate degrees of freedom using t-test analysis. The result revealed that pastoral care relationships to a high positive extent influence church growth in Assemblies of God Church in Lagos State, and there is no significant difference in the mean score of congregants and clergy of Assemblies of God Church on the influence of spiritual leader-follower relationships on church growth. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended among others that Church leaders should develop and implement effective pastoral care programs that provide emotional and spiritual support to members, including regular visitations, counseling, and support groups, church leaders should establish formal mentorship programs that pair experienced leaders with emerging leaders, providing guidance, support, and training to help them develop their spiritual gifts and leadership skills, and church leaders should prioritize building strong interpersonal relationships with their followers by being approachable, empathetic, and genuinely interested in their lives, thereby fostering a sense of belonging and connection.
Keywords: Church Leadership, Membership, Mentor-Mentee, Church Growth