{"id":{"repo_id":"creighton","oai_identifier":"oai:cdr.creighton.edu:10504/165925"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/creighton/oai:cdr.creighton.edu:10504/165925","repository":{"repo_id":"creighton","name":"Creighton University","base_url":"https://cdr.creighton.edu/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Mentorship Experiences of Female Clergy in the United Methodist Church: A Phenomenological Study","abstract":"Within the United Methodist Church (UMC), female clergy navigate institutional structures and gendered leadership dynamics that shape their ministerial experiences, yet little is known about how clergywomen experience mentorship in this context. This hermeneutic phenomenological study explored how ordained and licensed female clergy in the UMC experience and make meaning of mentorship. Participants included eleven ordained and licensed clergywomen with at least two years of ministerial experience. Thematic analysis surfaced four themes: relational mentorship; formal structures and uneven access; gendered leadership dynamics; and vocational formation. The findings from this study suggest that participants experienced mentorship as most meaningful when it was relational, sustained, and personally engaged. Formal denominational mentoring structures were inconsistently implemented and frequently disrupted by the itinerant appointment system, and gendered dynamics shaped participants' access to mentorship and willingness to be vulnerable. From the findings, it is apparent that mentoring support must be responsive to the itinerant system and gendered dynamics; therefore, my proposed solution is a two-component framework: an Itineracy-Resilient Mentoring Redesign to strengthen existing formal structures, and a Clergywomen's Peer Mentoring Cohort to create a sustained peer-driven space alongside formal systems.Keywords: mentorship, clergywomen, hermeneutic phenomenology, United Methodist Church","abstract_html":"Within the United Methodist Church (UMC), female clergy navigate institutional structures and gendered leadership dynamics that shape their ministerial experiences, yet little is known about how clergywomen experience mentorship in this context. This hermeneutic phenomenological study explored how ordained and licensed female clergy in the UMC experience and make meaning of mentorship. Participants included eleven ordained and licensed clergywomen with at least two years of ministerial experience. Thematic analysis surfaced four themes: relational mentorship; formal structures and uneven access; gendered leadership dynamics; and vocational formation. The findings from this study suggest that participants experienced mentorship as most meaningful when it was relational, sustained, and personally engaged. Formal denominational mentoring structures were inconsistently implemented and frequently disrupted by the itinerant appointment system, and gendered dynamics shaped participants' access to mentorship and willingness to be vulnerable. From the findings, it is apparent that mentoring support must be responsive to the itinerant system and gendered dynamics; therefore, my proposed solution is a two-component framework: an Itineracy-Resilient Mentoring Redesign to strengthen existing formal structures, and a Clergywomen's Peer Mentoring Cohort to create a sustained peer-driven space alongside formal systems.Keywords: mentorship, clergywomen, hermeneutic phenomenology, United Methodist Church","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Harman, Jill, Loree"],"institution":"Creighton University","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Georges, Leah"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2026,"date_issued":"2026","date_published":"2026","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:51:30Z","subjects":["Clergywomen","Hermeneutic phenomenology","Mentorship","Pastoral leadership","United Methodist Church","Women in leadership"],"languages":["en_US"],"rights":["Copyright is retained by the Author. A non-exclusive distribution right is granted to Creighton University and to ProQuest following the publishing model selected above."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://cdr.creighton.edu/handle/10504/165925","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Georges, Leah"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Harman, Jill, Loree"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2026-06-24T13:29:19Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2026-06-24T13:29:19Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2026"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Creighton University"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Clergywomen","Hermeneutic phenomenology","Mentorship","Pastoral leadership","United Methodist Church","Women in leadership"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en_US"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright is retained by the Author. A non-exclusive distribution right is granted to Creighton University and to ProQuest following the publishing model selected above."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://cdr.creighton.edu/handle/10504/165925"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["2026"]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Within the United Methodist Church (UMC), female clergy navigate institutional structures and gendered leadership dynamics that shape their ministerial experiences, yet little is known about how clergywomen experience mentorship in this context. This hermeneutic phenomenological study explored how ordained and licensed female clergy in the UMC experience and make meaning of mentorship. Participants included eleven ordained and licensed clergywomen with at least two years of ministerial experience. Thematic analysis surfaced four themes: relational mentorship; formal structures and uneven access; gendered leadership dynamics; and vocational formation. The findings from this study suggest that participants experienced mentorship as most meaningful when it was relational, sustained, and personally engaged. Formal denominational mentoring structures were inconsistently implemented and frequently disrupted by the itinerant appointment system, and gendered dynamics shaped participants' access to mentorship and willingness to be vulnerable. From the findings, it is apparent that mentoring support must be responsive to the itinerant system and gendered dynamics; therefore, my proposed solution is a two-component framework: an Itineracy-Resilient Mentoring Redesign to strengthen existing formal structures, and a Clergywomen's Peer Mentoring Cohort to create a sustained peer-driven space alongside formal systems.Keywords: mentorship, clergywomen, hermeneutic phenomenology, United Methodist Church"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Mentorship Experiences of Female Clergy in the United Methodist Church: A Phenomenological Study"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Georges, Leah"],"dc:creator":["Harman, Jill, Loree"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2026-06-24T13:29:19Z"],"dc:date.available":["2026-06-24T13:29:19Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2026"],"dc:description":["2026"],"dc:description.abstract":["Within the United Methodist Church (UMC), female clergy navigate institutional structures and gendered leadership dynamics that shape their ministerial experiences, yet little is known about how clergywomen experience mentorship in this context. This hermeneutic phenomenological study explored how ordained and licensed female clergy in the UMC experience and make meaning of mentorship. Participants included eleven ordained and licensed clergywomen with at least two years of ministerial experience. Thematic analysis surfaced four themes: relational mentorship; formal structures and uneven access; gendered leadership dynamics; and vocational formation. The findings from this study suggest that participants experienced mentorship as most meaningful when it was relational, sustained, and personally engaged. Formal denominational mentoring structures were inconsistently implemented and frequently disrupted by the itinerant appointment system, and gendered dynamics shaped participants' access to mentorship and willingness to be vulnerable. From the findings, it is apparent that mentoring support must be responsive to the itinerant system and gendered dynamics; therefore, my proposed solution is a two-component framework: an Itineracy-Resilient Mentoring Redesign to strengthen existing formal structures, and a Clergywomen's Peer Mentoring Cohort to create a sustained peer-driven space alongside formal systems.Keywords: mentorship, clergywomen, hermeneutic phenomenology, United Methodist Church"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://cdr.creighton.edu/handle/10504/165925"],"dc:language.iso":["en_US"],"dc:publisher":["Creighton University"],"dc:rights":["Copyright is retained by the Author. A non-exclusive distribution right is granted to Creighton University and to ProQuest following the publishing model selected above."],"dc:subject":["Clergywomen","Hermeneutic phenomenology","Mentorship","Pastoral leadership","United Methodist Church","Women in leadership"],"dc:title":["Mentorship Experiences of Female Clergy in the United Methodist Church: A Phenomenological Study"],"dc:type":["Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:51:30Z"}