Exploring leadership conflict among AFM pastors and congregants in Pretoria: a pastoral challenge

This qualitative case study explores leadership conflict affecting Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) pastors and congregants in Pretoria and develops a pastoral-theological healing methodology to care for those wounded by such conflicts. The study investigates the causes and impact of leadership conflict, focusing on Zimbabwean pastors and congregants in South Africa who continue to be affected by the split in the AFM in Zimbabwe. Although living in Pretoria, these congregants carry the trauma of leadership conflict, much like children who suffer the effects of parental divorce regardless of their location. Participants included AFM pastors and congregants with direct experience of leadership disputes, making their lived experiences central to the inquiry. Guided by the research onion framework (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill 2019), the study adopts an interpretivist, qualitative, and inductive approach, ensuring coherence between research philosophy, strategy, and data collection methods. Using interpretive narrative analysis within the lens of Practical Theology, the research examined the relational, spiritual, and organisational dynamics underlying leadership conflict. Pollard’s Positive Deconstruction Model and Wimberly’s Narrative Theory provided the primary analytical tools for interpreting participants’ narratives, theological assumptions, and coping strategies. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews in the Better Life Network (BLN) region, with thematic analysis revealing patterns, causes, and effects of conflict. Findings indicate that leadership conflict often arises from competing visions, leadership styles, governance practices, doctrinal ambiguities, and struggles over authority and resources, compounded by inadequate conflict resolution mechanisms. Both pastors and congregants experienced profound emotional, relational, and spiritual strain, including guilt, fear of questioning leadership, mistrust, disillusionment, and weakened ecclesial identity. These findings reveal a significant gap in existing pastoral responses, particularly the absence of a biblically grounded and contextually sensitive conflict management approach capable of addressing both spiritual and organisational dimensions of conflict. In response to this gap, the study proposes a contextually grounded healing methodology integrating narrative storytelling, positive theological deconstruction, and structured pastoral care. Building on these foundations, the research constructively re-reads leadership conflict narratives in the Book of Acts, demonstrating how early Christian communities navigated disagreement through communal discernment, shared leadership, accountability, and Spirit-led decision-making. This Acts-based engagement is presented not as a prior framework but as a new pastoral-theological contribution emerging from the study’s findings, offering practical resources for healing, reconciliation, and leadership renewal. The study contributes an original healing methodology for African Pentecostal contexts by addressing leadership-related trauma, restoring ecclesial trust, and promoting resilient pastoral leadership among diaspora congregations navigating inherited institutional conflict.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Pretoria

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Masango, Maake J.S

• UCTD
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• Pentecostalism
• Leadership
• Conflict
• Servanthood
• Pastoral Care
• Management
• Resolution

Statement dc:rights

• © 2024 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.

Language dc:language.iso

en

DOI

Disclaimer Letter

Dc Identifier Other

April 2026 (A2026)

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/109015