A christian feminist critique of pastors' authority roles: A case study of twelve Pentecostal churches in Lusaka, Zambia
type: CreativeWork
description: The general objective of the study was to critique from a Christian feminist perspective the unequal religious authority existing among female and male pastors in twelve Pentecostal churches in Lusaka. Specific objectives were to examine the motives behind becoming and training as pastors, pastoral training related to religious authority, attitudes towards pastoral roles and the kinds of religious authority exercised by female and male pastors in the churches under the study. It was a case study involving an action oriented participatory non-experimental research design. The study used a mixed methodology involving both qualitative and quantitative data. The total population of the study was all Pentecostal churches in Zambia. The sample frame was all Pentecostal churches in Lusaka and the actual sample was twelve Pentecostal churches in Lusaka. Purposeful, convenient and respondent driven sampling techniques were used. Methods used to collect data were structured questionnaires, observations, interviews and Focus Group Discussion guides. The theoretical framework involved constructionism and critical theory in the form of feminism and the 'hermeneutic of suspicion'. The findings revealed two categories of pastors, those by ‘divine calling’ and those by ‘automatic co-option’. Divine calling was cited as the reason for becoming pastors by all of the male pastors and by 38.7% of female pastors. The majority of female pastors (61.3%) were automatically co-opted into ministry because of their spouses. Pastors’ wives are compelled by the church policy to become and train as pastors regardless of their academic levels. Theological training exposed pastors to the headship role of males and submissive role of females. Furthermore, it did not prepare female pastors for the existing disparities in religious authority among female and male pastors in the church. The dominant attitude of congregants towards pastors was that of male pastors as ‘heads’ of the church, and female p…
abstract: The general objective of the study was to critique from a Christian feminist perspective the unequal religious authority existing among female and male pastors in twelve Pentecostal churches in Lusaka. Specific objectives were to examine the motives behind becoming and training as pastors, pastoral training related to religious authority, attitudes towards pastoral roles and the kinds of religious authority exercised by female and male pastors in the churches under the study. It was a case study involving an action oriented participatory non-experimental research design. The study used a mixed methodology involving both qualitative and quantitative data. The total population of the study was all Pentecostal churches in Zambia. The sample frame was all Pentecostal churches in Lusaka and the actual sample was twelve Pentecostal churches in Lusaka. Purposeful, convenient and respondent driven sampling techniques were used. Methods used to collect data were structured questionnaires, observations, interviews and Focus Group Discussion guides. The theoretical framework involved constructionism and critical theory in the form of feminism and the 'hermeneutic of suspicion'. The findings revealed two categories of pastors, those by ‘divine calling’ and those by ‘automatic co-option’. Divine calling was cited as the reason for becoming pastors by all of the male pastors and by 38.7% of female pastors. The majority of female pastors (61.3%) were automatically co-opted into ministry because of their spouses. Pastors’ wives are compelled by the church policy to become and train as pastors regardless of their academic levels. Theological training exposed pastors to the headship role of males and submissive role of females. Furthermore, it did not prepare female pastors for the existing disparities in religious authority among female and male pastors in the church. The dominant attitude of congregants towards pastors was that of male pastors as ‘heads’ of the church, and female p…
author: Mungaila, Stellah Stellah
language: en
date published: 2017
date modified: 2026-07-27T22:06:02Z
provider: University of Zambia
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Zambia