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Chastity Jhingree

LIBERTY UNIVERSITY

JOHN W. RAWLINGS SCHOOL OF DIVINITY

INTRAGROUP CONFLICT AMONG SOUTHERN BAPTIST PASTORS AND

THE RESULTING LOSS OF CREDIBILITY

A Prospectus Presented in Partial Fulfillment

Of the Requirements for the Degree

Doctor of Education

by

Chastity Selma Jhingree

Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA

2021

INTRAGROUP CONFLICT AMONG SOUTHERN BAPTIST PASTORS AND

THE RESULTING LOSS OF CREDIBILITY

by Chastity Selma Jhingree

A Prospectus Presented in Partial Fulfillment

Of the Requirements for the Degree

Doctor of Education

Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA

14 November 2021

APPROVED BY:

__________________________________

Name and degree, Dissertation Supervisor

__________________________________

Name and degree, Second Reader

ABSTRACT

Chapter one, the prospectus, will provide the reader with a compact framework of key process elements that will be investigated, synthesized, and analyzed during dissertation research phases. The proposed topic will be Intragroup Conflict among Southern Baptist Pastors and the Resulting Loss of Credibility. The motivation or rationale driving the study will be predicated on an attempt to understand the statistical trending toward a downward spiraling of a loss of credibility among Southern Baptist Pastors. The researcher’s intent will be to present the research problem as set of internal conflicts underscored by “authoritarianism, church politics, and conflict over leadership styles, financial deficiencies, and relational/communicative incompetence” (Breen 2008). Against a historical background of the research problem, the study will seek to find reasonable answers to the key research question: “How do intragroup conflicts affect pastoral credibility?” To ascertain the possible correlation between intragroup conflicts and pastoral credibility among Southern Baptist Pastors, the researcher’s methodological approach will be to survey sampled focus groups within the Southern region of the State of Florida. This will utilize the qualitative method and would, therefore, impose limits to the generalization of the findings.

Keywords: intragroup, credibility, authoritarianism, conflict, correlation, methodological, generalization

Copyright © 2021. Chastity Selma Jhingree. All rights reserved. Liberty University has permission to reproduce and disseminate this document in any form by any means for purposes chosen by the University, including, without limitation, preservation or instruction.

Dedication

We Owe it all to God, the Heavenly Father for it is said, “For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen”

(Romans 11:36)

To my earthly parents, I honor you as the Bible has taught me, and so enshrined in the Fifth Commandment that the Lord decreed through Moses: “Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee” (Ex. 20:12).

Acknowledgements

The overall effort behind this phase of the dissertation process has been guided by the unseen hand of God. I am compelled to acknowledge his direct counseling through a distinguished faculty as they toiled uncomplainingly in ensuring that I fulfill all accredited requirements of this rigorous research process. Dr. Bredfeldt kept me close to the methodological framework, helping me to craft out a research design that would work efficiently and effectively for my topic of interest. His mention is but one of many who have had a very direct influence on the progress of this culminating exercise that would have left me midway had it not been for their Samaritan hands.

List of Figures

1. Increase in Church Dropouts (pg.15)

Table of Contents

ABSTRACT....................................................................................................................................3 Copyright © Year. Full Legal Name. All rights reserved...........................................................4 Dedication (Optional)......................................................................................................................5 Acknowledgments (Optional)..........................................................................................................6 List of Figures……………………………………………………………………………………..7

CHAPTER ONE: RESEARCH CONCERN..................................................................................8 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................8 Background to the Problem ...........................................................................................................9 Statement of the Problem...............................................................................................................11 Purpose Statement.........................................................................................................................11 Research Questions .......................................................................................................................12 Assumptions and Delimitations ....................................................................................................12 Delimitations of the Research Design.................................................................................12 Significance of the Study .............................................................................................................14 Summary of the Design ................................................................................................................15 REFERENCES.............................................................................................................................16

CHAPTER ONE: RESEARCH CONCERN

Introduction

Finding a premise to frame the issue of a loss of credibility among Southern Baptist Pastors is less challenging based on existing research literature. Data gathered from many empirical and qualitative studies validate the position that Baptist Pastors have not lost credence because of theological and educational credentials, but because sociological and leadership reasons. In an extensive research study of a set of clergy members and pastors, Speight and Speight (2017) noted that “Forced termination of clergy has been the topic of limited research and little or no attention has been given to the long-term lived experiences of forced termination.” This will offer much rationale for undergoing this research on the loss of credibility because of the inadequacy of existing literature on this topic. In addition, the problem of a loss of credibility is heightened in an observation made by Speight and Speight. They observed:

One of the challenges facing many evangelical faith groups is the autonomous and self-governing structure. In such structures clergy are often left without support and resources to assist them during crises such as a forced termination. In fact, few faith groups, including the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) nor its entities, provide a safe haven or place for clergy and their spouses to heal and recover from the painful experience.

The issue here is not one that is founded on education or theology, but one that is predicated on sociological factors; it will be one based on a relational matrix where the goal is not to follow a biblical path to making disciples of all, but to exercise high-handed authority over others. It is a problem of leadership that does not serve but dictates. This will be viewed as in contravention to the leadership model established by Jesus, the Model Servant Leader. Jesus submitted his own life to sacrificial service under the will of God (Luke 22:42). A lack of this approach to relationship and leadership is what has generated the problem of a loss of credibility. In the following sections of this chapter there will be salient highlights beginning with a background to the problem. This would work in conjunction with a statement of the problem to produce a more restrictive focus. Subsequent to this part of chapter one will be a declaration of the purpose of the study that will adhere to a Creswell (2013) construct. This will be followed by a section explaining the delimitations and limitations of the research that will help to define the extent of the significance of the study. Finally, the researcher will provide a summary of the research design with relevant signals to chapter two, the literature review.

Background to the Problem

An issue that has received much research attention and archival documentation is intragroup conflict in pastoral relationships. According to Matusitz and Breen (2006), intragroup conflict is defined as “perceived incompatibilities by members of a group who carry discrepant views or have interpersonal differences.” Statistically, the magnitude of intragroup conflict is underscored by the fact that: "These conflicts are prevalent in the Southern Baptist Church, one of the world’s largest Christian denominations with an estimated worldwide membership of over 43 million and approximately 162,000 churches. The Southern Baptist Convention is the second biggest religious organization in the USA, and has approximately 40,000 churches in the USA. As such, Southern Baptist churches comprise the greatest number of churches associated with one denomination in the USA (Breen 2008).

          In a survey of US pastoral subjects conducted by La Rue (1995), “35% claimed that intragroup conflict was as a result of poor communication, leadership, and relational difficulties that damaged their ministry.” Breen (2008) noted that these conflicts, if graphed, would represent the “lowest points in pastoral ministry.” A summary of the contributing factors to intragroup conflicts includes, but not limited to “authoritarianism, church politics, and conflict over leadership styles, financial deficiencies, and relational/communicative incompetence.” Breen adopts the position that “As a result of these conflicts, pastors may abandon their positions, the churches may dissolve, and communities may be harmed.” The loss of credibility is predicated upon these outcomes especially on the premise of communities being harmed. Credibility is relational; it is a relationship between the church and pastors, and as the Fahrenheit on intragroup conflicts amps up, so too credibility inversely diminishes. Pastors are forced to leave their positions in their respective churches and with a preponderance of literature on all the ills of the church and forced terminations, what is starkly lacking is how the church can be reconnected to the communities they serve. Here the scope of literature is sparse and this is the motivation behind the research. This research effort can add to an existing body of literature on the topic of a loss of credibility through intragroup conflicts by surveying and observing ways in which a reconnection between church and community can be established.

Researcher’s Relationship to The Problem

The researcher is affiliated with the First Baptist Church of Boynton Beach and has firsthand knowledge and experience of what a loss of credibility means if certain pastoral mechanics are not put in place to ensure that there is a collective and common representation of what the goals of the church are, and how representatives of the church realize these goals of reaching out not only to immediate congregants but to communities at large. The researcher pleads that no reader will misconstrue her intentions in stating this fact as associated with her affiliation. It is only intended to offer partial authenticity to the research problem as one that is right in the midst of the gospel-consciousness of the researcher.

Statement of the Problem

In finding a confluence for the streams of literature that have discussed intragroup conflicts among Southern Baptist Pastors and there apparent religious divorce from their immediate communities, this study proposes a reconnection via a restoration of authentic pastoral communication. Therefore, this research study will like to state the problem as a loss of pastoral credibility triggered, nurtured and sustained by intragroup conflicts, and in the process has distanced many pastors from their congregants and communities. Therefore, there is justification for this study as it proposes that to redeem credibility among pastors, there needs to be an urgent transformation of pastoral attitudes toward each other. It is a problem that will allow for a valid qualitative approach in finding out what variables would work toward a restoration of credibility.

Purpose Statement

The purpose of this ethnographic study is to describe the credibility crisis phenomenon among Southern Baptist Pastors based on intragroup conflicts. It is a research attempt that aims to bring to fore the possibility of reestablishing an authentic relationship between Southern Baptist Pastors and their communities by exploring the inherent flaws of the relationship between one pastor and another especially on the issue of forced terminations. The theory guiding this study is one that has been used substantively in the social sciences, the grounded theory as it examines the genuine concerns of the sampled study participants.

Research Questions

With the nature and magnitude of the research problem as it exists in today’s Baptist Church environment, the following research questions have been carefully crafted:

RQ1: What is the social impact of intragroup conflicts?

RQ2: How do intragroup conflicts affect pastoral credibility?

RQ3: How can intragroup conflicts be used to reconnect the church with the community it serves?

Assumptions and Delimitations

            The characteristics that limit the scope and describe the boundaries of this study are as follows:

1. The geographical setting in which the study takes place. This ethnographic study is restricted to Southern Baptist Pastors.

2. The main objective of the research is to observe how the incompatibilities of church members is a concrete subscriber to a loss of credibility

3. The sample size would involve focus groups of pastors and congregants that would be the study participants.

4. Population traits considered would be those inclined to serve; those inclined to preach; those inclined preach and serve.

5. The variables will be loss of credibility (DV) and intragroup conflicts (IV)

Delimitations of the Research Design

The research design used in this study is ethnographic. More specifically, since it is non-numerical in nature, the approach will involve both interviews and focus groups. There will be two focus groups. One focus group will concentrate on group members’ interaction and will be made up of six pastoral members of the First Baptist Church of Boynton Beach. The objective is to observe the behavior of group members as they interact. The second focus group will have group members expressing their feelings and beliefs as it relates to intragroup conflict and the loss of credibility and the composition of the second focus group will be both pastors and members of the congregation.

            The methodological design will also employ real time interviews. These interviews will be preceded by written requests to members of the church. Strict confidentiality will be observed and study participants will be reassured that data or information collected will not include names or any related personal information. A questionnaire format of the interviewing questions will be constructed and a copy will be enclosed with the written request to offer timely preparation for the interviews.

            Data collected through note-taking at the interviews will be placed within a saturation point where no new views or categories of intragroup conflicts will be noted. The interviews, focus groups study and data collection will culminate in the formation of a substantive grounded theory. That is, the entire methodological design is intended to construct the hypothesis that revolves around intragroup conflicts and the loss of credibility, assessing the relationship between the two variables, intragroup conflicts (IV) and loss of credibility (DV)

Because of the very abstract nature of a qualitative research under which this study is classified, and its non-numerical form, one of the key limitations of the research design is that the findings cannot be used to validate similar situations. It is almost practically impossible to investigate and determine causality as in the relationship between intragroup conflicts and the loss of credibility. The range or dominance of one contributing factor may vary in another situation. Added to this, is the fact that results cannot be verified as responses from study participants are mainly subjective. Probably the most important limitation to the design is that this research is not statistically representative. There is the risk of intruding bias on the part of the researcher because interviews and observations are functions of the researcher’s perceptions.

Significance of the Study

Obviously, with a huge sociological chasm among pastors, it is incumbent that a serious review of pastoral behaviors be conducted. Too many pastors, clergy and congregants have lived to witness a steady decline in credibility as intragroup conflicts take a stranglehold on those charged with the responsibility to spread the gospel. Figure 1 below sounds off the statistical alarm. With this decline in church dropouts, it begs the question: What can be done to stagger or stop this trend? This study will help to put the problem in perspective and be a call to all pastors to rethink all those intragroup factors contributing to a long-lasting conflict that does nothing but destroy the mission of the church.

Fig. 1

With an upward trend in church dropouts, it reaffirms the rationale behind this study; it is to find conclusive reasons behind the problem of a loss of credibility among Southern Baptist Pastors. It is intended for the pastoral population as this is the source of the problem in terms of public perception of pastoral credibility.

Summary of the Design

The research questions considered will be responded to by employing the use of the instruments of a qualitative research design. Since this is a qualitative research study and one that centralizes the use of focus groups and interviews, the primary instrument will be the researcher. I will be actively involved in making observations, conducting interview and taking notes that will be ultimately be used in the construction of the hypothesis predicated on a substantive grounded theory. It will follow the pattern below:

Questionnaires.

Interviews.

Observations.

Archival documents

Archival documents will be researched to add secondary supporting materials to the study. The focus will be on literature that is within a five-year period to avoid information obsolescence.

References

Barna Group. (2019). “Church Dropouts Have Risen to 64%—But What About Those Who Stay?” https://www.barna.com/research/resilient-disciples/

Breen, G.M. (2008). “Interpersonal, Intragroup Conflict between Southern Baptist Pastors: A Qualitative Inquiry Examining Contributing Factors.” Pastoral Psychology, 56(3), 249-268.DOI:10.1007/s11089-007-0112-z

Exantus, W.R. (2011). “Pastoral burnout and leadership styles: A mixed-method study of Southern Baptist pastors in Central Florida.” ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.

Joynt, S. (2018). “Exodus of clergy: When the fight is just not worth it anymore – The role of conflict in responding to the call.” Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326568179_Exodus_of_clergy_'When_the_fight_is_just_not_worth_it_anymore'_-_The_role_of_conflict_in_responding_to_the_call

Matusitz, J., & Breen, G. M. (2006). “Negotiation tactics in organizations applied to hostage negotiation.” Journal of Security Education, 2(1), 5372.

Speight, D.E., & Speight, S. (2017). “Exploring the Lived Experience of Forced Termination Among Southern Baptist Clergy Couples: A Retrospective Study.” Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 36(2), 149-160.