expand to the max while keeping all citations and references. Find sources of citations in Havard style at the end: Chapter 6. Definitions of Christian Transformational Leardership
These features are amalgamated into a definition that diverges in a crucial aspect, namely, the inclusion of vision, from secular Transformational Leadership. Christian Transformational Leadership is leadership rooted in a Biblical or Christian foundation, or specifically directed to the Church. It posits that a leader’s vision, character, persuasiveness, and ability to strategize guarantee transformative influence to achieve shared goals (Scarborough, ‘Christian Transformational Leadership’ 78).
Note: The term ‘transformational’ is used for contextual purposes, with ‘influence’ being the preferred term, as it is more prevalent in the literature (Scarborough, ‘Christian Transformational Leadership’ 78). Dropout rates in the USA ministry, according to Chun (2007:2) and Gibbs (2005:79), highlight the significance of effective leadership in sustaining longevity in ministry.
6.1. Application of the Definition
There are three compelling reasons highlighting the significance of a definition for Christian Transformational Leadership:
Firstly, in the context of growing semantic critique and the prevalence of deconstruction methods, definitions play a crucial role (Blackburn 2005:90). They provide a foundation for powerful analysis (Scarborough 2009:3). Thus, a definition of Christian Transformational Leadership becomes a pivotal starting point for semantic critique.
Secondly, the high dropout rate from Christian ministry, reaching up to 95 percent, is a pressing concern within Christian leadership (Blackaby and Blackaby 2001:19, 45, 230; Clinton 1989:328, 356; Gibbs 2005:19). Christian Transformational Leadership operates in this context, yet without a distinct definition, distinguishing it from general Christian leadership becomes challenging. This lack of clarity hinders an accurate assessment of whether Christian Transformational Leadership contributes to the elevated dropout rates. Notably, experts in the field are unaware of specific data on dropout rates among Christian Transformational leaders (Clinton 2005; Burch 2008).
Thirdly, a well-defined concept of Christian Transformational Leadership addresses statistical challenges in three ways. Currently, quantitative data on Christian leadership are generic, lacking a distinction between Christian leadership overall and Christian Transformational Leadership specifically (Chun 2006:1; Driscoll 2006:1; James 2007:2; MacDonald 2007:1; Morris and Blanton 1994:1; Price 2003:2; Willis 2007:4; Wood 2005:2). This differentiation is crucial for a statistical critique of Christian Transformational Leadership, yet such statistics are currently unavailable (Burch 2008). Secondly, a well-defined concept prevents the problem of ‘moving the goal posts’ or ‘begging the question,’ as seen in secular Transformational Leadership literature. This occurs when definitions change to dismiss critiques, an issue mirrored in the Christian Transformational Leadership literature (Halcomb, Hamilton, and Malmstadt 2000:80,182,187). A clear definition “pins down” the core features of the theory, allowing for more effective examination and critique. Finally, the lack of control data, prevalent in both secular and Christian Transformational Leadership literature, can be addressed. Most literature omits data on ‘failed transformational leaders,’ and a definition of Christian Transformational Leadership enhances the assessment of control data (Clinton 1989:7; Wofford 1999:212).