ISSN 2360-7963
Abstract
This study investigated ethnicity and leadership ascendance in selected Christian denominations in Southwest Nigeria. The study was motivated by persistent concerns that, despite the biblical principles of equality, unity, and impartiality, ethnic considerations continue to influence leadership emergence, succession, and governance within some Christian denominations in Nigeria. Six research questions and six corresponding null hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population comprised leaders and members of selected Christian denominations in Southwest Nigeria. A sample of 369 respondents was selected using a multistage sampling procedure involving purposive, stratified, and simple random sampling techniques. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire titled Ethnicity and Leadership Ascendance Questionnaire (ELAQ). The instrument was subjected to face and content validation by experts in religious studies, educational management, and measurement and evaluation. Its internal consistency was established using Cronbach's alpha, which yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.78 and deemed reliable. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), Version 29. Frequency counts and percentages were used to answer Research Question One, while mean and standard deviation were used to answer Research Questions Two and Three. The hypotheses were tested at the 0.05 level of significance using the chi-square test of independence, independent samples t-test, and simple linear regression. The findings revealed that the Yoruba ethnic group predominantly occupied leadership positions in the selected Christian denominations. The study further revealed that congregants generally held positive perceptions of leaders from different ethnic backgrounds, as long as those leaders demonstrated competence, integrity, spiritual maturity, and fairness. The hypotheses tested indicated a significant relationship between ethnic affiliation and leadership occupancy; ethnic factors significantly predicted leadership selection; there was no significant difference between male and female congregants' perceptions of leaders from different ethnic backgrounds; The study concluded that although Christian churches uphold biblical principles of unity, justice, and equality, ethnicity continues to influence leadership ascendance within the selected denominations. The study therefore recommends that Christian denominations institutionalise transparent and merit-based leadership selection procedures, strengthen succession planning, review governance policies to eliminate ethnic bias, promote leadership development across ethnic groups, intensify biblical teaching on unity and impartiality, and establish inclusive governance structures capable of fostering organisational cohesion and sustainable church leadership in Nigeria's multi-ethnic society.
Keywords: Ethnicity, leadership ascendance, Christian denominations, church leadership, leadership selection.