The Support of Spiritual Leaders – Experiences Echoing From COVID-19
Niittylä, Kati (2025)
2025
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025121737579
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025121737579
Tiivistelmä
This study focuses on how Christian spiritual leaders experienced support during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to explore what kind of support Christian spiritual leaders express considering the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The objectives were to identify their support and needs by gaining insight into how the leaders describe their work, strength and challenges both in general and during the
pandemic.
According to previous studies, the leaders have broad and people-centered work. They are expected to lead in versatile situations. It is demanding and they experience stress and burnout. The pandemic brought challenges of its own. The leaders give support, but this study explores the issue do they receive support by themselves.
The data collection was made using snowball method. A contact person was emailed, and three leaders were personally met to ask for participation in the study. Using membership categorization analysis on eight interviews from Christian leaders in Europe and Africa, this thesis found different sources of support. The interviewees expressed different memberships and category-bound actions, and described attributes connected to these. Also, category-bound morals were found.
Results showed that essential support was provided by family, experienced mentors and leadership team, which provided encouragement and nourishment through close and trusted relationships. However, significant support gaps were identified. While leadership teams offered peer support and fellowship, married team members didn’t understand the needs of single leaders, who felt loneliness. Furthermore, the main church frequently failed to provide pastoral care, which made pandemic challenging and difficult. The results also revealed tensions. The leaders were expected to be strong, but in conflict situations they experienced vulnerability and couldn’t defend themselves. The solution was to place themselves under authority of leadership team and God. They were also expected to have everything under control and not show fear and uncertainty to others.
Active faith constructed a resilient basis.
In conclusion, the leaders expressed diverse supportive memberships but also needs.
This study highlights need to improve organizational pastoral care and address the needs of single leaders to create comprehensive support systems.
pandemic.
According to previous studies, the leaders have broad and people-centered work. They are expected to lead in versatile situations. It is demanding and they experience stress and burnout. The pandemic brought challenges of its own. The leaders give support, but this study explores the issue do they receive support by themselves.
The data collection was made using snowball method. A contact person was emailed, and three leaders were personally met to ask for participation in the study. Using membership categorization analysis on eight interviews from Christian leaders in Europe and Africa, this thesis found different sources of support. The interviewees expressed different memberships and category-bound actions, and described attributes connected to these. Also, category-bound morals were found.
Results showed that essential support was provided by family, experienced mentors and leadership team, which provided encouragement and nourishment through close and trusted relationships. However, significant support gaps were identified. While leadership teams offered peer support and fellowship, married team members didn’t understand the needs of single leaders, who felt loneliness. Furthermore, the main church frequently failed to provide pastoral care, which made pandemic challenging and difficult. The results also revealed tensions. The leaders were expected to be strong, but in conflict situations they experienced vulnerability and couldn’t defend themselves. The solution was to place themselves under authority of leadership team and God. They were also expected to have everything under control and not show fear and uncertainty to others.
Active faith constructed a resilient basis.
In conclusion, the leaders expressed diverse supportive memberships but also needs.
This study highlights need to improve organizational pastoral care and address the needs of single leaders to create comprehensive support systems.