Date of Award

2021

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

This research explores the leadership practices of Chin immigrant congregations in the United States, focusing on how they can develop a more effective leadership practice in dealing with the new context of the new land. It attempts to answer the question: What kind of leadership practice will help Chin immigrant leaders apply adaptive leadership theory for implementing contextual oriented leadership theory for the church? The initial motivation for this research arose out of the researcher’s interest in the perception of Chin immigrant congregations on the issue of leadership. A qualitative case study research method was employed in this research.

The research result indicates that the context of the immigrant churches in America challenges the traditional practices of leadership in Myanmar. It also challenges the total validity of western theories and methods of leadership when applied to different people with different cultures. Myanmar immigrant church leaders and ministers need to re-evaluate their understanding of leadership practice within the context of the immigrants they serve. At the same time, they should reconsider women’s participation in the church's leadership role and let young people with contextual understanding of the new land participate in the leadership role for effective ministry to the immigrants in the US.

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