A Strategy to Address the Challenge of Power Struggle During Sessions in Midlands Zambia Conference

Abstract

Sessions for election of officers in Midlands Zambia Conference are divisive in nature as people who consider themselves candidates for elective positions engage in activities that leave the workforce divided. This negatively impacts the church in carrying out its God-given mandate of spreading the gospel. The purpose of this dissertation was to design and implement an intervention in a seminar form for pastors aimed at addressing politicking. It is anticipated that the intervention, if used, would have long term effects on the way pastors view sessions and positions in the church. This research used interviews to gather data from six pastors who were selected at random. Their years of service ranged from three to 40 years. It was found that power struggle among pastors in the run up to sessions has a negative impact on the pastors, members, and the work of the church in general. Character assassination, mudslinging, and name-calling suggest the need for an intervention to address power struggle. The implications are that if this is not done, open conflict among pastors and stagnation of the work may be experienced in Midlands Conference. Future research in areas not covered by this project, such as the effectiveness of the election process used by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the emotional, physical, and spiritual impact of power struggle on those removed from office because of politicking are all areas that warrant further consideration.