Church Finances and Leadership Conflicts in Selected Africa Inland Churches in Nairobi and Makueni Counties, Kenya

Abstract

Senior church leaders who are mostly in control of the finances govern many churches in Africa. Research shows that mismanagement of church finances often leads to church splits. It is against this backdrop that the study sought to determine the relationship between church finances and leadership conflicts in selected Nairobi and Makueni Africa Inland Churches- Kenya. Specifically, the study explored financial misappropriation and its link to leadership conflicts. The study employed an interdisciplinary approach and purposefully selected 4 churches, yielding a sample of 24 respondents. Primary data were collected using questionnaires and a semi-structured interview guide. The data were qualitatively analyzed using MS Excel and NVivo 11. The findings revealed that financial misappropriation stems from the belief that the church belongs to God and the money belongs to everybody. Withdrawing money without ratified usage also causes conflicts. Different churches had different reasons for withdrawing money from the account. Other conflicts are caused by differences in understanding of church operations and the understanding of the Word of God. Based on the study's findings, the best way to avoid leadership conflicts over financial matters is to prevent misappropriation.