Innovative Leadership and Performance of Pentecostal Churches in Kenya

This study investigated the relationship between innovative leadership and the performance of Pentecostal churches in Kenya. Grounded in the Path-Goal theory, which posited that leaders must guide and support their subordinates to achieve both organizational and personal goals, the research highlighted the critical role of innovative leadership in addressing the challenges faced by these churches. A cross-sectional survey design was used, with data collected from 331 respondents out of a targeted 385, yielding an 86% response rate. The analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics and regression analysis. The findings revealed a strong positive correlation (r = 0.681, p < 0.01) between innovative leadership and church performance, with innovative leadership accounting for 64.1% of the variance in performance outcomes (R² = 0.641). This indicated that innovative leadership significantly impacted the performance of Pentecostal churches, emphasizing the need for church leaders to adopt creative thinking, risk management, and change-oriented leadership approaches. The study concluded that innovative leadership was essential for enhancing church performance and recommended that the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) and other relevant bodies develop policies and leadership development programs to foster these practices among church leaders. These findings provided valuable insights for religious organizations seeking to improve their effectiveness in a rapidly changing environment. Keywords: Innovative Leadership, Performance & Pentecostal Churches