An Analysis of Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Drivers of Infidelity among the Clergy in the Church of Uganda

This article shapes the current and ongoing discourse on infidelity in the Church of Uganda. The Church of Uganda is a well-positioned institution that stirs good morals among its adherents. However, numerous factors can undermine trust in its leaders, with infidelity among the clergy being a potentially significant issue. The understanding from this article will help the Church to develop its adherents in the clergy domains in aspects of both the spirit and the physical for as long as both categories of persons stay focused on the gospel and mission of the Church, in theory, and practice. Therefore, any antagonist to such an event should be quantitatively identified and its drivers established to inform prompt and effective Church intervention. This study adopted a constructivist research philosophy, with which deductions are made based on opinionated evidence and/or opinions put forward by respondents. This study used two qualitative data collection methods; the choice of the two methods was informed by the fact that both are qualitative data collection methods and hence appropriate for use in a constructivist study such as the current one. The two data collection methods used were focus group discussions and key informant interviews. The study utilized focus group discussions and key informant interview guides as data collection tools, with the interview guides serving as a guide for moderation rather than directly capturing responses, and recording and notetaking. Both interview guides were designed with open-ended questions so as not to limit the respondents to providing their opinions. Responses from the focus group discussions and key informant interviews were analyzed thematically, which in hermeneutic terms refers to the interpretation of data, and enlightenment on the actual meanings embedded within a given set of qualitative responses (Cornish 2020:352,365). The analysis was conducted through a 6-phase process, which began with the familiarisation with the data in Phase 1, the generation of initial codes in Phase 2, the search for themes in Phase 3, the review of themes in Phase 4, and the definition and naming of themes in Phase 5. The study reveals infidelity among Church of Uganda clergy, with intrapersonal drivers such as not being truly saved, familiarization with God, risky counseling, leaving wives behind, and low moral commitment. Interpersonal drivers include familial relations with church leaders, collegial influence, and dissatisfaction with sexual needs by wives. The Church is called to address these findings and implement evidence-based solutions.