Tradisi, Tuntutan Zaman, dan Tantangan Manajemen: Regenerasi Kepemimpinan Lembaga Keagamaan di Jombang

Leadership regeneration is one of the significant challenges faced by religious institutions amid increasingly complex social changes and contemporary demands. Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) and religious organizations in Jombang have strong leadership traditions. These traditions need to be preserved while adapting to developments in organizational management, technology, and the characteristics of younger generations. This article examines leadership regeneration patterns in religious institutions in East Java by focusing on the 35th Congress (Muktamar) of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) at the Bahrul Ulum Tambak Beras Islamic Boarding School in Jombang as the context of the study. Within this context, the study explores the relationship between leadership traditions, contemporary demands, and organizational management challenges. The 35th Muktamar serves not only as a deliberative forum but also as a platform for discussing various religious and organizational issues, programs, recommendations, and the leadership selection process for NU's 2026–2031 term of office. Employing a qualitative descriptive approach through an analysis of news reports and documents related to the Muktamar, this article demonstrates that leadership regeneration can take place without compromising the traditional character of religious institutions. The findings indicate that regeneration involves not only leadership succession but also cadre readiness, organizational management capabilities, openness to younger generations, and the ability of religious institutions to respond to social changes. Therefore, the sustainability of religious institutions in East Java requires a balance between respect for established leadership traditions and the implementation of adaptive, participatory management practices that align with contemporary needs.