Abstract
This dissertation in practice sought to address the question, “What communication practices did clergy in the Michigan District of the LCMS employ during the COVID-19 crisis?” A literature review indicated that modern clergy members are expected to take on more leadership responsibilities beyond spiritual leadership than they are prepared to handle. Crisis events were also shown to be times when leadership was essential to the continuing function of an organization. There was a high level of expectation for church and school leaders to communicate with many audiences. The phenomenon of the clergy leading their organizations through an unexpected crisis warranted a qualitative investigation. A qualitative phenomenological study was conducted. The researcher recruited eight senior-level clergy members in the Michigan District that led congregations with a dedicated parochial school. Interviews with participants were conducted using Zoom videoconferencing. Data were coded and analyzed to discover themes from the research. These themes were organized into four main themes: encouragement, formal and informal communication, who and what, and ability vs. willingness. The main findings of this study were that informal communication is vital to the success of an organization’s ability to communicate with various audiences and that clergy need to be trained for future leadership expectations.
Keywords: clergy leadership, communication, crisis