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Licensed Unlicensed Requires Authentication Published by De Gruyter June 11, 2022

Coloring Things Together: Experiences of Leading Together as Pastor Couples in the Norwegian Pentecostal Movement

  • Truls Åkerlund EMAIL logo and Åse-Miriam Smidsrød

Abstract

This article focuses on the growing, yet under-researched, phenomenon of co-leadership in which spouses lead congregations together as pastor couples. The study addresses the topic from the perspective of organizational leadership, probing the experiences of leading together among pastor couples in the Norwegian Pentecostal movement. Systematic text condensation of in-depth interviews showed that the participants described co-leadership as all-encompassing and tension-filled, constantly having to balance private and professional concerns in addition to managing expectations from congregants and global church culture. Amidst these challenges, they described unity in diversity and a sense of being called to lead the church together.

Zusammenfassung

Wie erleben Pfarr-Ehepaare die gemeinsame Leitung ihrer Kirchengemeinden? Der Aufsatz untersucht dies, indem er eine Interviewstudie mit sechs norwegischen Pfarr-Ehepaaren aus dem pfingskirchlichen Spektrum auswertet. Die Interviewten beschrieben ihre gemeinsame Leitungstätigkeit als spannungsreich und anspruchsvoll in der Vielheit der professionellen und privaten Herausforderungen, erfuhren jedoch auch Gemeinschaft und die Berufung zur partnerschaftlichen Kirchenleitung.

Published Online: 2022-06-11
Published in Print: 2022-07-31

© 2022 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Downloaded on 5.5.2024 from https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/ijpt-2020-0052/html
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