De Facto Leadership: African American Baptist Adult Clergy Children’s Commitment to Ministry

The rise in the number of the religiously unaffiliated is a national problem impacting various faith traditions. The Pew Research Center (2016) conducted numerous studies identifying reasons for the increase in the number of unaffiliated Americans who were raised within a religious tradition. Although the Baptist church has been impacted by the rise in the number of the unaffiliated and “nones,” what is also significant is the number of adult clergy children or preachers’ kids (PKs) who continue to be committed to the work of ministry despite the stressors identified in the Baptist faith tradition. A phenomenological approach was selected to understand the shared experiences of PKs’ commitment to the work of ministry across generations. The findings indicated that PKs had to navigate myriad challenges to maintain commitment. The word of God was essential to undergird PKs’ commitment as de facto leaders. Service and sacrifice were embedded within the phenomenon of commitment. Family and relationships were important examples of Christian values, beliefs, and principles. In addition, PKs relied on the power of prayer and faith as the underpinnings of the phenomenon of commitment. The study provided a voice for PKs by identifying the impact of church hurt and crafting strategies that can be implemented to support PKs’ commitment to the work of ministry in the Baptist faith tradition