Relationship between Authentic Leadership and Volunteer Retention in Word of Faith Churches in Kenya

Volunteer turnover poses a significant challenge for churches and other volunteer-driven organizations. High turnover rates are often attributed to leadership issues, highlighting the need for leaders to understand volunteer motivations and expectations to foster better engagement. This study focused on the impact of authentic leadership’s four dimensions on volunteer retention within Word of Faith Churches in Kenya, aiming to deepen understanding and provide insights crucial for sustaining and enhancing volunteerism in church contexts. The research employed a correlational approach grounded in positivist principles. The study targeted volunteer workers from Word of Faith Churches, encompassing 3,757 individuals across 333 local churches and 28 regions in Kenya, each led by a regional overseer, pastors, and volunteer ministry leaders. Stratified sampling was used, and data collection utilized a structured questionnaire incorporating the Authentic Leadership Inventory and Likert scale items to measure volunteer retention. Multiple linear regression analysis tested the study hypotheses, revealing that authentic leadership explained 47.1% of the variance in volunteer retention. However, among the leadership facets examined, only relational transparency demonstrated a statistically significant impact on volunteer retention (β = .411, p