Called to Serve:

Exploring Servant, Authentic, and Relational Leadership Through the Narrative Journey of Pastor Rose

Abstract

Background: Women leaders in faith-based organizations continue to navigate structural, cultural, and organizational barriers that still challenge traditional expectations of religious leadership. Objectives: This study explores the leadership journey of Pastor Rose Sparks through the lens of servant, authentic, and relational leadership theories, highlighting her leadership identity, calling, resilience, and relational experience within both organizational and global leadership frameworks through a faith-based context. Methods/Approach: Using a qualitative narrative research design, this study explores interview-based data from Pastor Rose Sparks to gain practical insights into how lived experience, faith, organizational culture, and gender-related expectations contributed to the development of her core ideology and faith-based leadership identity.  Results: This study narrative study identifies recurring themes of calling, resilience, values-based decision-making, relational engagement, and resistance to gendered leadership expectations beyond the traditional religious framework outlined by religious denominations.  These themes highlight connections between Pastor Rose’s lived experience and servant, authentic and relational leadership theories.   Conclusions: This narrative-based research study further contributes to global and organizational leadership cultures by demonstrating how faith-based leadership can reflect servant and values-driven principles that are transferable across diverse organizational and cultural contexts, while highlighting gender-related barriers that continue to exist in today’s leadership practices.