“The Shadow of Contemporary Power: When Servant Dominance Shatters the Harmony of the Church X¹ Congregation.”

Abstract

This study examines how informal power exercised by non-clergy ministers within Church X creates ‘shadows of power’ that disrupt congregational harmony and undermine the effectiveness of church ministry. Using a qualitative approach and intrinsic case study, data were obtained through semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and internal document analysis, then analyzed thematically reflectively. The results identified five main themes: (1) the polarization of the meaning of ministry between divine calling and formal authority; (2) the dominance of informal power in church ministry; (3) the destructive impact of informal domination on harmony and effectiveness of ministry; (4) recovery strategies through humility, open communication, and reflective dialogue; and (5) the dilemma of tension between structural assertiveness and relational inclusivity. These findings emphasize the need to integrate the principles of servant leadership and an understanding of Foucault’s micro-physics of power to organize power relations ethically and spiritually. Practically, this study provides insights for charismatic churches in building a more participatory, collaborative, and harmonious ministry model, so that non-clergy ministers can become agents of harmony, not sources of conflict.