Date of Award

Spring 2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Organizational Leadership

First Advisor

Dr. Joshua D. Henson

Second Advisor

Dr. Joseph Pastori

Third Advisor

Dr. Earl Creps

Abstract

This study addressed a gap in the literature concerning how mentoring supports ministers who are experiencing distress and turnover intention. The purpose of this dissertation was to develop a biblically grounded model for mentoring ministers in distress. This qualitative study employed a two-phase design consisting of a sociorhetorical analysis of 2 Timothy and a phenomenological study of four Assemblies of God ministers who experienced turnover intention but remained in ministry because of a mentor’s intervention. The biblical text was analyzed using the sociorhetorical textures of inner texture, intertexture, and sacred texture. The phenomenological data were analyzed using open, values, and process coding. Biblical findings revealed eight themes characterizing Paul’s mentoring approach: authoritative and relational foundation; genuine concern; empowerment; modeling; role clarity, boundary setting, and expectation alignment; bidirectional support; formative virtues; and future-oriented mentoring. Phenomenological findings revealed a “phenomenological arc” comprising crisis onset, progression to distress, emergence of turnover ideation and intention, engagement with the mentor, and mentee response. The integrated findings form an interconnected “mentoring ecosystem” that stabilizes distress, reaffirms identity, shapes meaning, and redirects vocational trajectory. In this way, mentoring functions to interrupt the progression from ministerial distress to turnover intention through relational, identity, cognitive, and behavioral mechanisms. Theoretical implications include the ability to take a systemic view of distress and mentoring, as well as a clergy-specific, biblically grounded approach to mentoring. Practical implications include establishing mentoring cultures within churches, denominations, seminaries, and universities, as well as training mentors to work with emerging clergy.

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