Date of Degree
2026
Degree Name
Ed.D. (Doctor of Education)
Department
Department of Counseling and Higher Education (CAHE)
Director
Dr. LaVerne Gyant
Committee Members
Djata, Sundiata; Flynn, Joseph
Keywords
community development, leadership, leaership development, Black church
Abstract
This qualitative study examines the role of a rural Black church in leadership development and community sustainability within a Midwestern Illinois town. While extensive scholarship documents the historical significance of the Black church in civil rights, political mobilization, and social advocacy, limited research explores the founding of contemporary Black churches and the intentional processes through which they develop leaders and support community sustainability in rural or small-town settings. This study addresses that gap by investigating the establishment and evolution of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church (NHMBC) in DeKalb, Illinois, and its impact on leadership development and Black community development.
Guided by transformative, holistic, servant, and spiritual leadership frameworks, the study explores two central research questions: (1) How does a Black church develop leaders? and (2) How does a Black church assist a small Black community in becoming sustainable? Using a qualitative narrative inquiry approach grounded in oral history, data was collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with ten current and former church leaders who were members of NHMBC between 1985 and 2015. Participants included pastors, associate ministers, deacons, trustees, ministry leaders, and founding members. Interviews lasting 60–90 minutes were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s six-step thematic analysis process. Trustworthiness was established through member checking, peer debriefing, and reflexivity regarding the researcher’s positionality as a long-standing church leader.
Findings revealed six interrelated themes that defined leadership development and community engagement at NHMBC: leadership, intentionality, community, relationships, transformation, and spiritual foundation. Results indicate that leadership development at NHMBC was both formal and informal, intentionally designed to identify individuals with transformative life experiences, nurture spiritual growth, and prepare leaders for service within and beyond the church. Leadership training emphasized servant leadership, shared responsibility, inclusivity, and faith-based accountability, with particular attention to engaging women, youth, and individuals historically marginalized within traditional church leadership structures. Community sustainability efforts included educational initiatives, youth mentoring programs, food security efforts, civic engagement, and partnerships with local government and organizations. These initiatives contributed to stabilizing the Black population in DeKalb, fostering long-term residency, and strengthening social and institutional networks.
This study contributes to the literature by documenting a contemporary example of Black church–based leadership development in a rural Midwestern town. It demonstrates how faith-based institutions continue to function as central sites for leadership cultivation, social transformation, and community sustainability. Implications extend to higher education leadership, faith-based community development, and role of Black churches in addressing social, political, economic, health, and housing affecting Black communities in both rural and urban areas.
Publisher
Northern Illinois University
Rights Statement
In Copyright
Rights Statement 2
NIU theses and dissertations are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors, unless otherwise indicated.
Recommended Citation
Smith, Derrick, "Rural Black Church Leadership and Community Development in Midwest Illinois" (2026). Dissertations of Practice. 110.
https://huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/allgraduate-disspractice/110
Included in
African American Studies Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Higher Education Commons
