The relationship between self-awareness aspect of emotional intelligence and psychological well-being of Presbyterian clergy in Kenya

Abstract

This study explored the relationship between the self-awareness aspect of emotional intelligence and the psychological well-being of the Presbyterian Clergy in Kenya. Higher levels of self-awareness in emotional intelligence contribute significantly to better psychological health, enhancing their ability to manage stress, foster positive relationships, and maintain effective pastoral care. This study aimed to establish the relationship between Emotional Intelligence and the psychological well-being of Presbyterian Clergy in Kenya. The targeted population for this study was 437 ministers and 437 Pairing Elders. The researcher sampled 88 parishes using stratified random sampling. The Clergy and the pairing elder were purposively sampled from each of the sampled parishes. The resultant sample was 176 respondents. A questionnaire, psychological well-being test tool and emotional intelligence test tool were used for data collection. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the quantitative data, using frequency counts, percentages and weighted averages. The results of the data analysis were presented using tables, bar graphs and pie charts. The study found that self-awareness, a component of emotional intelligence, significantly impacts the psychological well-being of Clergy. Most Clergy had high levels of self-awareness, but there were concerns about those lacking adequate levels. The researcher recommends that the Presbyterian Church general assembly implement self-awareness tests in recruitment policies to assess clergy self-awareness. Setting a threshold for the Clergy to pass will ensure they can handle congregation and personal issues effectively, benefiting both the Clergy and the congregation.