Using the Holy Eucharist Principles to Maximize Church Leadership: Case of the Anglican Diocese of Lagos West, Nigeria

This qualitative study explored how the principles of the Holy Eucharist—specifically unity, humility, sacrifice, and stewardship—inform leadership practices within the Anglican Diocese of Lagos West, Nigeria. Utilizing semi-structured interviews with clergy and focus group discussions with lay leaders, the research examined the influence of Eucharistic teachings on leadership ethics, financial stewardship, conflict management, and community engagement. Data was transcribed using Parrot AI and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-stage thematic analysis, supported by Google LLM Notebook for pattern detection. Findings indicated four key dimensions in which Eucharistic principles are operationalized in leadership: (1) humility and service-oriented action, (2) financial stewardship and accountability, (3) externalized love and unity via community service, and (4) barriers to transformational application, such as human resistance and catechetical gaps. The study concluded that while Eucharistic principles significantly shape leadership behavior in the Diocese, structural discrepancies and insufficient catechesis restrain total change. Recommendations include strengthening catechetical systems, establishing formal accountability structures, and standardizing leadership training grounded in Eucharist theology to enhance transformational leadership.