Identifying the intercultural leadership capacity of host agent church-planters interacting with immigrants in the USA

The global phenomenon of immigration creates culturally complex communities, bringing both challenges because of diversity and many new missional opportunities to engage immigrant people. The study aims to investigate the pre-engagement mentation processes of the Stadia Church-Planter Leaders that lead to their engagement with immigrants. The study asserts that the pre-decisional and post-decisional mentation activity, along with evidence of their current engagement, contributes new information that expands their leadership capacity and formation. The study draws from missiology, Cultural Intelligence, and human psychology literature to construct a unique theoretical framework that relies upon primary and secondary theories and the merits of substantial research to provide the means for examining specific intercultural criteria that support the new area of leadership capacity and formation. The pre-engagement mentation criteria (hereafter referred to as engagement mentation) are their cultural intelligence; constructive attitudinal and affective behaviour; their biblical beliefs, and accompanying sources of motivation regarding their thoughts about engagement with immigrant communities in the U.S. The study evaluates their cultural intelligence (hereafter referred to as CQ) after analysing their demographic profile, international experiences, and intercultural interactions. Secondly, the study investigates their xenophobic attitudes as well as other intrinsic and extrinsic attitudes, thoughts, and emotions that occur in the engagement mentation stages that may affect the SCPL’s engagement. Finally, the study examines the theological positions and biblical convictions held by the SCPLs regarding what they believe about engaging the nations (immigrants) in the context of the U.S. The study also reveals their reported sources of motivation that lead them to engage. The final piece of evidence provided shows if they are engaging currently with immigrants. The collection of engagement mentation and engagement activity results presents a clear picture of the initial baseline levels of intercultural engagement capacity for the SCPLs. Results indicate that the SCPLs have a moderately above-average cultural intelligence capability that could be strengthened, particularly in the cognitive sub-dimension. Secondly, the SCPLs report low levels of xenophobic attitudes, but some areas could be improved upon to reduce these negative sentiments further. Lastly, the SCPLs’ biblical beliefs and theological positions reportedly direct their engagement and are strong sources of motivation for their engagement. The recommendation is that these beliefs could be strengthened by deepening the focus on migrant-related theological beliefs and diaspora missiology.