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LEADERSHIP DURING A LOCKDOWN
transnational presence with a large number of Coptic migrant churches in
North America, Europe, and elsewhere."
This paper shows that while the Coptic Church has a hierarchical structure,
the lockdown opened the way for innovative context-specific responses that
varied across communities. The analysis shows that church leaders played a
pivotal role in: 1) transitioning to digital platforms for spiritual and pastoral
services, including online prayer meetings, Bible studies, and Sunday school
classes; 2) expanding community support initiatives, such as food distribution,
financial assistance, and medical care for vulnerable parishioners; and
3) maintaining a spiritual connection with parishioners through innovative
pastoral care methods, including tele-counseling and online support groups.
The study underscores the importance of effective leadership in guiding reli¬
gious institutions through crises, fostering resilience, and ensuring the con¬
tinued spiritual and social well-being of their communities. The study concludes
that the diversity of the experience and its context-specific nature constituted
an organic “quiet”’ leadership approach that was clearly manifest during the
pandemic lockdown.
The study utilizes data from a survey of 68 Coptic priests in 48 churches
throughout Egypt and five case studies. Data was collected using digital tech¬
nology. As the study progressed, the role of leadership emerged as a significant
and unanticipated theme. Leadership within Coptic churches proved to bea
central factor in influencing how effectively these communities managed the
difficult challenges of the pandemic. Pastoral leaders, clergy, and church
administrators were often at the forefront of decision-making, guiding their
congregations through a period marked by fear, isolation, and shifting public
health mandates. These leaders were tasked with making difficult decisions,
such as transitioning to virtual service, implementing safety protocols, and
finding ways to maintain spiritual and emotional connections within their
communities despite physical distancing. The emergence of leadership as a
theme highlights its critical role in fostering resilience and adaptability within
the Coptic Church during the pandemic. Leaders had to balance their tradi¬
tional roles as spiritual guides with new responsibilities as crisis managers and
innovators. This involved not only responding to immediate logistical challenges
but also addressing the emotional and spiritual needs of congregants, many
of whom experienced anxiety, loss, and disconnection.
By documenting the experiences of Coptic churches and recognizing the
pivotal role of leadership, this study contributes to a broader understanding
8 G. Botros: Religious identity as an historical narrative: Coptic Orthodox immigrant churches
and the representation of history. Journal of Historical Sociology, 19(2), 2006, 174-201; M.
Milici¢: Rooting the Coptic Diaspora: Mediating Familiarity and Adapting Churches in the
Netherlands. Etnofoor, 35(2), 2023, 67-83.
° D. Rock: Quiet leadership. New York: Harper Collins, 2006.
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