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Who Is Considered Fit for Ministry? Age, Region and Disability-Inclusion Attitudes among Anglican Clergy, Faculty and Administrators in Nigeria

1. Peter Ukule
   ¹Department of Christian Studies and Religious Communication, University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria
2. Charles Ogundu Nnaji
   ¹Department of Christian Studies and Religious Communication, University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria
3. Adeola Kehinde
   ¹Department of Christian Studies and Religious Communication, University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Institutional access is shaped not only by buildings and policy but by the judgments of gatekeepers who interpret ministerial fitness, approve accommodations and influence placement. Objective: This paper examined generational and regional differences in disability-inclusion attitudes among Anglican clergy, seminary faculty and administrators. Methods: The analysis uses the post-defence corrected quantitative results of the Inclusion Attitudes in Theological Education Survey. A total of 175 usable questionnaires were returned from 198 distributed (88.4%). The respondent group was predominantly male (90.9%) and experienced, with 85.7% reporting more than six years of service. Corrected direction-consistent scoring was applied to exclusionary items. Age-group willingness to accommodate and regional differences in theological inclusivity and perceived ministerial fitness were examined using the verified t-test, ANOVA and effect-size results. Results: Younger respondents aged 18–45 (n=86) reported greater willingness to accommodate (M=3.89, SD=.88) than respondents aged 46+ (n=89; M=3.21, SD=.95), t≈4.91, p<.001, d≈.74. Regional comparison showed significant differences for theological inclusivity, F=9.51, p=.002, partial η²≈.052, and perceived ministerial fitness, F=6.89, p=.009, partial η²≈.038. The age effect was substantively larger than the regional effects. Conclusion: The findings identify a generational leadership challenge rather than an immutable Anglican position on disability. Reform should therefore include continuing formation for senior leaders, explicit ministerial-fitness criteria and structured exposure to disability theology and lived experience rather than relying on gradual generational replacement.

Keywords: ministerial fitness; disability attitudes; Anglican clergy; generational differences; theological education; accommodation; Nigeria

Licence: CC BY 4.0

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