Transformational Leadership Training Strategies for Work with Incarcerated Members of Central American Street Gangs

In response to the epidemic of gang violence exploding in the urban centers of Central America, this academic project seeks to outline a practical theological exploration of the following missional question: How can grassroots leaders in Central America’s largest city be mobilized, equipped, and unleashed for transformational leadership with and among active members of Central American street gangs? This question will be considered within the context of a particular leadership-development initiative in Guatemala City named the EdT.

Combining theological reflection with evaluative research into the background, development, and implementation of a Gang Chaplaincy Initiative, a model of leadership development emerges that is designed to produce transformational leaders for and among incarcerated Central American gang members, cultivate a cohort of such young leaders into a formalized missional community of gang chaplains, and then generate opportunities for these leaders to challenge and transform the awareness and actions of the church in Guatemala City as well as other cities in Central America and beyond.