PEMETAAN KARAKTERIRSTIK KEPEMIMPINAN PEMUDA GEREJA DI KOTA MAKASSAR DENGAN PENDEKATAN TRAIT THEORY

Youth are the next generation of the nation who need to be well prepared to become agents of peace and future leaders. The city of Makassar is a multicultural area and is therefore vulnerable to potential friction among social groups if diversity is not managed properly. This condition constitutes the urgency of the present study, namely, to enable church youth to play a strategic role in mitigating potential conflicts and in building bridges of fraternity by developing an appropriate model of self-leadership. This research is important for fostering awareness of the significance of diversity within a multicultural society, so that opportunities for tension and conflict can be minimized. This study aims to develop a leadership model based on Trait Theory in order to enhance the role of church youth in the city of Makassar. Using a qualitative approach, data were collected through interviews and observations of church youth. The findings indicate the existence of two types of leadership characteristics among church youth in Makassar. It is expected that this research will contribute to the development of church youth leadership in Makassar in responding to the challenges of diversity.