Original Research

Leadership as an enabling function: Towards a new paradigm for local church leadership in the 21st century

Rob Elkington, Darryl Meekins, Jennifer M. Breen, Suzanne S. Martin
In die Skriflig/In Luce Verbi | Vol 49, No 3 | a1911 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/ids.v49i3.1911 | © 2015 Rob Elkington, Darryl Meekins, Jennifer M. Breen, Suzanne S. Martin | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 02 December 2014 | Published: 13 July 2015

About the author(s)

Rob Elkington, Faculty of Theology, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, South Africa, Faculty of Education, University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), Canada and Faculty of Business and IT, University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), Canada
Darryl Meekins, Faculty of Missiology, Summit University, United States
Jennifer M. Breen, Graduate School, Creighton University, Nebraska, United States
Suzanne S. Martin, Principal Consultant, Birmingham, United States

Abstract

Ministry leadership presents unanticipated challenges to those seeking to serve the church. Whilst formal theological programmes provide essential education in Christianity and ministry, they do not equip new ministry leaders to navigate the complex adaptive system that is ‘The church’. Upon completion of a formal educational programme, new church leaders are expected to be a leader without having the benefit of ongoing support for their leadership development process. To address this gap, and with the use of Osmer’s heuristic, this article presents a framework of leadership development that draws primary from the business literature and can be adapted to ministry. Given the rough terrain inherent in the 21st century church, the authors of this article hope that this work provides a framework that will increase leadership effectiveness, prolong leadership tenure, and empower churchleaders to foster the Christian worldview both within and outside their flock. Firstly, this article introduces a new framework for leadership development in the 21st century church. Next, we articulate the model and directly apply it to church leadership. We discuss not only issues that currently exist in the church, but also propose interventions that could improve the functionality and effectiveness of the church. We conclude with a list of theory-based activities that, if undertaken, will equip church leaders to utilise the framework proposed in this article.

Leierskap as bemagtigings funksie: Op weg na ’n nuwe paradigma vir plaaslikekerkleierskap in die een-en-twintigste eeu. Kerkleierskap bied onverwagte uitdagings vir diegene wat tot die bediening toetree. Terwyl formele teologiese programme wel noodsaaklike opleiding in die Christelike godsdiens en teologie bied, word nuwe toetreders tot die bediening van die komplekse veranderende stelsel van ‘die kerk’ nie na behore toegerus om leiers in die kerk te wees nie. Na die voltooiing van ’n formele opleidingsprogram word van nuwe kerkleiers verwag om ’n leier te wees sonder die hulp van voortgesette ondersteuning vir hulle leierskapsontwikkelingsproses. Om hierdie gaping te oorbrug, bied hierdie artikel ’n raamwerk vir leierskapsontwikkeling. Hierdie raamwerk is hoofsaaklik uit besigheidsliteratuur ontwikkel, maar kan vir die bediening aangepas word. Aangesien die een-en-twintigste-eeuse kerk in ’n onstuimige wêreld moet oorleef, hoop die skrywers van hierdie artikel dat genoemde raamwerk leierskapsdoeltreffendheid sal verhoog, die duur van leierskap sal verleng en kerkleiers sal bemagtig om die Christelike wêreldbeskouing te bevorder, binne sowel as buite hulle gemeentes. Die artikel stel eerstens ’n nuwe raamwerk vir die ontwikkeling van leierskap in die een-en-twintigste-eeuse kerk voor. Vervolgens word die model ontleed en direk op die kerklike leierskap toegepas. Die bespreking handel nie net oor kwessies wat tans in die kerk bestaan nie, maar bemiddelings word ook voorgestel om die funksionaliteit en doeltreffendheid van die kerk te verbeter. Ter afsluiting volg ’n lys teoreties-gebaseerde aktiwiteite wat, indien dit uitgevoer word, kerkleiers sal toerus om die voorgestelde raamwerk effektief te gebruik.


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Crossref Citations

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doi: 10.4102/tv.v47i1.202