Missional Leadership

Synopsis

The purpose and aim of this book is to develop an appropriate leadership model for missional churches. This implies a positioning of this book within the broader theology of mission and a consensus on the theology of the Missio Dei, originating at the 1952 conference of the International Missionary Council in Willingen, Germany. In this approach to the theology of mission, mission is understood as the work of the Trinitarian God, and the church is privileged to participate in God’s mission. It is against this background that the growing consensus on missional ecclesiology challenges leadership models developed for a different time and a different kind of church (with less or no emphasis on the missional character of the church). The aim is to reflect theologically on the role of leadership in the missional church. What kind of ideas about power, authority and leadership are appropriate for a missional church? New missional challenges demand new ideas about missional leadership.  Church organisation and leadership reflects a theological position – there is a strong relation between ecclesiology and church organisation. The nature of the church provides the framework to understand the character of the church. What the church is determines what the church does. The church organises what it does and agrees on rules that regulate ministries and organisation. Issues such as the way the church organises and governs what it does, and thus church leadership, need to be answered against this background and understanding. Church polity and organisation, as well as leadership, must reflect the identity, calling, life and order of the church.  This book, therefore, addresses life in the Trinity, participation in the Missio Dei and contours of the missional church as the point of entry to develop leadership insights. It contributes towards the development of an appropriate model of leadership for missional churches, because although recent developments in the theology of mission comprehensively addressed the area of missional ecclesiology, there is a gap in the development of a leadership model based on the concept of authority in the missional church.

 

Uit de Introductie:

Leadership and ideas on leadership are challenged by a changing new world. Reflection on Christian leadership is also challenged by new insights about the way in which leadership functioned in biblical times. Scholars show that the Bible is by and large very negative about leaders; the major part of the Old Testament is a critique of leadership – be it the leadership of the pharaohs in Egypt, the leadership of the kings of Israel or the leadership of the superpowers of those days. The New Testament also vocalises a sharp critique of Jewish spiritual leaders, and political leadership as well. Boers (2015:loc. 836–837) reminds us that the Bible does not use the terminology or ideas of leadership as we use that term today. The Bible is actually quite negative about leaders, ‘much – actually most – of what the Bible says about leaders is negative’ (Boers 2015:loc. 856–857).

Yet, notwithstanding – or perhaps because of these changes – ideas about leadership, power and authority leadership shows a remarkable tenacity and change in shape, resurfacing in new forms and seeming to perpetually reinvent itself. This is enhanced by a new appropriation of indigenous leadership and the impact of local leadership on the church and communities. The comprehensive study by Priest and Barine (2017), entitled African Christian Chapter 1 5 Leadership: Realities, Opportunities, and Impact, serves as an example.

It is against this background that the growing maturity of missional ecclesiology challenges leadership models developed for a different time and a different kind of church (with less or no emphasis on the missional character of the church). We need another approach to reflect on the role of leadership in the missional church. What kinds of ideas about power, authority and leadership are appropriate for a missional church? This need for a different approach is emphasised by the demise of Christendom in the Western world, the explosion of Christian faith in other areas and the growing challenge for churches to reclaim their missional calling. Guder (2015:149) states that ‘this process means that their inherited forms of leadership are also subject to review and change’. New missional challenges demand new ideas about missional leadership.

Nelus Niemandt, Missional Leadership (AOSIS: Kaapstad, 2019), 4-5.