Abstract:
Aging leaders with unclear succession plans in Africa's institutions are a symptom of
an underlying problem of leadership development. This is evident in the rapidly
expanding church on the continent. For instance, from a group of 38 mega churches
across Africa, the Leadership Network found only five churches with a leader other
than the founder. Many founder leaders remain at the helm of leadership in their 60s
and 70s, without a proper plan for future leadership in place. Our research identified
three Pentecostal churches, which went against this trend. They raised generations of
younger leaders who went on to serve in significant roles beyond the founders.
Research on corporate and church leadership shows that effective organisations
actively promote a leadership development through moderately transformational
cultures with internal practices and organisational structures which produce leaders
who will maximise organisational impact and strengthen their succession strategy.
This project investigated how leadership development happens in these Progressive
Pentecostal Churches (PPCs) which effectively raised multiple leaders who carry on
the work of the founder, and other leaders who started new congregations. The
research used a qualitative methodology using in-depth interviews historical, and
other data. These case studies are the Nairobi Chapel, Christ is the Answer Ministry
(CITAM), and International Christian Church (ICC). The data revealed the ways in
which these PPCs, over time, experienced vibrant revitalization, positioning
themselves to raise new leadership for the future. Each of the PPCs uniquely
demonstrated intentionality through leadership development cultures that harness
relational interactions among leaders, thoughtfully formed useful leadership and
governance structures, while articulating a compelling vision for their congregations.
Implications of these findings are that the leadership development crisis in African
churches can be addressed through promoting this kind transformational leadership
development culture. We draw lessons for churches on developing organisational
vision, evolving relational approaches to leadership development through carefully
developed organizational structures geared to produce a new generation of effective
leaders.
