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Christian Leadership in a Malawian Context: a Practical Theological Evaluation of African Bible College

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Christian Leadership in a Malawian Context: a Practical Theological Evaluation of African Bible College CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP IN A MALAWIAN CONTEXT: A PRACTICAL THEOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF AFRICAN BIBLE COLLEGE Robert W. Stauffacher DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (Practical Theology) At the Stellenbosch University Promoter: Professor Ian Nell DECEMBER 2013 Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za DECLARATION By submitting this dissertation electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work contained therein is my own original work, that I am the sole author thereof (save to the extent explicitly otherwise stated), that reproduction and publication thereof by Stellenbosch University will not infringe any third party and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it for obtaining any qualifications. Signature……………………………………………………..…………… Date……………………………………………………………………..… Copyright 2013 Stellenbosch University All rights reserved i Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za COPYRIGHT All rights reserved. No part of this dissertation may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise for scholarly purposes, without prior written permission of the author or the University of Stellenbosch on behalf of the author. Copyright © 2013 Stellenbosch University All rights reserved ii Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za ABSTRACT Notwithstanding that many prominent, influential and highly effective Christian leaders over this past century are making a difference throughout Africa, a serious leadership crisis still looms. There is no doubt that Christianity has spread throughout Africa, reaching many remote areas within the continent. Still the depth to that Christianity remains elusive. Practical theologians have discovered various patterns of leadership abuse, immorality, and heresy throughout Africa. As alarming as these patterns may be, in a positive way they are encouraging many Africans to seek alternative models of leadership. Thus, Africa has now become a place ready to implement effective or authentic leadership models. The purpose of this dissertation is to determine, in a practical theological way, whether African Bible College in Malawi is producing graduates that can be described as authentic Christian leaders. As a way of determining this, the researcher will be 1) investigating the growing (Christian) leadership crisis within sub-Saharan Africa, 2) analyzing various Christian leadership models within the field, 3) conducting empirical research on the African Bible College (ABC) and ABC graduates, 4) exploring normative perceptions of Christian leadership and 5) developing a revised praxis for ABC to help it become an even more effective institution for producing authentic Christian leaders. Authentic leadership in particular emphasizes the “genuineness,” “realness,” and “transparency” of people in leadership positions. It requires a leader to be open, honest, and accountable to others. They must earn the respect and trust of their followers. People today are becoming more skeptical of their leaders. They have grown weary and impatient with typical overbearing, power-hungry, and dishonest leadership personalities. They want to see their leaders actually practicing what they are preaching, living lives of integrity, and truly living out their Christian faith in a God honoring and practical manner. This is why authentic leadership theory has become prominent and widely accepted within the past decade. The theory will be useful for analyzing the leadership of ABC graduates. iii Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za Since the aim of ABC in Malawi is to “produce quality leaders for the continent of Africa” (ABC Catalog & Prospectus 2007:8), it is necessary to investigate ABC in this respect. One of the desired outcomes of this research is to establish the factors that may contribute to the leadership practices demonstrated among ABC graduates. This investigation also has the potential to attain a more thorough understanding of the kind of Christian leadership ABC nurtures, as well. In other words, to fully ascertain whether ABC graduates can be described as authentic Christian leaders, it is imperative to analyze the institution from which they have graduated. The research questions this study addresses are: 1. What Christian leadership models exist among ABC graduates? What steps can ABC graduates take to improve in the area of Christian leadership? 2. What kind of Christian leadership typically exists in Africa and in Malawi? What are some of the key struggles of Christian leadership in Africa? What factors contribute to these struggles? How can ABC graduates overcome these struggles? 3. What is desirable Christian leadership in an African and Malawian context? How can we define authentic Christian leadership? What models of Christian leadership can contribute to the Malawian framework? How can ABC graduates sustain long-term and authentic Christian leadership? iv Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za OPSOMMING Nieteenstaande die feit dat baie prominente, gesaghebbende en hoogs effektiewe Christenleiers (gedurende die afgelope eeu) ʼn ware verskil deur die hele Afrika gemaak het (en dit steeds doen), dreig ʼn baie wesenlike en ernstige leierskapkrisis steeds. Daar is geen twyfel nie dat Christenskap soos ’n veldbrand deur die hele Afrika versprei het, en baie afgeleë gebiede op die kontinent bereik het, maar die diepte van daardie Christenskap bly steeds bedrieglik. Praktiese teoloë het verskeie voorbeelde van misbruik van leierskap, immoraliteit en dwaalleer oral in Afrika aangetref. En, so ontstellend soos hierdie voorbeelde ook al is, op ʼn positiewe wyse motiveer en bemoedig hulle baie Afrikane om alternatiewe modelle van leierskap na te jaag. Afrika is dus op die oomblik ʼn baie geskikte plek vir die implementering van effektiewe (of outentieke) leierskapsmodelle. Die doel van hierdie verhandeling is dus om op ʼn prakties-teologiese wyse te bepaal, of die African Bible College (ABC) in Malawi gegradueerdes lewer, wat as outentieke Christenleiers beskryf kan word. In ʼn poging om dit te bepaal, het die navorser 1) die toenemende (Christen-) leierskapskrisis in Afrika suid van die Sahara ondersoek, 2) verskeie Christenleierskap-modelle op die gebied ondersoek, 3) empiriese navorsing oor die ABC en ABC-gegradueerdes gedoen, 4) normatiewe persepsies van Christenleierskap verken en 5) ʼn hersiene praktyk vir ABC ontwikkel wat daartoe sal bydra dat hulle ʼn selfs meer effektiewe instelling vir die lewering van outentieke Christenleiers kan word. Outentieke leierskap beklemtoon in die besonder die “opregtheid”, “egtheid” en “deursigtigheid” van mense in leierskapsposisies. Dit vereis van ʼn leier om oop, eerlik en aanspreeklik teenoor ander te wees. Dit bring mee dat ʼn leier die respek en vertroue van sy of haar volgelinge moet verdien. Mense raak deesdae al hoe meer skepties oor hulle leiers. Hulle het moeg en ongeduldig geraak vir die alomteenwoordige dominerende, magshonger en oneerlike leierskapspersoonlikhede. Hulle wil sien dat hulle leiers se woorde en dade werklik ooreenstem, dat hulle onkreukbare lewens leef en waarlik hulle Christengeloof prakties uitleef op ʼn wyse wat aan God eer bewys. Dit is hoekom outentieke leierskapsteorie die afgelope dekade een van die v Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za toonaangewendste en algemeen aanvaarde leierskapsteorieë geword het, en nuttig sal wees vir ontleding van die leierskap van ABC-gegradeerdes. Aangesien dit volgens die 2007-ABC Catalog & Prospectus die oogmerk van die African Bible College (ABC) in Malawi is om leiers van hoë gehalte vir die Afrika-kontinent te lewer, is dit is nodig om ABC in hierdie opsig te ondersoek. Een van die uitkomste waarna hierdie navorsing gestreef het, was om die faktore wat tot die leierskapspraktyke wat onder ABC-gegradueerdes getoon word, te bepaal. Hierdie ondersoek het ook die potensiaal vir die bereiking van ʼn deegliker begrip en ʼn grondiger kennis van die soort Christenleierskap waartoe die ABC bydra gehad. Met ander woorde, ten einde ten volle te kon vasstel of ABC-gegradueerdes as outentieke Christenleiers beskryf kan word of nie, is dit gebiedend noodsaaklik om ook nog die instelling waar hulle gegradueer het, te ondersoek. Die navorsingsvrae wat deur hierdie studie ondersoek is, was soos volg: 1. Watter Christenleierskap-modelle bestaan daar by ABC-gegradueerdes? Watter maatreëls kan ABC-gegradueerdes tref om op die gebied van Christenleierskap te verbeter? 2. Watter soort Christenleierskap bestaan (of is kenmerkend) in Afrika en in Malawi? Wat is sommige van die sleutelprobleme van Christenleierskap in Afrika? Watter faktore dra tot hierdie probleme by? Hoe kan ABC-gegradueerdes hierdie probleme te bowe kom? 3. Wat is gewenste Christenleierskap in Afrika/Malawi? Wat kan gedefinieer word as outentieke Christenleierskap? Watter modelle van Christenleierskap kan tot die Malawiese raamwerk bydra? Hoe kan ABC-gegradueerdes langtermyn- en outentieke Christenleierskap handhaaf? vi Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za DEDICATION This dissertation is first dedicated to the Lord, who has led me by his steadfast love, grace, and faithfulness. I would not have had the desire, the will, nor the persistence to accomplish such an enormous project on my own. I believe that it was the will of God for me to devote my time, resources, and efforts to such a task. To what end? I am still not sure. All I
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