Andrews University Digital Commons @ Andrews University Project Documents Graduate Research 2012 A Discipling Strategy for Multi-Church Districts in Zambia Vanny Munambeza Munyumbwe Andrews University This research is a product of the graduate program in Doctor of Ministry DMin at Andrews University. Find out more about the program. Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dmin Part of the Missions and World Christianity Commons Recommended Citation Munyumbwe, Vanny Munambeza, "A Discipling Strategy for Multi-Church Districts in Zambia" (2012). Project Documents. 89. https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dmin/89 This Project Report is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Research at Digital Commons @ Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Project Documents by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your interest in the Andrews University Digital Library of Dissertations and Theses. Please honor the copyright of this document by not duplicating or distributing additional copies in any form without the author’s express written permission. Thanks for your cooperation. ABSTRACT A DISCIPLING STRATEGY FOR MULTI-CHURCH DISTRICTS IN ZAMBIA by Vanny Munambeza Munyumbwe Adviser: Tom Shepherd ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH Project Dissertation Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary Title: A DISCIPLING STRATEGY FOR MULTI-CHURCH DISTRICTS IN ZAMBIA Name of Researcher: Vanny Munambeza Munyumbwe Name and degree of faculty adviser: Tom Shepherd, Ph.D. Date completed: May 2012 Problem Despite the exponential numerical growth of the Seventh-day Adventist church in Zambia, there are noticeable evidences that many in the church still struggle to maintain consistency in their faith commitments. This means that the church’s great emphasis on evangelistic efforts that lead people to accept Christ must be balanced with a matching emphasis on helping them to walk with him in daily life. Yet the Zambia Union Conference lacks a sufficient and contextualized discipling strategy for both new and longtime members. The purpose of this project is to address this need by developing a biblical and tri-focal discipling strategy for multi-church districts in Zambia. Method Through library research, the theological foundations for the nature and goals of Christian discipleship were established. With this framework, a literature review was conducted on different local church approaches to disciple-making. Through an analysis of Zambian society, some of the challenges to the goals of discipleship in Zambia were revealed. The SWOT analysis of the Zambian Union Conference reveals some of the challenges that hinder local churches from becoming intentional and effective disciple- making communities. Results This project established the need for a clear vision for disciple-making so that the methods match the objectives, a functional equipping environment in the local church as the primary context for discipleship, a renewal of pastoral leadership that focuses on developing people, and continued “equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God” through a systematic study of God’s Word. Conclusion This project outlines a tri-focal discipling strategy for multi-church districts in Zambia. The strategy includes local church ministry structure that stipulate, in organizational flow, a process that meets the basic growth needs of members and addresses each of the four dimensions of our vision for discipling in a balanced way. Relevant topics are selected and a curriculum for discipling is developed. A Christian growth evaluation process is developed for assessing the progress being made. Furthermore, pastoral leadership practices for disciple-making churches together with a project implementation outline are defined. Overall the strategy weighs heavily on connecting God’s people in intentional relationships for mutual discipling. Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary A DISCIPLING STRATEGY FOR MULTI-CHURCH DISTRICTS IN ZAMBIA A Project Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Ministry by Vanny Munambeza Munyumbwe May 2012 © Copyright by Vanny Munambeza Munyumbwe 2012 All Rights Reserved A DISCIPLING STRATEGY FOR MULTI-CHURCH DISTRICTS IN ZAMBIA A project dissertation presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Ministry by Vanny Munambeza Munyumbwe APPROVAL BY THE COMMITTEE: _________________________________ ______________________________ Adviser, Director, DMin Program Tom Shepherd Skip Bell ________________________________ ______________________________ Kathy Beagles Dean, SDA Theological Seminary Denis Fortin ________________________________ ______________________________ Date approved Dedication To the Zambian pastors who will choose to be equippers of the saints “for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God,” “proclaiming Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.” iii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................... vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ........................................................................................... viii Chapters 1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 1 Statement of the Problem ........................................................................ 1 Purpose of the Study ............................................................................... 3 Justification ............................................................................................. 3 Expectations ............................................................................................ 6 Delimitations ........................................................................................... 7 Limitations .............................................................................................. 9 Methodology ........................................................................................... 9 2. BIBLICAL FOUNDTIONS OF DISCIPLESHIP .......................................... 11 Introduction ............................................................................................. 11 The Meaning of Disciple ........................................................................ 12 Contemporary Views on the Meaning of Disciple ........................... 12 Discipleship Terms ........................................................................... 21 Mathetes ...................................................................................... 21 Akolouthen .................................................................................. 26 Mimeomai/mimetes ..................................................................... 27 Disciples in the Old Testament ......................................................... 28 Disciples in the Gospels .................................................................... 29 Christ’s Teaching on Discipleship .................................................... 30 John 8:31 ..................................................................................... 31 John 13:34-35.............................................................................. 31 John 15:8 ..................................................................................... 32 Luke 14:26-33 ............................................................................. 32 Discipleship in the New Testament Epistles ..................................... 41 Conclusions and Implications ................................................................. 47 From Discipleship Terms .................................................................. 47 From the Gospels .............................................................................. 48 From the Rest of the New Testament ............................................... 52 iv 3. DISCIPLE-MAKING CHURCHES AND PASTORAL LEADERSHIP ................................................................................................ 54 Introduction ............................................................................................. 54 Disciple-Making Church Models ............................................................ 58 The Process-based Models ................................................................ 59 The Small Group-Based Church Model ........................................... 65 The Departmental Model ............................................................ 66 The 5 x 5 Model .......................................................................... 68 The Master-Disciple Model .............................................................. 71 The Seeker-Sensitive Model ............................................................. 74 The Competencies-Based Model ...................................................... 76 Pastoral Leadership for Disciple-Making Churches ............................... 79 Pastoral Leadership and Contemporary Leadership Literature ........ 79 A Renewed Understanding of Pastoral Leadership