Pathetic leadership

Pathetic leadership in Zambian Local churches
Victor Mwila
A complete thesis in fulfilment of the requirement for Doctor of leadership and
Management at the Faculty of Theology and Leadership Studies at
Logos University – Lusaka, Zambia
Supervisor: Dr. Leonard Lupiya
November, 2019

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Abstract
The study “Pathetic Leadership in Zambian Local churches” aimed at establishing
the conceptual frame work of leadership for effective leadership structure development
and supervision as an enabling function within the local church. The study adopted a case
study design that served the purpose of this study. A case study design was used to
provide a plan for the research and it was also regarded as a strategy of inquiry. The
primary method chosen was participatory action research and the data collection methods
consisted of participant observation, in-depth individual interviews and focus group.
The results of the study indicated that the issue of leadership structure
development and supervision in the local churches is still the biggest challenge. In
accordance with the previous studies, the present results show that lack of proper
structures to develop effective leaders, lack of commitment for Christians to grow
spiritually, the lack of commitment to get involved in helping other people as leaders, the
lack of vision to develop future leaders in local churches and the lack of people to led and
supervise in the local churches could be the reason why the church has the problem of
leadership development. However, if the local churches had proper structure for
leadership and the vision to train future leaders, it could have not been facing the problem
of leadership development. Therefore, the study used both primary and secondary source
to collect data. The researcher collected both the primary and secondary data to cover
every aspect of the research study. More importantly, both data supported the exploring of
particular responses during the interviews.

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© 2019 “Logos University” Victor Mwila
All rights reserved.

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DECLARATION
I, Victor Mwila, do hereby declare that
(i) The research reported in this thesis, except where otherwise indicated, is my original
research.
(ii) This thesis has not been submitted for any degree or examination at any other
university.
(iii) This thesis does not contain other persons’ data, pictures, graphs or other
information, unless specifically acknowledged as being sourced from other persons.
(iv) This thesis does not contain other persons’ writing, unless specifically acknowledged
as being sourced from other researchers.
Where other written sources have been quoted, then:
a) their words have been re-written but the general information attributed to them has
been referenced:
b) where their exact words have been used, their writing has been placed inside quotation
marks, and referenced.
(v) This thesis does not contain text, graphics or tables copied and pasted from the
Internet, unless specifically acknowledged, and the source being detailed in the thesis and
in the References sections.
Signed_____________________________
Student: Victor Mwila
Signed_____________________________
Supervisor: Dr. Leonard Lupiya

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SWORN STATEMENT
I, Victor Mwila, declare that this Doctor of leadership and Management thesis entitled
“Pathetic leadership in Zambian local churches” is my own work, to the best of my
knowledge, it does not contain materials previously Published or written by other people,
nor has its content ever been substantially accepted in exchange for academic grades or
university degrees from Greenlight or other institutions, except properly acknowledged
within the document.
Signed __________________________
Student: Victor Mwila

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This journey would not have been possible without the support of my supervisor, Dr.
Leonard Lupiya. My doctoral journey has been an amazing experience and I thank Dr.
Lupiya wholeheartedly.
To all academic staff at Logos University, thank you for being there for me and for their
support when so generously hosting me in campus. I have very fond memories of my
time there.
To my family, thank you for encouraging me in all of my pursuits and inspiring me to
follow my dreams. I am especially grateful to my wife, who supported me emotionally
and financially.
I would like to give special thanks to all my classmates, for challenging my thinking by
helping me question assumptions and view issues from multiple perspectives.
To my friends, thank you for listening, offering me advice, and supporting me through
this entire process. Special thanks to Paul Thomas and his wife Audrey from the island,
Pastor Pimpa shamooya in Kabwe, Paul fickle from the USA, Pastor Cathrine in
Luanshya, Pastor’s fellowship chairperson (Rev. Muwowo), Rev. Kangasa in Lusaka,
Richard Liviza in Kabwe and Taukani daka and his wife Mary Nkalamo in Kabwe, and
Mama Diana from South Africa . The debates, dinners, and games, and general help and
friendship were all greatly appreciated. To my friends scattered around the country, thank
you for your thoughts, well-wishes/prayers, phone calls, e-mails, texts, visits, editing
advice, and being there whenever I needed a friend.

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Above all, I owe it to the Almighty God for his providence. To all church members of
Gospel church Harvest Centre in Kabwe, Ndola and Luanshya, who have shared part of
their lives with me, the connections we have made through ministry have enriched my
life and I look forward to continuing our relationships. Special thanks go to my
respondents for their generous support during data collection.
Finally, but by no means least, thanks go to mum, and all my brothers and sisters, for
almost unbelievable support. They are the most important people in my world.

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DEDICATION
I dedicate this work to my wife and my children

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT ................................................................................................ i
DECLARATION ...................................................................................... ii
SWORN STATEMENT .......................................................................... iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.......................................................................iv
DEDICATION ............................................................................................v
CHAPTER One: INTRODUCTION .........................................................1
1.1 Introduction............................................................................................................1
1.2 Statement of the problem .......................................................................................2
1.3 Aim........................................................................................................................2
1.4 Objectives of the study ..........................................................................................3
1.5 Limitation of the study ...........................................................................................3
1.6 Significance of the study ........................................................................................4
1.7 Research Questions ................................................................................................4
1.8 Research Methodology...........................................................................................4
1.9 Conclusion .............................................................................................................5
CHAPTER Two: LITERATURE REVIEW .............................................6
2.1 Introduction............................................................................................................6
2.2 Definitions of terms................................................................................................7
2.2.1 Pathetic Leadership..........................................................................................7
2.2.2 Christian Leaders.............................................................................................7
2.2.3 Church.............................................................................................................7
2.2.4 Supervision......................................................................................................8

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2.3 The Leadership perspectives for effective leadership structure development and
supervision in local churches ........................................................................................9
2.4 The factors effecting leadership for effective leadership structure development and
supervision in local churches ......................................................................................24
2.4.1 Biblical Basis for lay leadership.....................................................................26
2.4.2 Solutions for establishing lay leadership ........................................................26
2.4.3 Leadership training ........................................................................................28
2.4.4 Priesthood of Believers..................................................................................30
2.4.5 Environment ..................................................................................................32
2.4.6 Leadership team.............................................................................................34
2.5 Leadership traits approach for effective leadership structure development and
supervision.................................................................................................................36
2.5.1 Motivation.....................................................................................................36
2.5.2 Influence........................................................................................................37
2.5.3 Stimulation ....................................................................................................38
2.5.4 Individualized consideration ..........................................................................39
2.6 The Biblical foundation of leadership for effective leadership structure
development and supervision .....................................................................................49
2.6.1 The small group of twelve..............................................................................54
2.6.2 Modeling group life .......................................................................................61
2.6.3 Leading the small group.................................................................................74
2.6.4 Training small group leaders..........................................................................84
2.6.5 Empowering small group members ................................................................92
2.7 Conclusion .........................................................................................................110
CHAPTER Three: METHODOLOGY .................................................112
3.1 Introduction........................................................................................................112
3.2 Primary Methodology.........................................................................................112
3.2.1 Rationale for Participatory Action Research.................................................113
3.2.2 Advantages and uses of Participatory Research............................................116
3.2.3 Limitations of Participatory Research Methodology.....................................118
3.2.4 Application of Participatory Research Methodology ....................................120
3.3 Research Design.................................................................................................125

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3.4 Data Collection ..................................................................................................126
3.4.1 Interviews....................................................................................................127
3.4.2 Observation ................................................................................................128
3.5 Data types and sources ......................................................................................128
3.6 Qualitative approach...........................................................................................129
3.7 Research Paradigm.............................................................................................130
3.8 Data analysis Methods........................................................................................135
3.8.1 Types of qualitative data analysis ................................................................139
3.9 Sampling and sample size...................................................................................145
3.9.1 Purposive Sampling method ........................................................................145
3.9.2 Sampling size .............................................................................................146
3.9.3 Population ..................................................................................................146
3.10 Ethical considerations.......................................................................................147
CHAPTER Four: FINDINGS AND INTERPRETATIONS ................149
4.1 Introduction........................................................................................................149
4.2 Leadership structure development and supervision in the local churches ............150
4.3 The factors affecting leadership development in the local churches ....................152
4.2 Results ...............................................................................................................154
CHAPTER Five: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS......155
BIBLIOGRAPHY...................................................................................159

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Chapter One: Introduction
1.1 Introduction
Most churches now recognize that in order to effectively carry out the various
ministries of the church, a primary task of church leaders is to equip people to use their gifts.
The Christian leader is properly viewed more as a facilitator than as the primary means
through which ministry flows. He or she looks for gifted potential leaders and then spends
time with them, helping them grow as leaders and encouraging them to use their God-given
talents. In contrast, leadership theory and the function of leadership within the local church
have always been critical to the health and resilience of the church. According to the
findings, Stetzer and Bird (2010 p.16) indicates that in the US church up to 93% of pastors
see leadership development as critical for the church. However, they are less convinced of
their ability to help in developing such leaders only 52% strongly agreed that the church is
doing well in this area. The question, though, is what this leadership profile in ministry
constitutes and how it is developed (Engstrom, 1976 p.121) within the life of the leader. On
the other hand, the Zambian local churches have generally experienced huge growth of
membership but the leadership development in local churches is still a matter of concern. In
the article, “changing the face of Christianity in Zambia”, Banda (2010) sees in some of the
new churches a general lack of leadership, and the abandonment of the holiness ideals both in
Christian leaders and local churches. The lack of quality leadership for effective leadership
structure development and supervision in local churches is one of the reasons the most of
Christians in Zambian local churches are not performing and growing toward becoming
mature Christians who can lead other people. The Zambian church in general has failed to

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produce the quality leadership due to lack of effective leadership structure development and
proper supervision. However, there is need to establish the conceptual frame work of
leadership for effective leadership structure development and supervision as an enabling
function within the local church.
1.2 Problem statement
An ancient African proverb says, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Similarly, it
takes a spiritual community or family to build a leader. God sovereignly raises up His
leaders, but the church also has a responsibility to raise and develop leaders in local
churches. Leadership development is the responsibility of the entire local church. Churches
must consciously, actively and deliberately build the present and next generations of leaders.
However, due to lack of leadership structure development and supervision in the local
churches, the current church has no effective leadership. However, leadership development is
left entirely up to chance. Therefore, there is need to provide a conceptual theoretical
framework based on leadership for effective leadership structure development and
supervision as an enabling function within the local churches.
1.3 Aim
The overall aim of the study is to establish the conceptual frame work of leadership
for effective leadership structure development and supervision as an enabling function within
the local church.

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1.4 Objectives of the study
The objectives of the study are:
1. To look at the perspectives of leadership for effective leadership structure
development and supervision in Local churches
2. To assess how leaders are developed and supervised in local churches
3. To identify the underlining factors of lack of effective leadership structure
development and supervision in local churches.
4. To look at leadership traits approach for effective leadership structure development
and supervision.
5. To look at the Biblical and historical foundation of leadership development
6. To open new avenues for future research
1.5 Limitation of the Study
The major limitation was that this study was only restricted to Christian leaders
considered to have knowledge and experience of leading people in their local churches.
Another limitation was that due to inadequate resources and time, the researcher only
interviewed Christian leaders that had information pertaining to leadership from churches
and the three churches for participation observation. In addition, in order to do the interviews
the researcher had to accommodate the participants and several of the interviews were one on
one which somehow were time consuming to the side of the researcher.

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1.6 Significance of the Study
The study opted to help the Christian leaders in addressing the issue of leadership
structure development and supervision in local churches and the study will further assess and
identify how leaders are developed and how the lack of leadership development and
supervision can be improved in local churches. Therefore, the study is significant for these
reasons.
1.7 Research Questions
This study aimed to address the following research questions:
1. What are leadership perspectives for effective leadership structure development and
supervision in Local churches?
2. How are leaders developed in local churches?
3. What are the factors affecting leadership development in the local churches?
4. What are leadership traits approach for effective leadership structure development and
supervision?
5. What is the biblical and historical foundation of leadership development?
6. What are the suggestions on how leadership development can be enhanced in local
churches?
1.8 Research Methodology
The study used participatory action research as primary methodology. Mouton (1996 p.35),
describes methodology as the means or methods of doing something. The study adopted the
case study that served the purpose of this study. The data collection methods consisted of
Participant Observation, in- depth interviews and focus group. Therefore, the study employed
qualitative approach in the collection and analysis of data. The primary goal was to interpret

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and document the phenomenon of the case study of pathetic leadership in Zambian Local
churches.
1.9 Conclusion
This introductory chapter provides the contextual background of the study. It sheds
light on the importance and relevance of the research focus and the researcher’s personal
interest in this topic. In addition, it briefly introduces the challenging external environment
for leadership crisis in local churches. The chapter offers general information about
leadership development in local churches, thus giving the reader a basic understanding of the
purpose of the study. It also provides a comprehensive overview of leadership development
relevant to accomplishing effective leadership as an enabling function within the local
church. Therefore, the next chapter will present the literature review.

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Chapter Two: Literature Review
2.1 Introduction
This chapter aims to clarify the background to the current study in the light of the global
trend and to establish the conceptual frame work of leadership for effective leadership
structure development and supervision as an enabling function within the local church. It
reviews the literature in terms of the four themes: the Leadership perspectives for effective
leadership structure development and supervision in local churches, the factors the effecting
leadership structure development and supervision in local churches, leadership traits
approach for effective leadership development and supervision and the biblical foundation of
leadership for effective leadership structure development and supervision. The first theme
aims to focus on the literature background to shed light on research question one: What are
leadership perspectives for effective leadership structure development and supervision in
Local churches? The focus of the second theme on how leaders are developed is to assess
how church leaders done do leadership development in their local churches and it aims to
illuminate the second research question some extent: How are leaders developed in local
churches? The focus of the third theme is to identify the factors affecting leadership for
effective leadership structure development and supervision in local churches: What are the
factors causing the church not actively involved in leadership development process? The
focus of the fourth theme is to present the biblical foundations of leadership for effective
leadership structure development as an example for the current church: What is the biblical
foundation of leadership development? Therefore, the background literature reflected in these
themes will provide a basis to the conceptual framework discussed in the chapter for the
research investigation.

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2.2 Definition of Keys
2.2.1 Pathetic Leadership
In this study, pathetic leadership refers to leadership causing the feeling of sadness
and sympathy. Leadership which is unsuccessful, it shows no ability and effort. It may also
mean inadequate leadership.
2.2.2 Christian Leaders
In this study, refers to leaders who have leadership responsibilities within a Christian
organization such as a Church, mission agency, non-profit organization or non-governmental
organization.
2.2.3 Church
In this study, refers to the people called out from the world or those called out from
the world and they are serving the Lord Jesus Christ. Ekklēsia is a compound word. The first
part is ek. It is a preposition that means "out of,” “out from,” or “from.” The second part of
ekklēsia, klēsia is a derivative of the Greek word kaleō. Kaleō is a verb that means “to call.”
So, ekklēsia is a compound of a preposition and a verb, but ekklēsia itself is a noun. In its
most basic form, ekklēsia means “the called out from” or “those called out from.” In other
words, it refers to people called out from or out of something. When Jesus said, “…on this
rock I will build my church…” (Matthew 16:18), He was actually saying He would build His
gathering of people. The Greek ekklesia is also used interchangeably of both local
congregations and the body of believers as a whole. The difference is found in the context.
More often in the Bible the word “church” is refers to as a local congregation of believers.
Revelation 2-3: In the letters to the churches the comments are addressed to specific churches
in identified towns. Romans 16:5: Whenever a church is mentioned in affiliation with

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someone's home it refers to a local congregation. Acts 8:1: When a church is identified with a
city or a region the word refers to local bodies of believers within that region. “Church” is
used the same way today. The local church is a specific body that meets in a designated place
and can be comprised of believers and regularly attending non-believers. The duties to the
local church include regular attendance, respect for the leadership and financial support. It is
important for a believer to attend a local church because that is where biblical teaching,
serving, and spiritual growth most often occur. The local church is also known as the “church
family.” Although “church” has come to mean a building or organization, the original
Greek ekklesia meant “a gathering, assembly” and is the basis for our word “congregation.”
And that is what God designed the church to be a group of people. The definition of a
“church” as a separate building specifically for worship would have been foreign to the early
believers as they met in homes. When a building was mentioned in the New Testament, it
was always in relation to the church that met there (Romans 16:5). The church was the
people not the building. With the legitimization and affluence of Christianity in later years
the “church” came to mean the building where people met. Now, it often is used to mean a
particular denomination. But the truest meaning of the word “church” is the group of
believers.
2.2.4 Supervision
In this research, refers to a process which aims to support, assure and develop the
knowledge, skills and values of the person being supervised (supervisee), team or project
group. It provides accountability for both the supervisor and supervisee in exploring practice
and performance. It also enhances and provides evidence for annual performance review or
appraisal; it sits alongside an organization’s performance management process with

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particular focus on developing people in a way that is centered on achieving better outcomes
for people who use services and their careers (Step into leadership).
2.3 The Leadership perspectives for effective leadership structure
development and supervision in local churches
Without wise, loving leadership a group, a local church will suffer from an inhibited
beginning, stunted growth and accelerated demise but good leadership unlocks a small
group’s potential. A good music conductor guides the orchestra into producing harmony. A
football quarterback coordinates the team with a specific play to score a touchdown. So the
leader of a small group helps members clarify their purpose and reach it. With a good leader
people will take off their masks and find the freedom to give and receive love. Spiritual
nurture produces spiritual growth. Thanksgiving to God becomes irrepressible. The church
experience God’s love and extend it, within the group and then beyond its boundaries
(Weldon, 1994).
Biblical examples of eager and able leadership are inspiring. Isaiah responded to
God’s plea of “Whom shall I send?” with a resounding “Here I am! Send me.” Daniel,
Deborah and David, other Old Testament heroes, heeded the call as well. However, because
leadership is so demanding and human beings so insecure, men and women often avoid
God’s call to leadership. Moses made God wait for him while he exhausted his repertoire of
excuses and rationalizations. And God had to go to great lengths in Jonah’s case to retrieve
and redirect him toward the right mission field. In addition, one of Jesus’ primary purposes
was to build spiritual leadership. From among his many disciples he selected twelve to invest
in heavily. These twelve he trained to lead and guide the early church. But their response was
not always unbridled enthusiasm. James and John quarreled. Thomas doubted. Judas

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betrayed. The rest deserted. Finding Christian leadership isn’t always easy. Paul had a similar
experience when he planted the gentile church in the Mediterranean basin. He labored long
and hard to prepare Timothy for pastoral ministry. But despite the apostle’s tutelage,
Timothy’s confidence began to dissolve. Paul had to remind him “to rekindle the gift of God”
(2 Tim 1:6) and not to “neglect the gift you have” (1 Tim 4:14). As pressures mounted,
Timothy was naturally inclined to grow tired rather than to call on God’s Spirit “of power
and love and self-control” (2 Tim 1:7). Yet all indications are that Timothy maintained his
ministry, growing in faith and faithfulness. However, the current church need adequate
leadership for effective leadership structure development and supervision in the local
churches. Since God has given every believer spiritual gifts, people can be quite certain he
has distributed plenty of leadership ability for the church’s vast needs. God has given gifts of
administrating, teaching, pastoring and serving. These gifts enable his people to take
positions of leadership. The question is, are the people willing to serve as leaders? Are they
like Paul establishing churches and strengthening Christians everywhere? Or are they like
Timothy willing to try but lacking confidence? If people are like Timothy in the current
church, they are off to a good start. Paul’s message of encouragement in 1 and 2 Timothy is
for the current church today as much as it was for Timothy. Many of people, however, don’t
have Timothy’s open attitude. Several reasons may account for this.
For instance, the majority says, “I’m unable to lead.” Maybe they do find formal
leadership uncomfortable, awkward, even painful. But note: “Each has received a gift,” Peter
says, which is to be employed for one another’s benefit (1 Pet 4:10). People have gifts! What
are yours? Serving, teaching, giving, providing hospitality? The important thing is that
people use their abilities, talents and gifts as an act of obedience to their Lord and Savior so

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the body of Christ may be built up. Other people say “I’m unwilling to lead.” This attitude is
more often felt than verbalized. The issue revolves not around leadership aptitude but
spiritual obedience. The simple truth is that if God has given people the ability to be effective
leaders, then they must use those abilities. He gave them for the benefit of others. Still other
people say “I’m not sure I can lead.” This is often a function of inexperience or lack of
training. Many people have the skills and gifts to develop into strong small group leaders. It
simply requires a willingness to practice and learn.
In current church, there is need of training people in small groups. The small group is
defined as people joined together to meet needs and do the ministry of the church. The
purpose of a small group leader, then, is to help that happen. It means assisting the group in
joining together, meeting needs and doing ministry (Weldon, 1994). First of all, the biblical
way of leadership stands in stark contrast to the way the world operates. Leaders of past and
present societies have led, for the most part, by political influence, military might,
intimidation, power plays, financial leverage, charisma and glamour. They sought status,
power, security and wealth. But God’s leaders are radically different. Jesus taught and
demonstrated what has been aptly called the upside-down kingdom. In this kingdom,
servanthood replaces domination (Weldon, 1994). Weldon (1994) further explains that even
Jesus’ disciples got confused as to which way was up. In Mark 10, James and John lapsed
into the world’s approach. They asked Jesus to give them positions of authority over the
other ten disciples in the kingdom they expected Jesus to usher in. When the others realized
that lames and John had asked this of Jesus, they were indignant. Why? Probably because
they wanted to make the same request but hadn’t had the nerve. Jesus confronted them by
underscoring the new leadership approach shown by his own personal ministry. His model

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was clear: “For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as
a ransom for many” (v. 45). His teaching was also clear: “Whoever would be great among
you must be your servant” (v. 43). The biblical model of leadership is built on twin concepts:
(1) a servant serves by leading, and (2) a leader leads by serving.
Jesus demonstrated the first principle, that Christian leaders serve by leading, by
taking the risk of calling people to follow him. By being a leader he exposed himself to being
misunderstood, criticized, ridiculed and even murdered. While such potential costs make us
uncomfortable, we know that the benefits possible from such risk taking more than
compensate. Jesus’ service allowed us to be forgiven and to have an ongoing right
relationship with the eternal God. For us, willingness to lead may result in a small group that
is truly effective in reaching its goals (Weldon, 1994). Someone in the small group has to
serve by initiating and guiding. Especially in the early stages of the group’s life, the leader
plays a crucial role in helping the group establish a direction and gain momentum. The
designated leader usually serves the small group by: First, providing sense of purpose and
vision: The leader reminds the group of its purpose. He or she suggests possible
commitments and concerns that will shape the identity and activity of the group. Second,
Initiating activities: The leader helps members get to know one another, both during and
outside group meetings. Third, encouraging others: The leader involves group members in
the life of the group, helping them to use their abilities and resources to serve the group
through hosting, providing refreshments, singing, leading studies and so on. Fourth, Settling
expectations: The leader models openness and interest in the group. He or she must be
willing to take risks by resolving conflicts and clarifying commitments and intentions. Fifth,

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organizing logistics: The leader helps arrange details of early meetings (time, place, location,
necessary resources) and communicates them to all the members.
The second biblical concept is that people lead by serving. Jesus, the servant of God,
serving person after person, is the theme stamped on virtually every page of the four Gospels.
Jesus served his followers. He not only washed their feet but also calmed them in their
storms, taught them in their confusion and prayed for them in their weakness. He served the
masses. Not only did he feed the thousands but he also healed the sick, cleansed the lepers,
clothed the naked, guided the lost and forgave the penitent. Zacchaeus needed a new start,
Nicodemus a new perspective, the woman at the well a new relationship. All were people
with definite and real needs: each needing to be served, each being served by Jesus servant
par excellence. “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. I am the good
shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (Jn 10:10–11). Weldon (1994)
explained that Jesus, our model as servant, maintained several balances that often elude us.
First, Jesus served God and people simultaneously. It was not an either/or proposition but
both/and. His service to God compelled him to serve the lost. Second, Jesus remained both
people-centered and task-oriented. Again, it was not one at the exclusion of the other. Jesus
cared and responded sensitively to those around him. At the same time he knew his mission
and never lost its message or its urgency. The basis of Christ’s balance is clear. He knew that
only when program and message intersected with people would he produce the desired result.
People would find peace with God.

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However, launching a small group requires lots of service. When a group starts,
someone must decide on the who, when, where, why and how. That translates into placing
phone calls, reserving rooms, arranging chairs, making coffee, offering rides, reminding
people and, finally, making introductions. Such nitty-gritty work is thankless but necessary.
It’s the behind-the-scenes effort that often determines whether the initial small group meeting
is a miserable failure or a promising beginning. A Christian who is going to lead must
perceive the needs and provide the service. So roll up your sleeves and get on with the task of
serving. It’s the only way of building the kingdom of God (Hestenes, 1983).
Looking at the qualities of a group leader, as observed in the current church, some
small groups have been led by people who had strong, natural leadership instincts but who
were new Christians or immature in their faith. The small group would get off to a weak start
and never jell. Or it would start with enthusiasm and fade like a shooting star. The basic
problem was leaders who looked good but lacked the spiritual stamina and substance to build
a group intent on growing in Christ. Paul advised Timothy to be careful in the selection of
leaders. A leader “must not be a recent convert, or he may be puffed up with conceit and fall
into the condemnation of the devil” (1 Tim 3:6). In selecting small group leaders or in
evaluating your own readiness, it is therefore important to evaluate spiritual stability and
maturity as well as gift and talent. Many of the New Testament epistles were written to new
churches just getting organized. Frequently these letters list qualities that a person should
have to be an elder or deacon: temperance, sensibility, hospitality, gentleness, to name a few
(see, for example, 1 Tim 3; Tit 1; 1 Pet 5). Although no biblical passage describes qualities
specifically for small group leaders, consider which attributes would be desirable for such a

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position. While these qualities should describe all Christians, they are all the more relevant to
anyone serving as a leader.
However, the most important quality of a leader is a hunger and thirst for God. This
will give direction to all the other skills. Christians must desire to “be conformed to the
image of his Son” (Rom 8:29). The beatitudes should be their trademark. We are being
“changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another” when we allow the Spirit to
reign in our lives (2 Cor 3:18). God promises that this process of Christian growth will occur
in each of them unless they let sin dull their love for Christ. Thus Paul pleads with the
Ephesians, “I. … beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to
maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph 4:1–4). So God promises to
renovate their lives in Christ, provided they cooperate with his lordship. As people use the
gifts of the Spirit, God produces in them the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22). In short, God is
rebuilding their character, their core personality. Gradually people shed their conformity to
the world and are transformed to God’s standards. This process is accomplished as they seek
God by setting aside time to worship and praise him, to study and apply God’s scriptural
principles, and to reflect and pray. These personal disciplines honor God and increase their
own depth, joy and fulfillment. On the other hand, in the current church, small group leaders
must earnestly and consistently seek to grow in their own relationships with Christ. “with my
whole heart I seek thee” (Ps 119:10). The related qualities a Christian leader are discussed by
Weldon (1994): First, commitment to grow in our own relationship with Jesus Christ. This is
the source of growing in godliness. Second, commitment to get involved in other people’s
lives. A small group leader needs to be interested in each person in the group. He or she

16
needs to get to know them by asking questions, by attempting to communicate care and
demonstrating spiritual concern. A leader who is only interested in the group’s welfare and
not the welfare of those comprising the group will seem condescending, cold, standoffish,
self-righteous. Only the love of Jesus in them can generate such personal caring. Third,
commitment to influence others. None of them have it all together, but God has enabled them
to help one another. Sometimes people cry for help in clear and unavoidable ways. All they
need to do is listen and respond. But many people quietly guard their concerns and
weaknesses. A sensitive small group leader discerns those needs and weaknesses and creates
an environment for growth. The Bible is overflowing with words that reflect influence
encourage, comfort, exhort, admonish and teach. The quality we need is one that enables us
to upbuild, feed and strengthen other Christians. Those with healthy starts on these three
commitments have the potential to lead and serve effectively. For they seek to develop a
godly character; they love with the love of Christ; and they assist the group members in
Christian growth.
Based on the skill of small group leaders, small group leaders are not born. They are
developed. With work, they can acquire numerous skills. For instance, when leaders learn to
ask better questions or seek more practical applications, the quality of their group Bible
studies will increase. As they gain a better understanding of the stages of development a
small group undergoes, their ability to guide the group will become more sensitive. There are
a number of strategic skills they can develop if they are willing to work on them. The
following lists of skills of small group leader suggested by Steve (1997) are: First, listening. I
may need to bite my tongue if I speak too much or am overly eager to contribute. Restraint
may give a reluctant member more ease in participating. “Be quick to hear, slow to speak”

17
(Jas 1:19). Second, asking questions. Many people want to be known but find it hard to clear
initial hurdles. Ask nonthreatening questions that make people feel comfortable and draw
them out. Ask about their background, interests, hobbies and friends. What do they like to do
with leisure time, with holidays? In other words, the leaders must learn to be an effective host
or hostess. Third, improving participating in your studies: Too often leaders dominate the
time given for Bible study. A good discussion of a passage gets everyone involved in
discovering the content, discerning the meaning and applying the principles to life. It can
happen if the leader prepares sufficiently and designs good questions. Fourth, familiarizing
yourself with the stages of a small group: If the leader can recognize where his group is in its
stage of life, he can better guide it toward its own goals. Fifth, communicating care, warmth
and reassurance. It’s hard to smile when people are feeling nervous, but their effort to convey
warmth will pay rich dividends. Leaders need to extend this caring when they make initial
contacts long before the first meeting. Whether they make an introductory visit or a phone
call, the care communicated will make a great difference. As the early meetings begin,
welcoming words, a warm smile, eye contact or a hearty handshake can help dissolve hidden
tension and anxiety. “Glad to see you!” “How are you?” “Thanks for taking the time to
come” They to think ahead about how they might welcome each one. Six, reflecting
openness within the small group: This is the opposite of being defensive. It’s hard not to
react negatively to criticism. It’s especially tricky when the criticism is unwarranted,
unrealistic or uninvited. Within limits, however, it is good to absorb such feedback in a non-
reactionary way so members can see our interest in their opinion. Seven, involving the
members in the ongoing life of the group. Leaders can help a group develop cohesive unity in
its early life by asking for volunteers to help with mechanical tasks. As time goes on, the

18
group will want to determine its own goals and activities. The more consensus achieved, the
stronger the solidarity of the group. This may sometimes mean they spend a lot of time
talking together, but in the long run it proves well worth it. Leaders should also invite group
discussion, partnership and initiation. Their goal in this is group ownership. Eight, helping
solve problems. Perfection is divine; problems are human. Leaders can expect occasional
confusion, disagreement or tension. It’s going to happen in any and every human
relationship. In some cases, a problem reflects the need for more love or clearer
communication or greater kindness. Other times a difficulty requires greater toleration or
partial compromise or deeper understanding. Often it means that priorities need to be sorted,
purposes refocused and commitments reaffirmed. Of course, occasionally the leader is the
problem. More frequently, though, the leader will be in a position to identify a problem and
facilitate its constructive resolution. He or she will help most by facilitating an atmosphere
that is affirming of the people but sensible about conflict. Blessed are the peacemakers. Nine,
being prepared for the meetings. To prepare for a gathering is more a discipline than a skill.
Experience sharpens people’s ability. Leader must pray for people’s openness and God’s
activity. They need to digest the text so that they can shape relevant questions. They need to
know how they’ll use the limited time of the meeting to make the most of it. There is no short
cut to thoughtful preparation. Ten, developing and training future leaders. The
“reproduction” of wise, godly leaders is the responsibility of present-day leadership. As
people lead, they should ask questions like, “Who in this group might mature into a leader,
able to be used by God?” Deliberately encourage these people in their spiritual growth, in
their personal disciplines and relationships, and in their identification and use of gifts. Invest
in several individuals by praying for them and actively helping them develop the character

19
and skills of a Christian leader. The apostle Paul told Timothy, “If any one aspires to the
office of bishop, he desires a noble task.” Being a small group leader, too, is a noble and
needed task. If people are willing to lead, they need to be commended and encouraged. Given
the sizable task of leading, people must keep foremost in their minds that God gives his grace
generously. At times they’ll need a sense of humor.
In addition, a group’s success does not depend solely on one designated leader.
Whether the group jells and achieves its purpose is the responsibility of the entire group. It is
simplistic and unrealistic to think in rigid categories of “leaders” and “followers.” This is a
disservice to all. It puts too much pressure on the designated leader and too little on the other
members. In truth everyone must cooperatively contribute to the group’s growth and well-
being. According to Steve (1997), the designated leader is the person appointed and
recognized to be responsible for involving the group members in the desired life of the group.
For a group to function well, however, more leadership is required than the designated leader
alone can provide. Without supplemental, informal leadership most groups would wither.
On the other hand, Steve (1997) further defined an informal leader as any person who
influences the group to meet needs and reach goals. Every healthy small group has many
such leaders. At different times and places in the life of a group, different members pick up
various leadership functions. The most successful groups are those that help everyone in the
group develop leadership skills. According to Paul in Ephesians 4:11–16, leadership gifts
have been distributed specifically “to equip the saints (all Christians), for the work of
ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of
the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the
fulness of Christ” (vv. 12–13). The gifts have been distributed to all for the benefit of the

20
collective body of Christ. Only when all the people in a small group (or a church or a
fellowship) cooperatively contribute can significant spiritual growth take place. Leaders in
the current church need to encourage church members of the group to express their ideas,
needs and understanding of what ought to be done. Overcome any sense of being threatened.
The body of Christ is not supposed to have dictators or superstars. If openness, wide
participation and group ownership can characterize their formal leadership, then they are
being the type of servant leader the body of Christ needs. And if leaders in the local churches
are not the formal leader of a small group, recognize that their insight is both valuable and
required. They don’t need to hang back assuming it’s not their responsibility. It is each one’s
responsibility. God has gifted them, and their informal leadership and involvement are
critical.
In addition, every group needs a strong sense of unity and full participation. During
the first few meetings it is essential that the formal leader direct the group to create this
climate. He or she will need to initiate a lot of the group’s activity and discussion at this early
stage, until others in the group feel free to give their input and lead. Again, if the small group
is entering its last few meetings, the formal leader may serve the well-being of the group by
providing more initiative. At that point the group will need to express and reflect on the wide
range of feelings they are experiencing (grief, disappointment, celebration) without being
distracted by procedural demands. During the bulk of the group’s life, on the other hand, the
designated leader can relax in initiative. In this middle phase the members operate together as
a group, providing much more initiative themselves. At this point the group considers it
“our” group, not “his” or “hers.” All members contribute and lead in various ways. If this
does not happen, the group will probably struggle and disintegrate. Furthermore, group unity

21
and participation are encouraged as leadership flows from person to person, with the
designated leader making sure that it happens. But there is a second way to increase the
group’s unity and commitment. That is for the leader to seek consensus on major decisions
about the group’s life. Of course, the leader can only do this if all the members talk about
their feelings, needs and expectations. The leader’s job is to help them feel comfortable and
safe enough to talk.
Based on the leadership roles in the local churches, successful groups appoint people,
whether formally or informally, to function in leadership roles. Some roles help the group
achieve its task, and some help maintain the group’s community (Johnson &Johnson, 1975).
Both are necessary. Each member can handle several roles. Since most successful groups
need all the roles fulfilled, it is helpful for a group to be composed of people with diverse
gifts, personalities and perspectives. And, as groups reflect the whole body of Christ, they
generally do comprise such diversity. The leader’s role is to encourage members in their
roles. In fact, it is a good idea after a few meetings to discuss the variety of leadership
functions people are contributing so that each can be affirmed by the whole group. The
related leadership roles discussed by Johnson &Johnson (1975) are: First, timekeeper: helps
the leader watch the time; keeps the group moving along if it stagnates; slows down the
group when it’s rushing. Second, starter: initiates action in the group by suggesting
objectives or tasks; helps the group implement plans. Third, information and Opinion Seeker:
requests statistics, information, news, possibilities and feelings from others in the group to
facilitate discussion. Four, information and Opinion Giver: provides statistics, information,
news and possibilities that facilitate discussion; expands on what has already been said. Five,
active Listener. Focuses attention on the person speaking; asks questions that elicit what

22
others are thinking and feeling; seeks input from others. Six, clarifier or Communication
Helper. Makes sure everyone understands clearly the discussion or expectations; helps avoid
misunderstandings; facilitates dialog and interaction; eliminates vagueness and imprecision.
Seven, summarizer. Gathers the main emphasis of the group discussion and recapitulates it
for the group; pulls the discussion together. Eight, diagnoser. Identifies and analyzes the
problems the group has in performing a task, reaching a goal or communicating well. Nine,
problem Solver. works to resolve conflicts between members; increases sense of unity by
facilitating open dialog and focusing on areas of agreement; helps group surmount problems
and eliminate discrepancy; suggests compromise when appropriate. Ten, coordinator.
Demonstrates how different aspects of group discussion or group life interrelate;
synchronizes action by members. Eleven, Standard Setter. Works to achieve each member’s
compliance with group goals and procedures; helps monitor how well members are meeting
standards. Twelve, reality Tester. Causes group to evaluate practicality of plans and
expectations; discusses options; analyzes process and results; tactfully challenges the group
on points of misunderstanding. Thirteen, tension Reliever. Offers breaks from stress and
strain by injecting humor or giving options for fun and enjoyable group activities. Fourteen,
encourager. Brings out the best from each; makes people feel included by affirming them,
drawing them into the discussion, asking their viewpoint; helps build trust. Fifteen, evaluator.
Assesses how well the group is functioning or is accomplishing agreed-upon objectives; asks
and assesses how group members are feeling about relationships, attitudes and expectations.

23
Therefore, the formal leader should evaluate the group’s balance and consensus by
regularly reviewing with the members their plans for community, nurture, worship and
outreach. What are the goals and expectations? Are these plans being implemented? What
adjustments need to be made in plans or practice? Group balance may also be measured by
using a grid evaluating three planes of a group’s life: (1) the needs of individual members,
(2) the needs of a task and (3) the need for group maintenance. Every person in the group,
including the leader, has personal needs. The needs can be anything spiritual, social,
psychological, intellectual and emotional. For instance, people all need, in the emotional
sphere, love, security, recognition, freedom from guilt, and new experiences. Obviously, no
group is going to meet all these needs all of the time, or even most of the time. But people do
expect that some needs will be met. If they aren’t, members will begin to drop out. Second,
the group has a task, its reasons for meeting. Perhaps the group set out to study the Gospel of
Mark, to support one another and to evangelize a neighborhood. If the outreach to the
neighborhood is forgotten or displaced, members may feel frustrated. Everyone needs to
know what the tasks are, to agree that they are worthwhile and then to work to make them
happen. Third is the need for group maintenance. Just as individuals have needs that must be
met, so does the group as a whole. The behind-the-scenes activity of the leader in making
arrangements and caring for details saves the group from needless frustration ample time for
fun, conflict resolution, care and evaluation must also be allowed. These promote the group’s
sense of community and heighten the sense of a common purpose. These three needs must
find balance. Individuals’ needs must be met. The task needs to be accomplished. The group
needs to develop a corporate sense of satisfaction. At times, one need will take priority.
Initially the need to build community will take priority over the task. As individual needs

24
begin to be met, more time can be invested in the task. There are no hard and fast rules. The
formal leader must pray, risk and lead, striving to guide the group into a balanced life. Lord
willing, the entire group will catch the vision.
2.4 The factors effecting leadership for effective leadership structure
development and supervision in local churches
According to Miller (2006), it seems that one of the greatest complaints heard from
church leaders is that they do not have enough workers in their churches. The lack of workers
and leadership are especially true in smaller churches. Smaller churches have a smaller group
of people from which to pull leaders. This makes it extremely hard for the small church
pastor to focus on growing his church, because he is busy running all the programs that no
one else wants to, or is willing to, run. Miller (2006) further explained that most church
leaders in the local churches will complain about the lack of people who are qualified to lead
any program in their church. Many of them are busy running as many of the programs that
they can in their church, because there are not enough qualified people to run those
programs. In addition, Pappas (p.105) addresses this lack of leadership in the local churches
when he said that leadership is a critical dynamic in any size church, but the small church
may be especially vulnerable to the effects of ill health in this area. A large church may
recognize its need for a wide, diverse, and ongoing stream of leaders. In the small church
sharing leadership may be seen as threatening. He realizes that the small church is just as
much in need of leaders as any large church, but many times the small churches do not
address this need. What the small church Christian leaders need to do is to begin training the
people they have to take over ministries they does. Until they can make leaders out of the
people in their local churches, they will never be able to begin any new programs or

25
ministries. Therefore, it is vital for the church leaders to develop leaders out of their
followers. However, in the current church, there are a lot of factors affecting leadership
structure development in the local churches. The related factors are as suggested by miller
(2006): The first problem according to Miller (2006) is that the church leaders become
overworked. This comes about very quickly when the pastor is the only person overseeing
the church’s programs. They get overwhelmed with the time requirements and it creates a
strain his own life, his home life, and the ministries of the church. A pastor or any church
leadership person who is trying to run more than three or four programs will not be able to
run them all effectively. They will require more time than he will be able to give them. Once
the pastor or leadership person gets overwhelmed they will oppose any new programs
because of the fear that they might have to do more.
The second problem is a lack of programs. When the leadership of the church gets so
overwhelmed because they are doing too much now, they do not even want to hear about a
new program or idea. They feel like they cannot accomplish any more than what they are
doing, and would even like to give up some of the things that they are doing. The result is
that no new programs are implemented into the church’s ministries, and the church goes on
with the same programs that it has been running for years because the leadership cannot
handle anymore. These programs will become outdated and unproductive, but the church
leadership will not have the time or energy to try and find something more relevant.
The third problem area that arises due to the lack of lay leaders is the area of not
developing the church’s people the way God wants them to be developed. If the pastor is
running around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to run all these programs, then he
feels the last thing he can do is add the burden of training others. But this is exactly what the

26
pastor needs to do. He needs to take the time and energy to develop a program of developing
new leaders. Not only will this release the pastor from his many burdens, but it fulfills what
God expects of him (Ephesians 4) and his people. God does not want his people to only get
saved and then sit back. He wants them to get involved in ministry. It is vital for the pastor to
get his people trained and moving in ministry. If the pastor does not train his laity then he
will be stuck trying to run all the church’s programs himself, or at least with very little help.
2.4.1 Biblical basis for lay leadership
The Bible has much to say about leadership. It is a book that features some of the
greatest leaders the world has ever known. Every book in the Bible deals with people who
are leaders. There are political leaders (Esther, the kings of Israel, and foreign kings) and
spiritual leaders (Jesus, Paul, and the twelve apostles) mentioned throughout the Bible. As
you look at all the great leaders throughout the Bible, it is interesting to note that the greatest
of them always circled themselves with a group of followers that took on leadership roles in
their ministry. Lay leadership is seen through these many examples. Even Jesus surrounded
Himself with twelve apostles who He trained to become future leaders in the cause of God.
2.3.2 Solutions for establishing lay leadership
The pastor’s idea of increasing the role of the laity in leadership is the best solution
for many of the problems that the small church faces. Therefore, it is a vital aspect of the
church. When dealing with expanding leadership roles in the church, it is important for the
pastor to address four areas. They are: when and who to pick as leaders, developing
leadership training, helping the congregation realize that they are called by God to be a
priesthood of believers, creating an environment where laity can lead, and developing team
leadership.

27
When and who to pick as leaders. Possibly the most important aspect of developing
lay leaders within the small church is knowing when and who to add to leadership. This takes
some understanding of the church environment and the strengths and weaknesses of the
church people. The pastor will first of all need to understand the church’s needs, and his
strengths, weaknesses, and abilities in meeting those needs. The small church pastor should
then seek to add people to leadership positions that can meet the needs of the church that he
personally is not capable of meeting. This will require the pastor to get to know the strengths
of his people. The potential leaders need to also have the same direction and desires as the
pastors. They need to be of the same mindset, and have the same goals. Michael Slaughter
describes the importance of this step when slaughter ( p.159) states that Lay leadership needs
to be carefully selected, based first and foremost on spirit. Others will catch whatever spirit
you present. It is important for the leadership of the church to have the same goals and focus,
so the church can move forward quickly.
It is also very important for the pastor of a small church to pick people for leadership
that he can work with. If there is dissension at the top of the church, then there will be no
growth anywhere in the church. The leadership team of the small church must be able to
discuss and problem-solve openly. There has to be respect for one another and their ideas. If
the leadership cannot work together then there is no hope of the church moving forward.
Therefore, it is vital that the pastor know the people he invites into his leadership circle very
well. There are some qualities and characteristics that we should look for in those that we
bring into our leadership circle. The qualities that Hybels (2002) discusses are very good.
Hybels (2002) further gives five qualities that we need to look for in developing leaders. The
first is influence. He states that potential leaders always have a natural ability to influence

28
others. Even if they have no conscious intention of leading people, they automatically exert
influence. The second quality that he feels they must have is character. He describes
character as, “whether he or she has the honesty, the humility, the stability, the teachability,
and the integrity to steward that influence.” The third characteristic is they must have people
skills. This means that they can listen to and care for others. The fourth quality is drive. He
describes what he looks for in these people when he states that I also look for action-oriented
people who are comfortable taking initiative. The last quality is intelligence. By this, he
means he wants people who have quick minds. They are people who are street smart and can
sift through a lot of information quickly. The characteristics that Hybels (2002) gives should
be required reading for pastors that are looking to develop lay leadership in their church.
2.3.3 Leadership training
Training church leadership is an important part of creating an environment where
team leadership can prosper. One of the main reasons that we do not have more people in
leadership positions and doing leadership is because of the lack of training that our laity
receives in their churches. A pastor has to be willing to take people in his church and train
them to run the different programs of the church. Many pastors do not do this because they
are afraid that by training their people, that they will become less needed in the church. The
pastor who feels this way is hurting his church and himself. Maxwell (1993 p.126) states that
when a leader can’t or won’t empower others, he creates barriers within the organization that
people cannot overcome. The reality is that the more we train our people the more that they
will need us. They will need the training we can provide. They will need the direction,
planning, and understanding that come from the pastor. The pastor has two groups of people
that he needs to prepare to lead. The first group is those that are already in leadership

29
positions. These people are in positions where they can immediately make an impact on the
growth and direction of the church. It is vital for the pastor to develop these people into
leaders that can take over some of the pastor’s responsibilities, and/or start new programs
that the pastor has only dreamed about starting. This second group is those that are not in
leadership positions, but have the potential to be leaders in the future, if they receive the
needed training. These people are important for the future of the church. Many times they are
younger and have not been thrust into leadership positions yet. These people are the ones that
will carry the church once those who are currently in leadership positions step down. They
need to be trained and prepared to take over, but they also need to be trained in how they can
lead right now. If the pastor can train these two groups of people, then he will be able to
successfully grow his church.
The pastor must first start training those who are already in leadership positions.
Malphurs (2005 p.13) believes the church governing boards are the first place to start training
leaders. It is here that the pastor finds people who desire to help lead, and are already in
positions where they can lead. Malphurs ( 2005 p.13) further states that there is a huge need
to train church governing boards to function better as leaders, because, in the majority of
churches, they are in influential leadership positions, even more than the pastors. . . . In fact it
is likely that they are the key to the revitalization of the church in the twenty-first century.
The pastor should jump on this group of ready leaders and prepare them for the leadership
that they can and should be doing.
The leaders of the future must begin to be prepared for leadership now. It is good to
use those that have been trained previously, and are currently in leadership positions to train
these future leaders. Training programs must be developed so these future leaders can be

30
prepared for ministry now and in the future. Griggs (1988 p.50) addresses five areas that
should be included in any development program for leaders in the church. He further states
that the process of leadership development in the church is composed of some very basic,
dependable elements. . .we will explore five specific elements to the process of leadership
development: (1) clarifying what is expected of leaders and teachers, (2) inviting persons to
serve as teachers and leaders, (3) assessing the needs that persons have, (4) equipping them
with the information and skills necessary to be effective leaders and teachers, and (5)
providing spiritual nurture. Griggs explains the importance of each of these areas in his book.
He holds that church leadership has to be developed through a strategic and intentional plan
created by the pastor. The pastor must encourage and support wholeheartedly the training
programs of his church. It is also important that those in leadership positions continue to
grow in spirit, skill, and ability. This means that the pastor must continue to develop training
programs for his people. His leaders need to continue to grow, just as much as the pastor
needs to continue to grow. Learning can never have an end. A learning environment must be
fostered by the pastor.
2.3.4 Priesthood of Believers
The pastor has the vital role of communicating to his congregation that God’s desire
for them is to be actively involved in ministry, as a “Priesthood of Believers.” This means
that the work of the pastor has to be passed on to the laity. They are expected to do ministry,
not just sit on the sidelines and watch. Griggs (1988), in dealing with this topic, states that
Church growth cannot occur based solely on the energies and ideas of paid staff. If the
church is truly a body, then the entire body must be involved in making growth happen.
Green (1988 p.193) echoes this statement when he said that the church has built

31
congregations of spectators rather than individuals personally involved in worship. The
church uses Sunday soldiers to fight the battle of the week rather than mobilizing the
congregation for an all-out seven-day offensive. The laity cannot be passive bystanders
watching the struggles of a few soldiers fighting a battle against a foe that vastly outnumbers
them. The work of God requires more than a salvation experience. Green (1988 p.81) later
states the requirement that is placed on the laity to do the work of God. He states that the
preaching of the gospel that brings revival proclaims that Christ died for sins. But salvation
can never be a passive experience. People cannot accept Christ intellectually and then play
the role of a Christian without being involved intimately and individually in the daily work of
Christ in the world. Obviously, it is necessary for the laity to be trained and take their place
on the frontlines doing the work of God against the forces of Satan.
The pastor has the role of being the trainer and developer of God’s people. This will
require him to do more than just proclaim God’s Word from the pulpit each week. It will
mean that he will have to spend quality personal time with his leaders and future leaders
preparing them for the work of God. Green (1988 p.184) laments the failure of pastors in
doing this when he says, “Not only does the church neglect the responsibilities of priesthood
in the pulpit, the church disregards the reality that each Christian is and should be a priest
under God. Griggs (1988 p.55) adds his agreement to Green’s statement on the importance of
the pastor to teach and train his people when he states that the first and most essential part of
the process is to communicate consistently and persuasively to the whole congregation that
every member is called to ministry. As can be seen by the strong statements made here, the
pastor must move his congregation from the salvation experience to the ministry experience.
Green (1988), again, adds his thoughts to this topic by stating, “There is a division of labor.

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The church cannot fulfill its God-given purpose without a ministry, without governments and
without teaching pastors. Gifted men are given to the church for such purposes but this does
not necessitate neglecting to involve individuals as priests before God. The pastor has a great
responsibility to continue the growth of the people God has placed in his care. This is an
absolute necessity for the small church to grow. It is the desire of every church to grow in
Christ, but also in numbers. Growth can only take place when there are enough people
trained in the work of God to accomplish the task of winning people for eternity. Green
(1988 p.184) agrees with this when he comments that Growth can only be sustained if there
are enough strong Christians who are committed to being a part of the church’s growth. A
pastor can do many things. He even has the privilege of working on a full-time basis doing
the things of God, but the pastor cannot do everything. It is necessary to have well-trained,
committed people doing the work of God by his side. This requires the pastor to rise up the
priesthood of believers that reside in his church.
2.3.5 Environment
When moving people into leadership positions, it is important for the pastor to create
an environment where people feel free to grow and try new things. If this does not occur, it
will be less likely for the church laity to take on leadership positions for fear of failure.
Covey (1994 p.238) expresses the importance of this when he states that Principle-centered
leadership is the personal empowerment that creates empowerment in the organization. It’s
focusing our energy in our Circle of Influence. It’s not blaming or accusing; it’s acting with
integrity to create the environment in which we and others can develop character and
competence and synergy. He later states that the empowering culture that a church possesses
is something that cannot come from outside of the church. It has to be created and developed

33
within the church’s own environment. Covey (1994 p.266) further states that a high trust,
empowered culture is always home-grown. Therefore, it is vital for the pastor to create this
environment within his church. If fear of failure and fear of losing influence are dominant
within the church’s culture, then growth will never occur, either in its people, or in numbers.
One of the key areas for the pastor is he must be willing to allow for mistakes.
Mistakes are not the end of the world in the small church. We, as pastors, need to remember
that we have made many mistakes throughout our ministries. People will do things wrong
from time to time. These are not times to prove a point, or get our “shots” in. It is a time for
us to teach our people, and help them to grow personally and grow in their leadership roles.
This is the best time for our people to grow. When everything is going good, they will not
feel that they need our help, training, or assistance. It is when something goes wrong that we
need to step in and help them through it. This will in turn teach them what to do the next time
this goes wrong. Thus, we create a learning environment in the midst of a mistake.
Therefore, we must create an environment where the leaders we have trained and put
into positions are allowed to make mistakes. Callahan (2000 p.210), in his book, talks about
allowing for “excellent mistakes.” He describes this by stating that an excellent mistake is
one from which we learn something that enables us to share God’s mission richly and fully. If
we do not give these leaders the freedom to make mistakes, then we will stifle their creative
abilities. They will be so afraid of making mistakes that they will not try something new. The
people we put into leadership positions want to please us. It might scare us to realize this, but
they want us to be proud of their accomplishments. If we tear them down because of
mistakes they have made, they will not want to do anything in fear that they might disappoint
us. Pastors in small churches need to let their people know that they are behind them in their

34
work and effort. When they do make a mistake, we need to tell them that it is alright, and
help them to move forward. This will require the pastor to sit them down and discuss what
went wrong, how to fix it, and most importantly, what did they learn from this mistake.
Helping your leadership through mistakes will help them to grow personally and as a leader.
2.3.6 Team leadership
One of the best ideas that the author came across in his research was the idea of
“Team Leadership” given by Barna (2001 p.64-72). Through the research and countless
studies that have been done by the Barna Research Group, and the many questionnaires and
interviews done of pastors by this group, George Barna has recommended this team approach
to ministry as the best solution in dealing with a lack of leaders in the church. He also feels
that this is the way of the future for churches to grow. He believes that the pastor-dominated
ministry will not be as effective in growing the church and making healthy believers, as his
suggested team approach. Barna (2001) first addresses the reasons why pastors do not use
team leadership in their churches. He lists ten reasons for staying with the more traditional
pastor-dominated model. The following ten reasons are: the desire for simplicity, the need for
control, the need for personal significance, the Quest for efficiency, adherence to tradition,
they don’t know how, nobody models it, absence of vision, the pastor’s traditional and
central role, and church culture.
Many of the reasons he gives for staying with the traditional model deal with pastors
and churches not having the knowledge or desire to change to a different model. He then
gives ten reasons why pastors should lead their churches into this newer team leadership
model. Barna (2001) further suggests first, Biblical endorsement. Moses, Nehemiah, Jesus,
and Paul all did it. Second, no more superheroes. There are not people who are greatly gifted

35
in many areas. Third, true community. People working together to accomplish tasks bring the
group together, and create a bound between those people. Fourth, less stress—fewer burdens
on the church’s leaders, because it is shared among teams. Five, greater synergy. More
people working means more work is getting done. Six, more innovation. The more people
working on solving a problem the better the chance of it getting solved. Seven, greater joy.
People love to feel needed and enjoy being successful. Eight, the priesthood of believers.
Ephesians 4 calls God’s people to ministry. Nine, facilitates numerical growth. People
involved in the church are more likely to invite their friends and neighbors to church. Ten,
relieves the senior pastor. More people involved in ministry allow the pastor to focus more
on what God has called him to do. Barna (2001) believes that for the church to reach the
potential that God envisioned for it, that this leadership change has to take place. If it does
not take place, then the church will continue to struggle and believers will stagnant in their
faith. Barna (2001) believes that this team leadership approach is vital for all churches. He
especially sees the significance of it for the small church. He states that once again our
research shows that not only can teams work in a small church, but that the better they work,
the more likely it is that the church will not remain small for long. Large churches have to use
a team approach, to some degree, because of the many different programs and projects that
take place within their church. Small churches are less likely to use a team approach because
of the more traditional thinking that pervades the small church. This thinking has to change.
Otherwise, the small church will never grow and develop the vital ministries it needs to serve
God in their community. Therefore, the small church is in need of more leaders and active
workers. Without them, the small church has no hope of growing into the organization that
God intended for it. Oddly enough, the answer to the lack of workers and leaders might be

36
right underneath their nose. It is in the people who come to church each week. These people
are the hope and future of the small church. Slaughter (2002 p.152), in his book, states that
the unpaid servant will spell the success or failure of the Christian mission. The church laity
has to be mobilized to accomplish the work God has for the church. The work of preparing
and mobilizing this work force falls on the shoulders of the small church pastor. He needs to
go about the business of training and equipping these people for ministry.
2.5 Leadership traits approach for effective leadership development and
supervision
The purpose of this section is to identify leadership traits approach for effective
leadership structure development and supervision. The traits approach for effective
leadership and supervision include motivation, influence, stimulation, and individualized
consideration.
2.5.1 Motivation
According to Bass and Rigio (2006 p.6), motivation is about communicating a clear
vision, giving meaning to a situation, and raising commitment to set up common. The related
concepts are vision, mission (strategic statements), communication, and direction of the local
churches. First, the current church needs to have a vision. A vision is essential in achieving
leadership goals; it helps maintain the momentum and hope in the local churches. Second, the
current church needs to have a mission statement. According to Schoeman (2015 p.365),
mission or purpose of the church is like a block of steps towards its vision that is embedded
in the Triune God. It is about the direction and calling of the local church in a particular
context. Based on the assumption of Communication for effective leadership and

37
supervision, the current church need to use channels to convey messages or news to its local
churches like telephone, sms, e-mail, and circular letters. The forth concept is individualized
consideration. According to Khauoe (2011 p.11), it is common knowledge in the literature
that the Christian faith is growing and that churches are mushrooming in Africa. In this
regard, the growth refers to spiritual growth: members are supposed to spiritually mature in
matters of faith such as tithing, prayer, social engagement, and the Word of God. Growth
also refers to the increasing number of new members recruited through mission activities or
born and bred within the local church and confirmed as new members. Maintenance refers to
a situation whereby a local church is unable to do most of its ministries due to lack of funds,
capacity, or leaders to help. This could be due to lack of leadership structure and proper
supervision to engage in vibrant ministry and focusing only on matters concerning the
maintenance of the status quo.
2.5.2 Influence
Influence is about self-disciplined behaviour, deep spirituality and extraordinary
personality that attract the follower to identify with, and be like the leader. The related
concepts are: spirituality, personality, and trust in the leader. The first concept is spirituality.
According to Thiessen (2005 p.58-63), spirituality is understood as relations with God that
compel one to transform and be conscious of his/her identity and allow the impact of this
spirituality to influence other relationships. However, spirituality is an essential aspect in the
ministry of Christian faith and has positive benefits for effective leadership structure
development and supervision. On the other hand, leadership in a Christian context is a
calling. The calling of a minister is experienced internally from God and confirmed
externally by the local church. Furthermore, ministerial satisfaction with spiritual life is

38
essential to determine its impact on human life. According to Burke (2006 p.14), spirituality
improves performance of leadership. On the other hand, the psychological health and
happiness of church leaders are essential for effective leadership structure development and
supervision in the local churches. In this study, psychological health refers to a state whereby
a church leader is happy about his/her state of self-acceptance, personal growth, or purpose in
life. In addition, the emotional stability of the leader is also essential for effective leadership
structure development and proper supervision in the local churches. Leaders are often unable
to perform their tasks because their emotional stability has declined. In this study emotional
stability is understood as the ability to deal with one’s feelings, pressure and being calm in a
situation that challenges one’s emotions.
2.5.3 Stimulation
Based on the assumption of effective leadership for leadership structure development
and supervision in the local churches, creativity and natural gifts are essential in addressing
old problems. Basss and Riggio states that effective leadership can turn crises into
challenges. However, stimulation is understood as the ability to use creativity and mentally
stimulating activities such as workshops and teaching to instill new knowledge and stimulate
creative thinking in the face of the present challenges. The related concepts used for
stimulation are: creativity, openness to change, innovation, and training. The first perception
related to stimulation is creativity. The second perception related to stimulation for effective
leadership structure development and supervision in the local churches is openness to
change. The third perception based on the assumption of stimulation for effective leadership
structure development and supervision is innovation, and the fifth perception related to
stimulation is the training of lay leaders in the local churches. Continuous training of lay

39
leaders is essential in the sense that it empowers ministers for effective leadership structure
development and supervision in the local churches and to acquire new insights into how to
deal with contemporary problems in the current church. In addition, training of leaders also
stimulates one’s thinking to function creatively in the midst of the problems and challenges.
According to Avolio et al. (2009 p.434), an increasing number of ministers take cognisance
of the role of followers in leadership practice. In a local church set-up, it happens that
members of the church are often ignored in terms of empowerment for effective leadership
ministry. In the current church, empowerment of lay people for effective leadership structure
development and supervision is often ignored as the focus is mostly on the local churches.
2.5.4 Individualized consideration
The concepts related to individualized consideration in relation to effective leadership
structure development and supervision are: relationship, coaching, mentoring, and guiding in
order to meet the needs of Church leaders for effective leadership structure development and
supervision in the local churches. The first perception in regard to individual consideration is
relationship. The good relationship between the church leaders and church members is
essential for effective structure development and supervision in the local churches. However,
in the current church, other perceptions like mentoring, coaching, and guiding, should be
given more attention in the local churches. These are essential for effective leadership
structure development and supervision, and missional activities in the local churches.
Hendriks (2004 p.197-198) argues that leadership is essential in leading a change in the
church ministry, especially in line with missional calling and identity. Barton (2012 p.3)
further states that to help church members experience and understand their missional calling

40
and identity for the purpose of divine transformation, one needs to engage in activities that
maintain one in the continuous presence of the Lord.
According to Schoeman (2015 p.365), the mission of the church is about direction
and calling of the church. It originates from the Triune God who intends to reconcile
humanity with the Triune God (Van der Borght 2005 p.239). According to Guder (2000 p.66-
69), mission is historical, eschatological, ecclesiological, multicultural, and ecumenical.
Guder (2000 p.52) further explained that mission is the essence and identity of the
congregation. Mission is historical, because it engages a particular moment in human history.
Mission is eschatological, because it witnesses about the already (1 Peter 1:3) and the not yet
(1 Peter 1:10, 13). In addition, Bosch (2000 p.498-499) mentions that eschatology stands for
hope in religion; this, therefore, makes mission an action in the hope for a better future. On
the other hand, mission is ecclesiological, because it invites others to become part of the faith
community that joins in the obedience to witness. Mission is also multicultural and
ecumenical, because it has to be translated into every language, culture and denomination.
On the other hand, Cooper (2005 p.54) calls these missional activities of the church
priorities of Christ in the local church and these are demonstrated clearly in Ac 2 2:41-47.
Ministry in the local church is related to the understanding of the mission of the Triune God
whose aim is to reconcile and bring all humanity into full relationship with the life of the
Holy Trinity (Saines 2010 p.517). This is achieved through a spiritual transformation of
humanity and a societal transformation of all evil and unjust structures in society (Bouwers-
Du Toit 2010 p.263) and this can never be done without the effective leadership structure
development and proper supervision in the local churches. Therefore, a local church is a
medium and instrument whereby to achieve the goal of mission of the Triune God. In a local

41
church, there are various activities that empower its members to do ministries that help
achieve the goal of mission of the Triune God and one of it is effective leadership structure
development and proper supervision. These activities are related to worship of Triune God,
relations with fellow believer, the Word of Triune God, and service to the world. According
to Burger (1999 p.132), these missional activities of the congregation emphasise the essence
of a healthy church system. This is to say that the local church should have effective
leadership structure development and supervision for the health of the church system. If
implemented creatively and adequately, the local church should function satisfactorily and
have a balanced inner and external ministry. Burger (1999 p.03) and Khauoe (2011 p.30)
understand the totality of these activities of the local church as an attempt to give expression
or dimensions to the mission of the congregation. Cooper (2005p.55) further describes these
ministries as priorities for the local church and its leadership. Barton (2012 p.3) perceives
these as practices that open both the leadership and the members of the local church to God
for spiritual transformation. Burger (1999 p.104) mentions that these activities of the
congregation endeavour to transform people in their faith so that they repent and are
renewed. He also emphasizes that these activities help believers practise and express their
faith in actions. This is an obligation of the whole church, not of some individuals. These
activities of the congregation should help believers understand the implication of faith in
Christ and their church membership (Van der Walt 2007 p.34).
In addition, Burger (1999 p.112) further argues that the four essential activities of a
local church effect the balance and holistic maturity of the congregation. Therefore, he
advises that one aspect should not be too emphasized, as it will promote an unhealthy
imbalanced ministry of the congregation and this is also calls for the current church to have

42
effective leadership structure development and proper supervision in the local churches. In
addition, the missional activities emphasise the missional nature of the local church if used
with the intended goal of understanding the mission of the Triune God (Khauoe 2011 p.30).
These activities are also essential in facilitating effective leadership structure development
and supervision in the local churches, because a church that always stays within the presence
of the Lord to seek His will has the potential to experience continuous transformation.
To worship God is the first missional activity of Christ in the local church. The
worship service forms a major part of the ministerial duties, because it happens regularly and
members may be discouraged or motivated to be committed in the ministry of God’s
Kingdom. According to Burger (1999 p.204), activities related to the worship of God are also
related to leitourgia, which Schoeman (2015 p.366) explains as liturgical aspects of the local
church ministry. Activities related to God focus on God and worshipping Him by means of
liturgy, sacraments, prayer, and music in the worship service (Burger 1999 p.204; Khauoe
2011 p.37). Burger (1999 p.132) further states that these missional activities could be
implemented in worship services to help believers commit and dedicate to God, remember
and revere God, as well as lament and confess to God. According to Schoeman (2015 p.367),
liturgical elements are not limited to prayer, scripture reading, or Sunday services; they are
useful for enriching congregational spiritual life. To the outside world, these activities could
be implemented by invitation, or by conducting open worship services to create an awareness
of, and focus on God.

43
Therefore, concerning the missional activities related to the worship of God, Erickson
(1985 p.1057) and Fowler (1988 p.22) argue that, in service to God, believers are obliged to
partake in worship service (Hebrews 10:25), which also benefits the worshippers through
glorification and praise of God. The believers’ involvement in the worship service must be
reverent (Palms 2:11) and joyful (Palms 100:2). However, this can only be successfully done
the current church has effective leadership structure development and proper supervision.
The second missional activity in the local church is the study of scriptures. In the
current church, during the gathering of small groups of church members, the activities should
often include preaching and singing, and the intense of study of the Word of God. This is
essential for effective leadership structure development and supervision in the local churches.
The ministry of the Word of God is also known as kerugma ministry (Burger 1999 p.216;
Khauoe 2011 p.30). Khauoe further explained that missional activities related to the Word
include communication of the gospel through evangelism, preaching, providing literature,
and theological education. Burger (1999 p.220) also relates that the activities include aspects
such as listening to, and receiving the Word, understanding and dreaming the Word, reading
and reflecting on the Word, instruction, and learning. When the believer has reached
maturity, s/he is now challenged to reach out to the world through evangelization. Hence,
according to Mead (1994 p.58), kerugma ministry is a transforming power for those in the
local church and an impelling force for members of the local church to face the outside world
and this can effectively done when the current church has effective leadership structure
development and proper supervision.

44
In addition, the major content of the missional activities related to the Word is
understanding the redemptive work of Christ. The ministry of the Word relates to other
ministries in the sense that the liturgy only helps one focus on the Word, and the Word is
interpreted in the context of fellow believers and service (Schoeman 2015 p.367). It is
important to note that these activities enrich one’s spirituality and mobilise believers towards
a prophetic voice of the congregation. This occurs when one reads the scripture with intent
and embodies Christ in a given context. According to Van der Borght (2005 p.240, the
service of the Word is the duty of the church leader who is expected to be well versed in the
scriptures in order to be able to share the Word of God with, and to empower others. It is for
this reason that Van der Borght (2005 p.241, 243) calls ministers the representatives of Christ
and spiritual supervisors. However, this role of the ministers does not exclude other church
members from playing their part in studying and sharing the Word.
The third missional activity regarding the priorities of Christ in the local churches is
fellowship of believers. Activities related to the relationship with fellow believers in a faith
community are also known as koinonia (Burger 1999 p.112; Khauoe 2011 p.34, Schoeman
2015 p.368). According to Khauoe (2011 p.34), in the local church, activities related to
relationships with fellow believers call for corporate worship service, fellowship gatherings,
small ministry groups, educational programmes, counselling services, Bible Study, and
prayer meetings to build a bond of relationship. Mead (1994 p.48) further explains that in
these activities, experienced believers or new converts and strangers meet on a common
ground. The purpose is to face and deal with fear, shadows and development of each believer
towards being an active agent of the Kingdom of God and this is done effectively when the
local church has effective leadership structure development and proper supervision.

45
However, activities related to fellow believers is about being, belonging and fellowship of
human being. Activities related to fellow believers also involve horizontal and vertical
dimension. Erickson (1985 p.1054-56) and Burger (1999 p.132) further explained that
horizontal dimension implies the practices of belonging together and learning to submit,
getting acquainted and be accepted, learning to share and love, taking care and to be taken
care of. Venter (2004 p.759 further explained that it is where the notion of relationality and
community is valued and members are treated as equal. According to (Knoetze 2009 p.50),
Koinonia is essential to social ministry of the local church, because it emphasises relationship
with people. Therefore, to the outside world, the benefits of koinonia could be through
pastoral services to draw people to be part of Christian community and to serve their needs.
The vertical dimension implies that the personal relations and communion with Triune God
who transforms and influences the relationship with other humanity and creation to be
personal and interdependent (Saines 2010 p.516, 517). Erickson (1985 p.1054-56) further
delineates missional activities related to fellow believers as intrinsically related to edification,
which is the mutual development by all members of the body. Interaction and sharing
experiences with one another lead to this edification of believers. As in the Sunday school
and theological seminaries, instruction and teaching (Mt 28:20; Eph 4:11) help believers
grow in their understanding of revelation. Lastly, the various gifts bestowed upon believers
by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:11) are used for communal empowerment.
The third missional activity regarding the priorities of Christ in the local churches is
the service to the world. Missional activities of the congregation related to the service in the
world are also known as diakonia (Burger 1999 p.112; Khauoe 2011 p.32). It is mainly about
the actions and services that focus on the world or people beyond the congregations (Burger

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