Stauffacher, Robert W. (2013-12)
There is no doubt that Christianity has spread throughout Africa, reaching many remote areas
within the continent. Still the depth to that Christianity remains elusive. Practical theologians
have discovered various patterns of leadership abuse, immorality, and heresy throughout Africa.
As alarming as these patterns may be, in a positive way they are encouraging many Africans to
seek alternative models of leadership. Thus, Africa has now become a place ready to implement
effective or authentic leadership models.
The purpose of this dissertation is to determine, in a practical theological way, whether African
Bible College in Malawi is producing graduates that can be described as authentic Christian
leaders. As a way of determining this, the researcher will be 1) investigating the growing
(Christian) leadership crisis within sub-Saharan Africa, 2) analyzing various Christian
leadership models within the field, 3) conducting empirical research on the African Bible
College (ABC) and ABC graduates, 4) exploring normative perceptions of Christian leadership
and 5) developing a revised praxis for ABC to help it become an even more effective institution
for producing authentic Christian leaders.
Authentic leadership in particular emphasizes the “genuineness,” “realness,” and “transparency”
of people in leadership positions. It requires a leader to be open, honest, and accountable to
others. They must earn the respect and trust of their followers. People today are becoming more
skeptical of their leaders. They have grown weary and impatient with typical overbearing,
power-hungry, and dishonest leadership personalities. They want to see their leaders actually
practicing what they are preaching, living lives of integrity, and truly living out their Christian
faith in a God honoring and practical manner. This is why authentic leadership theory has
become prominent and widely accepted within the past decade. The theory will be useful for
analyzing the leadership of ABC graduates.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Nieteenstaande die feit dat baie prominente, gesaghebbende en hoogs effektiewe Christenleiers
(gedurende die afgelope eeu) ŉ ware verskil deur die hele Afrika gemaak het (en dit steeds
doen), dreig ŉ baie wesenlike en ernstige leierskapkrisis steeds. Daar is geen twyfel nie dat
Christenskap soos ’n veldbrand deur die hele Afrika versprei het, en baie afgeleë gebiede op die
kontinent bereik het, maar die diepte van daardie Christenskap bly steeds bedrieglik. Praktiese
teoloë het verskeie voorbeelde van misbruik van leierskap, immoraliteit en dwaalleer oral in
Afrika aangetref. En, so ontstellend soos hierdie voorbeelde ook al is, op ŉ positiewe wyse
motiveer en bemoedig hulle baie Afrikane om alternatiewe modelle van leierskap na te jaag.
Afrika is dus op die oomblik ŉ baie geskikte plek vir die implementering van effektiewe (of
Die doel van hierdie verhandeling is dus om op ŉ prakties-teologiese wyse te bepaal, of die
African Bible College (ABC) in Malawi gegradueerdes lewer, wat as outentieke Christenleiers
beskryf kan word. In ŉ poging om dit te bepaal, het die navorser 1) die toenemende (Christen-)
leierskapskrisis in Afrika suid van die Sahara ondersoek, 2) verskeie Christenleierskap-modelle
op die gebied ondersoek, 3) empiriese navorsing oor die ABC en ABC-gegradueerdes gedoen, 4)
normatiewe persepsies van Christenleierskap verken en 5) ŉ hersiene praktyk vir ABC
ontwikkel wat daartoe sal bydra dat hulle ŉ selfs meer effektiewe instelling vir die lewering van
outentieke Christenleiers kan word.
Outentieke leierskap beklemtoon in die besonder die “opregtheid”, “egtheid” en “deursigtigheid”
van mense in leierskapsposisies. Dit vereis van ŉ leier om oop, eerlik en aanspreeklik teenoor
ander te wees. Dit bring mee dat ŉ leier die respek en vertroue van sy of haar volgelinge moet
verdien. Mense raak deesdae al hoe meer skepties oor hulle leiers. Hulle het moeg en ongeduldig
geraak vir die alomteenwoordige dominerende, magshonger en oneerlike
leierskapspersoonlikhede. Hulle wil sien dat hulle leiers se woorde en dade werklik ooreenstem,
dat hulle onkreukbare lewens leef en waarlik hulle Christengeloof prakties uitleef op ŉ wyse wat
aan God eer bewys. Dit is hoekom outentieke leierskapsteorie die afgelope dekade een van die toonaangewendste en algemeen aanvaarde leierskapsteorieë geword het, en nuttig sal wees vir
ontleding van die leierskap van ABC-gegradeerdes.
Please refer to this item in SUNScholar by using the following persistent URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/85837
This item appears in the following collections: Doctoral Degrees (Practical Theology and Missiology)114