Toward Transformational Leadership Development in the Local Church: A Synthesis of Insights from Instructional Design, Adult Learning Theory, the New Testament, and Organizational Research

Abstract

In recent years, the concept of church-based leadership training has gained momentum in various parts of the world, including South Africa. The emergence of new leader-intensive ministry models such as the cell church, along with the costs, complexities, and contextual issues associated with theological studies at an established tertiary institution, has motivated many churches to explore alternatives to traditional leadership training methods. Among these is church-based leadership training. Though the local church would seem to be an ideal environment for the development of leaders, many church-based training efforts rely primarily upon traditional ‘schooling’ approaches to develop leaders, with less than transformational results. In an effort to assist South African churches to create their own transformational approaches to leadership development, this project researched theoretical perspectives and practices in instructional design and adult learning, leadership development in the New Testament, and contemporary models and ‘best practices’ in both church-based and organizational leader development, all with a view toward the identification of elements fundamental to the design of transformational church-based leadership development strategies and the creation of a set of ‘recommended practices’ to guide church leaders in the design process. Findings from the various areas of research yielded surprisingly consistent results, giving credence to the leadership development approaches utilized by the Lord Jesus and the apostle Paul. A synthesis of the research identified at least seven elements that contribute significantly toward the transformational development of ministry leaders in the local church. This, combined with specific insights gleaned from the various fields, engendered the formulation of a set of recommended practices, supplemented by a systematic design guide, providing local churches with a research-backed approach to the design of their own transformational processes of leadership development.