An Investigation Into Pauline Church Leadership And Ministry Towards A Reduction Of The Clergy/Laity Gap In A West African Sahelian Context

Abstract

The post-apostolic Church fathers, facing deviating teachings and movements, reinforced the authority of Church leadership at the expense of non-leaders’ involvement in ministry. This is the root of a clergy/laity gap that was to deepen throughout the centuries. The Protestant Reformation was right in reasserting the priesthood of all. They questioned the clerical and hierarchical structure of Roman Church leadership and ministry. However, the Protestant movement, in wanting to correct the Roman Church order, engaged in a wrong track. The priesthood of all was dealt with in terms of authority rather than service. The results have been different forms of Church order,confined to a restructuring of Church leadership that do not reduce the clergy/laity gap. Furthermore, they do not reflect the sovereign uniqueness of Christ’s headship. This thesis set then to investigate Pauline Church leadership and ministry in search of a potential solution towards a reduction of the gap. It is structured into three main parts addressing the background of the issue, the investigation of Pauline Church leadership and ministry, and the contemporary significance of the study. The research shows that the nature of the Priesthood of all in Paul is diakonia(Eph 4:12), not authority. The “diakonia”of the body, the “pastoral task” and “participative christocracy” are the three paradigms that emerge from the exegetic study based on 1 Corinthians 12:27-31 and Ephesians 4:11-16, paying heed to New Testament related texts. The theological significance of the paradigms for a reduction of the clegy/laity gap has been applied to a West African Sahelian context, part of the Mandingo cluster. The application leans upon socio-cultural positive values that help implement Church leadership and ministry in ways potentially conducive to a reduction of the clergy/laity gap while safeguarding the christocratic nature of authority in the Church.