The goal of servant leadership in African churches : a SWOT analysis

Abstract

Gehman (2008:x) quotes John Stott as saying, "Our model of leadership is often shaped more by culture than by Christ. Yet many cultural models of leadership are incompatible with the servant imagery taught and exhibited by the Lord Jesus. Nevertheless, these alien cultural models are often transplanted uncritically into the church and its hierarchy. In Africa it is the tribal chief, in Latin America the machismo (exaggerated masculinity) of the Spanish male, in South Asia the religious guru fawned on by his disciples, in East Asia the Confucian legacy of the teacher's unchallengeable authority, and in Britain the British raj mentality - the overbearing pride associated with the period of British rule until Indian independence in 1947. It is easy for Christian leaders to assimilate one or other of these models without realizing it". Consequently, servant leadership remains a challenge among black African Christians which needs to be addressed. Although much has been written about servant leadership, more attention is required to bring about the change in the lives of Black Christians.