An African hermeneutic reading of Luke 9:18–22 in relation to conflict and leadership in pastoral ministry: the Cameroonian context

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Authors

Nyiawung, Mbengu David
Van Eck, Ernest

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AOSIS Open Journals

Abstract

The practice of ministry is an intricate issue which involves the combination of individual efforts from diverse backgrounds. This diversity has been a breeding ground for conflict between the clergy and all the stakeholders involved in parish administration. This article attempted to highlight some of these conflicts, using the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon as a case study. The approach employed is an African hermeneutic reading of Luke 9:18–22 in which the clergy’s leadership has been likened to that of Jesus. The presence of many distracting agents did not perturb Jesus’ ministry instead, he remained focused. Conclusively, it is observed that the clergy often face conflict within the ministry because they ignore the fact that (1) they are expected to know their mission better than anyone else; (2) the diverse backgrounds of their followers are potential causes of conflict; and (3) there are several distracting agents within the ministry. In short, Jesus’ model of conflict management is recommended to the clergy for an effective pastoral ministry.

Description

This article is an abstract from Rev. Dr Mbengu D. Nyiawung’s PhD thesis ‘Who is the Christ? Leadership and conflict in Luke 9:18–22: A social scientific and narratological analysis from an African perspective’, submitted and defended in 2010 in the Department of New Testament Studies, Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, with Prof. Dr Ernest van Eck as supervisor. Some parts of the article have also been published in the Journal of the Presbyterian Theological Seminary Kumba, Voices from Kumba, as ‘An African hermeneutic reading of Luke 9:18–22 in relation to conflict and leadership’, 2010, Volume, 3, 69−85.

Keywords

Luke 9:18–22, Presbyterian Church in Cameroon, Practice of ministry

Sustainable Development Goals

Citation

Nyiawung, M.D. & Van Eck, E., 2013, ‘An African hermeneutic reading of Luke 9:18–22 in relation to conflict and leadership in pastoral ministry: The Cameroonian context’, HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies 69(1), Art. #1201, 9 pages. http://dx.DOI.org/ 10.4102/hts.v69i1.1201