The leadership role of the man in context of the family and church: A Pastoral-Theological study

Abstract

The leadership role of the man in context of the family and church is indeed a sensitive topic for some people. Be that as it may, the leadership role of the man has significant impact on the wellbeing of the family and church, which in turn has a significant impact on society. The purpose of this thesis was to evaluate how men ought to function in their leadership role in context of the family and church so that challenges may be identified, and practical solutions be recommended for equipping men in the church for their leadership role. The evangelical church would ultimately benefit the most from this research as it would help the church to know what training was essential for the men in their churches. To accomplish the purpose for this thesis Osmer’s (2008:4) four tasks of practical theological interpretation was used: “the descriptive-empirical task; the interpretive task; the normative task; and the pragmatic task. Both quantitative and qualitative empirical research was conducted in the context of five (5) evangelical churches in the Gauteng Province with one-hundred and sixteen (116) participants which included both men and women. The Bible is the manual for Christian men to help them in their knowledge and practice for leading in both the family and the church. It is important for men to study the Bible adequately and appreciate the authority of Scripture and what it says about their leadership role in the family and church. When men apply sound hermeneutical principles to studying the Bible, they will arrive at a sound biblical theology regarding their leadership role. Having a sound biblical theology about the leadership role of the man in context of the family and church can potentially help him to lead his family and church toward a more biblical model of leadership and equipping for men in the church. Various passages of Scripture were examined to show biblical evidence for the headship and leadership role of the man in context of the family and church (Gen 1 - 3; 5:1-3; Acts 6:1-6; Rom 5:12, 14-17; 1 Cor 11:3; Eph 5:21-33; 6:1-9; Col 2:10; 3:18-19, 20-22; 1 Tim 2:13; 3:1-13; 2 Tim 2:2; Tit 1:6-9; 1 Pet 3:7; 5:1-3), especially in light of the divisions that exist between evangelicals on gender roles, those who hold to a complementarian view, and those who hold to an egalitarian view. The Bible affirms the complementarian view that God created the man and the woman equally in His image, and that they are both equal in value and personhood but have distinct roles.