The spiritual gift of administrative leadership in the Every Nation Church in South Africa : a practical theological study

Abstract

God in his sovereignty has blessed the church with various spiritual and ministry gifts in making Christ known throughout the earth. The gift of administration is one such gift, given to those who can translate the vision and mission of the church into practical management tasks. Since the birth of the early church, the function of administrative leadership has assumed different forms and applications. At the same time, management science has advanced with the acquisition of new knowledge which enables organisations to become more effective and efficient. Regrettably, the evolution of church management and secular administration has brought about a misalignment in the effective application of this ministry gift. This study aims to determine the kind of administrative leadership that will assist Every Nation Southern Africa (ENSA) churches in accomplishing their mission more effectively. The empirical study was conducted among 38 ENSA churches and 105 staff members across Southern Africa with the goal of evaluating their current administrative practices. The study gives a holistic administrative perspective to the strengths and weaknesses of ENSA churches. The Zerfass model was used as a research methodology in systematically reviewing the current administrative praxis of ENSA in formulating a new praxis. This study followed a multi-disciplinary approach in considering literature from a theological and management science perspective in relationship to the current administrative traditions of ENSA. The rationale for considering this investigation was propelled by the historic administrative and leadership challenges faced by independent churches in South Africa. The government, under the auspices of the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL Rights Commission), has embarked on a process of enforcing stricter regulations over the church. Unfortunately, church institutions have not been able to adequately address these leadership challenges. In addition to the leadership and governance challenges faced by the church, the past decade has brought abnormal levels of economic, social, political and health risks, particularly in South Africa’s nascent democracy. These risks have impacted the ability of churches to remain in operation. The response of the church to the COVID-19 pandemic reflects how ill prepared it was to deal with the catastrophic consequences of this health and economic crisis. The research aimed to develop new principles of administrative leadership which will help the leaders of ENSA to be more effective in the management of the church. The study concluded by formulating new principles of administrative leadership and a proposed restructuring to streamline the operations of ENSA.