An organisational life cycle (OLC) perspective on church survival within the Reformed Baptist Movement of Zambia (RBmZ)

Abstract

For three decades, the Reformed Baptist movement in Zambia (RBmZ) has existed as a vibrant and united force in spreading the reformed faith in the country and beyond. Notably, thirty years ago there was no single Reformed Baptist church in Zambia and now there are over sixty (60) churches and church plants dotted across the country. In the year 2019 these Federal Baptists family of churches met to celebrate their thirty uninterrupted years of gospel proclamation in the country. The celebrations were set to take place during the movement’s reformed national conference, which is an annual event that has served as a major unifying factor of this family of Baptists for three decades. The celebrations focused on RBmZ achievements, which are evident through numerical growth of Reformed Baptist churches planted in Zambia and other African countries. But not everybody was happy. Some stakeholder churches boycotted the celebrations by not attending the conference. Since then, there has been an increase in tension within the RBmZ with the dissatisfied group threatening to break away. The dissatisfaction concerns the current leadership style and focus of the Movement being pursued. The tension, dissatisfaction and threat of a breakaway pose a threat to the movement’s existence. The image, ministry and the successes achieved by the RBmZ thus far risk being disrupted and lost. There is rising instability within the movement, which is negatively impacting the church. If the bickering continues and the movement eventually splits, then the effectiveness of its mission will be weakened, and its image compromised. The cherished gospel ministry and the image of the church will be lost. Notwithstanding the RBmZ being a church, the developments that have been experienced indicate that the church like any other organisation, requires sound leadership to keep steering it forward. Good and effective leadership is critical to steer organisations in times of difficulties like the one experienced in RBmZ. The success of the church has been a result of the united effort of all member churches and individual members in those churches. There is need to restore unity in the church and ensure members are united as one body of Christ. This research has developed a model of church leadership approach that fosters organisational survival through applying an organisational life cycle approach (OLC) to a church leadership praxis within the RBmZ contextual challenges. Among some of its objectives, the research has explored the challenges being experienced by the RBmZ as the organisation has been growing and revealed them from a church

organisational life cycle perspective and leadership. The research has further highlighted Christian leadership principles from Scripture that could be employed to foster responsive church leadership in situations of church growth and organisational life changes. As a remedy, the research has in the final analysis proposed a model of Christian leadership that integrates biblical principles and management principles drawn from organizational management theories to encourage effective church leadership in times of organisational growth and change.