LEADERHIP AND TRANSFORMATION IN THE AFRICAN CHURCH

379 Pages·2016·2.79 MB·English

by  Rian Venter

LEADERHIP AND TRANSFORMATION
IN THE AFRICAN CHURCH:
A PRACTICAL THEOLOGICAL STUDY OF ONE DENOMINATION
K.J. Pali.
Submitted in accordance with the
Requirements for the
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE
(Faculty of Theology, Department of Practical Theology)
And
VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT AMSTERDAM.
(Faculteit der Godleerdheid, Sectie Praxis)
2015
Promoters
Prof. R.R. Ganzevoort,
Prof. R. Venter,
Prof. W.J. Schoeman
1
ABSTRACT
The Dutch Reformed Church in Africa in the Orange Free State (DRCA OFS) is one of the Dutch
Reformed family churches in South Africa. The DRCA OFS was established over a century ago
for Black Africans. Its membership in the post-apartheid era is still predominantly Black Africans
with a few White missionaries serving and subsidised by the DRC in South Africa. At the moment,
the DRCA OFS is experiencing a waning ministry. Internally, there is poor commitment to
missional activities such as leitourgia, koinonia, and kerugma with mounting tension and conflicts
among those in leadership. The external ministry mission including diaconal ministry is very poor.
In light of the above, the following research questions arise: What kind of leadership is
predominant in the congregations of the DRCA OFS? What kind of transformation of
congregational leadership is required in view of the external and internal challenges of the DRCA
OFS? The findings revealed that the dominant pastoral leadership in the congregations of the
DRCA OFS failed to produce better leadership and to facilitate required changes. By contrast,
transformational leadership produced better leaders, targets inner change of a person and
facilitate required changes in the congregational ministry. Briefly, the study also discovered that
leadership in the congregations of the DRCA OFS needs deep change with regard to vision,
character, leadership framework, and strategies of leadership practice. This empirical study aims
to describe the role of transformational leadership in the renewal of the congregations in order to
facilitate transformation of the church towards a missional and visionary church of the future.

KAKARETSO (ABSTRACT IN SESOTHO LANGUAGE)

Kereke ya Dutch Reformed Church in Africa in the Orange Free State (DRCA OFS) ke enngwe
ya dikereke tsa ntjhafatso tse theilweng ke DRC ya mona Aforika Borwa. Kereke ya DRCA OFS
e theilwe dilemo tse fetang lekgolo tse fetileng bakeng sa Ma-Aforika a batho-batsho. Botho ba
teng kamora mmuso wa kgethollo, boholo e ntse e le Ma-Aforika a batho-batsho le ha ho ntse ho
le teng ba basweu ba mmalwa ba sebetsang jwaleka baromuwa mme ba tshehetswa ka ditjhelete
ke DRC ya mona Aforika Borwa. Ka ona motsotso tshebetso ya kereke e a theoha: Ka hare ho
diphutheho maemo a bontsha maikemisetso a tlase mabapi le tshebetso ya borumuwa jwaleka
kgumamelo ho Modimo, ho ba mmoho, boithuto ba lentswe mme e bile tsitsipano le diqabang di
a hola ho bao ba leng boetapeleng. Ho tshebeletso e kantle ho phutheho, jwaleka borumuwa ho
kenyeletswa le kgauho le teng maikemisetso a tlase. Mabapi le se boletsweng hodimo, potso tse
tla tataisa diphuphutso e tla ba tsena: Ke mofuta ofe wa boetapele o atileng ka hare ho
diphutheho tsa DRCA OFS? Ke ntjhafatso efe ya ketapele mo diphuthehong tsa DRCA OFS e
hlokahalang mabapi le mathata a teng ha jwale a DRCA OFS? Diphuputso di hlahisitse hore
2
boetapele bo atileng ka hare ho diphutheho tsa DRCA OFS ke ba bodisa, mme boetapele bona
bo hlolehile ho hlahisa baetapele ba hlwahlwa le ho potlakisa diphetoho tse hlokahalang. Ka
hlakoreng le leng boetapele ba ntjhafatso bona bo hlahisitse baetapele ba hlwahlwa, bo fetotse
maphelo a batho, le ho tlisa diphetoho tse hlokahalang ka hare ho diphutheho. Ka
bokgutshwanyane boithuto bona bo hlahisitse hore ketapele ka hare ho diphutheho tsa DRCA
OFS bo hloka phetoho tse tebileng mabapi le ponelo-pele, boitshwaro, motjha wa boetapele le
maano a boetapele. Boithuto bona bo ikemiseditse ho hlalosa tshebetso ya ketapele ya ntjhafatso
le ho potlakisa ntjhafatso ya diphutheho le kereke ka karetso ho etsa kereke e be ya borumuwa
le hoba le ponelopele ya bokamoso.

ABSTRACT (DUTCH LANGUAGE)
De Nederlands Gereformeerde Kerk in Afrika in de Oranje Vrijstaat (DRCA OFS) behoort tot de
familie van Nederlandse gereformeerde kerken in Zuid-Afrika. De DRCA OFS werd meer dan een
eeuw geleden gesticht speciaal voor zwarte Afrikanen. Ook na de afschaffing van de apartheid
zijn de leden nog steeds overwegend zwarte Afrikanen en een paar witte zendelingen,
gesubsidieerd door de Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk in Zuid-Afrika. Op dit moment ervaart de
DRCA OFS een tanend leiderschap. Intern is er een slechte inzet voor missionaire activiteiten
zoals leitourgia, koinonia, en kerugma, terwijl de spanningen en conflicten tussen mensen in
leiderschapsposities toenemen. De externe activiteiten van de kerk, waaronder diaconaat,
functioneren zeer slecht. In het licht van het bovenstaande zijn de volgende onderzoeksvragen
geformuleerd: Welk soort leiderschap is in de gemeenten van de DRCA OFS aan te treffen? Welk
soort transformatie van leiderschap in de gemeente is nodig met het oog op de externe en interne
uitdagingen van de DRCA OFS? De uitkomsten van het onderzoek tonen dat de dominante
leiderschapsstijl in de gemeenten van de DRCA OFS een verbetering van dat leiderschap in de
weg staan waardoor gewenste veranderingen worden belemmerd. Transformationeel
leiderschap daarentegen leidt to meer effectieve leiders, richt zich op innerlijke verandering van
de persoon en vergemakkelijkt de gewenste veranderingen in de gemeente. Uit deze studie blijkt
dat bij het leiderschap in de gemeenten van de DRCA OFS diepgaande verandering nodig is met
betrekking tot visie, karakter, en modellen en strategieën van leiderschap. Het doel van deze
empirische studie is om de rol van transformationeel leiderschap te beschrijven in de vernieuwing
van de gemeenten met het oog op de transformatie van de kerk in de richting van een missionaire
en visionaire kerk van de toekomst.

3
DECLARATION
I declare that the thesis, hereby handed in for the qualification PhD in Practical Theology at the
University of the Free State and Vrije Universiteit, is my own independent work and that I have
not previously submitted the same work for qualification at/in another University/Faculty.
I hereby declare that I cede all copyright of this thesis to the University of the Free State and to
Vrije Universiteit.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to convey all my gratitude to my Creator, for all the love, protection and good health
during the process of writing this thesis.
I would like to thank my family, especially my wife Mimi Pali, for all the support, prayers and love
she accorded to me during the difficult moments when writing this thesis.
I would like to thank all my colleagues in the Faculty of Theology at UFS, especially in the
Department of Practical Theology, for sharing pastoral advice and academic wisdom with me. To
my HOD, Prof. W.J. Schoeman, your commitment and time invested in me can never be repaid.
Your support and advice really kept me going, even when I experienced some challenges in the
thesis.
I would like to thank my colleagues in the DRCA OFSS, for making it possible for me to access
some of the documents I needed for writing this thesis and my colleagues in the DRC OFS, for
supporting me during the difficult moments in writing my thesis.
I would like to thank my co-supervisor, Prof. R.R. Ganzevoort, for his unparalleled wisdom and
excellent scholarship. His guidance throughout this process has opened my eyes to what being
a researcher really entails. I am truly grateful to him.
I would like to thank my supervisor, Prof. R. Venter, for continually exhorting me to critically
challenge my theological thinking and practice.

4
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 12
1.1 Research background ..................................................................................................................................... 17
1.2 The research focus ......................................................................................................................................... 20
1.3 The position of the researcher ....................................................................................................................... 22
1.4 Purpose and significance of the study ......................................................................................................... 23
1.5 Problem statement .......................................................................................................................................... 26
1.6 Research question .......................................................................................................................................... 28
1.7 Limitations of the study .................................................................................................................................. 28
1.8 Positioning within Practical Theology in Africa ........................................................................................... 29
1.8.1 Nature of practical theology ........................................................................................................................ 29
1.8.2 Practical Theology in missional context ...................................................................................................... 34
1.9 Research methodology................................................................................................................................... 35
1.9.1 Introductory considerations in research methodology ................................................................................ 35
1.9.2 Theoretical perspectives ............................................................................................................................. 37
1.9.3 Aspects related to the application of the mixed methods approach ........................................................... 39
1.9.4 Comments and challenges in terms of data collection ............................................................................... 48
1.10 Outline of the study ...................................................................................................................................... 51
1.11 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................................... 52
CHAPTER 2: CHURCH AND SOCIETAL ENGAGEMENT ...................................................... 54
2.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 54
2.2 Church and theories of societal engagement .............................................................................................. 55
2.3 Social history in the context of the DRCA’s development .......................................................................... 57
2.3.1 Political milieu ............................................................................................................................................. 59
2.3.1.1 Apartheid .............................................................................................................................................. 62
2.3.1.2 Negative impact of apartheid ............................................................................................................... 65
2.4 Influence of social history on the theological milieu .................................................................................. 67
2.4.1 The period of development and growth (1910-1994) ................................................................................. 70
2.4.2 Period of decline (1994-present)................................................................................................................. 71
2.4.3 Historical challenges of the DRCA OFSS ................................................................................................... 73
2.4.4 Contemporary challenges ........................................................................................................................... 74
5
2.5 Empirical findings on societal challenges.................................................................................................... 75
2.5.1 Community projects .................................................................................................................................... 78
2.5.2 Societal challenges ..................................................................................................................................... 79
2.5.2.1 Cultural challenges ............................................................................................................................... 80
2.5.2.2 Social problems .................................................................................................................................... 83
2.5.2.3. Health as a societal challenge ............................................................................................................... 90
2.5.2.4 Economic challenge ............................................................................................................................. 92
2.5.3 Data from focus-group interview and individual interview of ministers ....................................................... 94
2.5.3.1 Findings from II and FGI ...................................................................................................................... 94
2.6 Summary analysis and discussion ............................................................................................................. 102
2.7 Critical reflection ........................................................................................................................................... 104
2.8 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................................... 107
CHAPTER 3: INTERACTION BETWEEN LEADERSHIP AND MEMBERS .......................... 108
3.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................. 108
3.2 Empirical findings on the interaction between leadership and members of the congregation ............ 111
3.2.1 Dimensions of the relationship between congregational leadership and members ................................. 112
3.2.2 Characteristics of transformational leadership .......................................................................................... 123
3.2.2.1 Inspirational motivation ...................................................................................................................... 123
3.2.2.2 Idealised influence.............................................................................................................................. 126
3.2.2.3 Intellectual stimulation ........................................................................................................................ 131
3.2.2.4 Individualised consideration ............................................................................................................... 135
3.2.3 Missional activities in the congregation .................................................................................................... 136
3.2.3.1 Missional activities related to worship of God ................................................................................... 137
3.2.3.2 Missional activities related to knowledge of the Word ....................................................................... 139
3.2.3.3 Missional activities related to fellowship of believers………………..................................................140
3.3 Discussion of the findings ........................................................................................................................... 141
3.3.1 Dimensions of the relationship between leadership and congregation members .................................... 141
3.3.1.1 Role of leadership .............................................................................................................................. 142
3.3.1.2 Description of leadership .................................................................................................................... 144
3.3.2 Transformation needed ............................................................................................................................ 146
3.4 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................................... 150
CHAPTER 4: AFRICAN AND CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVES ON LEADERSHIP ................. 153
4.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 153
4.1.1 Concepts of leadership and management ................................................................................................ 155
4.1.2 Approaches in leadership studies ............................................................................................................. 157
4.2 Nature of the church ..................................................................................................................................... 159
6
4.2.1 Mission of the congregation ...................................................................................................................... 160
4.2.2 Identity of the congregation ....................................................................................................................... 167
4.2.3 Models of the church ................................................................................................................................. 169
4.2.4 Mission activities related to the ministry of the congregation ................................................................... 174
4.3 Types of Christian ministry and leadership ministry ................................................................................ 177
4.3.1 Nature of leadership in Christian ministry ................................................................................................. 178
4.3.2. Towards a theology and theory of Christian leadership ............................................................................. 182
4.3.2.1 Theology of leadership ....................................................................................................................... 183
4.3.2.2 Theory of Christian leadership ........................................................................................................... 186
4.3.2.3 Practice .............................................................................................................................................. 192
4.3.3 Other factors that affect Christian leadership ........................................................................................... 194
4.4 The approach to leadership in the DRCA ................................................................................................... 198
4.4.1 Diagram of the method of leadership in the DRCA (my own diagram)..................................................... 199
4.4.2 Christ as source of leadership .................................................................................................................. 199
4.4.3 The offices of Christ .................................................................................................................................. 200
4.4.4 Roles of Christian believers ...................................................................................................................... 201
4.4.5 Offices in the church ................................................................................................................................. 202
4.4.6 Church council .......................................................................................................................................... 203
4.4.7 Church government .................................................................................................................................. 206
4.4.8 DRCA form of church government ............................................................................................................ 208
4.5 Theoretical framework of African leadership ............................................................................................. 210
4.5.1 Nature of traditional African leadership ..................................................................................................... 212
4.5.2 Definition of and approach to African leadership ...................................................................................... 213
4.5.3 African leadership diagram ....................................................................................................................... 215
4.5.3.1 African spiritual realm ......................................................................................................................... 215
4.5.3.2 Foundations of African leadership...................................................................................................... 218
4.5.3.3 Traditional African leadership offices ................................................................................................. 220
4.5.3.4 Role of African leadership .................................................................................................................. 223
4.5.3.5 Sphere of African leadership practice ................................................................................................ 224
4.5.3.6 Goal of African leadership .................................................................................................................. 225
4.5.4 Power and authority in African leadership ................................................................................................ 226
4.5.5 Conflict management in traditional African leadership ............................................................................. 226
4.5.6 Critical analysis ......................................................................................................................................... 227
4.6 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................................... 230
CHAPTER 5: TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP ........................................................... 233
5.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 233
5.2 Towards a preferred leadership framework ............................................................................................... 234
7
5.3 An organisational perspective on transformational leadership ............................................................... 238
5.3.1 Traits of transformational leadership ........................................................................................................ 240
5.3.2 Followers ................................................................................................................................................... 242
5.3.3 Context of transformational leadership ..................................................................................................... 244
5.3.4 Organisational culture ............................................................................................................................... 246
5.3.5 Summary ................................................................................................................................................... 247
5.4 Transformational leadership in an African context ................................................................................... 247
5.4.1 Towards African transformation ................................................................................................................ 249
5.4.2 Model of transformation in Africa .............................................................................................................. 253
5.5 Transformation in the Christian context ..................................................................................................... 256
5.5.1 Theology of transformation in the Christian context ................................................................................. 262
5.5.2 The characteristics of transformational leadership in the Christian context ............................................. 269
5.5.3 Followers in a transformational leadership within the Christian context ................................................... 272
5.5.4 Context that calls for transformational leadership in a congregation ........................................................ 273
5.5.5 Congregational activities that facilitate transformation ............................................................................. 275
5.5.6 Critical assessment ................................................................................................................................... 278
5.6 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................................... 279
CHAPTER 6: TOWARDS A PROCESS OF TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP
PRACTICE ............................................................................................................................... 281
6.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 281
6.2 The calling and identity of the DRCA OFSS congregations ..................................................................... 283
6.3 Leading towards leadership change ........................................................................................................... 288
6.3.1 The dimensions of change with regard to leadership ............................................................................... 291
6.3.2 Role of the leadership ............................................................................................................................... 294
6.3.3 Leadership style ........................................................................................................................................ 299
6.3.4. Towards transformational leadership framework........................................................................................ 300
6.3.4.1 Idealised influence.............................................................................................................................. 300
6.3.4.2 Inspirational motivation ...................................................................................................................... 303
6.3.4.3 Intellectual motivation ......................................................................................................................... 304
6.3.4.4 Individualised consideration ............................................................................................................... 305
6.4 Missional activities that facilitate transformation in the congregation ................................................... 308
6.4.1 Missional activities related to the study of the Word of God ..................................................................... 309
6.4.2 Missional activities related to the worship of God ..................................................................................... 313
6.4.3 Missional activities related to fellowship of believers ............................................................................... 317
6.4.4 Missional activities related to service to the community ........................................................................... 319
6.5 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................................... 321
8
CHAPTER 7: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION ..................................................................... 325
7.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 325
7.2 Character of the study .................................................................................................................................. 325
7.3 Focus of the study ........................................................................................................................................ 328
7.3.1 Leadership in a congregation.................................................................................................................... 328
7.3.2 Transformation within congregational ministry ......................................................................................... 335
7.3.3 The impact of the mission policy of the Dutch Reformed Church ............................................................. 337
7.4 Summary response to the research questions .......................................................................................... 339
7.5 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................................... 349
BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................................................................................................... 351
9
LIST OF ABREVIATIONS
Ac: Acts
AIDS: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
APK: Afrikaanse Protestantse Kerk
C1: Congregation number 1
Chr: Chronicles
Col: Colossians
CONTRALESA: Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa
Cor: Corinthians
CS: Congregational Survey
DA: Democratic Alliance
Dn: Daniel
DPSA: Department of Public Service and Administration
DRC: Dutch Reformed Church
DRCA: Dutch Reformed Church in Africa
DRCA OFSS: Dutch Reformed Church in Africa Orange Free State
DRMC: Dutch Reformed Mission Church
Dt: Deuteronomy
Ec: Ecclesiastes
Eph: Ephesians
Ex: Exodus
Ezk: Ezekiel
FGI: Focus Group Interview
GKSA: Gerevormeerde Kerk in Suid Afrika
Gl: Galatians
Gn: Genesis
Heb: Hebrews
HIV: Human Immune Deficiency Syndrome
HKA: Hervormde Kerk in Africa
HSRC: Human Science Research Council
II: Individual Interview
Is: Isaiah
Ja: James
Jdg: Judges
Jn: John
Job: Job
10