Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Notwithstanding that many prominent, influential and highly effective Christian leaders over this past century are making a difference throughout Africa, a serious leadership crisis still looms. There is no doubt that Christianity has spread throughout Africa, reaching many remote areas within the continent. Still the depth to that Christianity remains elusive. Practical theologians have discovered various patterns of leadership abuse, immorality, and heresy throughout Africa. As alarming as these patterns may be, in a positive way they are encouraging many Africans to seek alternative models of leadership. Thus, Africa has now become a place ready to implement effective or authentic leadership models. The purpose of this dissertation is to determine, in a practical theological way, whether African Bible College in Malawi is producing graduates that can be described as authentic Christian leaders. As a way of determining this, the researcher will be 1) investigating the growing (Christian) leadership crisis within sub-Saharan Africa, 2) analyzing various Christian leadership models within the field, 3) conducting empirical research on the African Bible College (ABC) and ABC graduates, 4) exploring normative perceptions of Christian leadership and 5) developing a revised praxis for ABC to help it become an even more effective institution for producing authentic Christian leaders. Authentic leadership in particular emphasizes the “genuineness,” “realness,” and “transparency” of people in leadership positions. It requires a leader to be open, honest, and accountable to others. They must earn the respect and trust of their followers. People today are becoming more skeptical of their leaders. They have grown weary and impatient with typical overbearing, power-hungry, and dishonest leadership personalities. They want to see their leaders actually practicing what they are preaching, living lives of integrity, and truly living out their Christian faith in a God honoring and practical manner. This is why authentic leadership theory has become prominent and widely accepted within the past decade. The theory will be useful for analyzing the leadership of ABC graduates. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Nieteenstaande die feit dat baie prominente, gesaghebbende en hoogs effektiewe Christenleiers (gedurende die afgelope eeu) ʼn ware verskil deur die hele Afrika gemaak het (en dit steeds doen), dreig ʼn baie wesenlike en ernstige leierskapkrisis steeds. Daar is geen twyfel nie dat Christenskap soos ’n veldbrand deur die hele Afrika versprei het, en baie afgeleë gebiede op die kontinent bereik het, maar die diepte van daardie Christenskap bly steeds bedrieglik. Praktiese teoloë het verskeie voorbeelde van misbruik van leierskap, immoraliteit en dwaalleer oral in Afrika aangetref. En, so ontstellend soos hierdie voorbeelde ook al is, op ʼn positiewe wyse motiveer en bemoedig hulle baie Afrikane om alternatiewe modelle van leierskap na te jaag. Afrika is dus op die oomblik ʼn baie geskikte plek vir die implementering van effektiewe (of outentieke) leierskapsmodelle. Die doel van hierdie verhandeling is dus om op ʼn prakties-teologiese wyse te bepaal, of die African Bible College (ABC) in Malawi gegradueerdes lewer, wat as outentieke Christenleiers beskryf kan word. In ʼn poging om dit te bepaal, het die navorser 1) die toenemende (Christen-) leierskapskrisis in Afrika suid van die Sahara ondersoek, 2) verskeie Christenleierskap-modelle op die gebied ondersoek, 3) empiriese navorsing oor die ABC en ABC-gegradueerdes gedoen, 4) normatiewe persepsies van Christenleierskap verken en 5) ʼn hersiene praktyk vir ABC ontwikkel wat daartoe sal bydra dat hulle ʼn selfs meer effektiewe instelling vir die lewering van outentieke Christenleiers kan word. Outentieke leierskap beklemtoon in die besonder die “opregtheid”, “egtheid” en “deursigtigheid” van mense in leierskapsposisies. Dit vereis van ʼn leier om oop, eerlik en aanspreeklik teenoor ander te wees. Dit bring mee dat ʼn leier die respek en vertroue van sy of haar volgelinge moet verdien. Mense raak deesdae al hoe meer skepties oor hulle leiers. Hulle het moeg en ongeduldig geraak vir die alomteenwoordige dominerende, magshonger en oneerlike leierskapspersoonlikhede. Hulle wil sien dat hulle leiers se woorde en dade werklik ooreenstem, dat hulle onkreukbare lewens leef en waarlik hulle Christengeloof prakties uitleef op ʼn wyse wat aan God eer bewys. Dit is hoekom outentieke leierskapsteorie die afgelope dekade een van die toonaangewendste en algemeen aanvaarde leierskapsteorieë geword het, en nuttig sal wees vir ontleding van die leierskap van ABC-gegradeerdes.

Thesis (MTh (Practical Theology and Missiology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this thesis is to determine, in a practical theological way, (1) the impact culture is having on the teaching at the African Bible College, (2) to develop a revised praxis for the intercultural teaching at ABC, and (3) for ABC to become a more culturally relevant teaching institution as a result. Since cultural differences can often become a great barrier for any intercultural endeavor, and being that ABC is made up of mostly American professors and mostly Malawian students, there is a need to evaluate the challenges that are taking place in this mixed cultural institution. The research questions, which this study addresses, are as follows: 1. What kind of intercultural teaching exists at ABC? What are some of the strengths and weaknesses of ABC’s intercultural teaching? What are some of the current intercultural barriers existing at ABC? How do Malawian learning styles / cultural issues play into intercultural teaching? What kind of “cultural baggage” exists at ABC? 2. What does it mean to be culturally relevant and why is it important? In other words, what are some of the key elements of teaching interculturally? What are some of the common problems? What is contextualization? Interculturation? Westernization? Etc. 3. What is desirable intercultural teaching for ABC? In other words, what models in intercultural teaching would be more appropriate for ABC and why? What should effective intercultural teaching look like at ABC? How can ABC sustain long-term and effective intercultural teaching? An introduction to the subject of intercultural teaching and an empirical investigation of ABC’s teaching is the focus of chapter 2. Chapter 3 introduces several intercultural teaching models and theories that were then used to evaluate and interpret the teaching at ABC. Chapter 3 is mostly devoted to the interpretation of ABC’s teaching in light of these models. Chapter 4 has been devoted to laying out a theological and ethical basis (the normative task) for intercultural teaching. Chapter 5 focuses on the revised praxes for ABC, offering several suggestions for becoming a more culturally relevant teaching institution. In addition, several recommendations for further research and study were made at the end of this thesis. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis het ten doel om op 'n prakties-teologiese manier (1) die impak van kultuur op onderrig aan die African Bible College (ABC) te bepaal, (2) 'n hersiene praktyk vir tussenkulturele onderrig aan die ABC te ontwikkel, en (3) die ABC gevolglik in 'n meer kultureel tersaaklike onderriginstelling te verander. Aangesien kultuurverskille dikwels enige tussenkulturele poging verhinder, en aangesien die ABC voorts meestal uit Amerikaanse professors en Malawiese studente bestaan, is daar 'n behoefte om die uitdagings van hierdie kultureel vermengde instelling te beoordeel. Die navorsingsvrae waarna hierdie studie ondersoek instel, is soos volg: 1. Watter soort tussenkulturele onderrig vind tans aan die ABC plaas? Met ander woorde, hoe vaar die ABC wat betref onderrig op 'n kultureel tersaaklike manier? Wat is die sterk en swak punte van onderrig aan die ABC? Watter tussenkulturele versperrings bestaan tans in die ABC? Hoe word Malawiese leerstyle/kultuurkwessies by tussenkulturele onderrig geintegreer? Watter soort ekulturele bagasie f is by die ABC ter sprake? 2. Wat beteken dit om kultureel tersaaklik te wees, en hoekom is dit belangrik? Met ander woorde, wat is sommige van die kernelemente van tussenkulturele onderrig? Wat is die algemene probleme? Wat is kontekstualisasie, interkulturasie, verwestering, ensovoorts? 3. Wat is die gewenste vorm van tussenkulturele onderrig vir die ABC? Met ander woorde, watter modelle vir tussenkulturele onderrig sou meer geskik wees vir die ABC, en hoekom? Hoe behoort doeltreffende tussenkulturele onderrig aan die ABC daar uit te sien? Hoe kan die ABC langtermyn- en doeltreffende tussenkulturele onderrig handhaaf? Hoofstuk 2 bied 'n inleiding tot die konsep van tussenkulturele onderrig, en 'n empiriese ondersoek na die ABC se onderrigstyl. In hoofstuk 3 word verskeie modelle en teoriee vir tussenkulturele onderrig bekend gestel, wat vervolgens gebruik is om onderrig aan die ABC te beoordeel en te vertolk. Die hoofstuk is dus hoofsaaklik aan die vertolking van die ABC se onderrig aan die hand van hierdie modelle gewy. Hoofstuk 4 bied 'n teologiese en etiese grondslag (die normatiewe taak) vir tussenkulturele onderrig, waarna hoofstuk 5 op die hersiene praktyke vir die ABC konsentreer, met verskeie voorstelle oor hoe die onderriginstelling meer kultureel tersaaklik kan word. Die tesis sluit af met etlike aanbevelings vir verdere navorsing en studie.