This thesis, Parallels in portraits of leadership in mega churches of Gauteng (RSA) and Florida (USA), the researcher, studied literature on church leadership with special reference to the leadership of mega churches. He researched issues relating to the nature of church leadership by exploring relevant Bible passages, the lives of certain Bible characters that the Bible presents as good but not perfect leaders, as well as relevant key theological conceptions of leadership. The study accordingly also reviewed different models of church leadership on the hand of a study of some Bible passages and current theological thinking about the matter. The thesis demonstrated that the leadership of mega churches requires certain leadership qualities, values, and competencies. The contribution of the study lies therein that it confirmed and identified through a comparative empirical analysis of details collected through basic research in mega churches of Florida (USA) and Gauteng (RSA) the qualities, values and competencies that are essential for successful leadership of mega churches in very different contexts and church families. The study therefore recommends a desirable leadership style and essential qualities for effective church leadership of mega churches. The study also makes a contribution to the theological understanding of a new but growing church type in urban settings, the mega church; and is of great value to those that lead and study such churches. / PhD, Biblical Studies, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2012

This thesis, Parallels in portraits of leadership in mega churches of Gauteng (RSA) and Florida (USA), the researcher, studied literature on church leadership with special reference to the leadership of mega churches. He researched issues relating to the nature of church leadership by exploring relevant Bible passages, the lives of certain Bible characters that the Bible presents as good but not perfect leaders, as well as relevant key theological conceptions of leadership. The study accordingly also reviewed different models of church leadership on the hand of a study of some Bible passages and current theological thinking about the matter. The thesis demonstrated that the leadership of mega churches requires certain leadership qualities, values, and competencies. The contribution of the study lies therein that it confirmed and identified through a comparative empirical analysis of details collected through basic research in mega churches of Florida (USA) and Gauteng (RSA) the qualities, values and competencies that are essential for successful leadership of mega churches in very different contexts and church families. The study therefore recommends a desirable leadership style and essential qualities for effective church leadership of mega churches. The study also makes a contribution to the theological understanding of a new but growing church type in urban settings, the mega church; and is of great value to those that lead and study such churches. / PhD, Biblical Studies, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2012

This thesis examines the spatial distribution of church members of two suburban mega churches in Atlanta. The research question concerns why people are choosing to drive thirty minutes or more to attend a mega church. A cost-benefit analysis weighs the costs of going to a distant church against the benefits of attending those churches. Examination focuses on the worship style, as well as the sense of community imparted by the two churches. The author also examines demographic factors such as gender, age, marital status, and socio-economic factors such as race, education, and occupation. The findings of the analysis demonstrate that the two mega churches are successful in providing the sense of community that suburban residents seek by offering an active small group environment.

MAAS / Centre for African Studies / Healing practices and health related rituals play a vital role in most religious groups including African Traditional Religion, Christianity, Islamic and Hinduism. This phenomenon of healing has been a challenge to religious institutions as well as African based churches. This study examined and analysed the healing practices within mega-churches in relation to the health related aspects. It appears that healing practices performed in those churches make them popular and enhance their growth in membership numerically. The study focuses on the philosophy and theological understanding of both mega-churches and mainstream churches. It is ostensible that healing, as a phenomenon, cannot be separated from core African culture, values and practices. Current church healing practices seems to be a more practical and accessible alternative way to deal with sickness as medical facilities has become inexorably costly especially to poor community who have no access to efficient medical amenities. Underprivileged members of society are drawn to religious healing practices because healers such as prophets, pastors and apostles dangle the capacity to heal people from all kind of ailments. Poor communities become a target because they are victims of government and the department of health malfunctions which are depicted by the poor and below standard medical services in those underprivileged communities. Most people in those communities believe that the above-mentioned emerging prophets and apostles from mega-churches are anointed and possess special power to heal them as well as to redeem them from life’s harsh realities. In the context of current healing practices, the researcher discovered that there is a need to probe and analyse the aforesaid practices particularly whereby healing seekers seems to have not receive what they anticipated from those mega-churches. The study exposes inappropriate healing dynamics conceived in the selected mega-churches within African tradition context. This study followed a qualitative approach, in which participants from both mega-churches and mainline churches were interviewed. The study further points out some perceived challenges affecting current healing practices in the selected mega-churches of Vhembe district of Limpopo Province. The study employed Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis strategy to analyse the data for the study. / NRF