This research is a comparative evaluation between leadership in business and leadership in the Church to discover principles of Christ-like leadership that would help leaders lead effectively in any environment. Church leaders distrust business leadership and business leaders cannot see any relevance that the Church has towards business. This research seeks to challenge this thinking. To consider this the following hypothesis was made: If business and Church leaders are going to be exceptional in their leadership, and live to their full leadership potential, they will have to be faithful to, develop and live by Christ-like leadership principles emerging out of the character, life, teaching and leadership of Jesus Christ – principles that transcend the differentiation often made between secular and sacred. Towards this end descriptive research was carried out by drawing on a number of sources. First, the aim was to determine the praxis by considering the leadership practices of respected leaders in business and the Church. It was discovered that there are definite crossover points with common understandings of what it takes to be an exceptional leader. It was also noted, however, that there are particular areas that relate exclusively to spiritual leadership. Thereafter, theory was considered by looking at literature that has been written about business and Church leadership. Again there was common ground, which led to the description of three circles of leadership: the inner circle, the middle circle and the outer circle. The next chapter took a look at the Gospels, with particular reference to Mark’s Gospel. Here principles were discovered that have a direct or indirect bearing on leadership. Finally, quantitative research was carried out to test praxis and theory. To accomplish this, questionnaires were sent to leaders that hold or have held leadership responsibility in business and the Church. The overall result was that 73% of leaders said that there was no substantial difference between leading in business and leading in the Church. However, going deeper into the results, it was seen that there are differences in emphasis between business and Church leadership. In conclusion, no changes were made to the hypothesis. The spiritual dimensions of leadership as expressed throughout the dissertation recognise that Christian leaders, in business and Church, have the same Spirit indwelling them to help them become exceptional Christ-like leaders. / Dissertation (MA (Practical Theology))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

With church attendance falling, church leaders are searching for methods to reverse that trend. Benchmarking the practices of successful churches offers one such avenue. This article points to issues of internal and external fit which should be considered before those benchmarked best practices are implemented by church leaders.

The region of Appalachia in the United States is a diverse region that is full of beauty, mountains, art, and culture. Due to a history of abuse from large corporations, the impact of the decline in coal mining and generational poverty, the region is currently on a road toward recovery. Substance misuse rates are disproportionality high, and there are limited resources available to address the issue. Literature suggests that church leaders may be a potential resource. The goal of the study was to provide a better understanding of the substance misuse epidemic through the eyes of church leaders. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis guided this qualitative study. Church leaders (n = 10) were interviewed and four significant themes emerged: narratives used to describe their experiences with substance misuse, the stigma associated with substance misuse, the community impact that substance misuse has on Appalachia, and the lack of understanding and need for training on substance misuse for church leaders and healthcare practitioners. The results of the study are discussed and connected to discussions of the implications for clinical practice, recommendations for further research, and limitations of the study. / Doctor of Philosophy / Appalachia is a mountain range located in the eastern portion of the United States. It is a diverse region that is full of beauty, mountains, art, and culture. Due to a history of abuse from large corporations, the impact of the decline in coal mining and generational poverty, the region is currently on a road toward recovery. Substance misuse rates are disproportionality high, and there are limited healthcare resources available to address the issue. The goal of the presented study was to provide a better understanding of the substance misuse epidemic through the experiences of church leaders, which are abundant in the region. Church leaders, a sample of 10, were interviewed and four significant topics emerged from their stories shared: narratives used to describe their experiences with substance misuse, the stigma associated with substance misuse, the community impact that substance misuse has on Appalachia, and the lack of understanding and need for training on substance misuse for church leaders and healthcare practitioners. The results of this study suggest that church leaders may be used as a resource to help lower the impact of substance misuse. The experiences of the church leaders gained from this study can help provide training to church leaders and healthcare providers on ways to work together and lower substance misuse in Appalachia.

This study is an explorative, qualitative study on how mothers experience the defilement of their own children by a church leader in the Zambian context. The aim of the study is to get some insight into how the defilement affect the mothers, and the challenges that occur in their lives regarding their relationships with their defiled children and other people who are around them. The researcher also looks at how the role of motherhood has been affected by the defilement. Qualitative research methodology was employed in this research study. This enabled the researcher to understand the social constructions of mothers and how they experience the disclosure of defilement of their children by a church leader. The researcher used semi-structured interview to collect data from the eight mothers affected by child defilement who were selected from within Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia. Thematic Analysis as a method of data analysis was employed in this research study. In employing this form of analysis, the researcher identified major concepts or themes that came up during the discussions with the interviewed mothers. The following are the themes that came out of the data that was provided by the affected mothers: Loss of religious faith, less trust in the church leaders, dissatisfaction of their parenting role, Feelings of anger towards the perpetrator, feelings of guilt, feelings of shame, marital problems, relationship problems with their daughters, concerned that their children might have contracted HIV and AIDS, and worried that their children have lost their virginity. In this research study, the researcher has used Gerkin‘s shepherding method of pastoral care to address the emotional experiences of the mothers following disclosure of defilement of their children by a church leader. This methodology is helpful because it provides an integrated approach to healing that is enculturated in the African belief system and culture, which views healing as taking place within the community and not in isolation. Gerkin‘s shepherding methodology is augmented by Waruta and Kinoti‘s work, Pastoral Care in African Christianity and Pollard‘s evangelism method of positive deconstruction. These three methodologies have been employed to help in empowering the mothers to come to terms with the effects of child defilement by a church leader. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Practical Theology / PhD / unrestricted

The problem under investigation is that there is little research about how church leaders develop and design HIV/AIDS education and support programs in selected counties of New York State. The gap in the literature is that there is little known about how church leaders support the educational process for the HIV/AIDS Black community in New York state. The theory of normative decision making was the primary conceptual framework for this research. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory multi-case study was to discover how church leaders managed their HIV/AIDS outreach program strategies. The overarching question asked what programs and education do church leaders use to support those with HIV/AIDS and how can church leaders within the selected counties, provide preventative education forums within their congregations. Data collection occurred through 6 semi structured face-to-face interviews with church leaders in the counties of New York State. Data analysis resulted in themes that included how managing HIV/AIDS outreach strategies increases participation, promotes understanding, and immobilizes the spread of HIV/AIDS. The themes that emerged suggested that democratic leadership style made for successful program leaders and existing program features built trust between the church and those in the surrounding communities impacted by HIV/AIDS. Recommendations for action include examining the structure of an active outreach ministry, synchronizing programs, and increasing resources to manage Faith-based organization strategies effectively. This study contributes to positive social change by religious leaders serving as peer educators and advocates within their church community for HIV/AIDS prevention education, igniting discussions, removing stigma, and increasing the number of individuals who voluntarily test for HIV/AIDS.

Thesis (M.A. (Clinical Psychology)) --Univesity of Limpopo, 2013 / South Africa has a growing rate of mental health care users. Because of the lack of health resources and personal beliefs many of these mental health care users consult with their church leaders. The treatment of mental illness by clergy in South Africa is largely undocumented. The aim of the study was to explore and describe the treatment of mental illness by Afrikaans speaking church leaders in Polokwane, Limpopo Province. To gain a deeper understanding of the views held by the Afrikaans-speaking church leaders, a qualitative approach was utilized. Ten participants agreed to participate in the study. The results tend to suggest that most of the respondents use a combination of supportive therapy and teachings from scripture to treat some mental illnesses, and that they feel positive towards collaboration with other mental health care professionals. Lastly the results indicated that most respondents emphasized the importance of homophily in referral criteria. Key Concepts Mental illness; Christian church; Afrikaans speaking; church leader; treatment

This study investigated the state of leadership mentoring and succession planning in the Charismatic Churches in Bushbuckridge. In order to gain a full understanding of the Charismatic Movement which emerged in Bushbuckridge only four decades ago, it was necessary to trace its origin from the Azusa Street Revival which gave birth to Pentecostalism almost a century ago. The Charismatic Movement emerged as a distinct movement only five decades later following the birth of the Pentecostal Movement. The reviewed literature revealed that the Charismatic Movement is a child of the marriage between the Pentecostal Movement and traditional denominations. The main watermark distinction between the theologies of the two movements is based on the fact that the Pentecostal Movement emphasises speaking in tongues while the Charismatic Movement places emphasis on the manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. By virtue of their one-man-founder, Charismatic Churches are likely to experience the same leadership mentoring and succession problems that are common to family businesses. An assessment of leadership mentoring and succession practices in the business world proved that the concept has been researched, practiced, and perfected more in the secular world than in the world of religious and biblical studies. Although this study uncovered some exceptionally successful mentoring relationships in both the New and the Old Testaments, they do not provide details of what those who were involved in the mentoring relationships did for them to be successful. It is in the secular world that mentoring relationships, stages and models have been researched and practiced. It is when mentors and protégés are pared correctly and their relationships managed properly throughout all the mentoring stages that organisations can be assured of smooth leadership transitions. A triangulation of the qualitative and the quantitative methods was used to collect data in this study. On the qualitative side of the research, data was collected by means of interviews and focus group studies. Interviews with the apostolic fathers of the Charismatic Movement in South Africa raised a concern over the lack of leadership mentoring and succession programmes, especially amongst the younger generation of churches. The concern was confirmed in all the focus group studies which were conducted in Bushbuckridge. The data which was collected from the qualitative side of the study provided a basis for the content of the questionnaire the researcher drew up for the quantitative side of the study. This side of the study contradicted the views of the participants in interviews and focus groups in that it reported that many Charismatic Churches in Bushbuckridge do in fact have leadership mentoring and succession programmes (85% and 72% respectively). The quantitative side of the study further revealed that education levels and gender have a statistically significant effect in leadership mentoring, while location does not. The researcher suggests that the contradiction in the outcomes of the two research methods deserve a follow-up study. This study presents to Charismatic Church leaders in Bushbuckridge lessons drawn from the leadership mentoring and succession practices of both the biblical and secular worlds. This study would be incomplete without the bringing to the fore of an illustrative text in the 2 Timothy 2:1-3. Generally speaking, adherents in the Charismatic Churches read and interpret the bible as authoritative for faith and life. The participants‘ call for the introduction or/and enhancement of leadership mentoring and succession is therefore harnessed by the biblical message in 2 Timothy 2:1-3. Such model of leadership could serve as an important and significant form of discourse in Africa in the context of leadership. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / New Testament Studies / unrestricted

Church leaders and other members of the Mystical Body of Christ can avail themselves more to the contemplative gift while undergoing the Paschal Mystery as a team and cultivating spaces of encounter and communion with people in the Church and in the world for deepening union with God and further entry in the process of divinization. Members of the Mystical Body can be more sensitive to the presence of God within themselves and others through devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus that offers an entryway for Divine Love to take captive the affections of the will as the contemplative gift is increasingly activated from within each person. This way is shown through the Holy Family and their common spiritual life which offers a model of Church that invites all people to share in their oneness of heart rooted in the Trinity to be love as one family of God.

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One of the consequences of the ethnic hatred between Hutu and Tutsi in Burundi is that around 10% of Burundians were forced to flee to Tanzania for their safety. Three decades after the creation of Ulyankulu Settlement through the joint efforts of the Tanzanian government, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), and the Tanganyika Christian Refugee Service (TCRS) it is assumed that these refugees are fully assimilated and feel at home. However, this dissertation argues that they do not feel at home and consequently long to return to their homeland. This study is an attempt to understand the experience of refugees in Ulyankulu Settlement and the contribution of this experience towards their craving for their homeland. It also explores the role played by Anglican Church in shaping these refugees' experience. Finally the study proposes ways of improving the church's ministry among these refugees. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th. (Missiology)