Formation And Implementation Of A Leadership Development Program For The South Malawi Field Of The Adventist Church In Africa

Problem The South Malawi Field membership for 2005 was characterized by an annual growth rate of just 3 percent, which was quite low compared to other parts of the Malawi Union. Furthermore, 74 pastors and their laity baptized only 164 members total on average while apostasies claimed as high as 26 persons per year. Therefore, this research aims at discovering the effect that equipping pastors and church leaders with effective leadership skills might have on addressing the challenges that seem to inhibit growth in the South Malawi Field. Method A body of up-to-date literature focusing on leadership and management skills applicable to the work of pastors and church leaders will be reviewed. This will involve a critical examination of spiritual journals, books, as well as extending to the vernacular literature. The extent to which the various elements of effective leadership skills are practiced in the South Malawi Field will be examined by use of a questionnaire survey By means of interviews, a selected sample will be drawn from a population of pastors and church leaders of the South Malawi Field. Statistics will be drawn and thematic data analyses will be employed to reveal the results. Results The expected results emerging from this research include the following: prioritized or ranked list of leadership skills for pastors and church leaders that will effectively address the membership growth challenges of the South Malawi Field. The extent to which the various elements or variables of leadership skills are practiced in South Malawi Field by attributes (experience, education level, location and tribe served) are discussed and recommendations made. Conclusion The aim of the project is to develop and implement a strategy for leadership development for the South Malawi Field pastors and church leaders to enable them to serve more effectively for the growth of the church in South Malawi Field. Conclusions are drawn from the results and the extent to which effective leadership skills are practiced for the South Malawi Field. The Malawi Union was benefited by the results of the seminars that were conducted during implementation of this study. In the same way, countries outside Malawi are expected to benefit through general application of the findings