Implications of Paul's Model for Leadership Training in Light of Church Growth in Africa
Keywords:
Pauline Model, Leadership Training, Church Growth in Africa, Non-Formal Theological Education, Clergy-Lay Distinction, Grassroots Leadership, Theological Education by Extension (TEE), Contextualized Curriculum, Mentorship, Multi-Church PastorsAbstract
The rapid numerical growth of the African church has created an acute deficit of trained leadership, leaving a vast majority of local congregations led by undertrained or completely untrained pastors and elders. Traditional Western, residential, and formal institutional models fail to keep pace with this demand. Addressing this gap requires a paradigm shift back to the Apostle Paul’s biblically grounded, church-based, non-formal training model (as seen in 2 Timothy 2:2). By dismantling the rigid clergy-lay barrier, institutional seminaries can reorient their curricula to equip "trainers of trainers," while denominations, local pastors, and church bodies embrace decentralized non-formal methods like Theological Education by Extension (TEE) and local mentorship under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
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