The Pauline model of missional leadership and its application to the numerical growth of the church of the Nazarene in Kenya Lake Victoria District

Abstract

Missional leadership of Apostle Paul is essential for significant numerical church growth. The purpose of this thesis is to analyse the Pauline model of missional leadership and its application to the growth of the Church of the Nazarene in Kenya Lake Victoria District (KLVD). The following objectives guided the study: to discover principles of missional leadership as demonstrated by Apostle Paul; to consider the relational skills of the Apostle Paul as exemplified in his leadership; to identify the missionary strategies employed by the Apostle Paul; to examine the challenges KLVD is facing concerning church growth, and lastly to assess how Apostle Paul’s missional leadership could contribute to the continued growth of the Church of the Nazarene in KLVD. Apostle Paul’s model for church growth formed the conceptual framework of the study. The study employed a descriptive survey design to gather information from pastors and lay leaders of KLVD. The study was carried out in KLVD of the Church of the Nazarene. The KLVD covers Siaya, Kisumu, Homabay, Migori, and some parts of Kisii counties according to the Kenya government geography. The study involved both primary and secondary sources in data outsourcing. Field research included self-administered questionnaires, participant observations, and oral interviews as well as focused group discussions. A non-probability sampling technique was used to purposively sample respondents from KLVD. Qualitative data gathered was grouped into similar categories for analysis. Field notes were summarised in a word document and arranged according to the subject matter consistent with the objectives of the study. Qualitative techniques such as narratives, descriptions, explanations, and discussion to exemplify relevant facts were utilized. While quantitative data techniques utilized descriptive statistics and the resulting frequencies and percentages were discussed and presented using tables and figures. Finally, the two categories of data (qualitative and quantitative) were synthesized, integrated, and then presented thematically according to the objectives of the study and recommendations drawn. The findings of the research were as follows; firstly, the respondents who were 114 pastors and 200 lay leaders had a fair knowledge of the principles of leadership demonstrated by Apostle Paul. Secondly, the study deduced that the relational skills of the respondents were primarily balanced between above average and below average. There were only a few cases where they could not tell their relational skills. Thirdly, the research deduced that Apostle Paul’s missionary strategies that the respondents prefer to use were relying on the guidance of the Holy Spirit, preaching in marketplaces, meeting in houses of members, and adapting to evangelistic strategies according to hearers of the gospel. Fourthly, the challenges KLVD was facing concerning church growth were due to inadequate pastoral training, lack of proper leadership, leadership wrangles, lack of economic capacity of most churches, and lack of church growth principles. Lastly, the challenges were being experienced because the respondents had fair knowledge that relates to local church growth strategies. The researcher, therefore, recommends the following: training of pastors and lay leaders on the principles of missional leadership as demonstrated by Apostle Paul; train pastors in ministry, and not for ministry; help pastors and lay leaders develop relational skills of the Apostle Paul as exemplified in his leadership; developing/making a clear vision for ministry in the future; evaluating the ministry regularly; equipping leaders with good character; changing leadership style or developing effective leadership; building a leadership team that has co-pastors and lay- leaders; empowering as many lay leaders as possible.