Date
7-2011
Department
Seminary
Degree
Doctor of Ministry (DMin)
Chair
Charlies Davidson
Primary Subject Area
Religion, General
Keywords
Church, Leadership, Theology, Training
Abstract
Christian leadership training for pastors, missionaries, and lay leaders is mostly patterned after academic, business, military, and government models. This leads to a pragmatic, secular, and American approach to building Churches and advancing the Kingdom of God. Secular models of leadership training can inform and supplement but never usurp scriptural principles and values. The best Christian leadership training pattern is the one Jesus created to train the twelve Apostles. This model is found predominately in the gospels. The template this writer will follow is based on A. B. Bruce's 19th century seminal work, The Training of the Twelve. This training model is built on Christ's instruction to the twelve in four stages; the calling of the spiritual leader, the character of a spiritual leader, the competence of a spiritual leader, and the commission of a spiritual leader.