Christian Leaders Research Articles

Christian leaders as salt and light in realizing religious moderation in Banyumas Regency

This study aimed to determine the level of implementation of the salt of the earth and the light of the world, the most dominant dimensions and backgrounds that influence the level of implementation of the salt of the earth and the light of the world based on Matthew 5:13-16, in order to realize religious moderation for the administrators of the Interfaith Harmony Forum (FKUB) and Christian Leaders in Banyumas Regency. From the results of the pre-survey, indications were found that there are still Christian leaders who have not implemented the salt of the earth and the light of the world. This study uses a quantitative method, by measuring Two Dimensions (D) in the concept of implementing the salt of the earth and the light of the world based on Matthew 5:13-16. The results of the study show that first, the level of implementation of the salt of the earth and the light of the world is in the moderate category. Second, the most dominant dimension is becoming the Light of the World (D2). The third dominant background category is the Length of Time as an Administrator / Serving (I10). Therefore, the level of implementation of the salt of the earth and the light of the world among the administrators of the Interfaith Harmony Forum (FKUB) and Christian leaders in order to realize religious moderation in Banyumas Regency needs to be increased, so that in the future it can be higher, and produce better quality of religious moderation for Christians and society in Banyumas Regency.

TRANSFIGURED LEADERSHIP: KEPEMIMPINAN ALKITABIAH SEBAGAI FONDASI MITIGASI RISIKO DIGITAL

In an increasingly digital era, Christian leaders face new challenges in managing digital risks. To face these challenges, Christian leadership needs to be based on the spiritual values ​​contained in the event of Christ's transfiguration. This article explores the meaning of Christ's transfiguration and its implications for contemporary Christian leadership. The concept of "Transfigured Leadership" can be a valuable approach for Christian leaders to face these challenges from the perspective of Christian spirituality. The method used is a descriptive qualitative analysis of the Bible and literature with related themes. The research results show that the transfiguration of Christ reveals the character of Christ as a sanctified Messiah, a leader whose life is pleasing to the Father, and a role model for His followers. Christian leadership values ​​that originate from the transfiguration of Christ require leaders who live in holiness, have a close relationship with God, humility, willingness to make sacrifices, obedience to their calling, and continuous self-transformation. By focusing on the example of Christ's leadership, Christian leaders are expected to implement leadership that is oriented toward spiritual transformation.

Spirituality of a Christian Leader (Implications of the Book of Nehemiah)

Spirituality of a Christian Leader (Implications of the Book of Nehemiah)

Implications of digital church for Christian leaders

Implications of digital church for Christian leaders

Biblical Study: The Proper Name of יהוה(Yahweh) that his People Forgot Based on Jeremia 23:23–24

This research aims to open the insight of Christian believers and leaders in Indonesia regarding (YAHWEH), the name of the Biblical God or Elohim, whom Christianity has forgotten in Indonesia. Whereas הוהי(YAHWEH) is the Omnipresent God of the Covenant. He is present not only in the New Testament but also in the Old Testament. The fact of His omnipresence is written in the Old Testament Scriptures through several of His self-revelations, which are the same or similar to the self-revelation uttered by YESHUA HaMashiakh. This study was conducted based on Jeremiah 23:23–24, which contains an incident where YAHWEH as the proper name of the God of Israel/Judah, was forgotten by the people of Israel/Judah because of the actions of their prophets at that time who planned to make YAHWEH’s people forget the name of YAHWEH through their leadership. Their dreams lie, just as their ancestors forgot the Name of YAHWEH because of Baal. The text of Jeremiah 23:23–32 was deliberately chosen and used as primary data by researchers because the cases contained in it are similar to what is a reality in the life of faith of Indonesian Christians today. It is hoped that the selection of the text of Jeremiah 23:23–24 is truly relevant to obtain findings that will be very useful for transforming the worship of a truly Biblical God. In this qualitative literature study, the methods used by researchers are exegesis, interpretation, and comparison both with primary data from Jeremiah 23:23–32 and with several secondary data in the form of literature and texts considered parallel. It is hoped that the research results and their implications can be implemented in the faith life of Christians in Indonesia who still use the Name of Allah so that in the future it is hoped that the Bible will truly contain the name YAHWEH. YAHWEH is no longer replaced by the title LORD or the name ALLAH. Also, the terms Elohim (~yhla) in the Old Testament and Theos (Qeoj) in the original New Testament are no longer translated as the Name of God.

Engaging Islam

What was the proper approach to countering Islam in the late Middle Ages? If Islam was seen as a Christian heresy in accordance with a common medieval interpretation, the church’s battle against Muslims was seen in ad intra terms. If Islam was treated as a separate religion, an ad extra approach followed. In either case, would unity and peace be best achieved via negotiations or force, particularly around 1453 when Constantinople fell to Muslim forces? We begin with Nicholas of Cusa and Juan de Segovia, then turn to Tommaso Giustiniani and Vincenzo Querini in their Libellus and Leonem decem (1513). They pushed the Medici pope to counter Islam using language of the just war tradition because they saw Muslims as apostate Christians. Considering these three approaches side by side, we witness Christian leaders wrestling with religious, political, and military considerations in deciding how best to counter the Islamic advance during a crucial half-century.

Religious leaders’ nuanced views on birth spacing and contraceptives in Sierra Leone - qualitative insights

BackgroundSierra Leone is a religiously diverse country, with Christianity and Islam being the dominant faiths. This religious landscape plays a significant role in shaping attitudes towards family planning and contraceptives. We examined religious leaders’ knowledge of family planning and modern contraceptive methods.MethodsIn September 2021, data was collected from 116 religious leaders in Sierra Leone, including 32 Muslims and 84 Christians from nine different denominations from sixteen districts, through 16 focus group discussions. The data was subjected to a thematic analysis using NVIVO 12 software.ResultsThe study found a spectrum of opinions among religious leaders, both between religions (Christianity vs. Islam) and within denominations of Christianity. There was a general acceptance of natural birth spacing methods, like abstinence during fertile periods, across both Christian and Muslim leaders. Views on modern contraceptives were more divided. Catholics generally opposed them, citing religious doctrines against interfering with procreation. Pentecostals and some Muslims, however, found them permissible under certain circumstances, like promoting family well-being or spacing births for health reasons.ConclusionThe study reveals that religious leaders’ views on family planning in Sierra Leone are multifaceted. Understanding these nuances is crucial for designing effective family planning programs. By working with denominations that are more accepting of modern methods and leveraging the support for natural birth spacing methods across religions, there’s potential to improve reproductive health outcomes in Sierra Leone.

The perceived influence of Christian leadership competencies during COVID-19

Purpose: Surviving the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic required much of leaders. It highlighted the complexities of faith in the workplace. Christian business leaders drew on their faith to influence employees’ work intentions and behaviours through specific leadership competencies. This study aimed to gain insights into the leadership competencies of Christian leaders during COVID-19 and its perceived influence on colleagues’ values and workplace behaviour through the leaders’ integration of faith and work.Design/methodology/approach: The study used a qualitative, grounded theory approach with semi-structured interviews to collect data. Participants (N = 14) were full-time Christian leaders selected through purposeful, convenient, and snowball sampling.Findings/results: The findings indicated that Christian business leaders exhibited distinctive leadership competencies attributed to their faith. These competencies allowed them to express their beliefs to co-workers in ways that surpassed verbal communication.Practical implications: Organisations should consider implementing leadership development programmes focusing on integrating faith and values into leadership practices. Providing Christian leaders with tools and resources to align their leadership approach with their spiritual beliefs can enhance their ability to create a positive and ethical workplace culture.Contribution/value-add: Although no study has directly explored religion’s role in dealing with pandemics, understanding the impact of beliefs such as Christian religiosity on work can complement management and organisational practices. The findings contribute to leadership studies by laying the groundwork for future investigation into the role of faith integration in leadership behaviours and outcomes.

Religious Leaders Stewardship and COVID-19: A Sustainable Approach to Advocacy on Health Emergency Response in Kenya

Responding to public health emergencies needs efforts from all participants. Quick mobilization of people targeted a remarkable and successful change in behavior. Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic requires a strategic, sustainable approach that causes desirable outcomes. In Africa, a remarkable number of people are religious. This allows institutions of faith to be used as a set structure to reach the right target with the right information. Through the SCOPE COVID scheme, World Relief uses an elaborate and established mechanism of collaborating with the faith leaders in its planning. A qualitative approach was the main methodology of this research. SCOPE COVID Project developed sermon guides for Christian Leaders (clergy and pastors), a guide for leaders of Muslim (imams), and also a guide for Hindu leaders, respectively entitled; ‘Does Christianity advocate for COVID-19 vaccine?’, ‘Does Hinduism advocate for COVID-19 vaccine?’, and ‘Does Islam advocate for COVID-19 vaccine?’ The guides were distributed to 490 faith leaders, Christians, and Muslims in Turkana and Kajiado counties. The trained leaders of faith were given a chance to reach out to members of their faith with COVID-19 lessons as well as other preventive preventive measures. Findings show that 490 leaders of faith were trained as trainers of trainees. In a quarter, the leaders of faith were 12,670 persons with messages about vaccines, while others suggested preventive measures. The 490 faith institutions were represented by leaders trained to enable COVID-19 measures of prevention. The results indicated that faith leaders are willing to collaborate with the government and other participants in emergency response. Leaders of faith are willing to be included in health response. It can be concluded that leaders of faith have taken their responsibility of curbing COVID-19 seriously and kept off the syndrome of poor wisdom of interpreting the scourge as punishment from God to human beings.

Christianity and modern Japanese society: An historical overview

AbstractThis review article provides an overview of studies on Christianity in modern Japan, with a specific focus on works that address its social and political impact from a historical perspective. It first seeks to orient readers in the historical context within which the religion was transmitted to Japan, before delving into the notable works in the field. The scholarship indicates an evolution from an initial focus on missionary evangelism and narrowly defined church history to a more expansive outlook that encompasses the rich and complex lives of Japanese Christian leaders and their broader societal impact beyond church walls. Topics covered include Protestant missions, indigenous movements, women's education, social reform, and biographical studies. As a reflection of the author's area of interest, special attention will be paid to the case of the Christian social reformer Kagawa Toyohiko. The review will be limited to English‐language scholarship, although brief references will be made to Japanese‐language scholarship where appropriate.

Kepemimpinan Yesus Kristus Sebagai Model Kepemimpinan Kristen

Many people want to be a leader to be able to enter the "elite" status of a social system with the main motivations being power, honor, facilities, appearance, imaging and other privileges. They are not aware that the task of a true leader requires more devotion, responsibility and truth than work that is charming and full of pleasure. That is a phenomenoni that is often found around us, people want to be a leader not as devotion, but to seek profit and ipleasure for themselves, in the form of power, honor and wealth. Today's world requires a different example of leadership. Two thousand years ago, Jesus taught a different model of leadership than that taught by the authorities at that time. The Leadership Model taught by Jesus Christ, can still be used as a model of leadership for those who are determined as leaders. This paper examines leadership conducted and taught by Jesus Christ as a Model of Leadership that can be iemulated by Christian leaders.

Theology in Melody: An Indigenous Theological Method of the Nepali Church

Even after seven decades of Christianity in Nepal, an Indigenous Nepali theology has yet to emerge. Although Christianity is rapidly growing, it is unclear how the Nepali church is meeting its theological needs. Nepali Christians have long composed Christian hymns. This article argues that Nepali Christian leaders were unintentionally using songwriting to fulfill their duty of doing theology. This article focuses primarily on two tasks related to this topic. First, it argues that singing songs is a form of expression used by the Nepali people that the church may view as a theological method. Songs are the primary Indigenous tools available to people for developing social consciousness, speaking out against oppressive systems and discrimination, and creating a space to combat societal divisions. As a result, it is argued that songs could be used as a theological tool by the Nepali church. Second, this study looks at specific Christian songs to see how they are used in Nepali churches and what theological content they contain. It will show how Nepali Christians use music to express their love for their country and its people, as well as their desire to use the gospel to change society. This article also asserts that for Nepali Christians, Christian songs have served as a means of expressing, teaching, and learning about their faith, and thus have become their theology in melody. The argument is that the Nepali hymnal is unquestionably a theology book for Nepali Christians because it is available for every life event, including marriage, baptism, birth, and death, and directs their action in their context.

Mutual submission, not complementarianism: Reviving the Chinese marital theology of Watchman Nee and Wang Mingdao

Many Christians in both America and China follow an ideology that has come to be known as gender complementarianism. The husband is the undisputed “head of the household” and the wife must graciously submit to his leadership and decision-making, even if she disagrees with him. During the 2000s, complementarian theology espoused by American parachurch organizations FamilyLife and Focus on the Family spread in China. Today, many house church Christians advocate complementarianism. However, back in the 1940s and 50s, several important (fundamentalist and mainline) Chinese Christian leaders saw Christian marriage more in terms of mutual submission than gendered hierarchy. Rather than seeing husbands as more responsible for leadership and decision-making than wives, Watchman Nee, Wang Mingdao, and the people involved in the Christianizing the Home movement highlighted the need for both spouses to sacrifice, cultivate intimacy, forgive, and communicate well. This may not be the dominant vision of marriage in Chinese house churches today, but it is a long-standing tradition in Chinese Protestant history, one that some individuals in China today are continuing to put forward.

Ambiguous Borders: Curanderismo and World Christianity

precis: Curanderxs are healers who utilize a variety of means such as prayers, herbs, Christian icons, Spiritist rituals, images from religions, and such commonplace objects as eggs and dirt. Christian leaders often reject curanderismo as overly syncretistic or even as witchcraft. Nevertheless, many curanderxs are devout Catholics and even understand their gifting and practices through the lens of Christianity. This essay draws on the work of Kwame Bediako to demonstrate how these peripheral Christian curanderxs have translated diverse knowledge into Christian idiom and vice versa. Through examining examples of curanderxs , this essay shows how "Christian" much of the history, discourse, and living tradition of curanderismo is. It is an area of ambiguity that challenges Christianity's borders.

Developing African Christian Leaders for Global Transformation

Christianity is growing massively in the Global South, while it is declining in the rest of the world. This has changed the trajectory of missionary work. Africans used to be recipients, but are now benefactors who promote the gospel and lead mega-churches beyond their motherlands. Correspondingly, African Christian leaders ought to develop their capacities. While some of them appreciate the importance of leadership development, as confirmed by publicized leadership seminars and conferences, few African churches have contextualized Christian leadership development frameworks.Most problematically, countless Christian leaders have been the subjects of disturbing controversies, and they age and die without having prepared people to succeed them. By failing to do so, they betray the mission of God and the Church. Although having a call is invaluable for ministry and leadership, continuous leadership development is highly necessary for effectiveness, as ministerial needs grow daily while the capacities of Church leaders are limited. Applying grounded research as theory and engaging with contemporary literature, this paper reviewed African Christian leadership, and drew on leadership development models from the Old and New Testaments, in view of Malphurs and Mancini’s (2004) leadership development framework. This paper identified the necessity of contextualizing leadership development, appraising incumbent leaders, and addressing their situational challenges and needs, and recommends consistent holistic capacity enhancement in correspondence with changing times, contexts, people and places. Keywords: Christian Leadership, Mission, Leadership Development, Sustainability, Transformation

Breaking the silence: Is the church failing to address South Africa’s sociopolitical problems?

This article investigates why the Ecumenical Church in South Africa has not responded effectively to social issues such as bad governance, corruption, inequality, crime, and ethical decline. It uses contextual and comparative analysis to examine the historical, political, and theological factors that influence the church’s role and identity. It draws on missiology, practical theology, and ecclesiology to argue that the church is neglecting its moral and prophetic duty to uphold human dignity and value, and to offer hope and healing to all. The investigation identified six reasons for the church’s social failure and proposes some practical and theological ways to improve its social responsibility and witness.Contribution: This article challenges the church to be a prophetic voice and witness for social transformation in South Africa. It calls for a national convention of Christian leaders to craft a unified vision for the country’s future and foster dialogue, cooperation, and social responsibility among diverse and complex churches.

How Christian Leaders Navigate Race After George Floyd's Murder: A Study of Unsettled Times

AbstractThe murder of George Floyd in 2020 and subsequent calls for a reckoning with systematic racism forced many religious leaders to confront the question of how to talk about race in their congregations to an extent not seen in the 21st century. We argue that this period reflects an “unsettled time” and prompted several types of leadership responses, which we have identified through interviews with Christian religious leaders. Among leaders of non‐Black congregations, we find three common responses: feeling called to openly take a stand against racial injustice, cautiously engaging the issue but experiencing tensions in one's congregation, and avoidance by claiming that racial justice is primarily a political issue that should only be addressed in religious contexts as far as it relates to biblical teachings. Finally, we find a more consistent assumption of the need to address racial injustice among the leaders of majority Black congregations.

Religious Minorities in the 2019 Hong Kong Protests

Based on a broader ethnographic study with Muslim, Hindu, and Sikh residents of Hong Kong, this article examines the role of minority religions, specifically Islam, in the 2019 Hong Kong protests. While the protests were dominated by the debates over the identities of Hong Kongers versus mainland Chinese, they also produced discussions over the positions and experiences of Hong Kong's “ethnic minorities,” many of whom are religious minorities. Often racialized and seen as outsiders by Han Hong Kongers, ethnoreligious minorities were reluctant to take sides out of worry for their livelihoods and fear of further marginalization. This sharply contrasts with the visibility of Christian communities in the protests. Christian leaders were publicly involved in prayer meetings and other forms of support for the protests, while the followers of minority religions either stayed away or organized prayer sessions in small, private settings. However, around October 2019, after a series of events described in this article, minorities either found themselves drawn into the protests or took the opportunity to participate to claim their Hong Konger identity. This held the potential to expand the political discourse and create a unified multicultural, multiracial identity of Hong Kongers. However, such aspirations were crushed against the walls of cultural-religious representation, and minorities felt that they remained misunderstood and unacknowledged as fellow citizens.

PENGUATAN KAPASITAS TOKOH AGAMA DALAM UPAYA PENANGGULANGAN STUNTING WILAYAH KABUPATEN KUPANG ALOR

The problem of stunting has the potential to disrupt the quality of human resources and is related to health levels and even child mortality. In this case, religious leaders are parties who play a direct role, especially in preventing stunting through shaping family consumption patterns in religious service areas. Family mothers who cultivate and implement nutritious food consumption patterns can prevent family members, including children under five, from nutritional problems, including stunting. The activity was carried out in Alor Regency on 21-23 October 2023 with the aim of strengthening Christian, Catholic, Hindu and Islamic religious leaders in carrying out service duties to families, especially family mothers, in order to increase knowledge about consuming diverse, nutritious, balanced and safe food. and be able to take preventive action at the stage of preparing nutritious food for family consumption. Implementation uses the "Education and/or counseling" method. Where, all religious leaders are given teaching or material with the aim that they can determine the source of the problem and form services related to overcoming and preventing nutritional problems including stunting through choosing healthy, varied and safe types of food. The evaluation process was carried out before and after the activity to measure the abilities and changes in attitudes of 60 religious leaders regarding the counseling material. The pre-test results found that the majority (69.7%) of religious leaders already knew about stunting but did not understand consumption patterns including the type, quantity and correct method of food processing and the impact on the incidence of stunting. However, after confirmation from the results of the counseling, it was discovered that 100% of religious leaders could understand the correct consumption patterns. This starts from indicators of the ability to choose the type of food, compiling a simple but nutritious menu using a processing method that is friendly to the availability of sufficient and appropriate nutritional content as needed and can ensure that the amount of food consumed is according to the needs per day per age per gender of family members.

The CASEL Framework and Christian Schools: Using a Hermeneutical Tool to Determine Worldview Alignment

This article aims to utilize an adapted version of Trentham’s Inverse Consistency Protocol (ICP) as a way in which any ecclesial organization can act productively when confronted with seemingly controversial paradigms such as social emotional learning (SEL). The ICP can help Christian leaders discern potential areas of inconsistency or affirm authentic congruence with an organization’s faith tradition. Tenets from the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) were submitted through the four-step protocol. Findings suggest that CASEL is a valuable framework when applied authentically and that ICP is a constructive tool for engaging in the social sciences with integrity.