Missional Leadership Research Articles

Building missional leadership and spiritual formation: Practical theological perspectives on a Master’s Programme

A MTh programme with the focus on building missional leadership capacity has recently been developed at the Faculty of Theology at Stellenbosch University. The programme is a joint effort of the discipline groups of practical theology and missiology and Ekklesia, an ecumenical centre linked to the Faculty of Theology. The focus of the programme is to serve as a learning community for pastors and congregational leaders who want to build their missional and ministerial leadership capacity. Research done in congregations of the Partnership for South African Missional Churches (SAPMC) shapes the focus and content of the different modules in this programme. The purpose of the paper is to do a practical theological analysis into the background and development of the programme. After giving some insight into the rationale and motivation for starting the programme, the hermeneutical-rhetorical framework of the programme is explained. The paper goes on to give a brief exposition of the content covered in each of the modules, probes into three frames of interpretation (pedagogical, theological and strategic) and ends by reflecting on feedback from some of the first students that recently finished the programme.

Complex leadership as a way forward for transformational missional leadership in a denominational structure

The research investigates the role of leadership in the transformation of denominational structures towards a missional ecclesiology, and focusses on the Highveld Synod of the Dutch Reformed Church. It describes the missional journey of the denomination, and interprets the transformation. The theory of ‘complex leadership’ in complex systems is applied to the investigation of the impact of leadership on a denominational structure. The theory identifies three mechanisms used by leaders as enablers in emergent, self-organisation systems: (1) Leaders disrupt existing patterns, (2) they encourage novelty, and (3) they act as sensemakers. These insights are applied as a tool to interpret the missional transformation of a denomination.

Improving National Park Service and Nonprofit Partnerships—Lessons from the National Trail System

Federal land management agencies are increasingly relying on collaborative partnerships for managing national trails, heritage areas, scenic rivers, and recreation areas. For agencies such as the National Park Service, these joint approaches are significantly different from traditional management approaches. This article uses a case study of the Juan Bautista De Anza National Historic Trail to identify partnership lessons for this case and other protected areas that rely on public–private partnerships. The research highlights partnership issues with nonprofit capacity and mission alignment, project momentum, and leadership dilemmas. We suggest that agencies such as the National Park Service need to assess the mission and capacity of community and nonprofit groups to determine their partnership approach. This is a significant shift, from agencies simply needing to find organizations willing to partner on collaborative management efforts, to a role in assessing, forming, and developing nonprofit partners.

선교적 교단을 향하여 - 선교적 교회론의 관점에서 본 한국의 교단

This paper tries to provide an answer to the question of whether the Korean Church is missional. This quest needs a tool for the evaluation. This paper believes that the evaluation of denominations from the perspective of missional ecclesiology is appropriate. Therefore, the chapter two examined the North American churches based on Craig Van Gelder research. The evaluation of the North American church is crucial because most of Korean churches have their roots in the North American churches, and their rise and falls are quite similar to them. The research tells that the North American churches have developed and changed in accordance to their contemporary situations. It also tells that each denomination should have its basis on the Bible, be sensitive to its contemporary situations, be a community that is formed with various social classes, and grow to be a holistic missional denomination. Being a missional denomination, however, does not mean to disorganize church.In chapter three, we examined the Korean church on the basis of the standard previously mentioned, and we pointed out that the Korean church has a problem with the control system, predicting the future, and the use of mission resources. Therefore, this chapter made a few suggestions in order to solve this problem: the church should be biblical mission oriented church; each denomination should respect each other; various approach to the mission targets in accordance to the social change should be made; and each denomination should be missional networked. It especially suggested that a system to produce many pastors with missional leadership and mission minded lay persons. It also suggested that the church should try to find ways to overcome the crisis of the contemporary churches that have lost their social influence and accordingly encounter the minus growth.

선교적 교회론에서 본 한국 민중교회

The aim of this paper is to suggest some main points of the missional church of the North America and to apply them to the Minjung church in South Korea so that the merits of both churches, the missional church and the Minjung church could complement each other. It is not easy for us to understand the missional church, for the missional church is produced by the results of the theological trialogue among Gospel, culture and church in depth. Even though we agree with the theological assumptions and new orientations such as the Trinity, the reign of God and the missio Dei, it is almost impossible for us to be liberated from the attractional church. In other words, unless the mind-set of the attractional church is dead the missional church cannot be born. That is the reason why so many pastors looking for the missional church turn out to be satisfied with new mission strategies rather than to keep those theological orientation in mind. As the local church is the focal point of the missional church doing theology of the local church is necessary for the missional church. There are three types of doing theology, community theology, prophetic theology and outsider theology. The local church should participate in the missio Dei for the sake of the reign of God through identifying the boundary-breaking activities of the Holy Spirit, becoming a witness to the reign of God and challenging to the current unjust systems of politics, economy and society.Foundations of the missional leadership are Jesus Christ who confronts the current power of the world, the Holy Spirit who leads the people of God toward the reign of God, and the recovered eschatology. The Minjung church aims at the reign of God through participating in the missio Dei, the democratization movement, and the peaceful reunification of Korea. As the Minjung church wrestles with the signs of the times the Minjung church is beyond the trialogue among Gospel, culture and church. From the beginning of the Minjung church on its theological orientation was radical enough to accept those theological assumptions and orientation of the missional church. The Minjung mission became diversified from the mid-nineties for Minjung pastors who participated in the boundary-breaking mission of the Holy Spirit. This resulted in the change in the identity of the Minjung church. Doing theology of the Minjung church, however, is limited to Minjung pastors so laity and women of the Minjung church must involve in doing theology in the near future.

National Mission, Feminine Identity and Female Leadership in a Mythical Masculine Organization: The Story of Ada Sereni, Head of the Mossad Le’Aliyah in Italy during the 1940s

National Mission, Feminine Identity and Female Leadership in a Mythical Masculine Organization: The Story of Ada Sereni, Head of the Mossad Le’Aliyah in Italy during the 1940s

Missional Leadership Formation: Embodiment ofTogether towards Life

International Review of MissionVolume 103, Issue 1 p. 144-147 Responses to the New Mission Affirmation Missional Leadership Formation: Embodiment of Together towards Life Roderick Hewitt, Roderick HewittSearch for more papers by this author Roderick Hewitt, Roderick HewittSearch for more papers by this author First published: 16 April 2014 https://doi.org/10.1111/irom.12052Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Volume103, Issue1April 2014Pages 144-147 RelatedInformation

Relational leadership and the missional church

The global realities regarding cultural shifts and the transition between traditional, modern and postmodern world perspectives have particular implications for leadership in general. In several institutions, including those in commercial, educational, medical and religious circles, leaders face the challenges of constant change in lifestyle, relational intelligence and responsibility. The combined impact of these changes in thought and culture, information technology, globalisation and racial, ethnic and religious pluralism has displaced the historic role the church has traditionally played. In this article it was argued that the church would have to take a hard look at relationships, in order to be the successful missional church which was demonstrated by Jesus Christ. The church needs to change, evolve and advance in relational intelligence and leadership � and leaders should set the pace. This implies that a paradigm shift is necessary; it is believed that this can be achieved through the proposed relational leadership style, as clearly demonstrated in the Trinitarian discussion. The Trinity, especially a relational Trinity, revealed the core understanding of missional ecclesiology and leadership and showed that as a result of the total �oneness� of God, there is no hierarchical order in the Godhead and as such the church should function and operate with the Trinity as its model and example.

The Missional Church and Leadership: Helping Congregations Develop Leadership Capacity. Edited by Craig Van Gelder. Grand Rapids, Michigan, US, Eerdmans 2009. Pp. x + 238. $20.00.

The Missional Church and Leadership: Helping Congregations Develop Leadership Capacity. Edited by Craig Van Gelder. Grand Rapids, Michigan, US, Eerdmans 2009. Pp. x + 238. $20.00.

Missionale gemeentes in die Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika – Teologies verantwoord

Missional congegrations in the Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa – Theologically substantiated The Christian churches are experiencing a major paradigm shift as they attemp to navigate the 20th century. Around the mid-fourth century to the mid-twentieth century CE, often referred to as the ‘age of Christendom’, Christianity and the institutional church had a central place, which was culturally supported in the public life of most Western societies. Today it is impossible to talk about culture without using the plural. Society has changed into what is called a ‘pluriverse’ of cultures determined by aspects such as geography, race, ethinicity, class, and worldview. For Christian denominations, this paradigm shift has become exceedingly challenging. This article discerns and experiments with approaches to ministry that are vitally challenged by the many current understandings of what it means to be church today. By taking the concept missio Dei as point of departure the article describes the church as being called to be a missional church and the Christian leaders as being called to exercise missional leadership. The article addresses the notion of missio trinitatis as fundamental to the understanding of the missio Dei. God is one who lives by sharing, and the Trinity is the doctrine of a God whose very essence is sharing, thus the consequence is that those who believe in such a God must live a similar life. Matthew 28:19−20 serves as basis for a discussion on the ‘embodiment’ of the church’s missional theology as well as a basis for the development of a missional praxis. The fundamental conviction argued in this article is that there can be no place for a future church that is not missional in essence.

The Missional Church and Leadership: Helping Congregations Develop Leadership Capacity

The Missional Church and Leadership: Helping Congregations Develop Leadership Capacity

Guidance for Occupational Health Services in Medical Centers

Guidance for Occupational Health Services in Medical Centers

Women and mission leadership

Only one of NASA's planetary science flight missions in the past 30 years has been led by a women scientist as Principal Investigator. The number of senior women in the field is small, but women are still underutilized, as seen by a cohort age analysis correlating with median ages for various key science roles. Worse, the more junior women are not joining missions as Co-Investigators and Participating Scientists at rates approaching their representation in the field of planetary science. In fact, they are underutilized in these roles not by a few percent, but by greater than a factor of two. The pipeline of women gaining mission experience today is increasing, but it is not keeping pace with the rate that women are now choosing to stay in the field for postdoctoral studies and beyond. The numbers definitively show for the first time that, for whatever reason, women are still underrepresented in mission leadership at NASA.

Principal Investigators and mission leadership

Principal Investigators of small and medium sized space and earth science missions face many challenges during formulation, design, development, integration and test, launch, and operations; these challenges may be more easily met by team leaders with prior mission experience. This paper reports the results of the first known demographic study of NASA's Principal-Investigator-led missions and makes recommendations for preparing additional space scientists to lead. The addition of a Deputy Principal Investigator to proposal teams could reduce the burden on the Principal Investigator and provide an opportunity for additional scientists to gain mission leadership experience useful on future missions. The pool of mission-knowledgeable scientists could further be expanded to include scientists earlier in their careers via carefully managed Participating Scientist Programs. Adding Deputy Principal Investigators and Participating Scientist Programs to missions as a matter of course would reinforce effective management practices, open the field of proposers, and provide concrete ways to mentor the next generation of Principal Investigators.

‘n Stormkompas in tye van aanpasbare verandering – kontoere van missionêre leierskap

A compass in the storms of adaptive change - outlines on missional leadership.The article describes outlines of and elaborates on missional leadership in the challenging times of adaptive change. The insights of Roxburg & Romanuk (2006) and Van Gelder (2007), especially in terms of their contributions on Spirit-led missional leadership, serves as partners for the discussion. This is enriched by other publications and highlighted by the influence of prof Piet Meiring’s life as missional leader. The article describes missional leadership as:• a journey directed by spiritual discernment,• Biblical imagination to discern God’s preferred future,• the art of listening,• the cultivation of an environment that discerns God’s activities among the congregation and in its context,• communally orientated and network-leadership,• cultural transformation,• storytelling, and• taking risks.

Through the Sea Snow: The Central Role of Videography in the Deep Gulf Wrecks Mission

The media team on the 2004 Deep Gulf Wrecks mission fulfilled three video-related functions: documentation, preservation, and outreach. Instead of looking at the media team as witnesses to the scientific events or as video tourists, the mission leadership integrated the video, backup, and Internet work into the scientific process carried out in the Gulf of Mexico. While not the first time this kind of cooperation has occurred in deep sea exploration work, the extent of media-scientific collaboration was exceptional in an age of soundbites and formulaic scientific filmmaking. The key strategic and technical lessons learned from the mission are summarized.

Walking Worthily: Missional Leadership after Christendom

Walking Worthily: Missional Leadership after Christendom

Is Organizational Ethics the Remedy for Failure to Thrive? Toward an Understanding of Mission Leadership

Is Organizational Ethics the Remedy for Failure to Thrive? Toward an Understanding of Mission Leadership

“Just-in-Time” Mental Health Training and Surveillance for the Project HOPE Mission

Immediately before the first sailing of the USS Mercy/Project HOPE relief mission to Southeast Asia, the mission leadership initiated presailing orientation and training and a program of survey-based health surveillance for mission participants. The training and surveillance efforts included a focus on mental health aspects of the mission. At the conclusion of the predeployment mental health training, a voluntary, anonymous, predeployment survey was administered to members of the Project HOPE team. A second survey was administered approximately 3 months after return from the mission. The surveys were also administered before and after the second sailing of the USS Mercy/Project HOPE mission, although the training was not repeated. The sample size prevented statistical analysis of predeployment and postdeployment rates of illness; however, there was no evidence of incidence beyond population baseline rates. Responses to questions regarding perceptions of mission success and personal achievement were quite favorable, whereas specific questions regarding shipboard resources, training, and professional interactions were met with more variable responses. Response rates suggest a strong interest among participants in efforts to address the Project HOPE program and resources. They also suggest resilience among participants and areas for improvement in communication among participants.

“Fire and Flame”: Anna Dengel and the Medical Mission to Women and Children

In 1942, Anna Dengel (1892–1980) noted that “history has been defined as a series of biographies.” This aptly applies to the development of the Society of Catholic Medical Missionaries, the first Roman Catholic congregation of women religious which she founded for the exclusive purpose of providing professional medical assistance as surgeons, midwives, and obstetricians for those most in need. After four years as a lay mission doctor in Rawalpindi, India, Austrian-born Dengel founded the Society in 1925 in Washington, D.C. Almost seven hundred women from five continents are members of the Society today. Dengel's biography illustrates intrepid, creative medical mission leadership especially to assist women and children, in spite of ecclesiastical and cultural hindrances. Her life demonstrates a mission approach that intricately weaves science and religion, social analysis and spirituality.