Intergenerational Bridges of Leadership Development in the Black Church

December 3, 2025

Intergenerational Bridges of Leadership Development in the Black Church

Leslie Harrell | 2024

Abstract

Fostering intergenerational bridges of leadership development within the Black Church is a crucial aspect of strategic leadership that has proven its efficacy over the generations. Rather than focusing solely on the Church’s historical impact, this text emphasizes the necessity of addressing current leadership development practices. By acknowledging and catering to the varying age groups represented in the Church, effective strategies for intergenerational leadership development can be established. This includes considering the Church’s culture and the roles of leadership, biblical succession planning, intentional leadership development, community engagement, and discipleship as essential components of leadership development within the Church.

Intergenerational bridges of leadership development bring the Black Church into a place of reconnecting with its leadership design and take a deliberate approach to cultivating effective leaders. By empowering leaders, the Church can strategically serve its communities and embrace its role of leadership throughout the church and the communities it serves. Approaching leadership development from an intergenerational perspective allows for bridging, that is, bringing together generations and creating meaningful connections.

Intergenerational leadership development is a powerful strategy for nurturing and propelling the Church toward its ultimate goal of spreading the transformative work of the Kingdom of God. Leaders can create an intergenerational Church design that promotes mentoring, collaboration, and growth by understanding the unique characteristics of such a Church and utilizing transformational and servant leadership theories. Intergenerational bridges create a foundation for Christian discipleship and its role of developing leaders in the Black Church through its leadership design.

Keywords: Intergeneration, Multi-generation, Black Church, Leadership, Mentoring, Age Groups, Community Engagement, Discipleship, Succession Planning

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