The Problems of the Charismatic Pentecostal Churches in Africa: A Servant Leadership Approach

The Problems of the Charismatic Pentecostal Churches in Africa: A Servant Leadership Approach

Prince Frimpong | 2023

Abstract

Competent and reliable leadership is an indispensable component of any progressive society. With its numerous challenges, the rapidly changing African society calls for competent and reliable leadership. The most trusted institution, the church, has failed to offer this kind of leadership to the African community. Most of these challenges relate to how the Charismatic Pentecostal Churches can be contextually relevant beyond the church walls without losing their authenticity and identity in developing the Continent’s people. This manuscript eloquently and comprehensively walks the reader through many aspects of the inherent challenges. It also provides tangible takeaways, including vision and strategic development, both foundational elements of sustainable change.

Africans are facing tremendous challenges, both political and ideological. In practical terms, it is relatively neglected, and millions are abandoned to hunger and death and left without family, shelter, protection, or support. There have been despots’ and military dictators’ signatures beneath all the sufferings and disasters in Africa. There have been dark days when deviant leaders dragged their countries into conflicts in the name of self-serving ideologies. The deficit of ethical and political leadership crisis poses enormous challenges to the Continent. Bad leadership manifested by persistent human rights violations, lousy governance, dysfunctional institutions, patronage, electoral fraud, manipulation of ethnic differences, corruption, and personalization of power hinder the prevalence of peace and social justice.

One of the most significant challenges facing Charismatic Pentecostalism is its inability to become centrifugal. Centripetal churches tend to be inward-looking, using biblical teaching to channel human and financial resources into the church without consideration for social and human development. Centrifugally oriented churches must be encouraged among the charismatic Pentecostalism to engage in social and political activism. Instead of just pursuing spiritual means for its members, centripetal orientation must engage in the discussion against lousy leadership issues and fight against social injustices, marginalization, oppression, and other social problems. They must be willing to challenge bad leadership that undermines political, social, and human improvement while, at the same time, offering spiritual guidance. Charismatic Pentecostalism must shift from only providing spiritual solutions to solving sociopolitical problems practically.

This manuscript persuasively addresses the clergy and leaders of the African Pentecostal and Charismatic churches. It presents critical components of the current successful work done by some of the leaders of the Pentecostal and Charismatic churches. The manuscript further analyzes the problems and the areas of failure within these churches. The project provides and volubly walks the reader through a framework to understand the progression of possible solutions to these problems related to the servant leadership theory.

Keywords: Leadership, servant leadership, followership, human rights, social justice, building communities, poverty, politics