Leadership functions and church decline in the Reformed Churches in South Africa: Considering Ephesians 4:11–16
Multiple studies from Ephesians 4:11–16 have been carried out that focused mostly on aspects of the believers’ priesthood. This article highlights the significance of adhering to the biblical instructions of God as a means to attain church growth. The church was instituted by God and as such he dire...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Afrikaans |
| Published: |
AOSIS
2021-07-01
|
| Series: | Verbum et Ecclesia |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://verbumetecclesia.org.za/index.php/ve/article/view/2189 |
| _version_ | 1828526438189367296 |
|---|---|
| author | Ignatius W. Ferreira Wilbert Chipenyu |
| author_facet | Ignatius W. Ferreira Wilbert Chipenyu |
| author_sort | Ignatius W. Ferreira |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Multiple studies from Ephesians 4:11–16 have been carried out that focused mostly on aspects of the believers’ priesthood. This article highlights the significance of adhering to the biblical instructions of God as a means to attain church growth. The church was instituted by God and as such he directs the process of church growth. Nevertheless, the ongoing membership decline in the World Protestant Churches globally and the Reformed Churches in South Africa (RCSA) locally is an indicator that the church is failing to meet the will and purpose of God with the church. In the World Protestant Churches and the RCSA, the decline trends are basically the same, and the loopholes are pointing at church leadership. This article seeks to describe the leadership failure to uphold the blueprint of church health according to Ephesians 4:11–16. These are the keys to real church revitalisation and growth. The exegesis of the problem verse (Eph 4:11) was carried out to indicate the various leadership gifts that are necessary for church growth to occur. The Bible and related literature are the sources of data. This article identifies how an omission of the gift-oriented tasks in a congregation leads to church decline.
Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: Within the context of the continued church decline within Western Christianity (Christendom), this article reflects on the historical, mostly ‘Practical theological’ focus on church growth by exegeting the source texts from a ‘missiological perspective’. This study is also very conscious of modernity’s onslaught on the evangelical church through the therapeutic and managerial revolutions, which functions with an attitude of anti-clericalism when focusing on church growth. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T21:24:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6278d27cab25409b8ffe8cd395db034b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1609-9982 2074-7705 |
| language | Afrikaans |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T21:24:45Z |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Verbum et Ecclesia |
| spelling | doaj.art-6278d27cab25409b8ffe8cd395db034b2022-12-22T00:50:22ZafrAOSISVerbum et Ecclesia1609-99822074-77052021-07-01421e1e810.4102/ve.v42i1.21891633Leadership functions and church decline in the Reformed Churches in South Africa: Considering Ephesians 4:11–16Ignatius W. Ferreira0Wilbert Chipenyu1Department of Missiology, Faculty of Theology, North-West University, PotchefstroomDepartment of Missiology, Faculty of Theology, North-West University, PotchefstroomMultiple studies from Ephesians 4:11–16 have been carried out that focused mostly on aspects of the believers’ priesthood. This article highlights the significance of adhering to the biblical instructions of God as a means to attain church growth. The church was instituted by God and as such he directs the process of church growth. Nevertheless, the ongoing membership decline in the World Protestant Churches globally and the Reformed Churches in South Africa (RCSA) locally is an indicator that the church is failing to meet the will and purpose of God with the church. In the World Protestant Churches and the RCSA, the decline trends are basically the same, and the loopholes are pointing at church leadership. This article seeks to describe the leadership failure to uphold the blueprint of church health according to Ephesians 4:11–16. These are the keys to real church revitalisation and growth. The exegesis of the problem verse (Eph 4:11) was carried out to indicate the various leadership gifts that are necessary for church growth to occur. The Bible and related literature are the sources of data. This article identifies how an omission of the gift-oriented tasks in a congregation leads to church decline. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: Within the context of the continued church decline within Western Christianity (Christendom), this article reflects on the historical, mostly ‘Practical theological’ focus on church growth by exegeting the source texts from a ‘missiological perspective’. This study is also very conscious of modernity’s onslaught on the evangelical church through the therapeutic and managerial revolutions, which functions with an attitude of anti-clericalism when focusing on church growth.https://verbumetecclesia.org.za/index.php/ve/article/view/2189leadership functionschurch declinereformed churches in south africaworld protestant churchesephesians 4:11–16 |
| spellingShingle | Ignatius W. Ferreira Wilbert Chipenyu Leadership functions and church decline in the Reformed Churches in South Africa: Considering Ephesians 4:11–16 Verbum et Ecclesia leadership functions church decline reformed churches in south africa world protestant churches ephesians 4:11–16 |
| title | Leadership functions and church decline in the Reformed Churches in South Africa: Considering Ephesians 4:11–16 |
| title_full | Leadership functions and church decline in the Reformed Churches in South Africa: Considering Ephesians 4:11–16 |
| title_fullStr | Leadership functions and church decline in the Reformed Churches in South Africa: Considering Ephesians 4:11–16 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Leadership functions and church decline in the Reformed Churches in South Africa: Considering Ephesians 4:11–16 |
| title_short | Leadership functions and church decline in the Reformed Churches in South Africa: Considering Ephesians 4:11–16 |
| title_sort | leadership functions and church decline in the reformed churches in south africa considering ephesians 4 11 16 |
| topic | leadership functions church decline reformed churches in south africa world protestant churches ephesians 4:11–16 |
| url | https://verbumetecclesia.org.za/index.php/ve/article/view/2189 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ignatiuswferreira leadershipfunctionsandchurchdeclineinthereformedchurchesinsouthafricaconsideringephesians41116 AT wilbertchipenyu leadershipfunctionsandchurchdeclineinthereformedchurchesinsouthafricaconsideringephesians41116 |