Bridging the Gap, Towards Developing Appropriate Leadership Approach for the Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church." Fuller Theological Seminary, School of Intercultural Studies, 2009 - Всего страниц: 292 This dissertation is an exploration of the leadership and communication culture of the Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church (EKHC) from the perspective of local and global changes, leadership theories, biblical leadership and the Ethiopian culture. The study examines the impact of rapidly changing culture (local and global) on established churches, factors contributing to the growing gap between the older (leadership and parents) and younger generations and the effectiveness of the existing leadership and communication approaches to address the changing needs, challenges and opportunities of the contemporary Ethiopian society. It also explores the theoretical frameworks of some major leadership models, their strengths and weaknesses and relevance to the Scripture and the Ethiopian society. In order to understand issues of concern, data was collected in the field and analyzed using the quantitative and qualitative methods. The study argues that the cultural, social, religious and political contexts of the Ethiopian society and the fast changing global culture, in particular modernity and globalization, have greatly impacted the leadership and communication culture of the church, both positively and negatively. The study also argues that the church's ability to approach and resolve the challenges of the present generation is dependent on leaders' potential to read the context (both local and global), developing effective leader-follower relationship/approaches and implementing them. The study is aimed to assist the EKHC leaders gain a better understanding of their leadership context and suggest appropriate leadership and communication models that can advance ongoing dialogue and interaction between the older and younger generations in the established churches today and in the future. Leadership is not a position of prominence but a place where one influences others, serves and develops reciprocal relationship. In a society where leadership is usually associated with power and control, the church should exhibit this reality. The appropriate leadership approaches/models to bring about such effective leader-follower relationship within the church and the wider Ethiopian society, the study argues, are the appreciative and servant leadership models. |
