SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP IN THE CHURCH: A CRITICAL EXAMINATION

Abstract

Spiritual Leadership in the Church is the art of motivating a group of people to act towards achieving a common desired goal. Spiritual leadership is nothing if not linked to collective purpose; and the effectiveness of the leadership must be judged not by press clippings but by actual social change, measured by intent and by satisfaction of human needs and expectations which on the long term will be visible on the Church growth and development. Spiritual leadership is about providing guidance and direction. It does not always have to be done from the front; and it is not an easy thing to achieve. Spiritual Leadership is the ability of someone who has the style, personal qualities, charisma, values, skills, experience and knowledge to mould consensus and mobilize other people to get things done together. Spiritual leadership is defined as the ability to gain consensus and commitment to common objectives beyond organizational requirements which are attained with experience or contribution and satisfaction on the part of the working group (Oluwasegun 2005). It can also be defined as the relationship in which one person /leader influences others to work together on related tasks to meet the leadership set goals. Spiritual leadership is a means of direction, the ability of the Church management to induce the subordinates to work towards achieving the group’s set goals with confidence and keenness. This paper is to critically examine spiritual leadership in the Church, the principles and characteristics of Church leadership. The findings of the study will indicate what the Church authorities need to do or incorporate into the system to ensure growth and development both in physical and spiritual dimensions. The research will also serve as a resource base to other scholars and researchers interested in carrying out further research in this field.