{"id":18692,"date":"2018-09-06T17:03:27","date_gmt":"2018-09-07T00:03:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dminlgp\/?p=18692"},"modified":"2018-09-06T17:03:27","modified_gmt":"2018-09-07T00:03:27","slug":"making-disciples-and-servants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/making-disciples-and-servants\/","title":{"rendered":"Making Disciples and Servants"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the newly published journal Theology of Leadership<\/em>, several subjects are utilized as topics for research including discipleship. Although the idea of discipleship is ancient, it continues to be analyzed for how it functions (or doesn\u2019t) in the Christian world. In Triku Fufa Gemechu\u2019s article, \u201cDiscipleship Life Experience in a Servant Leadership Context,\u201d the reader learns about discipleship research done with a non-profit in Zimbabwe. \u00a0The author notes that the specific method (phenomenological) with a servant leadership philosophy applied to the discipleship research is easily transferable to other ministries.<\/p>\n

In my research of discipleship, I have found that Gemechu\u2019s content is helpful though limited. Most of Gemechu\u2019s article focuses on the method and questions that shaped the research while minimally relating the results or their effectiveness for the context. In addition, little is said about servant leadership as opposed to other types of leadership. Perhaps Gemechu\u2019s results are elsewhere or were permitted only for the direct use in Zimbabwe. Regardless, Gemechu does ask several important questions in his study that may be utilized for further research in varying settings.<\/p>\n

Two primary ideas of Gemechu\u2019s work stand out. First, the need for discipleship to be in life experience as well as education. The second is his use of servant leadership philosophy.<\/p>\n

Gemechu begins his article with a quote from Greg Ogden, \u201cit is alright to be a Christian without being a disciple.\u201d[1]<\/a> This sentiment is similar to Dallas Willard\u2019s content in The Great Omission<\/em>. Specifically, the omission is focused on the church neglecting discipleship from its practice.[2]<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cSo the greatest issue facing the world today, with all its heartbreaking needs, is whether those who, by profession or culture, are identified as \u201cChristians\u201d will become disciples\u2014students, apprentices, practitioners\u2014of Jesus Christ, steadily learning from him how to live the life of the Kingdom of the Heavens into every corner of human existence.\u201d[3]<\/a> This idea of living a life of discipleship and teaching others to do so as well is a key point in Gemechu\u2019s research. The difficulty is that most churches focus on the large gathering and education of the mind of the Christian while omitting the day to day actions of apprenticing.<\/p>\n

In leading a college internship program and teaching apprenticeship courses for the last several years, I have discovered first hand that apprenticing requires close proximity to those being apprenticed so they may observe, question, practice and eventually own for themselves what is being taught and lived. Thus, few can be apprenticed well by any one advisor at a time. Gemechu sites both Robert Coleman and Ogden\u2019s work in recognizing the inability to make or mature disciples when attempting to do so on a mass scale.[4]<\/a><\/p>\n

The reality from the study is that disciples begin to be and do what they see their teacher being and doing. To become a disciple or leader in the way of Jesus the apprentice must be close enough to those who are walking in that way so they may \u201creflect the transformed life producing the fruit of the Spirit.\u201d[5]<\/a> Unprogrammed or natural settings allow the transfer of character and action and therefore, a full education and discipleship of the person.<\/p>\n

The use of servant leadership philosophy is another aspect of Gemechu\u2019s article that is of interest. This article capitalizes on the idea of servant leadership as the context for disciple making. The underlying assumption is there are multiple philosophies but for the research of this study, servant leadership is the method used to make disciples. The question the article raises is, \u201cif not servant leadership then what type of leadership?\u201d What other philosophies are out there that reflect Christianity with a different or more nuanced approach? A quick glance at the other articles in the Theology of Leadership journal reveal servant leadership as a popular leadership theory of the church though it has not been well researched and has many variations. The most common definition of servant leadership is from Greenleaf focusing on a desire to serve and \u201cto make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served.\u201d[6]<\/a><\/p>\n

One of the myriad of leadership websites defines eight types of leadership, including servant leadership. The eight methods include charismatic, innovative, command and control, laissez-faire, pace setter, servant, situational, and transformational.[7]<\/a> After reading through the differing types, it seems servant leadership is not the only method employed in scripture. Though being a servant is a character quality, often a combination of leadership types was used by Jesus and the disciples. The variations of leadership in the bible, in particular, that advocated by Christ is a whole study of its own.<\/p>\n

Overall, the article provides well cited content for the reader to bolster the need for practitioners to make disciples in more meaningful and lasting ways. In addition, it offers a template of questions for research interviews to add to research and hone in on problem areas to be modified and grown.<\/p>\n

One of the limitations of Gemechu\u2019s article is that it does not provide concrete examples or outcomes of discipleship life experience via servant leadership model. The article merely explains how research was conducted. Small excerpt cuts away from the stories and, truly the depth of research and outcomes that make the research worth doing.<\/p>\n

The Theology of Leadership Journal<\/em> create a new base of research on the thinking theologically about leadership. New bibliographical content, insight on leadership philosophy and content for my own research on discipleship are all aspects of the journal that I and other practitioners and scholars are able to glean from. The journal creates a crossover from the academy to the church in an accessible way with much food for thought and practice.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> Ogden, Greg. (2007). Discipleship Essentials: A Guide to Building Your Life in Christ (Expanded ed.). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. 2007, 27.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Willard, Dallas. The Great Omission: Reclaiming Jesus\u2019 Essential Teachings on Discipleship.<\/em> New York: NY, Harper Collins, 2006, 3.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Willard, Location 162.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> Coleman, RE. The Master Plan of Evangelism. Grand Rapids, MI: Revell. 2010.<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> Gemechu, Triku Fufa. \u201cDiscipelship Life Experience in a Servant Leadership Context,\u201d Theology of Leadership Journal<\/em>, Vol 1, No 1, 43. Accessed September 1, 2018. http:\/\/theologyofleadership.com\/index.php\/tlj\/issue\/view\/v1i1\/v1i1<\/p>\n

[6]<\/a> Greenleaf, R. K. Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press. 2002, 27.<\/p>\n

[7]<\/a> https:\/\/www.asaecenter.org\/resources\/articles\/an_magazine\/2013\/january\/8-common-leadership-styles<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the newly published journal Theology of Leadership, several subjects are utilized as topics for research including discipleship. Although the idea of discipleship is ancient, it continues to be analyzed for how it functions (or doesn\u2019t) in the Christian world. In Triku Fufa Gemechu\u2019s article, \u201cDiscipleship Life Experience in a Servant Leadership Context,\u201d the reader […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":105,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1327],"class_list":["post-18692","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-theology-of-leadership-journal","cohort-lgp8"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18692","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/105"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18692"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18692\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18693,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18692\/revisions\/18693"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18692"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18692"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18692"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}