A Strategy to Equip Leaders for Church Growth at Ilakaka, in the South West Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Madagascar

Abstract

It is a known fact that leadership is needed for the church. A great challenge for the Seventh-day Adventist Church is the lack of growth. Several reasons attribute to the lack of growth: a) diversity of communities, b) different levels of knowledge, c) different attitudes, d) different cultures, and the influence of other religious groups, such as Muslims. However, the main reason is the lack of spirituality. Leaders neglect to set aside time to communicate with God, and this has an impact on the members, and consequently prevents the church from growing. People are so busy trying to survive that they hardly have time to be with Jesus. There was a need to develop a strategic plan to deal with this lack of spiritually in order for the Ilakaka Seventh-day Adventist Church to grow. This study examined the theological foundations for leadership and church growth. Leadership and church growth are closely related. The paper analyzed different leadership styles and principles in the Old Testament and New Testament. This project explained also the Biblical concepts on church growth, both from the Old Testament and the New Testament, and Ellen White’s writings. Taking into account the theological basis of leadership and church growth, as well as the relationship between methods, the behavior of the leaders and the growth of the church, this study should help and equip Ilakaka leaders to apply some strategies to experience church growth. It is hoped that when this strategy is implemented, Ilakaka Church, and other churches in the Conference may attain their potential growth.