A Study Of Leader Selection In Churches Under The Ghana Pentecostal And Charismatic Council

ABSTRACT

The subject of leadership is of keen interest to mankind. Attention is therefore paid to the selection of leaders. However, the 21st century has been revolutionised with many global concerns. One such concern is the choice of a leader. This study therefore sought to investigate the process of selecting leaders in churches under the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC). The qualitative research approach was adopted to understand the uniqueness of leader selection in the church setting and the underlying meanings attached to it. Nine (9) churches made up of five (5) Pentecostals and four (4) Charismatics were purposively selected to get a true representation of the churches who have been in operation for at least ten years. Thirty (30) interviewees were selected from the churches which comprised of three (3) executives of the council (2 Pentecostals and 1 Charismatic), nine (9) full time ministers (5 Pentecostals and 4 Charismatics), nine (9) lay leaders (5 Pentecostals and 4 Charismatics) and nine (9) members (5 Pentecostals and 4 Charismatics). From the thematic data analysis, the study found that character, calling, past service record, competence, age, educational level and succession plan are the criteria for the selection of leaders in the church. These influenced a person’s selection for leadership since they have a blend of both spirituality and skills. Again, the process for the selection of leaders in the church was as follows: prayers and fasting, consultations, nominations, informing the person and receiving response, interviews, ordination and affirmation. Furthermore, it was discovered that effective leaders were those who met expectations of members and other leaders, have accomplished something for the church, have continued in their good works, have matured members, have raised other leaders and have rallied support from members. This study has therefore provided a comprehensive account of leader selection. The study therefore concluded that churches must select leaders based on defined criteria that exemplify one as truly born again and called by God; a committed member who has shown capabilities in different ways; an energetic believer who is knowledgeable and has been coached and mentored for leadership respectively. Again, the selection process must be well structured to choose the best member for leadership. This study recommended that leaders pay credence to the selection of leaders at all levels in the church. This will make it possible to select the right person for leadership. Also, churches must do well to develop or revise existing comprehensive document on leader selection. This will go a long way in the selecting of effective leaders who can move the church to the next level.