Abstract
The changes in the context in which the church through history had to be relevant and effective constantly put greater demands on church leaders. Möller ([s a]: 344) points to the fact that the church should not only adapt to a dynamic community and differences in culture and language, but should also be relevant to the need of the moment. Ecclesia reformata semper reformanda (The Church that is reformed, still needs to be reformed). The cell church paradigm came to the fore with greater prominence over the last decades with renewed hope that the church’s strife to effectiveness and relevancy will be increased. The cell church paradigm was then officially embraced by the AFM of SA as the appropriate “more biblical” model by which congregations should function.
Limited success with the application of the cell church paradigm resulted in diminishing optimism and disappointment. The largest churches across the world are in one way or another based on the cell church paradigm. It appears to be problematic to implement the cell church paradigm in practice. The cell church paradigm has definite potential for the future of the church. The fact that it appears to be very much leadership intensive reveals the urgent need for leaders which is acknowledged on a wide front. Barna (1998:101) is of the opinion: “The Church is paralyzed by the absence of godly leadership”. The need to and the inability to develop leaders are laid before the door of the pastorate.
The focus of this research is on the essential leadership need, especially within the cell church paradigm. An effort is made to determine what the most important aspects and principles may be that will enhance leadership development within the cell church paradigm. The church is God’s means of grace to a world in need. It demands that every believer’s leadership potential should be unlocked and developed. “I am convinced it (the church) is the hope of the world” (Hybels 1995:17). In as much as leadership development within a cell church paradigm can be mastered with greater efficiency, the influence of the church on its context of the current broken society should increase, “realizing its call to greatness” (Campolo 2000:62).
Prof. W.F. Hattingh