AN EVALUATION OF MINISTERS AND ELDERS RELATIONSHIP AND ITS RELEVANCE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH OF NIGERIA

Abstract

This study focused on the evaluation of ministers and elders relationship and its relevance to the development of The Apostolic Church of Nigeria with emphasis on Asokoro District. A survey was conducted of these congregations’ elders and ministers assessing their leadership practices and perspectives. 300 members, ministers and elders were randomly selected by the researcher as the population of the study, the instrument of data collection was a well-structured four Likert scale questionnaire, the method of data analysis was the graphical and percentage method and Chi-squre statistics with the aid of SPSS version 21. Based on results of the result of the findings, the study concludes that there is a significant relationship between church development and ministers and elders relationship and pastoral management behavior.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• Background of the study

Leadership has been the subject of considerable writing and thought in both the secular and religious worlds. Literature in numerous fields has demonstrated a link between the effectiveness of an organization and the abilities of its leaders to guide and direct. In the field of business, Peters and Waterman (1982) have written that “associated with almost every excellent company has a strong leader (or two) who seemed to have had a lot to do with making the company excellent in the first place”. Research has supported that a direct relationship exists between leadership ability and Church effectiveness (Finn, 1987; Russell, 1994; Sergiovanni, 1995; Steller, 1988). Recently there has been an increasing focus on the impact that leadership has on a church’s ability to fulfill its mission (Donaldson, 2005; Femeau, 2015; George, 2013; Means, 2009). Means (2009) stated, “There are many reasons for church growth and development but perhaps the one common ingredient in all churches that experience healthy growth is competent leadership”. Many churches, including Christian churches/ The Apostolic Church, have traditionally relied upon a group of volunteers called elders as the primary leadership body in a local congregation. Donaldson (2015) observed that a large number of contemporary Christian churches/ The Apostolic Church were lacking in both spiritual and numeric growth. He wrote, “A large part of the problem is a shortage of outstanding spiritual leaders among our elders”. Grady King (2013). The dominant form of leadership within The Apostolic Church is a congregational polity in which the members appoint a plurality of believers called elders who voluntarily lead, guide, and oversee the church. The elders hire ministers to carry out the day‐to‐day ministries of the congregation. The ministers are theologically trained and assume many of the public roles of teaching and leadership, yet their authority is limited to the leadership and positional authority of the elders. This relationship sometimes becomes quite complex and conflicted, to the point of creating ministry burnout. Craig Van Gelder and Dwight J (2011). Often this occurs because of the ambiguity surrounding the role of minister, an ambiguity stretching back to the beginning of the Stone‐Campbell heritage Steve Cloer (2016). Because of this ambiguity, many churches often struggle with leadership, transformation, and growth.

• STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

It is no news that ministers and elders relationship is pertinent to the growth and development of The Apostolic Church, but in the same vain it is difficult to see a minister or pastors pays the Church elder a visit by a minister as a purely pastoral call rather than church business.  (Hebrews 10:25). The pastor’s visit is usually made to keep the busy wheels of the church program in mo­tion, and although unintentional, the heart-to-heart contact of the minister (as the shepherd) with the local elder (as the leading sheep of the flock) is often over­looked.  Possibly the local elders are to feel com­plimented in this expression of confidence, the ministry feeling, perhaps, that we gen­erate our own spiritual stamina to meet the vicissitudes of modern life. It must be realized, however, that there are occasions when some elder may be having an agoniz­ing experience in overcoming sin, and it is in that hour that the strong arms of the anointed ministry could help. A personal prayer session with an elder may bring to light a trial or personal problem in the elder’s life that may never become known otherwise (Proverbs 27:17). It is in view of this that the study intend to examine the minsters and elders relationship and it’s relevant to the development of the church.

• OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

This study has one main objective which is further broken-down into general and specific objective, the general objective is to evaluate the ministers and elders relationship and its relevance to the development of The Apostolic church on Nigeria, the specific objectives are;

1. To examine the effect of ministers and elders relationship on the growth of The Apostolic Church of Nigeria
2. To ascertain if there is any significant relationship between ministers and elders relationship and church development

• To ascertain the role of ministers and elders relationship on the growth of the church

1. To proffer suggested solution to the identified problem
   • RESEARCH QUESTION

The following research question were formulated by the researcher to aid the completion of the study

1. Is there any effect of ministers and elders relationship on the growth of The Apostolic Church of Nigeria?
2. Is there any significant relationship between ministers and elders relationship and church development?

• Does ministers and elders relationship play any role on the growth of the church?
  • RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

The following research hypotheses were formulated by the researcher to aid the completion of the study;

H₀: There is no significant relationship between ministers and elders relationship and church development

H₀₂: ministers and elders relationship does not have any effect on the growth of The Apostolic Church of Nigeria

H₀₃: ministers and elders relationship does not play any role on the growth of the church

• SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

It is believed that at the completion of the study, the findings will be of great importance to the leadership of churches and other nonprofit oriented organization as the study seek to examine the effect ministers and elders relationship, the study will also be of importance to pastors, catholic priest and other ministerial leaders and elders as the study seek to explore the ministers and elders relationship and its relevance to the development of the apostolic church. The study will also be of importance to researchers who intend to embark on a study in a similar topic as the study will serve as a reference point to further study, finally the study will be of importance to students, teachers, academia’s and the general public as the study will add to the pool of existing literature and also contribute to knowledge.

• SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The scope of the study covers an evaluation of ministers and elders relationship and its relevance to the development of The Apostolic Church of Nigeria. But in the course of the study, there are some factors that limit the scope of the study;

AVAILABILITY OF RESEARCH MATERIAL: The research material available to the researcher is insufficient, thereby limiting the study

TIME: The time frame allocated to the study does not enhance wider coverage as the researcher has to combine other academic activities and examinations with the study.

FINANCE: The finance available for the research work does not allow for wider coverage as resources are very limited as the researcher has other academic bills to cover.

1.8 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS

Minsters

In Christianity, a minister is a person authorized by a church or other religious organization to perform functions such as teaching of beliefs; leading services such as weddings, baptisms or funerals; or otherwise providing spiritual guidance to the community

Elders

In Christianity, an elder is a person who is valued for wisdom and holds a position of responsibility and authority in a Christian group

Church growth

The Church Growth Movement is a movement within evangelical Christianity which aims to grow churches based on research, sociology, analysis, etc.

1.9 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY

This research work is organized in five chapters, for easy understanding, as follows

Chapter one is concern with the introduction, which consist of the (overview, of the study), statement of problem, objectives of the study, research question, significance or the study, research methodology, definition of terms and historical background of the study. Chapter two highlight the theoretical framework on which the study its based, thus the review of related literature. Chapter three deals on the research design and methodology adopted in the study. Chapter four concentrate on the data collection and analysis and presentation of finding.  Chapter five gives summary, conclusion, and recommendations made of the study.

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