The title of the study is ‘Spiritual
Leadership Capital: A Theology of Poverty in
 Congregational
Development’. It is a study which tried to understand how Ghanaian
Pentecostal spirituality informs their leadership paradigms towards
addressing poverty in their
 contexts.
 The basic assumption of
this study is, Pentecostal congregations can be a force to help
Ghana
 address poverty if they are missionally built-up and have
cultivated spiritual leadership capital
 (SLC).
 The research
problem is, do leadership in Ghanaian Pentecostal congregations
have spiritual
 leadership capital (SLC)? (Chapter three outlines
SLC). What has been the Pentecostal
 understanding of poverty, have
they a sustainable missional (practical) theology of poverty?
(Chapter 4 outlined this). To what extent could their having or the
lack of SLC, help or prevent
 them from developing missional
congregations which are able to theologically address the
 problem
of poverty? (Chapter two addressed missional theology). In what
ways might the
 adoption of SLC in congregational development by
Pentecostals contribute to the addressing of
 poverty in Ghana?
The study is in the broad disciplinary area of practical theology,
and specifically under the subdiscipline
 of congregational
development (ecclesiology). The Researcher advances ‘spiritual
leadership capital’ (SLC) theory, which he argues provides inner
virtues which spirituality
 affords people, shaping them with
resilient leadership paradigms that contribute to the formation
 of
social capital for the sustainable addressing of social problems
such as poverty. It comes to
 enrich earlier theories on social
capital.
 With the main concern of this project being missional
theology as regards leadership in
 congregational development
within the context of Ghanaian Pentecostalism, researcher contests
that, SLC can be used to address questions posed to the church and
the world by the problem of
 poverty. The word ‘missional’ has been
understood within the missional conversation to have a
 bigger
scope than missionary activity. Leadership’s understanding of
mission must determine the
 structures and systems of a missional
congregation. Using Osmer’s (2008) four task practical theology
approach to research, SLC comes as a
 practical theology of poverty
in congregational development. Using SLC in view of the backdrop
of Nel’s (2015:273-278) congregational analysis, contextual
analysis and diagnosis; the
 empirically the study looked at the
Church of Pentecost, Assemblies of God Church, Ghana, and
 Global
Evangelical Church. Its aim was to understand their concept of
being missional and how
 they see poverty within the scope of their
ecclesiology and how SLC can improve their praxis in
 this
direction. The researcher draws on historical lessons from the
spiritualities of historic
 pneumatic Christian movements, such as
Quakers, Moravians, Huguenots, and Puritans in
 overcoming poverty.
And as part of SLC, argues transformational diaconia, as a
missional
 response to poverty beyond existing social…

Spiritual leadership capital : a theology of poverty in congregational development

This thesis studies the identity, context and features of Pentecostalism in Rajasthan, India as well as the internal and external issues facing Pentecostals. It argues for an indigenous origin of Pentecostalism in Rajasthan, as it is a product of local Spirit revivals in the existing churches and the missionary activities of Indian Pentecostals. It also reveals that both the intra-church as well as extra-church issues place Pentecostals in a ‘missio-ethical dilemma.’ The thesis aims to suggest ‘a contextual missiology of the Spirit,’ as a new model of contextual missiology from a Pentecostal perspective, which has emerged from this study. The inherent theological characteristics of Pentecostalism underline the pneumatological foundation of a contextual Pentecostal missiology. As a contextual missiology of the Spirit it has certain contextual features. By dealing with the global-local tension, it can be considered a glocal missiology. It is capable of promoting ecumenicity at various levels, and so it is an ecumenical missiology. By empowering people to engage in spiritual as well as socio-political issues, it aims to be a transformational missiology. As it is concerned with the well-being of the community, it has the potential to become a public missiology.

A contextual missiology of the spirit: a study of Pentecostalism in Rajasthan, India

This thesis addresses the challenge to Christian mission posed by the rapid rise of urban slum and squatter neighbourhoods in the Majority World. Rather than seeing incarnational mission as a model, method or value, a view of incarnational mission which utilizes the trinitarian motif of enfleshing hope is proposed. This approach has the potential to invite distinctive and effective Christian responses to the challenge of slums.

Enfleshing hope: toward a christian response to the rise of urban slum and squatter neighbourhoods

/pdf/witnessing-to-christ-in-a-pluralistic-world-christian-49a1f1reb5.pdf

Witnessing to Christ in a Pluralistic World: Christian Mission among Other Faiths

This thesis contributes originally to pentecostal historiography through bringing a pre-eminent figure in early British Pentecostalism into the limelight showing how Pentecostalism in Belgian Congo was pioneered by him alongside local agency. Together they furthered its development in the southeastern Katanga and Kasai provinces. Central to W.F.P. Burton’s contradictory and complex personality was a passionate desire to see the emancipation of humankind from the spiritual powers of darkness believing only Spirit-empowered local agency would enduringly prove effective. 

This thesis unevenly portrays Burton’s Congolese years by parsing biographical landmarks alongside his persistent attempts to co-labour with local agency. Burton’s ambitions might have been circumscribed by his birth into a notable family. Burton though, lived with a faith which believed for Spirit intervention in church communities converting lives, bringing physical healing and transforming regions. In the maelstrom following Congolese Independence, Burton’s belief in his own brand of indigenisation made him an outlier even among Pentecostals. This thesis argues such pentecostal faith engendered an idealism which frustratingly conflicted with those not sharing it in the way he understood and pursued it. It thus serves Pentecostals (holding a similar faith) and historians by clarifying his ideals and revealing the reasons for his frustrations.

Jennifer A. Miskov

Papers

Global Pentecostalism: The New Face of Christian Social Engagement

Saving Women: Retrieving Evangelistic Theology and Practice

Apostles of the Spirit and Fire: American Revivalists and Victorian Britain