Matthew chapter 20 provides insight into the deep wells of the human heart.
The mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.
“What is it you want?” he asked.
She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”
“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”
“We can,” they answered.
Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”
When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Matthew 20:20–28
The first lesson is the desire of a mother for recognition and promotion of her two sons. Perhaps she was prompted by her sons to make this bold request. They had seen over and over how Jesus was receptive to women and the special relationship he shared with his own mother. Perhaps James and John thought, “How could he deny her this request?”
These ambitious brothers (the “sons of thunder,” as they were called) wanted to be the right-hand and left-hand men for Jesus, not just now, but for the eternal kingdom. It was a big ask. Jesus’ reply was rather gentle, but straight to the heart of the matter. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” He alluded to the cup of suffering and death. Maybe it’s my sports background, but the phrase, “no pain, no gain” keeps echoing in my head. These young men acknowledged that they could drink the cup.
James became the first disciple martyred in the early years of the Church. John did not die a martyr’s death, however, in his exile to the isle of Patmos, one legend says that he was thrown into a pot of boiling oil and survived. I wonder if this acknowledgement of agreeing to drink the cup frequently ran through their minds.
The over-the-top request of the brothers incited the other ten disciples. How could they make such a request? Who did they think they were? We can only imagine what was going on in the thoughts of the disciple, Simon, especially since Jesus had declared to him that he would now be called Peter (“little rock”) on whom Jesus would build his church. Surely, John and James were witnesses to that event.
So, after this spat of ambition and competition, Jesus gave direct instruction that his followers will not act in the worldly ways that are prevalent around them. Greatness will be found in a life of service, becoming as humble as a slave who washes the feet of others, and laying down one’s life for others — the ultimate sacrifice. Praise God that Jesus (100% God and 100% man) willingly laid down his life for all humanity. He drank the cup of all cups that guarantees our salvation and the covenant of better promises.
Service and sacrifice are markers of Kingdom Culture, not aggressive ambition and cutthroat competition. Jesus declared, “It will not be so among you.” He showed the way for any who follow in his steps — it is from a posture of humility and an outward devotion to serve others. We too must drink the cup as we join Jesus in his economy of service and sacrifice.
The concept that Jesus introduced with new wine and new wineskins to contain the wine has captured my attention for some time. Superintendent Mike Rasmussen and his National Ministry Team took this concept from Jesus and shaped their interactive teaching and training into a wonderful conference for pastors and spouses.
It was designed as a time of engaging Jesus and his call to ministry through GCI in a fresh and new way. I was able to join as a participant, and it was inspiring to hear the stories from various pastors during breakout sessions, inclusive of victories and challenges. Mike and his team designed this to be more than a “one and done” event. They built foundational ideas out from the heart and life examples of Jesus, and the goal is to continue this journey via online cohort meetings in the months ahead.
Please read Mike’s highlights from the conference.
This spring, pastors and spouses from across GCI-USA gathered for our New Wineskins events. We envisioned it as a time of renewal, discernment, and growth. Throughout the gathering, participants reflected on the ministry of Jesus — who shifted focus from religion to relationship, from temple to table, from inward to outward.
It was a time of discovery of what it means to be Jesus’ Church, living as a sent people. We discussed what it looks like to be new wineskins ready to receive and embrace the new wine Jesus brings in his personage, gospel message, and his calling. Jesus tells his disciples in Luke 5:37-38:
And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.
Jesus is telling his disciples that he is our new wine, and the containers of this new wine (us) must be made new and ready, because the old wineskins will not stretch sufficiently to hold what the new wine brings — without bursting. As disciples of Jesus and as the Body of Christ, we are filled by Jesus, who pours himself into us. He fills us with his love, his power, his presence, and his Great Commission. Our old ways of thinking and being cannot hold all that he has for us and all he has called us to do alongside him. We must trade our old ways of thinking and our old ways of being for his new way of thinking and being.
In our meetings, Superintendent Heber Ticas, U.S. Director Jeff Broadnax, and I shared how this not only applies to us as pastors, but also to us collectively as congregations. It even applies to our Avenue teams, which we are all building to help proclaim and live out Jesus’ gospel message and plan for his Church. GCI Communications Director, Michelle Hartman, and GCI Development Coordinator, Cara Garrity, introduced new practical tools to help pastors with this process and new way of thinking. At our first event, we welcomed our GCI Consultant, Keith Shields, who shared principles for recruiting new leaders and pastors.
These events provided a space and time for sharing, bonding, and praying for one another — which was powerful. After each talk, pastors engaged in table discussions with their fellow pastors. They shared and prayed together and discussed how God may be moving them to engage with the material and scriptures being presented. This was the first time these groups have been together in person to process side-by-side with pastors who are in similar phases of this journey. Each group shared lunches and dinners together in the Home Office dining room to help facilitate ongoing discussions and continued bonding.
I’ll leave you with this positive feedback we received from one pastor. (Read more comments from participants and see photos of the events here.) “This did not feel like another program, it felt more like a road mapping session to see how we might intelligently navigate where the Father, Son, and Spirit are taking us.”
Love and appreciation to you all! Mike Rasmussen, Superintendent North America and Caribbean
I am an American football fan. I played the sport, and so did my three sons. So, during the college bowl games I was watching the University of Texas play Ohio State University. The Texas quarterback was interviewed after the game. And what caught my attention was a prominent tattoo that was visible across his right forearm. It was the verse reference “Luke 17:21.”
I have a pretty good recall of many Bible verses (some of you remember when we had boxes of memory verse cards). Luke 17:21 was not one that immediately came to my mind, and when I looked it up, I got excited. These were the words of Jesus speaking to the Pharisees saying, “The kingdom of God is among you.” Wow, a young college athlete of a major university was inspired to have this verse displayed on his arm for the world to see.
I don’t know the backstory as to what the verse means to this player, but the verse is one that I have had on my list as we in GCI go forward in our 2025 theme of Kingdom Culture. How did Jesus instruct his audience about what to look for in his second coming?
First, the kingdom of God isn’t simply about external conditions and happenings (Luke 17:20). It isn’t about cobbling together bits of scriptures alongside world news leading to wild predictions. And as much we want Jesus to come back soon, it is irresponsible to set dates on a calendar. Jesus says that no man knows the date or the hour of his return, only his Father knows (Mark 13:32). The conditions that Jesus goes on to describe in Luke 17 can easily match up to various eras of human history in the past 2,000 years and certainly what we see in our society today. So, we collectively say, “Thy kingdom come” in our daily prayers.
Second, Jesus is inferring that the Kingdom of God has a more important internal nature. If it is true as the apostle Paul says that the creation itself is yearning and longing to be delivered and restored, how much more for the humans who populate this planet? In our main passage, Jesus describes a self-indulgent, distracted world and yet at the core of humanity we all long for a time when sorrow, pain and suffering are no more. A time that can only happen when Jesus comes as a flash of lightning (Luke 17:24) on his white horse with a host of angels to make all things right (Revelation 19:11).
Finally, the kingdom of God has a spiritual nature. The kingdom of God was among the Jewish audience that Jesus addressed because the King was present with them. And it’s more than Jesus standing alongside people. We go back in the Gospel story to the conversation that Jesus had with Nicodemus to understand the relationship that Jesus desires. (You can read the full story in John 3.) Being born again means to believe and receive Jesus. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus makes his home in the believer and the believer becomes a new creation. Believers come to understand that they are kingdom citizens, and as they participate with Jesus in his ministry now, they assume the role of kingdom representatives. The spiritual union that a believer has in Jesus joins him or her to kingdom values and kingdom work.
Our tattoo-bearing quarterback did not have a good game that night of the interview. In fact, he made a bad play that cost his team a chance to win. Based on his composure and graceful act of answering the commentators’ questions, it showed me that he had a grasp of what the kingdom of God among us meant for him. May we go into our spaces and places of influence and do likewise.
As followers of Christ, we are called to be in the world, but not of the world. This New Testament theme originated with Jesus sharing this clear teaching with his disciples the night of his arrest (John 15:19, 17:14-16).
Citizens of God’s kingdom are called to be present in our world and be different. But how can we be? The plainest way to say this is that believers can be active in society, but instead of being shaped by society’s values, we are being shaped by the growing relationship with Father, Son, and Spirit, reflecting God’s nature.
Jesus inaugurated and led a counter-culture movement. That always sounds appealing to the younger generation striving to find its voice and make its mark. Finding the path of following Jesus is our hope for the emerging generation.
In what ways was Jesus counter-cultural? Let us consider Jesus’ approach toward women, children, and non-Jews.
Jesus treated women as equals to men, which was revolutionary for the Judaic culture. Actively engaging women in conversation was radical for a Jewish rabbi. Then, to be in the company of a Samaritan woman and to hear her life story and to reveal himself as the Messiah was a crescendo of crescendos.
From Christ’s encounters with the sisters, Mary and Martha, we see how he valued their company, their hospitality, their friendship, and their worship. Jesus treated women with dignity and respect and valued their shared relationship.
Children
When the disciples were shooing children away, Jesus scolded them and conversely invited and welcomed the children. He took them in his arms and blessed them.
We see multiple examples in Scripture where Jesus was healing and protecting children. He elevated their worth when he said, “You must become like a child to enter the kingdom of God.” He was citing their willingness to believe, their excitement and curiosity that was untainted. It is my opinion that Jesus values the playful, joy-filled nature of a child. Jesus and his Church love kids!
Rather than becoming hard and cynical, Jesus desires that we all retain the awe and wonder of a child.
Non-Jews
Whether it was a Samaritan woman at a well or a Roman soldier whose child was ill, Jesus treated all people openly and with compassion and mercy. Being that Jesus is simultaneously human and divine; it does not escape him that all people are created in the image of God and should be respected as such.
In honoring the image of God in all people, Jesus willingly went to Calvary to die for all. In GCI, we like to say that ALL are included in the life and love of Jesus. Jesus is Savior of all and actively draws all people to himself.
Galatians 3:28 reverberates in our minds. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
The launch of the Church began on a Pentecost Sunday, and we celebrate its rich history. From then until now, the Church has been most impactful when it has treated others with the love and care of Jesus. Proclaiming the goodness of Jesus and demonstrating the flow of his love through us in how we treat others is how the Church shines as a beacon that Christ intended.
The radical transformation we see in the more than 3,000 gathered in Jerusalem that Pentecost morning is exactly what we hope for the Church of 2025. Let us be a part of this Spirit-led, counter-culture movement of Jesus and swept up into the ever-expanding kingdom of God.
I recently had a discussion on Facebook with an old high school friend who expressed that all he needed from the Bible was Christ’s sermon on the Mount. He projected doubt on Paul’s conversion and voiced an impression that the original disciples never fully accepted Paul’s apostleship.
It concerns me that we live in a reductionist environment, especially as it relates to how we view God’s written word. Obviously, we rely on the Living Word, Jesus himself, but he has blessed us with his stories of how he has been faithful to his created children and provided us with words of revelation to live by. We are blessed to have the God-breathed, inspired written word of God as we are guided through the Spirit with the abiding presence of the living Word.
During a conversation with recently retired Equipper editor, Rick Shallenberger, about this topic, he expressed a desire to write about why he believes the Bible is among God’s greatest gifts.
I’m happy to share what he wrote.
“The Chosen” is one of my favorite television shows; I love how they have created believable background stories for many of the stories we see in the Gospels. But what intrigues me in almost every show is when the disciples are talking among themselves and sharing passages of Scripture. Bibles were not available to them; scrolls were kept in the synagogues. Yet, as depicted on the show, these men were able to quote long passages of Scripture.
This was because Jewish males were encouraged to memorize the Torah, beginning at age five. Classes were held in the synagogue. Many went past the Torah to also study the writings and the prophets. As a result, some had much of the Old Testament memorized. They valued and loved the written word. This love for Scripture inspired many to write; we have several examples in the New Testament.
How important is the Bible? While I can argue that the Bible is not needed for salvation, which is obvious because thousands became Christ followers without the Bible, I believe the Bible is an important gift from God.
Some have questioned Paul’s statement to his young protégé, Timothy, when he said:
All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NRSVA
All Scripture? Does this mean that every word of the Bible is infallible? That every story is exact in its details? Can the answer to every question be found in the Bible? No, that would be silly. People reproduced and translated the scriptures, and people make mistakes. Further, there are topics the Bible doesn’t cover; it wasn’t meant to provide the answer to every question. However, the Bible is fully authoritative for all matters of faith and salvation.
The Bible was meant to point to Jesus and to the kingdom of God. The Old Testament is story after story of God’s faithfulness, albeit written by humans in particular cultures and with their personal perspective of what they were experiencing or how they were being inspired. So, while all Scripture is breathed by God, it doesn’t mean every word, jot, tittle and punctuation mark were written with God’s hand.
Here are a few reasons I believe the Bible is one of the greatest gifts:
It reveals an eternal, triune God who is perfect and through the Spirit will convict the world that rejection of Jesus is the basic sin, that righteousness is imputed from Jesus alone, and Jesus has the final word on judgment.
It reveals a God who is faithful, who operates out of his love for us, who had a plan for us from the very beginning, and who guaranteed his plan would be fulfilled by sacrificing himself.
It reveals a God who is our Abba/Father, our Savior/elder brother/friend, and our Comforter/Teacher who lives in us.
It shows us how to live — “love others as I have loved you.”
It gives us direction — Great Commandment/Great Commission.
It teaches us how to have right relationships, esteeming others better than ourselves.
It shows real people going through real struggles, encouraging us that God loves us through all we go through.
It shows God fulfills his promises — he can be trusted, counted on, believed.
It reminds us of our true identity — saints, beloved, redeemed children of God.
As Paul told Timothy, the Bible is profitable for teaching on a myriad of topics, but primarily about who Jesus is, who we are in him, and where our future lies. It is profitable for reproving and correcting. God doesn’t leave us in a blame game; he corrects us so we can learn the next step, that the Bible is profitable for training in righteousness, to help us grow in grace and knowledge.
There is much more to this topic. I encourage you to read “Scripture: God’s Gift” (2013), a 6-part series by Gary Deddo.
By Rick Shallenberger
P.S. Thank you, Rick, for the helpful reminder that we are people who seek to be well-grounded in the scriptures. And I would add that more than articles about the Bible, find a good, reliable translation and let the stories of the Bible wash over you. As a Christmas gift to myself I purchased The C.S. Lewis Bible in the New Revised Standard Version. And in a digital age where we reflexively ask Google for answers and have a deepening confidence in AI, let’s be on guard to not devalue the place of Scripture. Greg
Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, ‘The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed;nor will they say, “Look, here it is!” or “There it is!” For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.’ Luke 17:20-21 NRSVA
The Pharisees asked a question that has been on the minds of people from all ages. Jesus provides a mysterious, spiritual answer. The kingdom is among you or within you. They, and probably us as well, were looking for tangible markers. What events and conditions would take place for Father to signal to the Son it is time to return?
Rather than starting with describing the deterioration of humanity, like the time of Noah, Jesus challenges their thinking. Which is more important, that we are in the kingdom or that the kingdom is in us?
In the GCI booklet, The God Revealed in Jesus Christ: an Introduction to Trinitarian Faith, we read:
Jesus has not simply done something for us, he has done something with us by including us in his life, death, resurrection and ascension. Paul explains this in Ephesians 2:4-6:
When Jesus died, we, in our sinful human nature, died with him.
When Jesus rose, we, in our reconciled human nature, rose with him.
When Jesus ascended, we, in our redeemed human nature, ascended and became seated with him at the Father’s side.
All that Jesus did as a human was done on behalf of humanity. When he died, we also died. When he rose from the grave, we also rose. When he ascended to heaven and sat down at Father’s side, we ascended, too. So, when Jesus came announcing his eternal kingdom he had humanity in mind. The kingdom is not some far-off ethereal concept like Camelot or Nirvana — it is life in and with the King.
If Jesus is present in us, so is his kingdom. Jesus has inaugurated the kingdom, and he also speaks of a fullness yet to be completed. This is why we use the phrase, “already but not yet.” We live in the tension between this present evil age and the glorious age to come when Christ returns in glory to make all things new.
God’s kingdom is present in the witness of the Church, and still, it often seems to be a hidden kingdom. As followers of Jesus, he wants us to shine the light of his truth and grace and make his kingdom known, visible.
You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16 NIV
We underestimate our ability to impact the world for good. Therefore, we become comfortable being hidden, hunkered down awaiting the glory to come. Each of us has the light of Jesus in us through the dwelling of the Holy Spirit. The light of Christ in you can make a tremendous difference, even if it’s one neighbor or one family member at a time. GCI brothers and sisters, let’s resolve to join Jesus announcing his kingdom in word and deed. His kingdom is present, and it is expanding as he works through you and me to draw others to himself.
In March, the six GCI Superintendents gathered in Charlotte for our bi-annual retreat planning meeting. (Sadly, Daphne Sidney from the Australasia region was unable to attend in person due to a cyclone in Queensland.) I asked Dan Zachariah to write this letter to highlight the special gifting GCI has as a global body of believers. The gathering of the superintendents is a microcosm of our global family, and it greatly encouraged me to meet with these fine men and women to discuss and pray about the direction of our church around the world.
We understand a denomination to be a group of congregations spread over a wide geographical area. It customarily holds to a specific theological focus and subscribes to a common governance structure. It tends to remain united through a common set of beliefs and practices. By this definition, GCI is a denomination — a global denomination with 550 congregations serving 30,000 members in about 68 countries spread across six regions of the world. As a denomination we subscribe to core Christian orthodoxy. Our focus is Incarnational and Trinitarian theology as revealed in the Bible, which we hold to be inspired and infallible in all matters of faith and salvation.
Denominationalism might sometimes give a negative picture of Christianity, but there are strengths in being an international, global denomination. An important one is that it helps disciples of Christ recognize the wide diversity that exists in God’s creation and his purpose for humanity. It fosters an acceptance of diversity of humans and encourages participation to bring unity in that diversity. This is also how the Bible would describe the dynamic of the kingdom of God.
From that momentous calling of Abraham, God continues to reveal that “all families of the earth will be blessed” through him. By choosing to work with one nation (ancient Israel), God clearly intended to bless peoples beyond them, never allowing inclusion into his grand purpose for humanity to be limited — not by nationality, ethnicity, social status, or gender (Galatians 3:28). This biblical reality helps us to understand that distinctions were meant to be recognized, preserved, celebrated, and to provide a platform for communal wholeness and belonging. This synergetic reality of our Lord’s kingdom reveals the important fact that we can thrive in our distinctives and are only complete together.
The revelation to John shows the inclusive nature of the kingdom that God has ultimately ordained for humankind.
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” Revelation 7:9-10
This is the Kingdom Culture that GCI, as a denomination, celebrates as one of its core strengths. GCI has a footprint in six regions globally. Every one of them is diverse in its ethnicity, language, culture, and challenges. Our denomination actively and intentionally engages in dialogue amongst its regions to reflect and promote kingdom-centered lifestyles. We value the rich lessons that every region brings to our denomination, be it the African value in the interconnectedness of individuals (‘Ubuntu’), the Asian value of compromise in resolving conflicts, or the European value of solidarity necessary to prevail.
These, and many more, are lessons learned together and strengthened as the leadership and members come together on occasions of celebrations and official meetings. In every one of these meetings, we see the need to respect the other, no matter which part of the globe they may be from. We intentionally respect community without compromising on individuality. The goal is always Christlikeness so that we may mirror and reflect the character of God ultimately.
The mission of GCI is to be the healthiest expression of the Church of Jesus Christ that we can be in beliefs, words, and deeds. Being a global denomination provides greater clarity to God’s grand design for humankind and helps us on this journey to become a healthy church.
It is a privilege for us to be a global denomination. This affords us the blessing of knowing God’s precious people from differing cultures and backgrounds. We reflect our triune God — diversity in unity. It makes every effort meaningful and worthwhile to follow what the apostle encouraged us to do: “accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God” (Romans 15:7). And, indeed, the praise is to our loving, inclusive God! We welcome people to join with us in living and sharing the gospel as a denomination.
Grateful for God’s grand design,
Danny Zachariah, Superintendent of Asia Hyderabad, India
I am pleased to have Kalengule Kaoma (KK), GCI Superintendent for Africa, write the letter for this edition of Update. We have more GCI members in Africa than any other continent and the work of preparing, recognizing, and launching new leaders is important for the present work and future growth that we anticipate. KK has done intentional work alongside his four regional directors, who have also been integral in helping to establish national directors who have direct impact on our wide array of pastors. This multiplication and empowerment of leaders is the groundwork that’s needed to have the capacity to receive those whom the Lord calls. Our prayers go up for Jesus to bless this group of newly appointed leaders.
In GCI across Africa, we are faced with several opportunities to transition our leaders. These opportunities are available on congregational and regional levels. As a result, we have experienced several transitions in the last twelve months.
Dictionaries indicate that transition refers to a process of change. In this article, I limit transition to change of leaders in congregational and or regional offices.
The reason for transitioning leaders has mostly been age-related. Most of our leaders who have transitioned out of their offices are at least 70 years of age. Energy levels, mobility, health, length of service, availability, and travel demands also contributed to decisions leading to transitions.
Benefits of timely transitions
Our leaders who have served the Lord for a long time have accumulated vast experiences, knowledge, and maturity. These traits must be passed on to younger leaders. Transitions are like a relay race. The oncoming runner passes the baton to the next runner who takes off at greater speed. But the runner who brought the baton runs on for some distance. In effect, the two runners run together for a while. This effectively provides support to the runner who has picked up the baton.
In our leadership transitions, experienced leaders have the opportunity to come beside the new leaders. Experienced leaders give support, counsel, guidance, and answers to what may seem like new, perplexing, and challenging situations that arise while the new leaders are adjusting to their roles. In executing the process of transition, we have drawn from biblical narratives because we desired smooth transitions.
Elijah prayed a double portion of the Spirit over Elisha. John the Baptist, who had paved the path for Jesus, made the profound statement, “I must decrease so that he may increase.” Jesus himself shows how to prepare others for leadership. He prayed all night before selecting the 12 disciples. He invited them to come and be with him traveling across Judea, ministering to people. The disciples observed Jesus for months. They joined him in ministering to the crowds that gathered to hear Jesus. Jesus spent time quizzing their understanding about who he was and giving them deeper insight beyond the parables Jesus told to the crowds. He proclaimed that they would be fishers for people, and he prepared them for this calling. In GCI, we endeavor to do likewise.
Transitions in Africa
Gardner Kunje (left) w incoming RD Marshall Dube
Biblical examples of leadership transitions encouraged us to courageously effect transitions in Africa. Here are the highlights:
Two national directors passed the baton recently. In Nigeria, Essien George passed the baton of national director to Meshack Igbineweka. GCI Ghana welcomed Theophilus Nii Okai as the new national leader.
We have also commissioned two new regional directors. In December 2024, Central Africa Regional Director Gardner Kunje of Lilongwe, Malawi transitioned leadership to Marshall Dube of Harare, Zimbabwe. In January 2025, another encouraging transition took place in Accra, Ghana. West Africa Regional Director Theo Nii Okai received office authority from outgoing RD Emmanuel Okai. [See image at the top of story.] Together with members of the Christian Council of Ghana, national directors from GCI Nigeria and Togo attended the service with a number of members from around Ghana.
Long term. Bearing in mind that at one point of the leadership path or another, leaders will be required to step aside. For this reason, leaders need to prepare someone to step up and take the role of a current leader. As soon as a leader takes up a leadership role, one must start preparing other people as possible replacements.
Create a team of leaders. Jethro’s advice to Moses to create teams of captains of tens, fifties, hundreds, and thousands coupled with Jesus’s plan of working with a team of three, twelve, 120, 500, and more form a basis upon which to emulate team leadership concepts. While a congregation may not have lots of members to draw lots of people, it is prudent to have teams of leaders who can be prepared for future leadership roles.
Proactive/intentional knowledge of leaders in the team. Creating a leadership team is one thing. Knowing the leaders on the team is another. Knowing team members calls for close relationships. Without close personal relationships, it is difficult to know members of the team. This too makes it difficult to be certain about who is suitable to be the next leaders. This does not take away the role of the Holy Spirit in directing leaders about next leaders. God works through our relationships.
Transitions are inevitable and important. The Holy Spirit works through mortal human beings with limited life spans. Naturally, human leaders’ bodies will wane in their strength and health. This requires replacement. Sometimes, other factors will call for leadership transitions. Hence, denominational, regional, congregational, and ministry leaders should always be ready to effectively transition officers at various levels of church leaders. In Africa, leadership transition is an ongoing activity.
Under the leadership of Jesus, Kalengule Kaoma, Superintendent of Africa Lusaka, Zambia
Dear GCI Family and Friends,
