Exploring leadership development strategies in the Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa in Durban central region, KwaZulu-Natal.

Abstract

This study examined leadership development strategies within the Apostolic Faith Mission ofSouth Africa (AFM of SA), focusing on the Durban Central Region (DCR) in KwaZulu-Natal. Itwas driven by the need for sustainable church growth and ministerial effectiveness through intentional and contextually relevant leadership formation. Despite the AFM’s theologicalheritage and organizational presence, scholarly exploration of its regional leadershipdevelopment remains limited. Using a qualitative research approach rooted in Saunders' Research Onion and interpretivist paradigm, the study gathered data via semi-structured interviews with twelve ordained pastors. Thematic analysis, supported by NVivo software, revealed that leadership development in the DCR is largely informal, relational, and spiritually driven—centered on mentoring, pastoral formation, and discerning spiritual callings. Although these methods enhance spiritual depth and relational accountability, they often lack structure, institutional support, and clarity in succession planning. Leadership selection processes were also seen to be vulnerable to internal politics and opportunism. Moreover, current strategies fail to meet modern organizational needs, particularly in administration, diversity, and inclusivity. The research advocates a hybrid leadership development model combining spiritual formation with organized frameworks. It recommends integrating servant leadership principles (Greenleaf, 1970; Van Dierendonck & Nuijten, 2011) and structured feedback systems like 360-degree evaluations (Bracken, Rose & Church, 2016) to enhance accountability and authenticity. Key recommendations include the establishment of standardised national and regional leadership development frameworks, the embedding of servant leadership principles within leadership curricula and evaluative processes, the implementation of structured feedback mechanisms such as 360-degree evaluations, and the strengthening of inclusive succession planning practices. The study contributes to both academic discourse and ecclesial practice by proposing a contextually grounded, theologically informed approach to leadership formation within African Pentecostalism. It underscores the need for balancing administrative competency and spiritual authenticity to cultivate effective, transformative church leaders.