Defining culturally appropriate leadership

Abstract

The development of Christian leaders is a key need in much of the Global South. Research has shown that churches that have a contextualized pattern of leadership are more likely to grow and less likely to be perceived as foreign. This article describes a process that missionaries can use with local leaders to define a God-honoring, culturally appropriate pattern of Christian leadership. It does this by drawing on research on Millet Christians’ perceptions of what makes a good leader as well as literature on cross-cultural variability in leadership. Three practical steps that cross-cultural workers can take to work with local leaders to define a contextualized pattern of leadership are outlined.