Christian leadership by followership: The living legacy of Dan Lephoko
Résumé
African Christian leadership has been blurred by a number of unchristian traits, such as self centredness, self-glorification, lack of accountability and ineffectiveness. There is an urgent need for remnant Christian leaders to exemplify Christ-like leadership for incumbent and upcoming leaders, so that we can learn from them. While considerable scholarship has examined leadership abuses in African Pentecostalism, limited attention has, however, been given to positive models of leadership sustainability rooted in mentorship and followership. This article addresses that gap through an examination of the leadership legacy of nonagenarian Doctor Daniel Simon Billy Lephoko, popularly known in his ecclesial spheres of influence as Brother Dan, one of the notable contemporary Christian leaders who demonstrate other-centred leadership in South Africa. Although limited to Lephoko and the South African context, lessons from this case study are highly applicable across the world. It employed purposively sampled in-depth interviews and a qualitative literature review. It found that leading by following others is a sustainable and transformational leadership type, which is drawn from the model of Paul, who taught his followers to follow him as he followed Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). Lephoko demonstrates this kind of leadership by following his mentor, the late Nicholas Bhekinkosi Hepworth Bhengu, who was one of the legendary pioneers of transformational Pentecostalism in Africa. All in all, leadership by followership can sustain and transform Christian leadership, the Church and society, beyond personalities. Emulating the example of Lephoko can advance stewardship, servanthood and integral mission to achieve inclusive transformation in all spheres of clerical leaders’ influence in society.
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