Should Mennonite colleges train for "leadership"?

[Hats Off]

I am beginning to think some level of leadership training (after ordination) might be a good thing. If the newly ordained learn only from their older peers who may have poor leadership skills or ability, then our leadership quality will diminish.

[Josh]

I am beginning to think some level of leadership training (after ordination) might be a good thing. If the newly ordained learn only from their older peers who may have poor leadership skills or ability, then our leadership quality will diminish.

That’s awfully close to seminary. Whoever controls that leadership training will eventually control the entire church.

[Hats Off]

I am beginning to think some level of leadership training (after ordination) might be a good thing. If the newly ordained learn only from their older peers who may have poor leadership skills or ability, then our leadership quality will diminish.

That’s awfully close to seminary. Whoever controls that leadership training will eventually control the entire church.

I do agree with you. I am at a stage of almost wishful thinking. But I feel I have seen the effects of peer leadership controlling just as negatively.

[Neto]

I am beginning to think some level of leadership training (after ordination) might be a good thing. If the newly ordained learn only from their older peers who may have poor leadership skills or ability, then our leadership quality will diminish.

That’s awfully close to seminary. Whoever controls that leadership training will eventually control the entire church.

I do agree with you. I am at a stage of almost wishful thinking. But I feel I have seen the effects of peer leadership controlling just as negatively.

I agree with both of these thoughts - the need for proper training for leaders, AND the caution of turning out a bunch of "clones" of the person who wrote the textbook used in the course. And on the side of the discussion dealing with seminary training, maybe a course on "followship training" should be a prerequisite for any course on "leadership training". But my main point is that the popular idea of what a 'real leader' looks like is too greatly influenced by cultural concepts that have little or nothing to do with anything remotely Bible based.

[Josh]

Strongly agree, Neto - my contention is that fads in business and academia seem to be infecting church circles as well.

[Dan Z]

Lot's of thoughts. Setting a side the question about church colleges teaching leadership for a moment, I for one am strongly in favor of leadership training.

On the one hand, research shows that there are certain personality traits associated with leadership - things like extroversion, conscientiousness, and/or openness to new experiences. People possessing these traits are more likely to be leaders and succeed as leaders. However, leadership is also a skill, and like any other skill, a naturally gifted person can be trained to grow and excel at their craft. Like in any trade or profession, I've seen the positive results of good leadership training, and conversely the negative results of a lack there of.

[DrWojo]

“The Church used to be a lifeboat rescuing the perishing. Now she is a cruise ship recruiting the promising.” — Leonard Ravenhill

[Neto]

I realize that the attitude among the "Plain People" toward higher education is generally negative, but that at the same time, some may think that the viewpoints expressed here by some other persons are excessively negative. I don't tend to be generally negative about this, so maybe I'm the one to say this: I have seen the effect of "new ideas" that came into a conference through what was taught at the seminary level. (Not nearly so much at the under-grad level.) So schools definitely need to be under the supervision of the conference that is supporting them. But the problem in the Plain circles is that they have not developed any institutions of higher learning (I am referring to schools that are organized and administered under a conference), and they generally lack the conference level organization necessary to do so. Of course, there must first be a perceived value place on higher education and a confidence in the institutions that offer it. But in my studies in the history of my own church background (Dutch Mennonite - Mennonite Brethren), it becomes readily apparent that a lack of education with in the Dutch Mennonite culture produced the spiritual darkness that prevailed to such an extent that when spiritual life broke through in the colonies, it was opposed by the "big church" to the extent that they openly persecuted those who had found salvation. It was not necessary that the MB group separate from the 'big church' - only because spirituality was rejected. The same thing happened in the Amish church in the 50's, here in Holmes County. If the Bible Study movement that developed during that time had come about today, it would be largely embraced. In fact, in both cases EVENTUALLY these new movements DO seem to have brought that spiritual life back into the main group.

But specifically in respect to "leadership training", here is what I should have said right off - I think that the problem with it is that there is a lack of focus on "Pastoral Training". The result is that we have "good leaders", "good evangelists", and "good preachers", but few real PASTORS. (Incidentally, in my <non-Mennonite> Bible college missionary degree studies, I had required courses in both homiletics and in pastoral care. But I will also say that while a number of courses supported or fed into the preaching side of ministry, there was only a single course that I would characterize as 'Pastoral care".)

[Hats Off]

And so often, in my experience, pastoral care is what is lacking.

[Josh]

Russia Mennonites in Ukraine had an extensive educational system including universities and a medical school. (See Chester Weaver’s talks on the topic at AIC ’16 and ’17.)

Despite this, spiritual life was rather stagnant. Those who made the trek to America tended to be the least educated. Of note is that no ordained ministers migrated over.