Transformational Leadership and the
Future of the A.M.E. Zion Church
Joseph Atsu Ayee
Independent Consultant, Accra
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Outline of Presentation
• Acknowledgement
• Define Leadership, Transformational Leadership and the
Future
• Eight features of Transformational Leadership
• Taking hold of the Future: What is to be done?
• Conclusion: the future of leadership and the A.M.E. Zion
Church
• Group work questions
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Definitions of Leadership, Transformational
Leadership and the Future
• Leadership: Getting things done. It involves mobilizing both
human and material resources to achieve organizational goals
and objectives.
• Transformational Leadership: Development-oriented or real
leadership. The leader motivates behavior by changing the
attitudes and assumptions of followers. A real leader is one who
is tested and tried in times of troubles and crises and was able to
succeed. In his book, The Wounded Leader: How Real Leadership
Emerges in Times of Crises, Ackerman (2004) contends that it is
only in crisis situations that real and transformational leadership
emerges.
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Defining the Future
• The word future comes from the Latin word, “futurus” meaning
“about to be”
• The word the future therefore means the following
(i) The time regarded as still to come
(ii) Events that are still to occur
(iii) Prospect, an expectation of something due or likely to happen
(iv) Existing after death: heaven and the future life with Christ
(iv) The future is not known. It is unpredictable
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Features of Transformational Leadership
(i) Representing a vision
(ii) Representing a model to follow
(iii) providing incentives to pursue shared goals
(iv) Expectation of high performance
(v) Supporting individuals
(vi) Displaying high intellect and stimulating others
(vii) Finding solutions and solving problems
(viii) Selecting competent and experienced people to work with (the
“people around him” syndrome must be demystified)
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Taking hold of the future: What is to be done?
• The vision of the WWAED is to promote and achieve quality and
excellence in the following five areas: (i) education; (ii) evangelism;
(iii) expansion; (iv) economic growth and empowerment; and (v)
health care
• Rebrand or repackage or change the image of the A.M.E. Zion Church
without compromising its doctrines and precepts
• Ownership of the vision by Chief of Staff, Bishop Administrative
Assistants Presiding Elders and Field Workers and their assistants and
the congregation
• Time management
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Taking hold of the future: What can be done?
• Phasing of the vision of the church into short, medium and long term
• Convert the vision into reality and sustain it over time
• Vision must be appealing and attainable
• The church leadership should have a positive commitment to the
realization of the vision
• Church leadership must become effective entrepreneurs, that is, they
must be creative, innovative and think outside the box. They must
have new ideas, take initiative, take responsibilities and take risks
• Church leadership to raise funds through more ingenious ways
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Taking hold of the future: What is to be done?
(cont’d)
• Bishop, Missionary Supervisor, Chief of Staff, Bishop
Administrative Assistants, Presiding Elders and other leaders
to encourage and facilitate the congregation to work toward
that vision
• The need to build confidence and pride in the groups and
congregation that A.M.E. Zion Church is the best church to
meet their spiritual and temporal needs
• Church Discipline to be adapted to suit local needs and
context
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Taking hold of the future: What is to be done?
(cont’d)
• Leaders and congregation must be prepared to change and
do away with the old ways of doing things. In short, no room
for conservatism
• Leaders must be businesslike and be prepared to adopt time
management practices and meet deadlines
• Leaders must embark on mentorship and reproduce
themselves or groom subordinates
• Leaders must embark on membership drive through revivals,
crusades and other outreach programmes
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Taking Hold of the Future: What can be done?
• Recognize the need that we are in a competitive world and
things must be done differently with innovation
• Sell or market the vision to the congregation
• Leadership to exhibit transparency, accountable and live by
example
• Leadership should work as team and develop an esprit de
corp. A divided leadership cannot implement a vision.
• Proper and effective planning
• Performance management contract for church leadership
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Leadership and Future of the A.M.E. Zion
Church
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Autonomy of the WWAED within the Connection
Develop a culture of vigorous, committed and free-giving discipleship
Develop effective mentorship
A balance between the old and young generation of pastoral team
Develop better rapport and team work between clergy and laity
Develop better and uniform conditions for pastors and administrators
Develop performance management contract for church leadership
Require a new breed of leadership that will add value, risk resources, have
ideas and develop them into spiritual and temporal benefits that the
congregation will perceive as valuable and are willing to contribute their
quota to maximize returns for the Church
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GROUP WORK QUESTIONS
• Why and how is transformational leadership tied to the future of the
A.M.E. Zion Church? What are some of the possible scenarios?
• Identify and discuss some of the sections of the Discipline of the
A.M.E. Zion Church which will promote some of the features of
transformational leadership.
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