Samuel Deressa

Jesus challenges us to live in him and continue living out the truth so that we claim our allegiance to Christ and live as disciples free from fear and from cultural customs that contradict the gospel message. This project has found that the lack of discipleship training among the Anyuwaa churches has resulted in a lack of understanding of what this ministry entails--teaching and making disciples. In addition, failure to embed elements of the Anyuwaa culture into the discipleship approach, and the persistence of certain elements of Anyuwaa life that run counter to gospel beliefs, has inflamed this crisis. Therefore, this book presents a call for the church to challenge the culture of syncretism and the fear of witchdoctors, to shift its paradigm and begin interpreting the gospel message, utilizing contextual elements but interpreting them through the lens of the gospel, calling people to embrace gospel values within their own cultural context. When we start interpreting strong cultural beliefs and traditions through the truth of the gospel, it is proof that we have come to the best discipleship approach, as we speak the truth of the gospel in the life our church and the hearts of our believers.

Jesus challenges us to live in him and continue living out the truth so that we claim our allegiance to Christ and live as disciples free from fear and from cultural customs that contradict the gospel message. This project has found that the lack of discipleship training among the Anyuwaa churches has resulted in a lack of understanding of what this ministry entails--teaching and making disciples. In addition, failure to embed elements of the Anyuwaa culture into the discipleship approach, and the persistence of certain elements of Anyuwaa life that run counter to gospel beliefs, has inflamed this crisis. Therefore, this book presents a call for the church to challenge the culture of syncretism and the fear of witchdoctors, to shift its paradigm and begin interpreting the gospel message, utilizing contextual elements but interpreting them through the lens of the gospel, calling people to embrace gospel values within their own cultural context. When we start interpreting strong cultural beliefs and traditions through the truth of the gospel, it is proof that we have come to the best discipleship approach, as we speak the truth of the gospel in the life our church and the hearts of our believers.

The teachings of Christian leadership have been dominated by a focus on the influence of a leader on its followers. Samuel Deressa's new book, Leadership Formation in the African Context, highlights how an African concept of community and holistic approach to ministry provides a biblically sound approach to understanding leadership formation and practice in this new age. This book links the issue of missional leadership with the life of the congregation. It provides theological and practical insights into how we can understand leadership formation in contexts where churches are engaged in the Missio Dei as a community of believers.

The teachings of Christian leadership have been dominated by a focus on the influence of a leader on its followers. Samuel Deressa's new book, Leadership Formation in the African Context, highlights how an African concept of community and holistic approach to ministry provides a biblically sound approach to understanding leadership formation and practice in this new age. This book links the issue of missional leadership with the life of the congregation. It provides theological and practical insights into how we can understand leadership formation in contexts where churches are engaged in the Missio Dei as a community of believers.