The Role of Christian Education in Reducing the Failure of Local Wisdom-based Christian Leadership Ethics
Abstract
This article explores the role of Christian education in mitigating ethical failures in Christian leadership, using a qualitative literature review approach. Ethical failures in Christian leadership have become a significant concern, as they undermine the integrity and credibility of church leaders, impacting both congregations and society. The paper examines scriptural principles and theological perspectives that shape ethical leadership, emphasizing the importance of character, integrity, and accountability as essential components of Christian leadership. Key passages from the Bible, such as 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9, are analyzed to highlight the ethical expectations for church leaders. Furthermore, the study delves into how Christian education plays a transformative role in shaping the moral and ethical development of leaders, through the integration of theology, ethics, and practical leadership skills. The findings suggest that Christian education provides a foundation for character formation, spiritual growth, and the cultivation of godly leadership practices. By fostering an environment of accountability and ethical training, Christian education can help prevent ethical lapses in leadership and contribute to the restoration of moral integrity in church leadership.
References
Brinda, Š. (2024). The Requirements of a Candidate for Bishop in the Early Church. Teka Komisji Prawniczej PAN Oddział w Lublinie, 17(1), 347–364. https://doi.org/10.32084/tkp.8931
Byiringiro, O., & Ganu, J. (2024). Perceived Spiritual Leadership Behavior, Leadership Skills, and Spiritual Well-being in Seventh-day Adventist Congregational Settings in Rwanda: A Quantitative Study. Pan-African Journal of Education and Social Sciences, 5(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.56893/pajes2024v05i01.01
Coulter, D. M. (2020). Sanctification: Becoming an Icon of the Spirit Through Holy Love. In The Routledge Handbook of Pentecostal Theology (pp. 237–246).
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches. Sage.
du Plessis, A. L., & Nkambule, C. M. (2020). Servant Leadership as Part of Spiritual Formation of Theological Students in Contextualisation of 21st Century Theological Training. HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, 76(2), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v76i2.5959
Faradila, A. N., & Dewi, W. S. . (2023). Implementasi Asas Musyawarah dan Mufakat dalam Penyelesaian Sengketa Hukum Waris Adat di Indonesia. Indonesian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 3(2), 39–46.
Gumusay, A. A. (2019). Embracing Religions in Moral Theories of Leadership. Academy of Management Perspectives, 33(3), 292–306.
Henson, J. D. (2018). The Role of Biblical Values in the Development of the Mission and Vision of Ethical Organizations: an Examination of the Epistle of Titus. Journal of Biblical Perspectives in Leadership, 8(1), 186–201.
Henson, J., & Hemby, S. (2023). Authentic Credible Leadership: An Examination of Jesus’s Leadership in the Farewell Discourses. Scandinavian Journal for Leadership and Theology, 10, 513–532. https://doi.org/10.53311/sjlt.v10.96.
Jones, J., Murray, S., & Warren, K. (2018). Christian Leadership in a Secular World. The Journal of Applied Christian Leadership, 12(2), 90–107.
Jura, D. (2021). The Role of Professionals in the Leadership of the Local Church Through Empowerment of Christian Education. 2nd Annual Conference on Blended Learning, Educational Technology and Innovation (ACBLETI 2020), 152–156.
Kretzschmar, L. (2020). African and Western Approaches to the Moral Formation of Christian Leaders: The Role of Spiritual Disciplines in Counteracting Moral Deficiencies. HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, 76(2), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v76i2.5913
Lee, D., Choi, Y., Youn, S., & Chun, J. U. (2017). Ethical Leadership and Employee Moral Voice: The Mediating Role of Moral Efficacy and the Moderating Role of Leader–Follower Value Congruence. Journal of Business Ethics, 141(1), 47–57. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2689-y
Mabey, C., Conroy, M., Blakeley, K., & de Marco, S. (2017). Having Burned the Straw Man of Christian Spiritual Leadership, what can We Learn from Jesus About Leading Ethically? Journal of Business Ethics, 145(4), 757–769. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-016-3054-5
Magezi, V., & Madimutsa, W. (2023a). Character Formation and Leadership Development: A Symbiotic Bond for the Practice of Theological Education. Theologia Viatorum, 47(1). https://doi.org/10.4102/tv.v47i1.206
Magezi, V., & Madimutsa, W. (2023b). Theological education and character formation: Perceptions of theological leaders and students. HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, 79(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.4102/HTS.V79I1.8543
Matijević, D. (2020). A Sustainable Development Concept in the Light of the Kingdom of God. Kairos, 14(2), 67–92. https://doi.org/10.32862/k.14.2.5
Monang, W. L. (2022). "Budaya Gotong Royong Disaro Sebagai Pembelajaran Tradisional Dalam Pembentukan Karakter Anak Di Toraja Dan Kaitannya Dengan Model Teologi Praksis”. Center for Open Science. https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/fgnt2
Mookgo, S. K. (2018). Servant Leadership: An Urgent Style for the Current Political Leadership in South Africa. Verbum et Ecclesia, 39(1), 1–9.
Napitupulu, A., Delzy Perkasa, R., & Fauza, H. (2024). Dalihan Na Tolu Sebagai Pandangan Hidup dalam Menumbuhkan Karakter Anak (Studi Etnografi pada Masyarakat Batak Toba Samosir). Indo-MathEdu Intellectuals Journal, 5(1), 1106–1118. https://doi.org/10.54373/imeij.v5i1.848
Nicolaides, A., & Tornam Duho, K. C. (2019). Effective Leadership in Organizations: African Ethics and Corruption. Modern Economy, 10(07), 1713–1743. https://doi.org/10.4236/me.2019.107111
Odongo, N. H., & Wang, D. (2018). Corporate Responsibility, Ethics and Accountability. Social Responsibility Journal, 14(1), 111–122. https://doi.org/10.1108/SRJ-10-2016-0175
Parker, A. (2017). Discipleship as Means to Reinvent Higher Education. The Journal of Biblical Foundations of Faith and Learning, 2(1), 1–15.
Reynolds, J., & Wallace, J. (2016). Envisioning the Future of Christian Higher Education: Leadership for Embracing, Engaging, and Executing in a Changing Landscape. In Christian Higher Education (Vol. 15, Issues 1–2, pp. 106–114). https://doi.org/10.1080/15363759.2016.1107340
Setran, D., & Wilhoit, J. (2020). Christian Education and Spiritual Formation: Recent History and Future Prospects. Christian Education Journal, 17(3), 530–546. https://doi.org/10.1177/0739891320937463
Syarif, K. A., & Paramitha Darmayanti, D. (2023). Masa Depan Hukum Adat di Indonesia. Jurnal Sains Dan Teknologi, 5(2), 648–652. https://doi.org/10.55338/saintek.v5i2.2232
Uhl-Bien, M. (2021). Complexity Leadership and Followership: Changed Leadership in a Changed World. Journal of Change Management, 21(2), 144–162. https://doi.org/10.1080/14697017.2021.1917490
Venter, L., & Hermans, C. A. M. (2020). A Framework of Ffive Transformative Leadership Competencies for Church Leaders in the DRC. Acta Theologica, 2020, 158–181. https://doi.org/10.18820/23099089/actat.Sup30.7
Worthington, J. D., & Worthington, E. L. (2019). Spiritual Formation by Training Leaders in their Indigenous Cultures: The Importance of Cultural Humility and Virtue Theory. Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care, 12(1), 112–134. https://doi.org/10.1177/1939790918798826
Zalukhu, A. (2024). Pengaruh Pendidikan Kristen terhadap Spiritualitas Remaja dengan Teman Sebaya dan Media Sosial sebagai Moderasi - Mediasi = Christian Education’s Impact on Teenage Spirituality: Peers and Social Media as Moderation and Mediation. Universitas Kristen Indonesia.
Copyright (c) 2025 Amirrudin Zalukhu

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.