a contextual missiology of the spirit - eTheses Repository ...

terms of its leadership structure in 2007. 13 Apart from the General Overseer, three
of the four Executive Overseers are from south India, and the fourth one is from
Gujarat. Although they are some of the most senior leaders of the organization
who were there with the founder when it was being built up, the reality is that
FFCI has failed to develop Rajasthanis to the senior leadership of the organization
even after four decades of its missionary activities in the state. This is the picture
of almost all Pentecostal churches. One of the major explanations given by the
leaders for this state of affairs is that they cannot find capable leaders from among
the local community. Five leaders have admitted that they had to appoint south
Indians as they could not find able leaders from Rajasthan. All of them said that
their ultimate desire is to develop, train and equip local leaders. They said that
they do not want to fill the leadership positions with south Indians, and at the
same time they only want to appoint potential leaders, whether from the south or
north, for the sake of the movement’s stability. However, in conclusion, the
current picture of leadership clearly indicates the need for greater representation
of local people in the senior leadership of the movement. More concrete and
tangible efforts should be made to develop and equip local leaders.
Even in the theological institutions most faculty members are from south India.
All the seven Pentecostal training institutes 14 have a greater representation of their
staff from south India, particularly Kerala. The list of faculty members of FBC
13
For more details, see ‘Celestial Celebration of Saints: Navapur 07,’ complied by Glory M. Philip
Cross and Crown 37, no. 2 (2007): 15.
14
Appendix 3 has the list of all theological institutes of Pentecostals in Rajasthan.
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