sacral rule and the Christian Church: An ... - ResearchSpace

involves African sacral rulers as well as the representatives of the church with the
condition that it is not diverted from the requirements of its ultimate source which is
Jesus Christ. This "delegation of power" to sacral rulers and clergymen does not make
them holders of power or repositories of spiritual abilities. According to Bediako, this
"delegation of power" is the starting point for the desacralisation of rulers in the
African context. 707 Desacralisation ought to be the outcome of this power the rulers
received from Christ.
In the process of executing this power under the care of Jesus Christ, there is the
power to assemble and fellowship, the power to teach and to learn, the power to govern
the Church, the power to head political units and the power to venture into a new
mission field. If this is what they ought to do, the receivers of Jesus' power have to
purge themselves of all unhealthy things but instead, be equipped with the "power of
forgiveness over retaliation, of suffering over violence, of love over hostility, of humble
service over domination.,,708 A call to this code of conduct is a call to modification of
one's personality which needs self-desacralisation as a receiver of power. Jesus'
enthronement and his aptitude to delegate some of his power to chosen people follow a
completely new process of handling power as far as the human experience of leadership
is concerned. Though sacral in content and origin, the execution of power according to
the Gospel principles contributes to the desacralisation of rulers and enhances their
position as spiritual people empowered by Jesus Christ. In the light of this, the Great
Commission enunciates an empowerment rather than a command. It is a creative
statement and not one which divides into those who have power and those who do not,
707 Bediako, Kwame, "De-sacralisation and Democratisation, p. 5.
708 Bediako, Kwame, "De-sacralisation and Democratisation, p. 9.
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