What God Has Joined Together, Let No One Separate: A One Year Holistic Approach Toward The Transformation of Emerging Leaders

Today's world teems with more connection, potential, problems, change and confusion than perhaps any other generation. The need for transformational leaders has never been greater. It is safe to say their supply falls far short of not only the need but also the potential. The church, parachurch and seminaries have traditionally approached leadership development differently and often independently. Because ministry in the twenty first century demands our efforts be integrated and transformational, those in front of the charge must incarnate Christ's depth of character, wisdom and aptitude.

Leadership efforts focusing primarily on either doctrine or hands-on experience
miss the biblical imperative: life and leadership encompass a holistic goal and process, a combination of many threads together making an overall tapestry.

A generation of young and emerging leaders eagerly awaits our response. These growing convictions steadily emerged over nearly fifteen years of experience in ministry and internship programs, studying biblical leaders and interaction with others attempting transformational leadership development.

This paper puts forth a model of training that seeks to be transformational, church-based and holistic. Toward these ends, the writer challenged several emerging leaders of varied ages to participate in a one year experimental training program, which required take a number of significant and interrelated commitments. The exploration of that year and results of this project are presented. Having taken the first steps and seen enough of the benefits and the potential obstacles, the author plans to expand the work of this pilot project into a full-time ministry.