A little delegation can go a long way.
One of the key outcomes A3 works for its graduates to realize is to Reproduce Disciple-Making Leaders. We know that more ministry can be accomplished, more effectively—and more healthily--when teams of leaders are developed and responsibilities are delegated.
However, this model is not necessarily the norm. In much of Asia, the usual leadership model is do it all myself. The self-expectation is, “My role as a leader is to be all things, to all people, all the time.” You can picture the burnout potential for pastors who try to live out this style of leadership.
When A3 participants first hear about the concept of delegation, they can be a little skeptical. They worry that they will be viewed as weak if they do not exercise complete control over all aspects of their ministry. They face a legitimate learning curve in cultures where authoritarian leadership is the norm. But when these leaders grasp the concept of delegation and begin to put it in practice, the results can be dramatic—and beautiful.
Tuon Kakada (second from left) is pastor of Russey Keo Baptist Church in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. An early participant in A3, he is now a member of the A3 Cambodia Working Team. “Before A2, I insisted on doing everything myself,” he says. “A3 helped me to set priorities, develop a timeline for initiatives, and most importantly, train leaders and delegate responsibility to them.
“We have now planted 22 new churches, started a primary school, and have become involved in prison ministry—all led by others. My focus now is on training leaders.” Pastor Kakada’s commitment to delegation has taken Russey Keo’s ministry a long way.
A3 is committed to whole-person growth and empowerment. We want our participants to see enhancement in both their inner lives with Christ and their “outer” lives of ministry. It’s gratifying to see how the “outer life” principle of Reproducing Disciple-Making Leaders has become a beautiful thing for the ministries--and lives--of leaders like Pastor Tuan Kakada.
