Reimagining Church Leadership for the Canadian Church in the 21st Century from the Doctrine of the Incarnation

Abstract

<p> In a post Christendom Canada, the church finds itself in a place where it must turn to the biblical witness and discern theologically about the course of the church in an ever changing society. This thesis explores passages that speak about the incarnation such as John 1:14, and the Christ Hymn in Philippians (Phil 2:6-11) and points out that the incarnation is a testimony of the missional nature, and work of God. This thesis also expands upon this point to develop an understanding of how the church today can be described as incarnational. The remainder of the study is devoted to understanding the critical role of leadership in cultivating an incarnational church, and developing the incarnational leadership model needed for it. The model explores what it means for a leader to live incarnationally, and provides a framework for how it shapes their life, ministry and congregations.</p>