From Ownership to Stewardship: Exploring the Role of Outside Leaders as Disciple Making Movements Mature in East Africa

This project seeks to discover principles and best practices for outside leaders seeking to influence inside leaders in the context of Disciple Making Movements (DMMs) and, more broadly, in global missions. Key leaders of DMMs in East Africa were interviewed concerning their experiences with outside leaders. The interviews focused on ways that outside leaders have been influential in the lives of these leaders as well as how they have caused frustration. The results of the interviews were synthesized into common themes, resulting in six categories of recommended roles for outside leaders who seek to be a blessing to the lives of insiders. Principles discovered are discussed in the context of the authors’ ongoing work as a movement catalyst in Rwanda. Special focus is given to how outside leaders can contribute to the healthy development and maturation of movements. In addition, a survey of pertinent literature related to the role of outside leaders in catalyzing Disciple Making Movements is presented along with theological reflection on principles from Jesus’ interaction with his disciples highlighting his practice of empowering others and his strategy of generational multiplication.