Short answer: I don’t.

 

In our situation, many people usually came to Christ at the same time in a village. Of course, some from this group fell away during discipleship, and others joined, but we still saw villages usually working through the process of evangelism, discipleship, and church formation together. Because of this dynamic, we usually had people in the group of new believers who were already leaders--chiefs of their villages. The believers naturally looked to these men as leaders of the new believing community and, then, the new church.

 

This natural emergence was encouraging to watch, but it was also challenging. Some of these leaders struggled with significant sin, even after becoming believers. Many had broken marriages in their past--how would the Mahafaly church apply God’s design for marriage among their and their leadership? These leaders also have different gifts. Some are more passive, at times unwilling to confront sin in their congregations. Others are more direct, but then can be hurtful to their congregations. Others are gifted teachers, with a natural acuity for God’s Word. Others are more practical, focusing on active obedience in their churches.

 

In short, these leaders are human. As it turns out, there aren’t any Mahafaly believers who aren’t human. Like any leaders anywhere, leaders in indigenous church plants will struggle, sometimes fail, have natural strengths and weaknesses, and grow at their own pace. Praise the Lord, He is faithful to use us! He has faithfully grown the Mahafaly leaders--even through the failures of some leaders and the dissolution of some churches. His Holy Spirit continues to call leaders out--though more slowly and mysteriously than would be easy for us--but in His way and for His glory.