The Role of the District Superintendent Mark Louw DS Retreat 06 September 2010.

The Role of the District Superintendent

Mark LouwDS Retreat 06 September 2010

The Church of the Nazarene

25. The Church of the Nazarene is composed of those persons who have voluntarily associated themselves together according to the doctrines and polity of said church, and who seek holy Christian fellowship, the conversion of sinners, the entire sanctification of believers, their upbuilding in holiness, and the simplicity and spiritual power manifest in the primitive New Testament Church, together with the preaching of the gospel to every creature.

Article I. Form of Government

28.1. We are agreed on the necessity of a superintendency that shall complement and assist the local church in the fulfilling of its mission and objectives. The superintendency shall build morale, provide motivation, supply management and method assistance, and organize and encourage organization of new churches and missions everywhere.

Article I. Form of Government

28.2. We are agreed that authority given to superintendents shall not interfere with the independent action of a fully organized church. Each church shall enjoy the right to select its own pastor, subject to such approval as the General Assembly shall find wise to institute. Each church shall also elect delegates to the various assemblies, manage its own finances, and have charge of all other matters pertaining to its local life and work.

Article III. District Assemblies

30. The General Assembly shall organize the membership of the church into district assemblies, giving such lay and ministerial representation therein as the General Assembly may deem fair and just, and shall determine qualifications of such representatives, provided, however, that all assigned ordained ministers shall be members thereof. The General Assembly shall also fix the boundaries of assembly districts, and define the powers and duties of district assemblies. (200-5.6)

DENOMINATIONAL STRUCTURE

LOCAL CHURCH

DISTRICT GOVERNMENT

GENERAL GOVERNMENT

Fields, Regions, and Global Ministry Center in relationship to the government of the Church of the

Nazarene

Regions

GMCFields

GeneralGovernment

DistrictGovernment

LocalChurch

Fields, Regions, and Global Ministry Center in relationship to the government of the Church of the

Nazarene

Regions

GMCFields

GeneralGovernment

DistrictGovernment

LocalChurch

Regions, Fields, andGMC are the scaffolding thatsupports the structureof the Global Church

THE REGION

345. Origin and Purpose. In the growth of the church worldwide, there has developed a grouping of several organized districts into geographical areas identified as regions. A cluster of districts amenable to the general government of the Church of the Nazarene and having a sense of area and cultural identification may be formed into an administrative region by action of the General Board and approval of the Board of General Superintendents.

The Region: Reason for its existence

A region exists to facilitate the development of the Church of the Nazarene in all its levels in all world areas so that those levels of organization of the Church of the Nazarene (local churches and districts) can effectively relate to the general government of the Church of the Nazarene. (A mission development role).

Roles of the Region

Missionary: To implement the mission of the Church through and with the existing backbone of the church

Strategic: To develop strategies that will help the church fulfill the Great Commission

Administrative: To assist in the administration of the missionary enterprise of the Church of the Nazarene

Developmental: To develop and empower the indigenous Church of the Nazarene to be part of the global Nazarene family

Jurisdictional: To facilitate the jurisdictional role of the BGS as requested by the JGS

The Field as a Strategic Hub

The field is a facilitating entity of the global and regional missionary strategy

The field is not another layer of authority in the structure of the church and, as such, it is not location-bound but it acts primarily as a service hub for a specific geographical area

Roles of the field

To facilitate the global, regional, and field missionary strategy of the church

To facilitate the development of districts helping them become self-sufficient

To serve the church development needs of the various mission areas of coverage

Fields, Regions, and Global Ministry Center in relationship to the government of the Church of the

Nazarene

Regions

GMCFields

GeneralGovernment

DistrictGovernment

LocalChurch

Regions, Fields, andGMC are the scaffolding thatsupports the structureof the Global Church

Relationships between Mission Leaders (RD/FSCs) and Districts

Phase 1District

Phase 2District

Phase 3District

RD

SupervisorProviderCoordinatorStrategy DirectorMission Director

Partial providerCoordinatorEvaluatorStrategy DirectorMission Director

Strategic PartnerMission FacilitatorResource EnablerJurisdictional Leader (recruited)

FSC

Delegated supervisorStrategy FacilitatorEvaluatorMission Director

Joint supervisor (with the DAB)Mission FacilitatorStrategy FacilitatorResource Enabler

Delegated FacilitatorResource EnablerStrategic Partner

The District Superintendent

Everything rises and falls on leadership

Everything rises and falls on the DS*

The successful implementation of the Global and Regional Strategy will depend on you

Are you a bottleneck or a conduit?

The District Superintendent

Duties

Categorized as follows: Pastoral Leadership

Vision CastingApostolic

Administrative

What do you spend most of your time on?

A Word of Caution

Leaders are not managersLeaders perform some management

functionsManagers perform some leadership

functionsBut true leaders know the difference

and are not managers

Lunch Break

What now?

You are the Key!You are the key facilitator of the vision,

mission, objectives and strategy of the Region

You are the key to its implementation, embodiment and embracing by all Nazarene leaders on the Region

You can help move the Region forward or you will result in its status quo.

Strategic Questions

What was? Don’t dwell there

What is? Don’t be satisfied

What can be? Don’t be deceived by what appears to be

importantHow should things be?

God’s blueprint as seen in the Acts

What now?

So what?

Embrace what is in your hand

Exodus 2: 23-25 3: 4

3: 7-83: 10

Moses’ Excuses: 3: 11 (12)3: 13 (14)4: 1 (2, 6)4: 10 (11)4: 13 (14)

Embrace what is in your hand

“You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth. I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him. But take this staff in your hand so you can perform miraculous signs with it.”

Ex 4: 15-17

What now?

Put into action that which the Region has embraced.

Embrace what you have in your hand

How you do this is what we are about this session. Each of you needs to develop tactics or action plans. It’s here where I’d like to help you with tools to succeed in the implementation of the Regions goals.

What is in your hand?

Small Groups

What is in my hand?

2Nazareneidentity

3Humanresources

4Evangelism

5Discipleship

6Education

How do you use what’s in your hand?

Small Groups

How do I use what’s in my hand?

1Personalprofound

revival

2Continualsystem ofleadership

training

3Decentralized and

continual strategies ofevangelism

5A flexible andtechnologicalsystem ofcommunicationat all levels

4A holisticplan ofholinessdiscipleship

Implementation ChartWHATWHAT

Strategic objectivesStrategic objectivesWHOWHO HOWHOW WHENWHEN INDICATORINDICATOR

Personal profoundPersonal profoundrevivalrevival

Continual system ofContinual system ofLeadership trainingLeadership training

Decentralized and Decentralized and continual strategies of continual strategies of evangelismevangelism

A Holistic Plan for A Holistic Plan for Holiness DisciplesHoliness Disciples

A flexible andA flexible andTechnologicalTechnologicalSystem of System of CommunicationCommunicationAt all levelsAt all levels

Implementation ChartWHATWHAT

Strategic objectivesStrategic objectivesWHOWHO HOWHOW WHENWHEN INDICATORINDICATOR

Personal profoundPersonal profoundrevivalrevival

Fruit and Power of Fruit and Power of the Spirit in the the Spirit in the churchchurch

Continual system ofContinual system ofLeadership trainingLeadership training

Multiplication and Multiplication and quality of leadershipquality of leadership

Decentralized and Decentralized and continual strategies of continual strategies of evangelismevangelism

New church growthNew church growth

A Holistic Plan for A Holistic Plan for Holiness DisciplesHoliness Disciples

Large percentage of Large percentage of retention of convertsretention of converts

A flexible andA flexible andTechnologicalTechnologicalSystem of System of CommunicationCommunicationAt all levelsAt all levels

Communication that Communication that flows and is flows and is transparenttransparent

Through Him, we can do it!

Successful leaders don’t start out asking, “What do I want to do?” They ask, “What needs to be done?”

Then they ask, “Of those things that would make a difference, which are right for me?”

They don’t tackle things they aren’t good at. They make sure other necessities get done, but not by them; they appoint someone else.

Successful leaders make sure that they are effective. They are not afraid of strength in others.

Conclusion

Andrew Carnegie wanted put on his gravestone, “Here lies a man who knew

how to put into his service men more able than he was himself.”