Rev. Stephen Ogulu

No doubt the growth of this church caught the attention of his uncle and highly esteemed predecessor, Rev. Stephen Ogulu, who was honored by election as a Head Overseer of the Fellowship of the Elect and Redeemed, the largest church in the country of Kabuli.

He reflected back on the surprise that he and his wife felt when the call came to join KSM in this important role.Everything seemed to confirm this was God's will for his life, and he was fortunate to spend six weeks observing and learning from his distinguished uncle.
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It was then that Rev. Ogulu, Pastor of First Church of the Elect and Redeemed and a founding Board member, was asked to become Managing Director.

Rev. Ogulu also graduated from the Ambassadors of God Bible College as well as the WAG Seminary.He comes from the dominant tribe in the country, as do most of the country's top leaders.Over the years he served on the boards of many other organizations and is recognized as a distinguished Christian statesman.

Rev. Ogulu had quickly restored relationships with WAG and became well known in the West.
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At one time the person responsible for writing and editorial work also sat on this committee, but Rev. Ogulu now has assumed this seat.

If you were to enter the doors during Rev. Ogulu's reign, several things would be apparent.
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Rev. Ogulu had found it difficult to delegate responsibilities to others.Therefore, he felt the need to stay on top of what others were doing to insure that things were going the way he wanted.Also he never forgot the harm done by a trusted employee who embezzled a substantial sum several years ago.

Few people would say they knew Rev. Ogulu very well, even Stella Senge, who has served at KSM for 23 years.Although outwardly friendly he was, in reality, a very private person.There is no question, however, that he was a genuine visionary and take-charge leader with remarkable speaking and motivational skills.He and the Board clearly determined the direction of the ministry and dissenting voices were not encouraged.
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Perhaps those that ask this question have in mind leaders such as Reverend Stephen Ogulu, who you have met in our readings.The underlying issue here is, what kind of leadership are we calling for?Do we want a big-boss?Stephen Ogulu, I think we would admit, would fall into that category.
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Do you know Stephen?
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Reread this, and ask yourself what do you think Reverend Stephen Ogulu really assumes about the people who work for him?What motivates them?What do you think he has in mind as he's saying, "I'm in charge to lead this group, and here I have these people"?I think you may be able to infer this from the patterns of behavior that you see.So what do you think motivates them to come to work today, each day, and how do you think he feels ...

Turn once again to the reading entitled, "Oh Lord, Can I Be A Leader?"Focus on the recently retired Managing Director, Rev. Stephen Ogulu.

What do you think Stephen Ogulu assumes about the people who work for him?
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Frankly, I think we can understand why Reverend Ogulu might have these kinds of points of view.
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Based on these assumptions about others in the organization, Rev. Ogulu formed his concept of what he must do as an effective leader.

? If Rev. Ogulu were asked to define what leaders must do to be successful, what do you think he would say?Take your clues from his actions.

Dr. James Engel: I think probably Reverend Ogulu would do as most of us would do, if this were the way we looked at our people.
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Probably this is how Ogulu thinks then.He probably would say that the top leader has to assume authority, based on the position.
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You see, with Reverend Ogulu, we had him more or less in the position that I believe he was thinking: "I am the one who's on top.
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I believe that Reverend Stephen Ogulu, whom we will meet again and again, is basically a good man.This is not a bad man; we're not trying to set up an ungodly example here.I believe he is a man who's lost the power to see himself.
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You see, the older command of control system epitomized by Reverend Ogulu doesn't work in today's environment.It ignores the example and teachings of Jesus, but furthermore, it inhibits change.Do you realize what was happening in KSM?We will see this very soon in another unit: that Stephen would not allow his people to make a decision by themselves.
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What if we all were Ogulu's?
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Would you say these are closer to the older top-down, command style of leadership that we saw with Reverend Ogulu, or to the servant leadership style which everyone's talking about now?
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Alex Campagna - fiery young writer and editor, hired as head of KSM's writing and design department; quickly fired by Stephen Ogulu
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Rev. Hezekiah Ogulu - Stephen Ogulu's father, who ruled his home with an iron hand
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Rev. Stephen Ogulu - Victor's uncle; former pastor of First Church & former Managing Director of KSM; a Head Overseer of the Fellowship & Chairman of the KSM Board; Chairman of the Board of the Elect & Redeemed Church; leadership style: designer/developer