Abstract:
The author reflects on the reality of nepotism in Christian leadership as he has observed in the
township of Soshanguve and many other African poverty-stricken communities he has lived
in. The leadership of churches in those areas seems to run in the family. This model tends to
have a disempowering effect on the other church members in terms of taking responsibility or
initiating projects that could expand the impact of the church beyond the borders of its walls.
This article recognises the positive impact of nepotism, but it mostly stresses on the negative
impact of nepotism on the democratisation of power in the church and society. It uses music,
a critical vehicle of knowledge acquisition in Africa, to stress upon the fact that Christian
leaders should be equipped to participate in the common good, help in the empowerment of
ordinary people around them, starting with their members and be altruistic, like Jesus, and
work beyond the boundaries of their families.
