THE PLACE OF SPIRITUALITY IN THE TRAINING OF A CHILD FOR FUTURE LEADERSHIP POSITION: MODELS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

Abstract

The fast-growing social vices in our society today may not be unconnected to the fact that they have their roots emanating from the corrupted moral fabrics traceable to poor spiritual upbringing of children in the homes, religious organisations, institutions of learning, and society. The growing trend today leaves much to be desired, as evidenced by the crop of leaders the organisation produces. This has further given reasons to question the spiritual formation of these Church leaders as everybody is, to a certain degree, a product of their past upbringing. Both historical and descriptive methods were employed in carrying out the work. One of the contributory factors to societal moral decay was the gradual decline in teaching religious and moral education, which had negatively impacted society by producing leaders who lacked the ability and capability to lead effectively in society. However, there are several examples of leaders in the Bible whose leadership qualities serve as role models to contemporary Church leaders, such as Joseph, Samuel, and so on. Consequently, there was the need to retrace the good old virtue of inculcating moral values in children, beginning from home to school and society.