REFLECTION ON LEADERSHIP OF A BIBLE AND PROMINENT UGANDAN LEADER.

By
Kabuye Alex
MDIV/3511/23

An Assignment
Presented to Dr. Artyom Kluichnikov
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for
LDR 510
Leadership, History, and Praxis
February 2nd, 2023

International Leadership University

Nairobi, Keny
 INTRODUCTION.

This paper is intended to briefly reflect on two characters, one from the Bible who is apostle

Paul, and a Ugandan prominent leader apostle Alex Mitala explaining how these individuals

were leaders and managers. Also extracting how as leaders they addressed the issues of survival

and meaning and how they reflect some of the ten truths about leadership. This paper is written

according to my knowledge of scriptures concerning apostle Paul and what I know about apostle

Alex Mitala because I have seen him since 2006 until now.

APOSTLE PAUL

Throughout his letters and in the book of Acts, apostle Paul is pointed out to be a leader from

what he speaks, does, and his thinking about people. It is evident in 1 Corinthians 11:1 and in

Philippians 3:17 Paul is an example which is exactly what any leader is expected of among the

people he or she leads. In these scriptures, he is urging his readers to follow his example and this

simply tells us how Paul was a person of high integrity and a leader to the extent that he can

confidently tell people to imitate him as he imitates Christ and to follow his way of life. In Acts

chapters 20 – 28, we greatly see a heart of leadership that Paul had. Since leadership is about the

people you lead or serve and nothing about you, this explains why he accepted the burden of

leadership not in any way to make his life better but because of the concern he had for others to

receive the gift of salvation. This is why he bared all the sufferings because even when in chains,

he still wrote letters to them and guided them on how to do different things hence a great trait of

leadership.

Nevertheless, apostle Paul was a manager in a way that he could execute plans on how the gospel

must reach all the ends of the world and how to help God’s elect to stand firm unto the faith that
they profess and this explains why he endured suffering (2 Timothy 2:10) and also sends for

parchments to continue in writing (2 Timothy 4:13)

Concerning the issue of survival, Paul as a leader encouraged people to work hard in order to

earn a living just as he was a preacher but also a tent maker because he had a number of people

he always traveled with, so sustaining all those people needed a lot of costs. I also believe this

also explains why he was mostly in market places as he teaches the word of God, and his

companions are selling tents in the market. In 2 Thessalonians 3:10, he still urges people that he

who does not work should also not eat.

Apostle Paul explicitly showed for any person’s life to have meaning in this world is to know

and accept Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and savior so that you may obtain the gift of

salvation which guarantees eternal life as seen in Romans 6:23 because he knew the eternal

danger of not believing in Christ and therefore as a leader, he endured all the sufferings and pain

so that the word of God is extended to all the people (2 Timothy 2:10) hence implying that life

without Christ is meaningless.

Paul was a dreamer, in this case, he had a perfect image of where people who believe in Christ

will finally go and be glorified by the father in heaven. This image Paul had prompted him to

endure suffering so that the word reaches all (2 Timothy 2:10) and also put every effort to train

other people (2 Tim 2:15) who used to move with him so that they also may have the same

image of the eternal life which we will have in heaven. This explains why even when he was in

chains, Paul still wrote leaders to his people such as the books of Ephesians, Philippians,

Colossians, and Philemon because he wanted them to also have full sight of the complete image

of salvation and eternal life just like he did.

 APOSTLE ALEX MITALA.

He is a Ugandan-based apostle who is seventy years old now and has been born again for 56

years and served God since the time he accepted Jesus Christ till now. In the 70s, during the

reign of Idi Amin Dada, the president of Uganda abolished Christianity from the country and this

was a very trying moment for the church of God. Apostle Alex who had a number of people he

was leading, started to smuggle bible literature from the nearby country Kenya to bring to the

people in Uganda because of the concern he had for them to know the truth of God. He is one

person who has always articulated a vision to spread the gospel by showing the love of God to

people where many have passed through his hands giving them education and spiritual

empowerment including myself, he is the man behind my education from childhood to now

hence also creating a future for me and others in the physical realm (since I attained education)

and in the spiritual realm (since I accepted Christ through him) for many people.

Besides leadership, Ap. Alex Mitala also exhibits managerial skills as he is able to improve the

present by adjusting and making sure everyone around him becomes a better person both

physically and spiritually this explains why he has been able to mentor thousands of people since

1971 and he does through the organization he founded many years ago called “BACK TO THE

BIBLE TRUTH MISSION”. He also manages change as he creates plans ahead, for example

when he knew that he sponsors many students even those at university, and a time may reach

when those helping him may not be able, he planted 60 acres of banana plantain and 100 acres of

coffee where he can get enough money to still take on God’s work through God’s people.

He also addresses the issue of survival by encouraging people never to give up on life and to be

progressive thinkers because he believes that “Progressive thinkers think about all things”, he

encourages pastors and church leaders to be hard-working people to benefit the kingdom of God
not just sitting waiting unto the offerings and tithes from the people and with this he speaks with

authority since he was a leader of born again churches in Uganda for over nine years as he knows

in spite of the difficult times one can still survive.

He further focuses on making meaning in this world, as a Christian leader, all he does and speaks

at the end of the day clings to the issue of salvation indicating that it is the only way to make

meaning both on earth and after earth, because all this we have or work for will once perish and

no more but having eternal life through Jesus Christ is the only thing one can have confidence in,

just as it is written seek first the kingdom of God and the rest shall be added unto you (Matthew

6:33) because the kingdom of God will build you into a responsible and good person even here

on earth hence making meaning in this world.

Apostle Alex Mitala has always reflected credibility as a leader because for many years he is one

person people look up to and this is not only church leaders but also other people because of his

honesty, competence, broad-mindedness, and many others which have enabled him to stand a

test of time. He has also reflected a love for others as he has tried his level best to make us better

people, one time he made me emotional when we were asking him why he does not buy

expensive cars and replied us saying “if I buy expensive cars you (me and others) will not be

able to go to school” and this melted my heart to have such a person as a mentor.

CONCLUSION.

In conclusion, both apostle Paul and apostle Alex Mitala are leaders as well as managers because

of the leadership and managerial skill they exhibit in one way or the other. As leaders, they also

address the issues of survival and meaning in their perspective and lastly reflect some of the ten

truths about leadership as explained above.