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Week 4 Mentor Interviews-Report
Assignment
Biblical Foundation of Christian Leadership (Liberty
University)
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LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
JOHN W. RAWLINGS SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
A Discussion on:
Mentor Interviews: Report Assignment
submitted to Dr. Bob Bayles
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
LEAD510_D02
Biblical Foundations of Leadership
by
BOLAJI EBENEZER
November 27, 2022.
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Table of Content
Introduction…...............................................................................................................................1
Comparison of the Two Interviews...............................................................................................2
Conclusion…................................................................................................................................5
Bibliography….............................................................................................................................6
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Introduction
There is no single word in the Bible called, “mentorship” but the principle can be found
throughout the entire Bible. Moses mentored Joshua, Naomi mentored Ruth, Mordecai mentored
Esther, Elijah mentored Elisha, Jesus mentored the Apostles, Barnabas mentored Paul, Paul
mentored Timothy and the list goes on. Mentorship could be seen throughout church history and
not just in the Bible. Christian mentoring is different from secular mentoring. Mentorship is very
important not just in the secular world but in Christianity. As Kight noted, “Christian mentoring
is about more than self-improvement or personal development. It is about helping people
become more and more like another person, and that person is Jesus.”1 It is not only pastors who
can mentor others. Kight simplified the qualification for mentoring others as follows, “If you
have a relationship with Christ, are living in community, and are growing in your faith, you can
come alongside others and point them to Jesus.”2 This is because mentoring is needed for
different reasons. There are people who need mentoring in their marriage, especially the newly
wedded Christian couples, there are new believers who needed to grow in their faith in Christ
who need maturing or growing believers who can mentor them on their spiritual growth, there
are pastors just starting the ministry who needed not to make the same mistakes of the those who
had gone ahead of them. Mentoring is, “An opportunity to receive a different perspective, be
held accountable, and to get good, godly advice.”3 Christian mentoring helps believers to put
their faith to work and helps the mentor and the mentee to grow in their faith.
This will examine and compare mentoring interviews with two mentors to identify major
lessons for ministry implementation.
Comparison of the Two Interviews
1 Chelsea Knight, “What Christian Mentoring is and How to Do It,” CRU, accessed: November 27,
2022. https://www.cru.org/us/en/train-and-grow/help-others-grow/mentoring.html Links to an external site.
2Ibid.
3Ibid.
1
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Two pastors who are currently mentoring others through intentional programs are
interviewed namely, Bishop (Col.) Major Paul Nduoma Vincent and Rev. Canon Foluso
Kolawole. The interviews took place at different times and different locations using different
methods. Questions asked during the interviews included: What is your mentoring process like?
How do you do mentoring? Why do you do mentoring? Where do you do mentoring? How often
do you do mentoring? What are your mentorship expectations? What do you expect from
mentees? How do you identify the right candidate for mentorship? What are your selection
procedures for selecting mentees? What do you identify as the greatest challenges to mentorship?
What are your experiences? How were you mentored? Any other words of advice?
Rev Canon Foluso is a movie producer, an actor, an artist, and the pastor (rector) of the Anglican
Church of Pentecost, Houston, Texas. He took over the church some years ago as the second
pastor of the church and the church has experienced growth since then. He presently has two
ordained pastors under him, different group leaders, and others in the process of becoming
pastors. He is a highly sorted African Christian mover maker in Houston. The interview with
him took place on Thursday, November 17, 2022, at around 9:20 am (CST) at the Church office
in person.
Bishop (Col.) Paul Nduoma Vincent is a motivational preacher, teacher, healing
evangelist, prolific author, publisher, entrepreneur, and founder of the Kingdom Power Chapel
(aka Kingdom Power Ministries International). His rank as a chaplain in the military is major but
he was also commissioned as Kentucky Colonel, the highest honor bestowed by the Governor of
Kentucky, in recognition of his achievements. The interview with him took place over the phone
on November 10, 2022.
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While both are doing great in their different kinds of ministries with great relational
approaches to mentorship, certain things are different and while others are common to both.
Both passionately believe in mentorship and its importance noting that the lessons of many years
of ministry can be gleaned without having to make the same mistakes of those years. This they
believe can help mentees use the success principles of the mentor by replicating it without a need
to reinvent another one saving them time. Both believe that certain things must be handled with
great confidentiality in the mentorship relationship as much as possible.
Both recruit mentors as the occasion arises and through some intentional mentorship
programs which are on regular basis depending on the need. The mentorship is continuous and
ongoing and not just a one-time training. Both believe both mentor and mentee could initiate the
mentorship need. They both utilize in-person, online, phone calls, and other types of
communication platforms to mentor their mentees. Both identify willingness from the mentee as
the number one quality they use in identifying a potential mentee. In Bishop Vincent’s own
words, “Someone with a ‘Teachable Spirit’ who is ready and willing to learn and be mentored. It
does no good neither does it help both parties if he/she is not willing to learn or be mentored.” In
Rev. Canon Kolawole’s own words, “interest, readiness to learn. No matter what you do if the
mentee is not willing there is little the mentor can do.” Both expect mentees to freely and openly
be able to ask any question or seek advice, counsel, or guidance over any issue they may have
which can help them in their journey. Both expect that mentees should work on tasks given or
agreed upon to progress. Both believe it is not a one-sided approach, both parties are expected to
do something. Also, if there was any task that was given to the mentee or was agreed upon to be
executed, the mentee should work on them and give feedback. They would then be able to give
informed counsel on what to do as they look at the situation and challenges together.
3
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Bishop Vincent identified the “I Know It All” syndrome by some mentees as the greatest
challenge to mentoring because it makes it difficult for them to be open to learning, be taught,
corrected, and be mentored. Rev. Canon Kolawole on the other hand identified outside influence
as the major challenge to mentoring. He said influences from those close to the mentees such as
their parents and friends could be working against the mentee from learning. As much as the
mentee wishes to be mentored, some outside influences could convince the person otherwise.
One of the strengths of Rev Canon Kolawole’s approach is that it employs what he calls
“potential banking” (meaning he identifies potential mentee, trains them, and wait for
opportunities for implementation), making him have a store of mentees who are also learning
from other growing mentees. This gives a much more hands-on experience for mentees to
become mentors while they are also learning. One of the weaknesses of the approach is that over
time the mentor and mentee relationship will be weakened because of the growing number of
mentees.
A comparison of the strengths and weaknesses of both mentors interviewed was
conducted. A strength identified in Bishop (Col.) Vincent's mentorship approach is the relational
ability. He employs more of a relational mentorship program. He tries to develop a relationship
that helps to really foster bonding between mentor and mentee. Although both Mentors utilize a
relational approach, that of Bishop (Col.) Vincent's would seem to work better in the author’s
own opinion. A weakness in this is that unlike the way Rev Canon Kolawole provides a platform
for mentees to become mentors in the process, Bishop (Col.) Vincent might not provide such
opportunities. It might therefore take a longer time for such mentees to develop mentoring skills
as they journey in their ministries.
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Conclusion
While one has watched videos, listened to messages, and read about mentorship, there is
a great difference in really hearing from mentors on a one-on-one basis through interviews. A lot
was learned during the mentorship interview. Both the strengths and weaknesses of the
approaches were considered. There were major lessons learned during the two interviews
conducted with mentors.
First, a mentor must be able to identify potential in mentees and help to groom them to
their full potential. He/She must be able to believe in the mentees and see beyond their present
status. Secondly, a mentor must be open enough to be approached by potential mentees. Some
mentors unconsciously chase potential mentees away which one should try to avoid. Thirdly, a
mentor must be a good and worthy example that others will be able to look up to. It does not just
happen. One must put in efforts at developing oneself to emerge as someone who has enough
experience that others might want to learn from. Fourthly mentorship is a two-way process.
Both mentors and mentees learn new things from each other.
The following lessons learned from the mentorship interviews will greatly impact the
author’s ministry henceforth. As a pastor who is desiring to mentor many other mentees, there is
a need to consciously look out for other potential mentees whose potential could be groomed
unto maturity. There is a need to work on an open-door policy to allow other upcoming
ministers to approach one for mentorship. There is also a need to work on personal self-
development because one cannot give what one does not have.
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Bibliography
Knight, Chelsea, “What Christian Mentoring is and How to Do It,” CRU, accessed: November
27, 2022. https://www.cru.org/us/en/train-and-grow/help-others-grow/mentoring.html
Links
to an external
site.
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