Discussion thread: leadership guided change
After reading the Case Study of Wilberforce Anti-slavery Campaign, suggest Christian Strategies for managing change in the public sector. Apply at least 1 biblical passage that speaks to change. Explain why you picked the passage and what it means to you.
Although the British Empire abolished the slave trade during the early 1800s, it required another 16 years after the passage of the 1807 Slave Trade Act for the Wilberforce Anti-Slavery Campaign to commence (Colonialism and politics of Empire, 2023). The founder of the campaign, William Wilberforce, is little known today but his efforts to end the slave trade in Britain place him among the ranks of other great leaders who stood up for what was right even when it was unpopular or even dangerous to do so. In this regard, Manning (2007) reports that, An 18th-century man who could join their ranks but of whom people probably know little is William Wilberforce (1759-1833), a British politician, philanthropist and abolitionist who led the parliamentary campaign against the lucrative slave trade (p. 19).
Given the high stakes that were involved in his efforts and the turbulent political environment at the time, it is reasonable to suggest that Wilberforce was compelled to act by a fundamental sense...
…This guidance was not in the abstract but rather specifically directed at the institution of slavery itself as well as those who profited from it. In sum, the passage in Galatians 5:1 emphasizes the freedom that comes with being a follower of Christ. Likewise, Galatians 5:13 (ESV) makes it clear that being Christians also meant serving others: For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through
love serve one another. This passage serves as a useful reminder for modern Christians that while they have freedom in Christ, this freedom should not be used as an excuse…
