“Good church leadership requires more than theological knowledge”

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Jean Olivier Nke Ongono, born in 1984, is a canon lawyer and holds the junior professorship in Global Church Leadership at LMU. A native of Cameroon, he has lived, studied and worked in various regions and countries. In this interview, he discusses how the Church can change without sacrificing its identity, why statistics are important for its future, and why good administration is also part of serving the Church.

Starting in the winter semester of 2026, LMU will launch a new Licentiate program that combines canon law, management, communication, statistics and pastoral theology. It sounds more like a leadership program than a traditional theology degree. What is the idea behind this approach?

Prof. Dr. Jean Olivier Nke Ongono: It is a Lic. Theol. (Licentiate in Theology) with canonical recognition. The program aims to equip candidates with the tools for effective and efficient leadership at all levels of Church life in the present context. While a good leader is not expected to be an expert in every field, certain skills and competencies are required to be efficient in their ministry, as good intentions alone are not enough.

The program addresses issues such as abuse prevention, women in the Church, digitalization and Church finances. What does this selection of topics reveal about the challenges the Catholic Church is facing today?

Though the Church is a spiritual community, it is made up of mere and feeble human beings, and it exists in particular historical, social and cultural contexts. It cannot escape the challenges and realities arising from civil societies or its own organization and life. The Church faces many challenges, as does any institution, but the important thing is to address them systematically and methodologically. That is our aim.

Between tradition and renewal

Church leadership is often associated with preserving tradition. At the same time, society is changing rapidly. How can Church leaders strike the right balance between continuity and necessary renewal?

When contributing to the life and ministry of the Church, whether as a layperson, consecrated person or cleric, it is important to recognize that the mission belongs to Christ, not to oneself. At the same time, two extremes should be avoided: making tabula rasa of everything that has been done so far or maintaining the status quo. Two principles illuminate this: 'Ecclesia semper reformanda est' and 'Ius semper reformandum est'. The Church and the law must both be reformed while maintaining the Church's identity and mission. This new program aims to strike the right balance in order to be truly useful to the Church and the world.

You are originally from Cameroon and now conduct research on global Church leadership at LMU. Has your own journey shaped your understanding of what makes good Church leadership?

Yes, certainly! After all, human contact always enriches us. After obtaining my Advanced Level Certificate, I had the opportunity to live, study and work in regions and countries other than my own, which meant I had to learn other languages and adapt to different cultures. This has undoubtedly shaped my worldview and helps me to appreciate and evaluate things from various perspectives.

The Church is not the same everywhere. While it is shrinking in many parts of Europe, it continues to grow in parts of Africa and Asia. How do these different realities shape your understanding of good Church leadership?

I will start with a fact that is also a truth of faith: The Church is one, and it is the Church of Christ! However, a fundamental theological truth is that the communio ecclesiarum does not exclude the heterogeneity of local churches. The Church exists in different social, cultural and economic contexts. This inevitably brings about differences. However, the unity of doctrine and the recognition of the supreme authority of the Roman Pontiff are key to its unity. After all, the local church — that is, the diocese — is defined in canon law as 'the universal Church in loco'. This means that the diocese should reflect the life and ministry of the universal Church, notwithstanding areas in which local Churches can legislate by law.

One of the seminars focuses on statistics and the analysis of Church data. At first glance, numbers do not seem central to theology. What insights can they provide?

In WS 2024/25, I held a seminar entitled 'Church and Statistics' with Prof. Andreas Wollbold, a pastoral theologian, and Dr Carolina Haensch from the Department of Statistics. The seminar was a success in terms of both attendance and content. The seminar, "Introduction to Statistical Work with Church Data", aims to equip students with the tools and methods needed to make church data understandable and actionable. It will help them to create forecasts about future church membership and development and to plan for upcoming challenges and opportunities.

Alongside canon law and pastoral theology, the program also draws on the social and cultural sciences. What perspectives do these disciplines offer that theology alone cannot provide?

The Church is not just a spiritual entity; it is also a tangible society and institution that exists within specific historical, social, and cultural contexts. Its members are also citizens of secular states. Therefore, the good ecclesiastical leader will need skills that cannot be guaranteed by theological courses alone.

The curriculum also includes conflict management and crisis communication. Why have these skills become more important for Church leaders than they were a few decades ago?

As in any other institution, conflicts do exist in the Church. Therefore, good conflict management and crisis communication skills are very valuable for effective leadership. These skills are becoming increasingly important everywhere, not only to prevent all forms of abuse, but also to create a safe environment.

Research for better decision-making

You describe your professorship as a scientific think tank for the Catholic Church. How can academic research support church decision-making without becoming part of Church leadership itself?

Our aim is to act as a kind of spinal specialist for Church leadership. While it is possible, it is often difficult to combine in-depth research with involvement in decision-making. More commonly, the decision-makers are not the policy-makers. Therefore, our aim is to build on our knowledge of Canon Law and analyse pastoral situations and the challenges facing the Church in the present context, in order to propose new and plausible leadership tools and methods that do not contradict the Church's constant teaching.

The program can be completed either online or on campus and is also intended for people who are already serving in the Church. How does this shape the way you teach and the way students learn?

The dual attendance options are intended to provide an opportunity for those who cannot make it to Munich to participate in the program, as we believe it to be potentially beneficial for the church and wish to enable as many people as possible to benefit from it. The program is also designed to accommodate work and study commitments. As with any study program, dedication is required to complete it successfully.

With this new Licentiate programme, you aim to study and further develop leadership in the Catholic Church from an academic perspective. Which aspects of good church leadership do you think are still underestimated?

It may be difficult to single out one or more aspects of good leadership that have been underestimated. I believe that all aspects of the life of the Church are relevant to effective leadership, though some may be more important than others. However, rediscovering ecclesiastical administration as a form of service, embracing subsidiarity and encouraging genuine synodal participation could enhance Church leadership.

If, ten years from now, graduates of your program are serving in leadership positions around the world, what would convince you that the program has been a success?

Firstly, I would like to make a remark: all the faithful should participate in the leadership of the Church, each according to their state in life, not just those in significant leadership positions. In a decade or so, I hope to see that the knowledge and skills imparted to graduates have been put into practice. Knowledge will certainly be passed on, but having knowledge and skills is one thing; applying them is another.

The Licentiate programme is aimed at Catholic theologians. The entry requirement is a completed five-year degree in Catholic theology. Academic credits earned abroad may be recognised. Admission also requires knowledge of Latin, Greek and Hebrew, as well as a good command of English (at least level B2). Students may commence their studies in either the winter or summer semester – either in person or online. Applications should be submitted via the Secretariat of the Faculty of Catholic Theology at LMU.