SANCHEZ, NADIMO JOSEPH2024-02-122023-07-252024-02-122023-07-25https://repo.pacuniversity.ac.ke/handle/123456789/3742.3When the church is in conflict, the members are affected especially when such conflicts end up either in splits or closure of the church (Gathuki, 2015). Succession conflicts are on the rise in Africa Instituted Churches (AICs) today. In instances where the founder of the church has retired or died, the traditional plan would be to consider the immediate member of the family or second in command to take over. However, the scripture in Genesis (48:17-19) brings out the picture of such a scenario. The traditional succession plan in the Ancient near East which Israel was part of favoured the first son, but the will of God through Jacob preferred the younger son. The researcher sought to explore the relationship between traditional succession practices in the ancient Near East and the Israelites, and to discuss leadership succession wrangles in Africa Instituted Churches in relation to Genesis (48:17-18) and lessons that Africa Instituted Churches can learn on leadership succession. Using Socio-Scientific method as methodology and Divine and Human Elements theory to understand the Ancient Near East, and the exegesis of Genesis (48:17-19), the study found out that conflict in church leadership succession is a failure by the church leaders to discern the will of God in their decisions. Africa Instituted Churches are influenced by African cultural practices on succession plans just like ancient Israel, which was part of the ancient Near East culture. Therefore, rather than applying African traditional patterns of successions in church leadership transitions, the Africa Instituted Churches should be keen to discern the will of God, just like what was happening in Abrahamic familial lineage, for posterity, and to avoid the bad picture painted about the church in Kenya. Text: Genesis 48:17-19; When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim’s head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s 9 head to Manasseh’s head. Joseph said to him, “No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head. “But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations.enThesis