Churches in the mirror: Developing contemporary ecclesiologies

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Missional Church ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Local Congregation ◽  
Local Practices ◽  
Analytical Perspective ◽  
African Context ◽  
The One ◽  
Theological Understanding ◽  
The Church

Ecclesiology is the study of the church and has two focal points; the one is the historical and doctrinal perspective on the church, and the other is the church as situated in a local context in the sense of the local practices of actual congregations. The ecclesiology or, more correctly, the ecclesiologies of this volume mainly focuses on the second aspect, i.e., understanding the local congregation or parish as a community of believers. A congregation may firstly be described by posing a theological question: What is the local missional church or congregation all about? This question may be answered from different perspectives, but it remains essential to answer it from a theological perspective. The first five chapters in this book focus mainly on a theological understanding of the congregation. This is done from different disciplines within the study field of theology. Congregations are, secondly, social realities and should be described and analysed through an analytical or empirical lens, or, to answer the question attached to the first empirical-descriptive task of practical theology, “What is going on?”. The remaining chapters use a quantitative and qualitative lens and give an empirical analysis of the congregation. The intention is to critically reflect on the church and congregations’ ecclesiology from a theological and analytical perspective with an emphasis on the South African context. It wants to map markers for the development of contemporary ecclesiologies, and the different chapters are meant as mirrors to look in and reflect on the theological and contextual relevance of denominations and congregations in South Africa.

scholarly journals Konkrete uitdagings vir die kerk vandag

2003 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-123
Author(s):  
J J Kritzinger
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
The Other ◽  
South African Context ◽  
The South ◽  
African Renaissance ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
African Context ◽  
The One ◽  
The Church

In a recent publication No Quick Fixes a number of knowledgeable people dealt with some contemporary  challenges to the church in its mission in the South African context. In this article the reader is introduced to these, but  the focus is on those aspects of the challenge which arise from the two main influences in the spiritual sphere: on the one hand the overwhelming secularising influence of the modern western worldview, and on the other hand the increasing emphasis on the return to the values of traditional Africa, as formulated in the movement for the African Renaissance.

scholarly journals The shaping and formation of a missional ecclesiology of township congregations in the Mangaung Metro Municipality during COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 77 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugene Baron ◽  
Khamadi J. Pali
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Missional Church ◽  
Dutch Reformed ◽  
Missional Ecclesiology ◽  
Reformed Church ◽  
African Context ◽  
Conducting Research ◽  
The Church

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caught most organisations, institutions and leaders off-guard, including church leaders. This was not any different in the congregations in the townships of the Mangaung Metro Municipality. The article discusses the responses of the churches in the Mangaung district and poses the question pertinently, ‘How did (or not) the churches in the Mangaung district reimagine, restructure, and position themselves prophetically during the COVID-19 pandemic?’. This is done firstly by providing a background to the development of a missional ecclesiology in North America, United Kingdon, and South Africa. Secondly, a discussion will be focused on the characteristics of the congregations which are necessary for developing a missional ecclesiology, in terms of these phases, as argued by Baron and Maponya. However, in the final section it will bring the missional ecclesiological discourse in conversation with the shaping and developing (or not) of a missional ecclesiology in respect of congregations in the township of the Mangaung Metro Municipality. The authors provide some contours for the missional role of the church in the current South African context and the formation of a missional ecclesiology.Contribution: This article contributes to the missional church discourse in missiology, that has been a conversation within Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa. The authors have been conducting research within mostly Pentecostal church in the township of Mangaung. The article is an attempt to broaden the missional church discussion in terms of region and Pentecostal ecclesiology.

scholarly journals Kerk en owerheid binne ’n regstaat. Die profetiese roeping van die kerk met betrekking tot die Suid-Afrikaanse owerheid

2000 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Vorster ◽  
J.H. Van Wyk
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Fundamental Rights ◽  
Theoretical Argument ◽  
The South ◽  
African Government ◽  
Constitutional State ◽  
African Context ◽  
The Government ◽  
Just Society ◽  
The Church

Church and government within a constitutional state. The prophetic calling of the church towards the South-African government With the transition to a new political dispensation in South Africa, a constitutional state has been established. A typical characteristic of this new dispensation is that the government remains neutral while the executive powers are subject to the Bill of Human Rights. The question of how the church can realize its prophetic task towards the government within the context of a constitutional state is highlighted in this article. The central theoretical argument is that a constitutional state that acknowledges fundamental rights provides an excellent opportunity for the church to fulfil its prophetic calling within the South African context. The church can contribute to a just society by prophetic testimony within the perspective of the kingdom of God.

A Tug of War Between Heritage Conservation and Property Rights: Some Success at Last for Heritage Conservation—City of Cape Town v. Oudekraal Estates (Pty) Ltd. [2007] JOL 20887 (C)

2009 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Beukes
Keyword(s):  
Property Rights ◽  
South African ◽  
Cape Town ◽  
The Other ◽  
Heritage Conservation ◽  
South African Context ◽  
Sensitive Issue ◽  
African Context ◽  
The One ◽  
The Right

When the idea of heritage conservation arises, one specific facet of the ensuing reflection is bound to emerge at some stage: the (inevitable) tension between property rights, on the one hand, and the right to culture (of which heritage conservation is an aspect), on the other. This tension intensifies when the cultural material to be conserved concerns a traditionally sensitive issue—that of the burial places of the ancestors of people designated in the South African context as previously disadvantaged.

scholarly journals Leadership in Acts through a social capital lens

2009 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian A. Nell
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
South African ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Missional Church ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Socio Economic Status ◽  
Norms And Values ◽  
African Context ◽  
Third Dimension ◽  
Distribution Of Income

Social capital can be defined in various ways. In most of these definitions at least three dimensions can be distinguished. First there is �bonding� (the horizontal relationships between people operating within different social networks and with specific norms and values). The second dimension is �bridging� (bonds that transcend differences in religion, ethnicity, culture and socio-economic status). This dimension prevents horizontal ties from becoming the basis for narrow and even sectarian interests. Normally, a third dimension called �linking� also forms part of social capital, and ideological aspects come into focus here. This dimension includes aspects such as justice, political power and the equitable distribution of income and property. When leadership in Acts is analysed through the lenses of these multi-focal spectacles, interesting perspectives are discovered that can enrich theories on leadership. These discoveries can also open up new perspectives on aspects of being a missional church in our South African context from within the context of Acts.�

scholarly journals An attack on the Cross: Spiritual leaders’ accounts of fear and resilience during COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mammusa Rosinah Lekoa ◽  
Sibusiso Louis Ntuli
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Church Leaders ◽  
Spiritual Leaders ◽  
Vulnerable Communities ◽  
Difficult Time ◽  
Essential Services ◽  
The Face ◽  
African Context ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Church

This paper provides accounts on the impact that COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdown(s) had on the Church and its leaders in the South African context. The study explores challenges that the leaders faced and how they dealt with them to remain standing despite their fears. The context is COVID-19 pandemic, which brought mass deaths, fear, confusion and frustration to congregations globally. Church leaders faced a challenge to show resilience amid fear because they too were directly affected. Governments introduced regulations that imposed lockdowns to control the spread of the virus. Limiting contact by restricting distance amongst citizens. The church was one sector that could not operate. Although some sectors were never declared essential services like churches, this left vulnerable communities without support in the face of fear. Spiritual leaders had to demonstrate resilience to support the congregants. The key question the researchers seek to understand is to what extent did the church remain resilient during COVID-19 pandemic? And how did the church leaders deal with fear despite anointing and expectations from the congregants and communities? A qualitative approach was used in this study. COVID-19 has shown that Church leaders are humans and they are also fearful, however their faith in God has assisted them to show resilience even at this difficult time. The study also asserts that governments should consult different groupings of faith-based organisations, not only those that are under organised bodies before embarking on restrictions for pandemic control. Communities encompass many churches and leaders require support to assist them from church members.

scholarly journals A pastoral investigation into some of the challenges associated with aging and retirement in the South African context

2015 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Magezi E. Baloyi
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Elderly People ◽  
Family Relationships ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
South Africans ◽  
Black South Africans ◽  
African Context ◽  
Long Life ◽  
The Church

This article is a contribution to a project that congratulates from the work of George Lotter, a pastor, pastoral counsellor and academic who wrote much on matters relating to pastoral care and counselling. Elderliness and retirement can be understood as a period in the lives of elderly people that allows them to rest after a long life of activity and service. From another point of view, old age is also a time that offers pastoral caregivers an opportunity to care for people who have contributed to their families and society. Pastoral caregivers have an important role to play in the lives of elderly people. This applies particularly to elderly black South Africans, who often find themselves confronted by poverty and other related problems. This article investigates the challenges and problems affecting retired and elderly black South Africans with particular focus on the economic impact of aging and its influence on family relationships in the lives of elderly people. To conclude: it is the duty of pastoral caregivers to search for and establish guidelines for the roles the church can play in improving elderly people’s quality of life.’n Pastorale ondersoek na enkele van die uitdagings ten opsigte van veroudering en aftredein die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks. Hierdie artikel is ’n bydrae tot ’n projek wat voorspruit uit die werk van George Lotter, ’n pastor, pastorale berader en akademikus wat baie geskryf het oor kwessies wat met pastorale sorg en berading verband hou. Bejaardheid en aftrede kan verstaan word as ’n tyd in in ouer persone se lewe waartydens hulle kan rus ná ’n lang aktiewe en diensbare lewe. Bejaardheid kan ook gesien word as ’n tyd wat aan pastorale versorgers die geleentheid gee om na die mense wat bygedra het tot hulle families en die gemeenskap se versorging, om te sien. Pastorale versorgers speel ’n belangrike rol in die lewens van bejaardes. Dit is spesifiek van toepassing op bejaarde swart Suid-Afrikaners wat dikwels gekonfronteer word met armoede en aanverwante probleme. Hierdie artikel ondersoek die uitdagings en probleme waarmee bejaarde swart Suid-Afrikaanse afgetredenes te kampe het. Dit fokus spesifiek op die ekonomiese uitwerking van veroudering en die invloed wat dit op familieverhoudinge in die lewens van bejaardes het. Die slotsom word gemaak dat dit die plig van pastorale versorgers is om riglyne te soek en te bied vir die rol wat die kerk kan speel ter verbetering van die lewensomstandighede van die bejaardes.

scholarly journals Filosofies-teologiese uitgangspunte van ‘missionale’ kerkwees: ’n Kritiese evaluering

2013 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaco Kruger
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Important Implication ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Missional Church ◽  
The World ◽  
First Millennium ◽  
Static View ◽  
The One ◽  
The Church

In hierdie artikel word ’n perspektief gebied op die tendens wat min of meer sedert die aanvang van die millennium ook in Suid Afrika posgevat het, naamlik om die kerk as diemissionale kerk te tipeer. Hierdie ontwikkeling in die nadenke oor die kerk is oënskynlik ’n reaksie op ’n vroeëre, statiese siening van die kerk, waar meer op die kerk as instelling gefokus is en wat funksioneer deur mense nader te trek en deel te maak van die instelling. In teenstelling hiermee wil die missionale kerk in haar benadering by God self begin, as die sendende God en van daar ’n meer dinamies-kommunikatiewe siening van kerkwees ontwikkel. Laasgenoemde beteken dat die kerk veel meer binne die kultuur van die wêreld aanwesig is om daar op ’n nuwe werklikheid te wys. Die navorsingsvraag wat in hierdie artikel gevra word, het te make met die filosofies-teologiese vertrekpunte van die missionale kerkweesbenadering. Watter siening van die verhouding tussen God en die skepping, oftewel die transendente en die immanente, lê ten grondslag van hierdie benadering? Watter invloed het die inagneming van filosofies-teologiese oorwegings op die beoordeling van die missionale kerkgedagte? Hierdie vrae word beantwoord deur die opvatting van missionale kerkwees, asook die institusioneel-kontraktuele opvatting van kerkwees waarteenoor dit reageer, teen die agtergrond van die sakramentele verstaan van die kerk te plaas. Die sakramentele verstaan van die kerk was deel van die deelnemende wêreldbeeld wat vir die eerste millennium van die kerk se lewe as vanselfsprekend aanvaar is.This article presents a perspective on the growing tendency – also in South Africa – to characterise the church as missional. Thinking of the church in missional terms is apparently in reaction against an earlier, static view that focused on the church as an institution, and more specifically, an institution that functions by drawing people to itself. In contrast, the missional approach to church wants to start with God, as the One that sends, and from that perspective develops a more dynamic and communicative conception of the church. An important implication of this would be to have the church much more present in and to the culture of the world, in order to effectively point to a new reality. The research question informing this article has to do with the philosophical and theological underpinnings of the missional church approach. What assumptions about the relation between God and creation, or transcendence and immanence, underlie this approach? What implications would the consideration of the philosophical and theological assumptions underlying the missional church movement have for its evaluation? These questions are answered by placing the missional notion of the church, as well as the institutional-contractual notion against which it reacts, against the background of a sacramental understanding of the church. The latter was the notion of the church that was almost universally taken for granted in the first millennium of the church’s existence.

A QUALITY AND EFFECTIVENESS REVIEW PROTOCOL FOR STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (SEA) IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

2007 ◽  
Vol 09 (04) ◽  
pp. 443-471 ◽  
Author(s):  
FRANCOIS RETIEF
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Performance Evaluation ◽  
South African ◽  
Critical Evaluation ◽  
Strategic Environmental Assessment ◽  
Local Context ◽  
South African Context ◽  
International Perspectives ◽  
Review Protocol ◽  
African Context

The need for empirical research and systematic performance evaluation of SEA, to advance theoretical understandings as well as practice, has been widely expressed. To promote such research any performance evaluation has to ensure that it is conceptually justified, methodologically sound, practically viable and tailored to the local context. This paper describes a SEA quality and effectiveness review protocol for application within the South African context. Based on international perspectives and debates it provides a description of the conceptual thinking underpinning the structure of the protocol in terms of its approach and framework as well as methodological justification on how the review areas and indicators were designed. Finally a critical evaluation of its application to selected case studies is presented. It concludes that the conceptual framework and methodology could be applied in any context although the contents in terms of review areas and indicators needs to be adapted to accommodate different understandings and perspectives on SEA.

scholarly journals The church as a transformation and change agent

2017 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerry Pillay
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Change Agent ◽  
South African Context ◽  
The South ◽  
Community Transformation ◽  
The Reformation ◽  
African Context ◽  
The Church ◽  
Changing Society

This article traces the historical impact of the church in transforming, developing and changing society. It looks at how the church in selected periods in history, mainly in the reformation era, worked towards the transformation of society and communities. Extracting from these the author attempts to show how this can be applied to the church in the South African context. Further, the author explores the changing dynamics and characteristics of being church today and establishes that it is not so much about what the church believes, but in what it does that matters most in this day and age. The author, with the latter thought in mind, expresses that community transformation has to be an integral part of the ministry of the church today.

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