scholarly journals Celebrating the sacrament of Holy Communion during COVID-19: A Methodist perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wessel Bentley
Keyword(s):  
Southern Africa ◽  
Change Agents ◽  
Methodist Church ◽  
Holy Communion ◽  
Worship Services ◽  
Church Polity ◽  
Special Collection ◽  
Ongoing Dialogue ◽  
The Way

This article forms part of the change agents special collection. It investigates the way the Methodist Church of Southern Africa (MCSA) has engaged the question of practicing Holy Communion in the context of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown. Mainly using communiques by the Office of the Presiding Bishop and contributions made by clergy and laity on the practice of online worship services, and Holy Communion in particular, the article not only describes points of contention but also matters for consideration in balancing church polity whilst being contextually present and relevant. The article then celebrates the work of the Doctrine, Ethics and Worship Commission (DEWCOM) of the MCSA in potentially providing a way forward for the denomination that holds polity and relevance together in meaningful tension.Contribution: This research contributes to the ongoing dialogue within the Methodist Church of Southern Africa on how the sacrament of Holy Communion should be practiced in the context of a social lockdown as precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals The need for continued decolonisation and Africanisation of ordination in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald M. Williams ◽  
Wessel Bentley
Keyword(s):  
Southern Africa ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Methodist Church ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Church ◽  
Rich History ◽  
The Way

Being the church in Africa requires a continuous self-assessment by Christian denominations, asking whether it is sufficiently contextualised both in its doctrines and practices. This self-critique is essential so as to not perpetuate negative colonial influences in the way churches operate. The Methodist Church of Southern Africa (MCSA) has a rich history of challenging itself to become truly instrumental in working towards ‘A Christ-healed Africa for the healing of the nations’. This article explores the history of the MCSA’s engagement with its doctrine and practices of ordination, its journey of decolonisation and its presentation of an emerging Africanised theology of the presbytery.

scholarly journals Towards redeeming marriage custom from ‘triangular captivity’: The missional dilemma of the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Mujinga
Keyword(s):  
African Culture ◽  
Leadership Positions ◽  
Methodist Church ◽  
Holy Communion ◽  
Civil Marriage ◽  
Church Polity ◽  
Civil Authority ◽  
The Government ◽  
To Come ◽  
Civil Order

Marriage in the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe (MCZ) is under siege. This scenario was bequeathed by the British imperialists. This siege is evident because the ecclesiastical theology of marriage in the MCZ is fastened on both African culture and the civil order. Firstly, marriage is anchored on African culture because the MCZ is an African church and it grows its mission using African epistemology. Secondly, marriage in the MCZ is affixed on civil authority because adult membership in the the MCZ is defined by being ‘properly married’ for those who have spouses. The triangular net is evident because marriage starts and proceeds culturally, the government legalises marriages and the MCZ uses marriage certificates to grow its membership, whilst the clergy solemnise marriages as government agents using the civil Marriage Act Chapter 5:11. The aim of this article was to investigate how the MCZ’s mission is informed by both African culture and civil order given that it regards marriage as the canon of adult membership, blousing of women and badging of men, participation in the sacrament of Holy Communion, confirmation into full membership, leadership positions, accredited as local preachers and acceptance into ministry. In responding to this aim, the article uses a qualitative research method to interrogate the MCZ policy books and minutes of conferences that address the theology of marriage. The research will conclude by challenging the MCZ to come up with a theology of marriage that unties itself from the cultural and civil net of this rite to interpret its ecclesial mission.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article is interdisciplinary in the sense that it addresses the issues of ecclesiology, missiology, theology, African culture, gender, church polity and the power of civil authority. The research calls the MCZ to define its marriage theology not contaminated by civil ideologies and African philosophy.

Reverend Doctor Sox Leleki and His Role in the Black Methodist Consultation

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonwabile Mancotywa
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Political Influence ◽  
Individual Member ◽  
Methodist Church ◽  
Role Players

The Methodist Church of Southern Africa (MCSA) is one of the mainline Christian denominations with a very good history. However, it was not immune from the larger political influence of South Africa that was polarised by apartheid. This article is intended to look at the formation known as the Black Methodist Consultation (BMC), which at that time had an individual member who played an important role in its development and activities. Sox Leleki was one of the key role players of this movement inside the Methodist Church

scholarly journals Die stryd om die aard en omvang van die tugreg by die Nederduitse Gereformeerde Sendingkerk (1881−1994)

2012 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary-Anne Plaatjies Van Huffel
Keyword(s):  
Southern Africa ◽  
Dutch Reformed ◽  
Disciplinary Power ◽  
Inaugural Meeting ◽  
Reformed Church ◽  
Church Polity ◽  
Mission Church ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Church ◽  
Mission Churches

The struggle of the Dutch Reformed Mission Churches (1881–1994) with reference to the character and extend of discipline. In this article the struggle concerning the nature and extent of the disciplinary power in the Dutch Reformed Mission Church (DRMC) (1881–1994) is discussed. Since the establishment of the DRMC in 1881 until 1982 the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) retained the right to censure and discipline the missionaries in the DRMC. The article argues that the struggle for disciplinary power under the Constitution of the DRMC, the Statute of the DRMC as well as under the memorandum of agreement between the DRMC and the DRC, was nothing less than an attempt by the DRMC to entrench the principles of Voetius in the disciplinary power of the church polity and church government of the DRMC. In 1982 the DRMC accepted a new church order in which these principles were entrenched. The acceptance of this church order provision concluded the DRMC’s struggle for disciplinary power of all its officers, missionaries included, which already began in 1908. At the inaugural meeting of the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa a Church Order was adopted in which provisions with regards to the disciplinary power based on above principles was hedged.

Benjamin Franklin

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. G. Hart
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Protestant Reformation ◽  
Benjamin Franklin ◽  
Self Help ◽  
Medieval Church ◽  
Worship Services ◽  
Church And Society ◽  
The Way

Benjamin Franklin grew up in a devout Protestant family with limited prospects for wealth and fame. By hard work, limitless curiosity, native intelligence, and luck (what he called “providence”), Franklin became one of Philadelphia’s most prominent leaders, a world-recognized scientist, and the United States’ leading diplomat during the War for Independence. Along the way, Franklin embodied the Protestant ethics and cultural habits he learned and observed as a youth in Puritan Boston. This book follows Franklin’s remarkable career through the lens of the trends and innovations that the Protestant Reformation started (both directly and indirectly) almost two centuries earlier. The Philadelphian’s work as a printer, civic reformer, institution builder, scientist, inventor, writer, self-help dispenser, politician, and statesman was deeply rooted in the culture and outlook that Protestantism nurtured. Through the alternatives to medieval church and society, Protestants built societies and instilled habits of character and mind that allowed figures such as Franklin to build the life that he did. Through it all, Franklin could not assent to all of Protestantism’s doctrines or observe its worship. But for most of his life, he acknowledged his debt to his creator, reveled in the natural world guided by providence, and conducted himself in a way (imperfectly) to merit divine approval. This biography recognizes Franklin as a cultural or non-observant Protestant, someone who thought of himself as a Presbyterian, ordered his life as other Protestants did, sometimes went to worship services, read his Bible, and prayed, but could not go all the way and join a church.

scholarly journals The Green Revolution: Social Change through Social Media

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 146-152
Author(s):  
Veena Tripathi ◽  
Dhriti Bhattacharjee
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Change ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Green Revolution ◽  
Change Agents ◽  
Decisive Role ◽  
Parent Organization ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Way

The advent of the internet changed the way we communicate forever. It became such a potent force that it was recommended as a nominee for Time Magazine’s “Man of the Year.” The world became euphoric about how this technology was changing the way we think. The changes were being brought about by people and that they were the change agents. It is required to understand the key concepts behind the emergence of social change through social media and their support in creating sustainability. This paper will report a study of five Indian social campaigns, right from their birth to the phase where they were no longer within the control of their parent organization but became a movement in their own rights. It is an exploratory study aimed at understanding the way social media works and how private organizations can also bring about a public change. The study will cover social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and organizational blogs. The variables will be drawn from the corporate sustainability reports, social media venues, working papers and other research studies. These factors and variables can be correlated to sustainability through which the objective to analyse the impact of social change through social media can be achieved. With sustainability becoming a mandate for big companies in India, this study will help in understanding how social media can play a decisive role in their sustainability policies. Int. J. Soc. Sc. Manage. Vol. 3, Issue-3: 146-152

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