scholarly journals Welcoming Africa's children: The nature and implications of being a missional church

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes J. Knoetze
Keyword(s):  
Historical Development ◽  
Youth Ministry ◽  
Missional Church ◽  
Children And Youth ◽  
Missio Dei ◽  
Reformed Tradition ◽  
Missional Ecclesiology ◽  
African Independent Churches ◽  
Independent Churches ◽  
African Context

�This article presents a brief overview of the historical development of the missional church from the understanding of the missio Dei. From this perspective, it attends to the African context. With regard to African children, the African independent churches are looked at from a missional church perspective. The nature of the missional church is described as being a Biblical, Trinitarian, discerning, evangelistic, hermeneutic and agogic community. The implication of being missional in accordance with the mentioned characteristics is then linked to the five solas of the Reformed tradition. It is concluded that the African independent churches and the mainline missionary churches need each other in order to be truly missional in Africa and to reach the children of Africa.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: Children and Youth Ministry is challenged by the context of Africa, when some relevant characteristics of the African independent or initiated churches (AICs) are described and related to the Reformed tradition. The (missional) ecclesiology of the AICs and the Reformed tradition is challenged by children�s ministry

scholarly journals A Remarkable Woman in African Independent Churches: Examining Christina Nku’s Leadership in St John’s Apostolic Faith Mission

2019 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mookgo Solomon Kgatle
Keyword(s):  
Women Leaders ◽  
Faith Healer ◽  
The Past ◽  
African Independent Churches ◽  
Independent Churches ◽  
African Context ◽  
Research Gap ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Apostolic Faith Mission ◽  
Historical Examination

The name African Independent Churches (AICs) refers to churches that have been independently started in Africa by Africans and not by missionaries from another continent.There has been extensive research on (AICs) from different subjects in the past. There is, however, a research gap on the subject of leadership in the AICs, especially with reference to women leaders. To address this gap, this article discusses leadership in the AICs with special reference to the leadership of Christina Nku in St John’s Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM). A historical examination of Christina Nku’s leadership is studied by looking at her roles as a family woman, prophet, church founder, faith healer and educator in St John’s AFM. The aim of this article is twofold. First it is to reflect on gender in the leadership of the AICs. Second it is to apply the framework of leadership in the AICs to Christina Nku’s leadership in St John’s AFM. Consequently, the article is an interface between gender and leadership in an African context. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate that Christina Nku was a remarkable woman in the leadership of the AICs.

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 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.�

Divine Revelation in West Africa and Central Africa

2021 ◽  
pp. 419-435
Author(s):  
Josiah Ulysses Young
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Central Africa ◽  
West African ◽  
Divine Revelation ◽  
Doctrine Of God ◽  
Traditional Religions ◽  
African Independent Churches ◽  
Independent Churches ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
African Traditional Religions

This chapter examines divine revelation in West Africa and Central Africa, with a historical focus on the relation of biblical beliefs to African traditional religions. It discusses the African independent churches, specifically the Église de Jésus-Christ sur la Terre par le Prophète Simon Kimbangu; Vincent Mulago’s essay in Des prêtres noirs s’interrogent (1956); specific essays from the book Biblical Revelation and African Beliefs (1969); and Engelbert Mveng’s book L’Art d’Afrique noire: liturgie cosmique et langage religieux (1964). The chapter also examines the recent scholarship of the Ghanaian theologian Mercy Oduyoye and the Congolese scholars Oscar Bimwenyi-Kweshi and Kä Mana. Regarding the relationship between divine revelation and African traditional religions, it discusses J. B. Danquah’s book The Akan Doctrine of God (1944), the arguments of the Congolese Egyptologist Mubabinge Bilolo, and the West African scholar Ntumba Museka.

scholarly journals Trends in missional ecclesiology

2012 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cornelius J.P. Niemandt
Keyword(s):  
Local Community ◽  
Kingdom Of God ◽  
Missional Church ◽  
Missional Ecclesiology ◽  
Missional Theology ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
World Mission ◽  
The Church ◽  
The Trinity

Missional ecclesiology emerged as one of the significant trends in mission studies and ecumenical discussion in the last couple of years. What were these trends in missional ecclesiology? What kind of missional theology formed and fuelled the renewed interest in missional ecclesiology? What impact flowed from the important ecumenical events in 2010 (Edinburgh 2010 World Mission Conference, World Communion of Reformed Churches and Lausanne III)? This article explained the term ‘missional church’ and explored missional theology as participating in the life of the Trinity and thus mission as ‘joining in with the Spirit’. It explained the relationship between ecclesiology and missiology. The trends in missional ecclesiology were tracked by focusing on an incarnational approach to the church; relationality in the community of believers; the role of the kingdom of God; discernment as the first act in mission; imago Dei and creativity; the ecclesia and local community and finally mission and ethics.

scholarly journals Creationist and evolutionist views of South African teachers with different religious affiliations

2016 ◽  
Vol Volume 112 (Number 5/6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michèle Stears ◽  
Pierre Clément ◽  
Angela James ◽  
Edith Dempster ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Student Teachers ◽  
South African ◽  
School Level ◽  
Religious Groups ◽  
Acceptance Of Evolution ◽  
African Independent Churches ◽  
Independent Churches ◽  
First Time ◽  
Protestant Denominations ◽  
Generalist Teachers

Abstract Concerns have been raised in the scientific community that many teachers do not accept evolution as a scientific, testable phenomenon, and this is evident in their teaching. The non-acceptance of evolution theory is often heavily influenced by religious groups that endeavour to eliminate evolution from the curriculum. In South Africa, the inclusion of evolution in the curriculum is a recent event. This study focused on teachers’ views of evolution in relation to their religious affiliations. A questionnaire was developed and was validated by the Biohead–Citizen Project, and was then administered to more than 300 South African teachers and student teachers. Equal numbers of pre-service and in-service teachers were sampled. The groups included equal numbers of biology, English, and generalist teachers at primary school level. The results showed differences between teachers from different religions with regard to their views of evolution. Among teachers who identified as agnostic or atheist, 17% held creationist views. Among teachers who identified as Protestant, other Christian, or Muslim, 70% held creationist views. This study also examined, for the first time, the views of teachers belonging to religions not included in previous research. Of these, only 25% of Hindus held creationist views. Fewer adherents of African Independent Churches held creationist views compared with teachers from traditional Protestant denominations; for example, only 30% of Zionist followers and 40% of Shembe followers held creationist views. This study adds important knowledge by including the views of teachers from religions not previously researched.

scholarly journals Uncovering key biblical principle in handling disputable music matters in missio Dei perspective – a basic theoretical study

2015 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
P.J. Buys ◽  
Aaron T. Muswubi
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Study ◽  
Missional Church ◽  
Missio Dei ◽  
Liturgical Music ◽  
Worship Music ◽  
Multicultural Context ◽  
Biblical Principles ◽  
Time And Energy ◽  
The Church

This article investigates key biblical principles in handling disputable music matters from Romans 14:1–15:13 and their implications for a missional church. It becomes clear that the principles uncovered in this biblical passage are synecdochically and analogically applicable to many varied disputable matters, which could confront the church anywhere at any given time. These matters include disputes on worship music and songs. The multicultural context in which the church find herself in cities, continues to pose a challenge to individual Christians and the church as a body. Hence, it exposes both Christians and the church to more and more inevitable need for clear biblical principles in handling disputable matters including liturgical music wars. The goal of this article is not only to reduce time and energy used in arguing over disputable matters, but also to turn the disagreements into redeeming encounters, which will strengthen the missional witness of the church by enriching diversity in unity.Die ontsluiting van bybelse sleutelbeginsels vir die hantering van strydvrae oor liturgiesemusiek vanuit ’n missio Dei perspektief – ’n basiese teoriese studie. Hierdie artikel ondersoekbybelse sleutelbeginsels vir die hantering van strydvrae oor liturgiese sang en musiek vanuit Romeine 14:1–15:13 en die implikasies daarvan vir ’n missionale kerk. Die beginsels wat vanuit hierdie Skrifgedeelte ontsluit word, kan sinvol toegepas word op ’n verskeidenheid van sake wat nie-essensieel van aard is, maar waaroor daar oral en altyd skerp standpuntverskille in kerke voorkom. Dit sluit debatte oor musiek en sang in die erediens in. Die multikulturele konteks waarin kerke hulle bevind vra na duidelike beginsels wat as uitgangspunte in debatte oor liturgiese musiek kan dien. Die doel van hierdie artikel is nie net om baie tyd en energie wat dikwels aan sulke debatte bestee word, te verminder nie, maar ook om strydvrae om te keer in positiewe opbouende en verrykende ontmoetings, en die kerk se missionale getuienis oor eenheid en verskeidenheid te versterk.

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