Die omgee paradigma in die missionere bediening, met besondere verwysing na die werk van die NG Kerke in die Mnambithi distrik (Ladysmith) van KwaZulu-Natal
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Date
2000-11
Authors
Schoeman, Lourens Gerhardus
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Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
After the 1994 elections the family of Dutch Reformed Churches (DRC) in KZN woke up to an "estranged" world. This is a world that is dominantly black, with a strong youth contingent, of whom many have contracted HIV. The community is, against all expectations, growing poorer. Instead of the expected decrease, violence escalates. The situation of the African rural women is still very oppressive. In spite of new government legislation, rape and sexual abuse escalate. There is no longer any blanket cover for white minorities, nor job reservation for white members of the DRC. The church is losing government support for mainly white social services. Will the black churches, who are very dependent on the mother church, survive the financial impoverishment? The Mnambithi district, with Ladysmith as centre, in Northern KwaZuluNatal, South Africa, is used as reference for this study. In doing so the study whishes to remain practical, and congregationally based, preventing it from becoming a mere theoretical excursion. The thesis defends the view that the Dutch Reformed family of churches will only be of missionary relevance to the community in the new SA, if it undergoes a radical paradigm shift. The newly formed paradigm should be one of compassion. How is such a new paradigm going to be established in the church? By a three fold listening process. Firstly the DRC has to listen to their own heart. They need to take cognizance of who they are, and what their role was in theologically sanctioning apartheid. Their Western materialism, individualism and pietism is a serious handicap in their mission to the community. They need to be aware of that. The church also has a history of brave involvement in alleviating the poverty of their own members, who were severely suppressed by British colonialism. Their survival strategy as people, and the church's unique role in the upliftment of the Afrikaner can, in spite of is a life-changing paradigm and not a superficial tinkering with the dials. It changes and transforms the church's outlook on life, its mission, and its vision. It transforms the church into a servant, following in the footsteps of the Suffering Servant. Compassion as a missionary paradigm is becoming grass-root related, being made alive in the local congregation's existence in the poor community. The church must become visible as a caring, healing community amongst and composed of the poor themselves. What is the role of the local poor church in showing compassion to the needs of the community? The church has a clear cut responsibility to reconstruct the moral fibre of the community. Compassion should become visible through empowerment, signs of hope, a living liturgy, and preventative, educative and caring actions related to victims of Aids, violence and unemployment. The local church needs lay counselling training. They need to be empowered by advocacy and lobbying skills, in order to be prophetically relevant. Above all, existing evangelism tools need to be used to empower the local church on grass root level, to minister to a wounded world with the Gospel of new life in Christ.
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Keywords
Thesis (Ph.D. (Missiology))--University of the Free State, 2000, Church work with the poor, Christianity and culture, Missions -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal