The missional life of congregations of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Free State

Abstract

English: This dissertation examines the missional life of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Free State. It aims to listen to the voices of the people and the leadership to access the life and vitality of the Church and to ascertain where the church is most fully alive. The research problem and research question are stated. The NCLS, an international congregational project endeavouring to understand church vitality is explored and the research methodology utilized in this study is discussed. Healthy missional congregations; missional theology and the evaluation of congregations, is explored. The ecclesiology of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is discussed. Under ecclesiology, general ecclesiology and Seventh-day Adventist ecclesiology is explored. This includes the fundamental beliefs; structure of governance; church membership of the world wide Seventh-day Adventist Church. An in depth study of the Seventh-day Adventist Congregations in the Free State is done. The voice of the people in the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Free State is reported by means of the Church Life Study. A detailed review of the vitality of the Church in the Free State is given. The voice of the leadership of the individual congregations in the Free State through the initial and focus group interviews were discussed. Then the voice of the leadership of the SDA Church in the Free State as a whole, through the initial and focus group interviews conducted is explored. The final chapter gives a conclusion of the Missional Life of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Free State in terms of the three core qualities. It is concluded that the Free State SDA congregations are not healthy, missional congregations in view of their relationships with God, each other and with the community. It is however encouraging to note that because of the high standard of the worship service and its strong foundation, the Church has the potential to become a fully missional Church and the leadership is determined to achieve this goal in the Free State.

Afrikaans: Hierdie proefskrif ondersoek die missionale lewe van die Sewendedag Adventiste kerk in die Vrystaat. Dit het ten doel om na die stem van die lede en die leierskap te luister om die lewe en lewenskrag van die Kerk te bepaal en om vas te stel waar die Kerk op sy lewenskragtigste is. Die navorsingsprobleem en die navorsingsvraag is geformuleer. Die NCLS, ‟n internasionale gemeentelike navorsings projek is wat poog om kerk lewenskragtigheid te verstaan is nagevors en die navorsings metodologie wat in hierdie studie gebruik word is bespreek. Gesonde missionale gemeentes, missionale teologie en die evaluering van gemeentes is nagevors. Die ekklesiologie van die Sewendedag-Adventiste Kerk is bespreek. Onder ekklesiologie is algemene ekklesiologie en die ekklesiologie van die Sewendedag- Adventiste kerk ondersoek. Dit sluit die grondleerstellings; die vorm van organisasie; kerklidmaatskap en finansies van die wêreldkerk van Sewendedag-Adventiste in. ‟n In diepte studie van die Sewendedag-Adventiste gemeentes in die Vrystaat is gedoen. Die stem van die bywonende lede van die Sewendedag-Adventiste Kerk in die Vrystaat is deur middel van die Church Life Study verslag gedoen. ‟n Breedvoerige uiteensetting van die lewenskragtigheid van die kerk in die Vrystaat, is weergegee. Die stem van die leierskap van die individuele gemeentes asook die leierskap van die Sewendedag-Adventiste Kerk in die Vrystaat as geheel, is bespreek. Die laaste hoofstuk behandel die gevolgtrekking van die Missionale Lewe van die Sewendedag-Adventiste kerk in die Vrystaat deur middel van die nege kern kwaliteite. Die gevolgtrekking is dat die Vrystaat SDA gemeentes nie gesonde, missionale gemeentes is, in die lig van hulle verhouding met God, met mekaar en met die gemeenskap nie. Dit is egter bemoedigend dat weens die hoë standaard van die Erediens en die sterk grondslag, die kerk die potensiaal het om ten volle ’n missionale Kerk te word, en die leierskap is vasbeslote om die doel te bereik.