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.