Academic literature on the topic 'Evangelical Presbyterian Church of South Africa'

Presbyterian spirituality in southern Africa has often been treated as non-existent, yet it is a vibrant reality which is at one and the same time catholic, evangelical and contextual. Founded in Christ alone, it holds the authority of scripture as normative and as the source of the unity of God's people, as can be seen in the way it derives from the marks of the church – the Word preached, the sacraments celebrated and discipline rightly exercised. It is relational and involves communing with God, others, oneself and the environment. While conscious of the early church tradition out of which it arises, it is continuous with that tradition and is open to the spiritual insights of other traditions. It demonstrates both catholic and evangelical emphases and is adaptable within the context of African spirituality. As a result, it has a broad church ethos marked by fluidity, tolerance and appreciation of those sources that enrich it.

The Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa was formed on 26th September 1999 as the result of the union of the black Reformed Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa and the white-dominated Presbyterian Church of Southern Africa. Various unsuccessful attempts had been made since the latter part of the nineteenth century to effect union. In the spirit of national euphoria which surrounded the first democratic elections in South Africa in1994, the Reformed Presbyterian Church initiated union discussions with the Presbyterian Church. The subsequent union was based on what are now considered to be inadequate preparations and many unresolved problems have emerged to test the witness of the new denomination, not the least of which is racism. At its 2002 General Assembly, as the result of what appeared to be a financial crisis, the Uniting Presbyterian Church appointed a Special Committee on Reformation was established to investigate the problems in the denomination and to bring proposals for dealing with these issues.

This paper will argue that the union which brought the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa into being was based on an inadequate view of reconciliation in a Christian context. While lip service may have been paid to the authentic concept, flawed views have led to many misunderstandings concerning the mission and vision of the new church, and despite attempts at reformation and renewal, reconciliation as justice restored still evades the ethos of the young denomination.

AbstractThis article begins by providing definitions of spirituality and evangelicalism. It then introduces the multifaceted reality of South African evangelicalism. This is necessary because of the historical complexity of the origins of evangelicalism in South Africa and because of the variety of people, churches and missionary societies which propagated an evangelical approach. It explains the differences between evangelicals and ecumenicals and goes on to distinguish between conservative, moderate and radical evangelicalism It outlines the background to the establishment of the Evangelical Alliance of South Africa (TEASA) and argues that radical evangelicalism, because of its understanding of conversion, salvation and mission, and the actions that issue from these convictions, can make a significant contribution of the transformation of church and society in South Africa today.

If ever mission councils in South Africa had a purpose, they had outlived it by the time of the formation of the Bantu Presbyterian Church of South Africa (BPCSA) in 1923. However, autonomy in this case was relative and the South African Mission Council endured until 1981. It was an anachronism which served little purpose other than the care of missionaries and the control of property and finance. It was obstructive insofar as it hindered communication between the BPCSA and the Church of Scotland and did little to advance God’s mission, especially through the agency of black Christians. During this period blacks were co-opted on to the Church of Scotland South African Joint Council (CoSSAJC) but they had to have proved their worth to the missionaries first by their compliance with missionary views. This article will examine the role of the CoSSAJC in pursuance of its prime aim, “the evangelisation of the Bantu People” (BPCSA 1937, 18), mainly from original sources.

Mary Johnson (1884–1968) and Ida Anderson (1871–1964) are described in pentecostal historiography as the first pentecostal missionaries sent from America. Both of these Swedish-American missionaries experienced baptism of the Spirit, spoke in tongues, and were called as missionaries to Africa by God, whom they expected to speak through them to the native people. They went by faith and completed careers as missionaries to South Africa. But who were these two figures of which relatively little has been written? They were Swedish-American “Free-Free” in the tradition of August Davis and John Thompson of the Scandinavian Mission Society—the first Minnesota district of the Swedish Evangelical Free Mission, known today as the Evangelical Free Church of America. This work examines the lives of these two female missionaries, their work in South Africa, and their relationship with Swedish Evangelical Free churches in America, particularly its pentecostal stream of Free-Free (frifria).

The second half of the twentieth century witnessed a fundamental shift in the character of the Christian religion—namely, a massive expansion and shift of its center of gravity southward. During this period, Christianity experienced a transformation from a predominantly Western religion to a world religion largely defined by non-Western adherents in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. From 1970 to 2005, the size of the Southern Church increased two and a half times to over 1.25 billion members. By the early twenty-first century, 60 percent of all professing Christians lived in the global South and East. The most dynamic source of church growth during this period was Independent (evangelical or Pentecostal) Protestant groups, which increased at nearly twice the rate of other Christian affiliations. The spread of evangelical Protestantism represents a truly global phenomenon and has included large populations in East and Southeast Asia, the South Pacific, sub-Saharan Africa, and the Americas.

Abstract Disputes over heresy are not new or uncommon, as mainline Protestant denominations in South Korea have historically deemed numerous minor sects and radical theologies to be heretical to the Christian faith. However, when the largest evangelical denomination in the country, the Presbyterian Church in Korea (Hapdong), began investigating Reverend Lim Borah (Im Pora) of the Sumdol Hyanglin Church in 2017 and subsequently ruled her ministry to be heretical, they charted new grounds by denouncing LGBTI-affirming theology and ministry as heresy. This article traces the semantic ambiguity and politics of the term for heresy, idan, and highlights the intersection of heretical Christianity, gender and sexual nonconformity, and ideological dissidence. The argument is that growing interests in queer theology and calls for LGBTI-affirming ministry stoked the flames of efforts by beleaguered Protestant denominations to use heresy to discredit and stigmatize dissident practices, and that rather than simply stifle dissent, the subsequent controversy also exposed the limits of dominant power and the contours of vital resistance.

Two of the primary images most scholars have of the religion of white southerners in the postbellum period seem inconsistent or even contradictory. One image portrays members of the mainstream Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches as becoming increasingly secure in their positions as leaders of southern society. The churches were losing, or had already lost, their sense as agencies for the plain folk to criticize the complacency, the hierarchical pretensions, and perceived decadence of the upper class. In doing so, they had taken on the characteristics John Lee Eighmy best described as Churches in Cultural Captivity. As on so many topics, C. Vann Woodward states this position most clearly.

I hope this study will bring hospitality into the communities of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in South Africa (EPCSA) and will also bring the gospel to the people within their context. I hope this study will not only be fruitful to the EPCSA, but also to outside readers or other churches or congregations that might experience growth in their congregations that might come with language challenges. The principal aim of this research is to develop more inclusive liturgy praxis for the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in South Africa. The main focus of this study is the Sunday liturgy of the EPCSA, known as Magandzelelo Ekerekeni. Magandzelelo Ekerekeni is a Sunday liturgy for the EPCSA and is exclusively in the Tsonga language. It consists of five (5) Sunday orders of service, i.e. one for each Sunday of the month. Chapter 1 introduces the thesis and the church to the readers. The motivations for the chosen research are discussed as well as the relevance and the importance of the research. This chapter also states its aims and objectives of the research, the problems to be researched, methodologies and the expected outcomes. Chapter 2 introduces the history of the church (EPCSA), looks at the profiles of the founders of EPCSA and the possible influence they might have had on the Sunday liturgy of EPCSA. This chapter also considers the influence of the community on the development of the EPCSA in the past. Chapter 3 introduces the liturgy of EPCSA; it looks at John Calvin‘s view on liturgy and his influence in the EPCSA, discusses the historical development of the liturgy of EPCSA, analyses the liturgical inculturation in the township and city churches within EPCSA and concludes with a critical review of the liturgy. Chapter 4 shares Paul‘s theology of being inclusive and how South Africa‘s democracy helps us in this regard (Truth and Reconciliation Commission). This chapter also discusses Christology and inculturation from a biblical perspective and concludes with inculturation and liturgy. Chapter 5 concentrates on data collection and discusses the methodology considered, the ministers‘ view on the inculturation of the church‘s Sunday liturgy, compares the data collected from individual church members found in townships as well as in the villages, provides a brief detail on the meaning and methods of EPCSA and concludes with areas in the EPCSA in need of inculturation based on the collected data. Chapter 6 discusses the findings of the study and the challenges to the EPCSA liturgical team in the twenty-first century and multicultural context found in the church. To give the readers a brief idea on the structure, management and values of the church, I share a quotation from the general secretary‘s office. I found this to be very important to offer background to what I am working with and the kind of Presbyterian Church I am working with: Quote from the office of the general secretary of the church: “The Evangelical Presbyterian Church in South Africa —formerly known as the Tsonga Presbyterian Church —is the result of the work of the Swiss Mission in South Africa which that began in the Northern Transvaal in 1875. The gospel was first proclaimed to the Shangaans people by two Basotho evangelists, seconded by the Parish Evangelical Missionary Society. A Network mission station was established in the northern and eastern parts of the Transvaal. As Whilst the rapid growth of the mining industry drew many people to the towns, congregations were established in the Pretoria Reef and later the Welkom (Orange Free State) areas (Orange Free State) and also in Zululand. The church became autonomous in 1962, but still relied on the Swiss churches for financial support. Tsonga is the official language of the church. 1 The church confesses one universal faith, this faith being in Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Saviour of the World: the same Jesus whom God revealed Himself. The church, therefore, worships the ONE GOD, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, it strives to foster the advent of the Kingdom on earth and to prefigure God‟s new creation. I acknowledge her (EPCSA) dependence on the Word of God, as contained in the Scripture of the OLD and New Testament. This Word stands in judgment over the Church and constitutes the only foundation of faith and life. She (EPCSA) confesses the faith proclaimed by the early church as embodied in the declaration of the Ecumenical Synods and represented by the Apostles and Nicene Creeds. These are considered to constitute a witness and test of its faith, which the Lord Jesus Christ taught His disciples and are still confirmed by the Holy Spirit in the church. Activities and priorities:  Evangelism: planting of new churches;  Promoting of spiritual growth of the church;  Playing a leading role in health matters in the battle against HIV/AIDS,  malaria etc.;  Empowerment of ministers—lay preachers and administrative staff with management skills;  Health matters;  Addressing poverty and unemployment.” A quote such as the above from the general secretary of the EPCSA is informative for this research because it provides an understanding of what the church stands for and what its aims are.
Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2014.
tm2015
Practical Theology
MA
Unrestricted

Thesis (DTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2000.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Nineteenth century Presbyterian witness in South Africa provides us with a wonderful testimony of close work relationships between ministers that served independent colonial congregations and missionaries in native mission stations. However, these relationships remained good as long as these two streams of Presbyterianism were kept separate. Attempts to form one Church failed resulting to the formation of the Presbyterian Church in South Africa, a coming together of some mission and colonial congregations, in 1897. The majority of mission congregations stayed out of this union and formed themselves into the Bantu Presbyterian Church in 1923. From the beginning of the twentieth century the Ecumenical Movement posed a challenge to the world church, condemning her inability to live as the Body of Christ and as God's one big family. South Africa witnessed a deeper polarization of society through the rise of divisive nationalist ideas among Africans and Europeans. Churches did not escape this wave of thought. They also could not ignore the challenge by the World Council of Churches. Unity talks started just after 1923 and took a serious turn in 1959 under the heat of South Africa's racist policies. In the same year a Committee on Union Negotiations was appointed by both Churches. It had become very clear that a divided witness was a mockery of Presbyterian witness as well as of Christian witness in general. This was evident in continued conflict in areas where work overlapped. Africans in both Churches did not understand why there were two Presbyterian Churches. They changed Churches as it suited them sometimes to avoid disciplinary action. Whilst there was a desire to have the two Churches unite problems relating to,: 1. the laws of the land, the legal policy of the Government, that of separate development and an un-Christ-like attitude of Whites towards blacks weighed heavily in the minds of most people. 2. a distorted Christian understanding of the members of both Churches as the Body of Christ due to lack of theological reflection, 3. suspicion and mistrust of each other 4. and an inadequate or total lack of information on unity negotiations with decisions only at the top with very little or no input from most congregations derailed all attempts on union. There were genuine fears on both sides. Blacks had learnt never to trust white people. These negotiations came to an end in 1973 with the Presbyterian Church of Southern Africa voting in favour and the Bantu Presbyterian Church against. In 1994 another attempt was made. This time the laws of .the land had changed, Both Churches had come to accept the need to come together. Past hurts were addressed and this led to the formation of the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa on the 26th September 1999. It is still not too late. We can still help make this union have real meaning to most people at grass root level. We must help people develop trust, create a strong theological base and mobilize them around a better understanding of the church.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Negentiende eeuse Presbiteriaanse getuienis in Suid-Afrika verskaf aan ons 'n wonderlike getuienis van noue werksverhoudings tussen predikante, wat onafhanklike van koloniale gemeentes gedien het, en sendelinge wat die inheemse bevolking vanuit sendingstasies bedien het. Hierdie verhouding het goed gewerk solank as wat die twee Presbiteriaanse strome apart gehou is. Pogings om een kerk te vorm het misluk en aanleiding gegee tot die stigting van die Presbiteriaanse Kerk van Suid-Afrika deur die samevoeging van 'n aantal sendingstasies en koloniale gemeentes in 1897. Die meerderheid sendinggemeentes het egter buite hierdie kerkeenheid gebly en hulleself gedurende 1923 georganiseer as die "Bantu Presbyterian Chuch". Sedert die begin van die twintigste eeu het die Ekumeniese Beweging 'n uitdaging aan die Wereldkerk gerig deur haar onverrnoe tot uitlewing van "die liggaam van Christus" en "God se groot familie" te veroordeel. Suid-Afrika is verder gepolariseer deur die opkoms van verdelende nasionalistiese idees tussen die Swart en Wit gedeeltes van die bevolking. Die Kerke het nie ontsnap aan hierdie kennisgolf nie en hulle kon ook nie die uitdaging van die Wereldraad van Kerke ignoreer nie. Versoeningsgesprekke het net na 1923 begin en In ernstige wending in 1959 geneem veral as gevolg van Suid-Afrika se toenemende rassistiese beleidsrigtings. In dieselfde jaar is In Komitee van Eenheidsonderhandeling deur beide Kerke aangestel. Dit was duidelik dat die verdeelde geestelike uitlewing In bespotting van beide Presbiteriaanse sowel as Christelike getuienis gemaak het. Daar was volgehoue konflik binne areas waar werk oorvleuel het en Swartmense het nie verstaan waarom daar twee Presbiteriaanse Kerke was nie. Hulle het dan ook na willekeur van Kerk verander ten einde dissiplinere stappe te voorkom. Alhoewel daar 'n begeerte vir die vereniging van die twee kerke was is dit ernstig belemmer deur o.a.: 1. Die wette van die land, die regsbeleid van die Regering, afsonderlike ontwikkeling en In on-christelike houding van Blankes teenoor Swartes. 2. 'n Verwronge begrip van die Kerk (as Liggaam van Christus) onder gemeentelede, hoofsaaklik as gevolg van 'n gebrek aan teologiese refleksie. 3. Agterdog en wantroue en 4. 'n onvoldoende of selfs totale gebrek aan inligting oor eenheidsonderhandelings. Besluite is slegs in die topstruktuur geneem en daar was weinig of geen insette van die afsonderlike gemeentes nie. Bogenoemde faktore het aile pogings tot eenheid ontspoor, daar was werklike vrese aan beide kante en Swartes het 'n totale wantroue in Blankes ontwikkel. Die onderhandeling het in 1973 tot 'n einde gekom toe die Presbiteriaanse Kerk van Suidelike Afrika ten gunste van en die "Bantu Presbyterian Church" teen eenwording gestem het. 'n Verdere poging tot eenwording is in 1994 aangewend. Teen hierdie tyd was die landswette reeds gewysig en beide Kerke het die onderlinge behoefte aan mekaar besef. Verskille van die verled~ is aangespreek en die "United Presbyterian Church in South Africa" is op 26 September 1999 gestig. Hierdie eenwording was nie te laat nie en dit kan werklike betekenis vir mense op grondvlak he. Mense moet egter gehelp word om vertroue te ontwikkel, In sterk teologiese basis moet ontwikkel word en hulle moet gemobiliseer word tot 'n beter begrip van die kerk.

Submitted to the Faculty of Theology and Religion Studies In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Theology In the Department of Practical Theology and Religion Studies at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2003.
The purpose of Christ's death on the cross is to bring peace between God and man (Ephesians 2:14 paraphrased). The cross forms the basis of reconciliation between God and man. As a result, God desires his children live in harmony with each other irrespective of race, colour or gender. The difficulty in churches is that unity is often limited to local ethnic groups. In Scripture, the wider definition of unity is extended to include other ethnic peoples (Matthew 28:19). Cultural, political, sociological and theological barriers often hinder this move for extended unity. These help foster an environment for segregation, ethnocentrism and racism. By virtue of these elements presenting themselves in extended relationships there needs to be transparency on the part of those initiating a move for cultural tolerance. This requires dealing with negative views either individually or corporately and thereafter adopting biblical principles for establishing solid relationships. The integration of diverse ethnic groups in ecclesiological circles will entail certain adjustments being made. The purpose for such adjustments is to allow people the opportunity to feel welcome in a church that they would consider as home.

This thesis deals with the history of the amaHleke people and Pirie Mission, which have become so closely associated that they cannot be separated. It covers the period from the time of Chief Hleke to 1967, the year in which the amaHleke cheiftainship was resuscitated. The first chapter relates the origin of the amaHleke, from the time of Hleke himself (17th century) to Jwarha (about 1820). It explains the relationship between the different branches of the Hleke royal line, and it covers the Hleke settlement at the Mgqakhwebe river. The second chapter deals with the establishment of Pirie Mission by the Presbyterian missionaries John and Bryce Ross. It discusses the various aspects of the mission operation, and explains why and how the amaHleke opposed it. But the situation changed as a result of the 1850-3 Frontier War. Whereas the other Xhosa were expelled from their lands, the Hleke connection with Pirie Mission enabled them to stay on. The Hleke were therefore united with the mission, whether they liked it or not. The remainder of the chapter describes the educational and cultural changes which the mission imposed on them. The third chapter covers economic change at Pirie. Like other mission stations, it was converted from communal to individual land tenure. This was opposed by Chief Jwarha as a blow to his authority, but it did not result in the growth of a peasant class. The chapter concludes with the implementation of betterment in 1963. The fourth chapter explains what happened to the mission after the death of Bryce Ross. The Ross missionaries had frustrated black aspirations in teh church. This was especially frustrating to Burnet and Ntsikana Gaba, the great-grandsons of the prophet Ntsikana. Burnet broke away under the banner of the "Wee Free" branch of the Church of Scotland. This church also could not accommodate Burnet's aspirations. The remainder of the chapter deals with educational developments, with an emphasis on the introduction of Bantu Education. The last chapter deals with the political history of Pirie after the death of Chief Jwarha. The Cape government tried to replace chieftainship by a headman and a Village Management Board. But the Board did not function satisfactorily, and it was scrapped in 1921. Pirie continued to be administered by headmen. Applications for the revival of chieftainship were turned down, partly because there was no agreement on Jwarha's heir. However, this was finally resolved in 1967 with the appointment of Chief Pani Busoshe.

Thesis (DTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2002
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation seeks an answer to the following question: To what extent has the discipling ministry of The Evangelical Alliance Mission (TEAM) in Southern Africa produced disciples with a holistic perspective of the Christian mission. The specific group studied is the Coloured community found in Swaziland and South Africa. The specific period covered is from 1921-1999. After an introductory chapter which provides orientation to the subject and also gives a brief history of the founding of TEAM and of the Coloured Church called EBC (Evangelical Bible Church), TEAM's understanding of the Great Commission is evaluated in the light ofan exegetical and theological study of the Great Commission. The study shows that what is called the Great Commission cannot be arbitrarily derived from one key text such as Matthew 28: 18-20, but needs to be grasped in its total significance from the entire Bible. Matthew 28: 18-20 is treated in this study as a pivotal text which turns towards the Old Testament and the New Testament, including the context of the Gospel of Matthew itself. The conclusion of the theological study of the Great Commission, is that TEAM drastically reduced the focus to one main task - church planting, with primary emphasis on evangelism and personal salvation. In this way, the horizontal implications of the Christian mission were relegated to "support ministries" which were aimed at supporting the main task of evangelism and church planting. Thus, TEAM lacked a comprehensive theology of mission which would have connected both the vertical and horizontal aspects of its work in Southern Africa. Chapter 3 of the dissertation, describes TEAM's pioneering efforts among the Coloured people of Southern Africa. WIth the exception of their work in Swaziland, the TEAM missionaries concentrated almost exclusively on leading people to faith in Christ and establishing local churches which would function according to the principles of self propagating, self-supporting, self-governing, and self-instructing. This pioneer stage proved then that TEAM basically executed its own narrowed understanding of the task ofrnaking disciples. Added to the narrow practice of mission, was the homogeneous approach to church planting, which accommodated itself to the segregationist policies of the government, and produced three segregated denominations - all the offspring of TEAM. Chapter 4 of this study shows that TEAM missionaries and other key missionaries from what was called South Africa General Mission (SAGM), entrenched the onesided approach to the Christian mission in three Bible colleges which played a leading role in training Coloured leaders for the ministry. It was simply a matter of time before the nationals themselves reproduced what they had learned at TEAM-related colleges in their own efforts of church planting which were viewed as the fulfilment of the Christian mission. This national effort by key nationals in EBC, forms the substance of chapter 5 of the dissertation. Chapter 6 of this study discusses the road ahead for both TEAM and EBC. It focuses on six crucial matters: The need for thanksgiving for the good which has been done; the need for confession for failures in theology and practice; the need to formulate a holistic theology of mission; the need for practice consistent with a holistic theology which would assist TEAM and EBC in reconciling both the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the Great Commission; the need to practise the principles of unity and mission, and finally, the need for evaluation of TEAM's Relational Reconfiguration in order to determine what can be done to promote better relationships between TEAM and the TEAM-related churches.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie proefskrif is om die volgende vraag te beantwoord: Tot watter mate het die dissipelskap bediening van "The Evangelical Alliance Mission" (TEAM) in Suider Afrika, volgelinge met 'n omvattende perspektief van die Christelike sending voortgebring? Die spesifieke groep wat bestudeer word, is die Kleurling gemeenskap van Swaziland en Suid Afrika. Die spesifieke tydperk wat gedek word, is vanaf 1921 tot 1999. Hoofstukl beskryfkortliks die geskiedenis van die stigting van TEAM, deur die werk van Fredrik Franson in 1890. Sy motiveering tot sending, is duidelik, deur sy geloof in die naderende wederkorns van Christus. Die werk van TEAM in Suid Afrika het gelei tot die ontstaan van die Evangelical Bible Church (EBC) en het drie afsonderlike verbonde of kerke tot gevolg. Hulle staan bekend as Kerk 1 (Swartes), Kerk 2 (Kleurlinge) en Kerk 3 (Indiers). Die fokus van hierdie studie is gemik op die Kleurling denominasie, alhoewel die ander groepe ook bespreek word, vanwee hulle betrokkenheid by die Kleurling kerk. Hoofstuk 2 evalueer TEAM se begrip van die Groot Opdrag in die lig van 'n breedvoerige studie van die Christelike sending, gebaseer op die totale boodskap van die Bybel. Die hoofteks aangaande die Groot Opdrag (Mt. 28: 18-20), word beskou as 'n sentrale teks wat beide die Ou Testament sowel as die Nuwe Testament betrek. Op hierdie wyse is dit duidelik dat die volle Missio Dei, wat ook die fokus van die Christelike sending insluit, in die visier kOID.Die slotsom van hierdie teologiese studie, is dat TEAM as sending van 'n gebrekkige Bybelse teologie van sending, die hooftaak van die Groot Opdrag beperk het tot Kerk stigting. Sodoende was TEAM in staat om die vertikale aspek van sending te beklemtoon met die klem op evangelisasie en kerk stigting, maar kon nie aan die horisontale dimensie omvat, wat volgens die Skrif 'n wesenlike aspek van die Groot Opdrag is, reg laat geskied nie. Inteendeel, bedienings wat nie direk verband hou met kerkstigting nie, was beskou as "ondersteunende bedienings", nie as wesenlike bedienings nie. Hoofstuk 3 beskryfTEAM se vroegste pogings onder die Kleurling gemeenskap van Suid Afrika. Klaarblyklik, met die uitsondering van die werk in Swaziland, het TEAM sendelinge daarop gekonsentreer om mense tot geloof in Christus te lei en om plaaslike kerke te stig. Dus in die baanbreker stadium, is TEAM se beperking van die Evangelie tot persoonlike saligheid en lidmaatskap duidelik. Die enger fokus van die Groot Opdrag is ook sigbaar in die tipe opleiding, wat die lidmate by TEAM - verwante Bybel kolleges ontvang het. Hierdie verhaal word vertel in Hoofstuk 4 van hierdie proefskrif Hoofstuk 5 beskryf die werk van die inheemse lidmate en bewys dat hierdie werk basies kerk stigting was, ooreenkomstig die benadering van TEAM. Die horisontale omvang van sending was afwesig, behalwe vir individuele pogings, byvoorbeeld kleuterskool bediening. Hooofstuk 6 van hierdie studie bespreek die pad vorentoe vir beide TEAM en EBC. Die fokus is gerig op ses kardinale aspekte. Die behoefte aan danksegging vir al die goeie dinge wat gedoen was; die behoefte aan belydenis vir die route in teologie en die uitvoering daarvan; die behoefte om 'n alles omvattende teologie van sending te omskryf, die behoefte om daardie teologie op 'n holistiese wyse te beoefen en wat beide TEAM en EBC sal help om beide die horisontale en vertikale dimensies van Die Groot Opdrag, met mekaar te versoen; die behoefte om die beginsels van eenheid en sending uit te oefen, en laastens die behoefte aan evaluering van TEAM se "Relational Reconfiguration" om vas te stel hoe om beter verhoudings tussen TEAM en TEAM-verwante kerke te bewerkstellig.

Bibliography: p. 229-245.
This thesis defines conversion as a process of change management. Individuals and groups mobilise resources and formulate strategies for individual identity and group formation. Strategies are also formulated to manage the process of change for members. In the research done among two churches, one conventionally classified as African indigenous and the other classified as mainline, two models of conversion emerged, the crisis model at St John's and the growth model at the Reformed Presbyterian Church (RPCSA). In the crisis model individuals join the group because of some crisis in their lives, e.g., illness or misfortune. The healing practices and rituals serve to manage and mediate the crisis for individuals. Healing is at the heart of the recruitment strategy at St John's and other African Indigenous Churches (AICs). It is through hearing about the efficacy of the healing powers of the leader that people are attracted to the church. On the other hand, the growth model as represented by the RPCSA, is about organic growth and development where new members are mostly recruited among the children of members. Children are groomed from baptism through Sunday school and confirmation classes to membership in full communion. For them conversion is a process of growth and development, where they keep on learning all the time about their faith and who they are. In scholarship the AICs have always been treated ethnographically while, on the other hand, the mainline churches have been treated historically. However, this thesis is a comparative study of the AIC and a mainline church with a special emphasis on their conceptions of conversion. The two churches are both African and Christian. They each draw from both these resources for self-definition. Christianity has become part of the South African religious landscape. None of the members in the two churches consider it as an alien or foreign religion but they consider it as an indigenous one. The two models mobilise resources and formulate strategies for self-definition and what it means to be human in a hostile environment.

The purpose of this study is to investigate to what extent the Lordship of Christ is a reality in the life and faith of Christians in the South African township of Soshanguve, north-west of Pretoria. The study is based on empirical research conducted in Soshanguve between 1996 and 1999, among members of the following three denominations: the Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Zion Christian Church, and a group of Pentecostal and charismatic churches. During the first phase the research had a predominantly quantitative nature (survey research). The second phase involved a qualitative research (in depth-interviews, analysis of written documents and sermons). After an introductory chapter and a chapter giving the necessary background, chapter 3 describes the survey research, and chapters 4 to 6 examine the Lordship of Christ as it functions in the Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Zion Christian Church and the Pentecostal/charismatic churches respectively. This research shows that in the faith of many church members the Lordship of Jesus Christ is a vague notion. It is accepted that Jesus Christ has died for our sins in the past, but it is less clear what He is doing presently. The living Christ is a remote figure in the faith of the majority of church members. The gap which is left, is filled by the laws of the church and/or the leadership of the church. Chapter 7 gives an analysis of the results. It appears that several backgrounds have to be taken into account: (1) the influence of African traditional religion, (2) the influence of Western secularism, (3) the influence of specific doctrinal tenets of the given denomination. Chapter 8 offers a Biblical perspective on aspects which have to be dealt with in order to strengthen the notion of the Lordship of Christ in the life and faith of Christians. These are: the concept of God, the concept of salvation, the person of Christ, the Lordship of Christ over the life of the individual believer, and the Lordship of Christ over the world.
Thesis (Th.D.)--Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 2001

Text in English
Since its inception in 1833 the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in South Africa has been a missionary church and has always had its own missionary work. It started to organise the Christianization, Evangelization and Westernization endeavours to take place inside the territories of South Africa. The Evangelical Presbyterian Church Missionaries founded, financed, maintained, controlled and administered their educational endeavours without any moral or financial support from the Government. The main purpose of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church Missionaries in founding and supporting schools has been to use education as an auxiliary to the evangelization of the indigenous people of South Africa. Elementary schools served as instruments of direct evangelization rather than secular education. Pupils were taught the 3 R's, namely, reading, writing and arithmetic. Education was a useful tool that enabled the converts to read the Bible and other religious material on their own and preferably in their own language. Converts who demonstrated the ability to read, write and do simple arithmetic were trained to become missionaries' helpers. As these earliest converts became proficient and competent, they were posted out into the interior with the instructions to start new church centres and schools. Although the teaching which took place inside these schools was not of high quality, it was definitely better than nothing. The Evangelical Presbyterian Church Missionaries together with missionaries of other denominations provided virtually all the education which was available for the Blacks in South Africa. Through missionary endeavours the South African Government have realized that Western education and civilization has been important forces which helped the indigenous people to advance individually and collectively in the social, political and economic fields. Western technology and culture successfully won the indigenous people of South Africa to Western civilization. The acceptance of Christianity and the introduction of the White man's rule in the interior of South Africa effectively stopped the inter-tribal wars. The missionaries have made a noteworthy contribution to the education of the indigenous people of South Africa. They empowered the Blacks to play a worthy part side by side with members of other races (Whites, Coloureds and Indians) in the development of the country they shared.
Educational Studies
D.Ed. (History of Education)

John Wesley founded Methodism as an evangelical renewal movement within the Church of England. That structure encouraged both establishment impulses and Dissenting movements within Methodism in the North American context. In Canada, British missionaries planted a moderate, respectable form of Methodism, comfortable with the establishment. In Ontario, however, Methodism drew from a more democratized, enthusiastic revivalism that set itself apart from the establishment. After a couple of generations, however, these poorer outsiders had moved into the middle class, and Canadian Methodism grew into the largest denomination, with a sense of duty to nurture the social order. Methodism in the United States, however, embodied a paradox representative of a nation founded in a self-conscious act of Dissent against an existing British system. Methodism came to embrace the American cultural centre while simultaneously generating Dissenting movements. After the American Revolution, ordinary Americans challenged deference, hierarchy, patronage, patriarchy, and religious establishments. Methodism adopted this stance in the religious sphere, growing as an enthusiastic, anti-elitist evangelistic campaign that validated the spiritual experiences of ordinary people. Eventually, Methodists began moving towards middle-class respectability and the cultural establishment, particularly in the largest Methodist denomination, the Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC). However, democratized impulses of Dissent kept re-emerging to animate new movements and denominations. Republican Methodists and the Methodist Protestant Church formed in the early republic to protest the hierarchical structures of the MEC. African Americans created the African Methodist Episcopal Church and African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in response to racism in the MEC. The Wesleyan Methodist Church and the Free Methodists emerged in protest against both slavery and hierarchy. The issue of slavery divided the MEC into northern and southern denominations. The split reflected a battle over which religious vision of slavery would be adopted by the cultural establishment. The denominations remained divided after the Civil War, but neither could gain support among newly freed blacks in the South. Freed from a racialized religious establishment embedded in slavery, former slaves flocked to independent black Methodist and Baptist churches. In the late nineteenth century, Methodism spawned another major evangelical Dissenting movement, the Holiness movement. Although they began with an effort to strengthen Wesleyan practices of sanctification within Methodism, Holiness advocates soon became convinced that most Methodists would not abandon what they viewed as complacency, ostentation, and worldliness. Eventually, Holiness critiques led to conflicts with Methodist officials, and ‘come-outer’ groups forged a score of new Holiness denominations, including the Church of God (Anderson), the Christian Missionary Alliance, and the Church of the Nazarene. Holiness zeal for evangelism and sanctification also spread through the missionary movement, forming networks that would give birth to another powerful, fragmented, democratized movement of world Christianity, Pentecostalism.