Theses

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Towards a Strategy for improving the Practice of Missions in the Divine Grace Church of God in the Chawama Compound, Lusaka, Zambia
(South African Theological Seminary, 2016) Shamuteya, Laban Kabunda; Light, Vernon
This thesis is based on the realisation that the Divine Grace Church of God (DGCG) seems to be lacking in its operative theology in relation to missions in its ministry context. The main objective of the thesis is to formulate a theologically-informed strategic plan to ensure that the praxis of DGCG with regard to missions is faithful to God and optimally relevant to its ministry context. The secondary objectives are: (1) to interpret the operative theology of DGCG with respect to missions; (2) to determine what faithful praxis in relation to missions would look like for DGCG in its ministry context, and (3) to develop a communicative and strategic plan to strengthen the praxis of DGCG in relation to missions. The research design and methodology employed in this study are based on Browning’s strategic practical theology (1991:55-74). It is a holistic approach that has four steps and each step covers a chapter in this thesis, except that steps 2 and 3 are included in one chapter. Both qualitative empirical and literary methods are employed to gather the needed data. The thesis begins with an analysis and interpretation of empirical data to determine the operative missions theology of DGCG (chapter 2). It moves on to consider a theological analysis with a view to forming theological perspectives and imperatives to guide the practice of missions in DGCG (chapter 3). This leads to the formation of appropriate programmes to embody these theological imperatives. The final chapter (4) considers ways of communicating and implementing these strategic programmes. The following are the findings of the thesis. First, though DGCG is found to have good programmes that seem to cover almost all areas of church life and witness, its operative theology in relation to missions is found to be lacking in holistic kingdom mission. The result is failure to adequately impact society by life, word and deed. Second, chapter 3 deals with this inadequacy by providing theological imperatives to inform beliefs and practices of missions which are more faithful to Scripture. Third, ways by which DGCG would effectively communicate and implement the resulting new praxis of missions are finally outlined.
Práctica de la medicina tradicional en la comunidad Shipibo-Konibo de Cantagallo en el contexto del COVID-19: un acercamiento desde la perspectiva de la misión integral.
(South African Theological Seminary Johannesburg, 2022) Márquez Bardales, Roger 1955; Paredes Alfaro, Rubén E.
El presente trabajo de investigación tiene como objetivo aportar lineamientos teológicos contextuales a los creyentes de la comunidad Shipibo-konibo de Cantagallo frente a la práctica de la Medicina Tradicional (MT) en el contexto del Covid 19, desde la perspectiva de la Misión Integral (MI) de la iglesia. Desde el año 2018 hasta el año 2021 se realizaron cincuenta entrevistas abiertas a: Chamanes, curanderos, sanitarios, médicos, artesanos, músicos, maestros bilingües, autoridades, líderes y pastores de la iglesia. Los resultados mostraron que el uso de la Medicina Tradicional (MT) fue determinante para que los shipibos de Cantagallo se salvaran de morir por el Covid 19; solo fallecieron tres personas de dos mil habitantes. Se aplicó el método de Observación Participativa, con un enfoque hermenéutico desde la perspectiva de la Misión Integral. Se identificaron los factores que contribuyeron a dar respuesta a la Gran pregunta: ¿Qué desafíos y oportunidades presenta para la iglesia la práctica de la Medicina Tradicional (MT) en la comunidad shipibo? Se hizo uso de las ciencias sociales. La práctica de la Medicina Tradicional (MT) presenta desafíos porque está relacionada con las prácticas chamánicas. No existe una línea clara que limite qué es aceptable y qué no lo es. Por otro lado, la MT les brinda “bienestar”, es decir, “Jakon Jati”: el “Buen Vivir”. Por lo tanto, es necesario descubrir los puntos de encuentro y los desencuentros analizando la cosmovisión cristiana y la cosmovisión Shipibo Konibo al usar la MT.
A missiological exploration of the encounters between Reuben Omulo and the Church Missionary Society in Central Nyanza, Kenya
(South African Theological Seminary, 2022) Omondi, Francis 1966; Kritzinger, J. N. J.; Johannes S. Malherbe
This research examined the Anglican Church’s history of mission in Central Nyanza, focusing on the formative role played by Reuben Omulo, a Luo mission innovator. It explored the key features of the mission praxis of Omulo and his encounters with the Church Missionary Society (CMS). It adopted Kritzinger’s (2008) seven-point “praxis matrix” in an “encounterological” approach to probe the encounters between the mission praxes of Omulo and CMS. This involved investigating the dynamics of the interaction between those praxes, focusing on each of the seven dimensions in turn. The study used data from personal interviews and discussions with a selected group of respondents from Siaya and Kisumu Counties, among families and places where Omulo worked. It analysed secondary data from relevant published works and other written materials from private archives. The pre-colonial encounters forged the diverse Luo people into a nation, as this research clarified, and further described those complex relations, which shaped critical features of the Southern Luo world, priming them for their encounters with the European colonialists and CMS missionaries. CMS’s intention for indigenizing the Church met resonance in Omulo. As the research illustrated, Christianity met spiritual needs that traditional religion could not. For Omulo and his colleagues, more so, the vernacular Scriptures eliminated ambiguities in the Luo religion, making the transition to Christianity more effortless for them. The study revealed a creative tension between Omulo and CMS praxes, which for Omulo was an attempt to balance Christianity’s demands with traditional responsibilities and integrate the Luo into Christianity. But CMS sought to interpret the Luo worldview to infuse it with the Scriptural message of Christianity. Omulo and his colleagues proved to be active recipients of the Gospel, as the study showed, for protesting colonial injustice, compelled the authority to reform, and further stimulated CMS and Anglican Church in Kenya to embrace a social justice spirituality. The challenges facing the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) can be traced to how CMS established the African Anglican Church in Central Nyanza, as this research showed. This research, therefore, suggested that the ACK should focus on empowering the laity as her primary agency for mission and that the Church’s mission praxis must reaffirm culture to speak to the core needs of the people. It recommended that mission history be studied with the praxis matrix as part of an “encounterological” approach.
Die Dringlichkeit der strategischen Konsolidierung junger Christen/Gemeinden bei Paulus exemplarisch im 1. Thessalonicherbrief (2,17-3,10), mit möglichen Implikationen für die Gemeindegründungs-, bzw. Gemeinderevitalisierungsbewegung: Eine exegetisch systematische Untersuchung.
(South African Theological Seminary Johannesburg, 2022) Luz, Edgar 1972; Vogt, Titus; Vogt, Titus
In dieser Arbeit wird die Frage untersucht, welche Priorität der Apostel Paulus der Nacharbeit mit seinen jungen Konvertiten einräumt. Es wird erforscht, welche Dringlichkeit und Strategie hinter den uns offenbarten apostolischen Maßnahmen und Aktivitäten in seinen neuen Gemeinden stehen. Als Modell wählen wir die Gemeinde in Thessaloniki. Darin wird zuerst allgemein die Frage nach der Existenz einer Strategie bei Pls. aus verschiedenen Perspektiven erörtert. Anschließend werden die gängigen Ansätze in der aktuelleren biblisch-theologischen Fachliteratur auf die letztlichen Ambitionen des Apostels für die jungen Konvertiten in Thessaloniki analysiert und die Resultate in einer kurzen Synthese vergleichend aufgearbeitet. Hierbei sehen wir, dass die Ansätze weniger Alternativen als Komplementierung zueinander darstellen. Eine längere Einführung in den 1 Thess.-brief versucht, neben den allgemeinen Einleitungfragen, vor allem die Länge des Erstaufenthaltes und die genaue Abfolge der Nacharbeitsinitiativen festzulegen. Dieser folgt eine intensive Auseinandersetzung mit dem curricularen Inhalt der katechetischen Erstunterweisung, die Pls. der Gemeinde bei seinem ersten Aufenthalt in Thessaloniki gab. Dieser wird nachfolgend richtungsweisend in einen kurzen ersten Fazit zusammengefasst, wobei hier ein Schwerpunkt auf die „parakaleo“ Wortfamilie im 1 Thess.-brief gelegt und unter den drei Aspekten des integrierten Dienstes, inhaltlichen Dichte und intensivierten Dynamik kategorisiert wird. Hierauf folgt eine kurze textkritische Untersuchung unseres Modelltextes aus 1 Thess 2,17-3,10 mit dem Ziel, sich zu familiarisieren mit dem weiteren Kontext, inneren Aufbau, Sprache und Stil. Einer detaillierten dreiteiligen Einzelexegese folgt ein längeres Fazit mit der Analyse der in der Forschungsfrage wichtigen Aspekte auf dem Hintergrund der Details des Textes und seiner Auslegung. Diese wird tabellarisch aufgearbeitet und mit einem kurzen Schlussplädoyer abgerundet. Abschließend wird versucht, die erarbeiteten Prinzipien in einigen kurzen Thesen für die Missions- und Gemeindearbeit des 21. Jahrhunderts fruchtbar zu machen.
A Socio-Rhetorical Analysis of Paul’s Speech in Acts 17:16–34: Implications for a Missions Strategy Beyond the Ewes in the Global Evangelical Church in Ghana.
(South African Theological Seminary Johannesburg, 2022) Sackitey, Francis Lawer 1967; Van Deventer, Cornelia; Van Deventer, Cornelia
The command Jesus gave the Church to make disciples of all nations in Matthew 28:16–20 calls for a missions strategy that takes into consideration the socio-cultural, religious, and linguistic backgrounds of those the Church reaches out to. The writer of the Acts of the Apostles narrates how in carrying out the mandate of the Great Commission, the Holy Spirit through the apostles, adopted various mission strategies to fulfil that mandate. The Apostle Paul’s speech in Acts 17:16–34 is one of the classic examples of how the early missionaries adopted the socio-cultural, religious, and linguistic background of their audiences to carry the gospel message across. This thesis adopts a socio-rhetorical analysis methodology to analyse Paul’s speech in Acts 17:16–34 with the aim of distilling implications of the speech for missions strategy which will take care of the socio-cultural, religious, and linguistic settings of the people the Church evangelises. Many scholars, having researched the Areopagus speech, have proposed that the gospel message must be contextualised into the cultural context of those evangelised. One major gap in those studies however is how the Church must articulate the gospel in a multicultural and linguistic context to distil theological and missiological truth(s) for the African (and, in this case, Ghanaian) context, where language planning and the accommodation of tribal distinctions are frequently undermined in the Church’s missions strategy. The research considered the context of the book of Acts, examined the socio-rhetorical context of Paul’s speech in Acts 17:16–34, undertook a socio-rhetorical analysis of the speech, and explored its significance for missions strategy. The practical significance of the socio-rhetorical interpretation of Paul’s speech in Acts 17:16–34 is the acquisition of handles for the Global Evangelical Church in Ghana and abroad to expand its missions plan beyond service to the Ewe people. The research revealed that though the early Church struggled to integrate Jews and Gentiles as worldviews, language practices, history, and other factors were anything but monolithic, the apostle Paul adopted a missions strategy that demonstrates a worthwhile attempt to bridge tribal and language barriers in his mission work.
Evangelism Practices of the Church of Pentecost in the Afigya Kwabre District, Ghana (1962 To 2016): Towards Designing a New Missional Strategy
(South African Theological Seminary Johannesburg) Gyamfi, Onyinah 1962; Kipimo, Jesse F.
This dissertation investigates the Church of Pentecost in the Afigya Kwabre District of Ghana, evangelism practices between 1962 and 2016, and develops a new missional strategy for the church. The research literature review surveys educated articles, books, and other credible scholarships that focus on the spectrum of evangelism, missions, and church growth. It also includes a biblical and theological assessment of the early church's evangelism in selected chapters in the book of Acts of the Apostles that can be applied to all evangelism praxes. The purpose of the study is to begin to create awareness in the church about declining problems. The survey asks to what extent evangelism practices contribute to the church's growth and how the church is experiencing a decline. This analysis assists in facilitating the design of a new missional strategy. The findings showed that they made an innovative contribution to the unprecedented and phenomenal growth of the church and made the church become the leading classic Pentecostal in Ghanaian society. The research shows factors responsible for the decline are obstructing and influencing the development of the church. Additionally, the study further examined evangelism in selected chapters of the book of Acts and analyses; the mode of evangelism, manifestation of God’s accredited power and miracles performed by Apostles, combined with the empirical and literacy findings to facilitate adopting a new missional approach. The significance of this study is that despite the phenomenal growth, it informs the theoretical awareness and understanding of a decline in the evangelism praxis. Thus, recommending a focus on a new missional approach to evangelism hitherto lacking. Finally, it informs empirical understanding to mitigate and overcome the decreased challenges to foster a better way of evangelism practice, sustains the gains and keeps on spreading the Gospel in Ghanaian society.
Novos Desafios, Novos Paradigmas: Ministério Com Jovens E Ação Missional No Contexto Urbano—Uma Análise A Partir Da Igreja Evangélica Holiness De Londrina - Brasil
(South African Theological Seminary Johannesburg) Yahiro, Dilma Higa 1967; de Lara Proença, Wander
This thesis presents the importance of contextualizing the message of the gospel in the cities. It analyzes the context and culture, according to concepts presented by Latin American theorists such as Van Engen, Charles E., Jorge Barro, Tito Paredes, René Padilla, in addition to other authors. The Holiness Church of Londrina is delimited as a case study, which, initially, in terms of evangelization, addressed Japanese immigrants in rural contexts. This history reveals the ecclesiastical and doctrinal identity of the community, which is important for the analysis of the generational transition. Bibliographic researches show the challenges for young people in the urban context, such as the issue of consumerism, individualism, new family configurations, demands, pressures and the increase in psychological disorders. And, in order to know this reality, a field research is developed through questionnaires, focus groups and interviews with young people from the Holiness church in Londrina. It was found that the new challenges that the youth ministry must observe in order to be relevant in discipleship with youth and missional action in the context in which they are inserted, imply a rupture in paradigms, a change in habits and ecclesiological traditions.
Designing and Evaluating a Curriculum for the Effective and Accessible Training of frontier Missionaries from New Sending countries
(South African Theological Seminary Johannesburg) Vermont, Henry 1959; Malherbe, Johannes S.
Many missionaries, especially those from the New Sending Countries (NSCs), go to the field inadequately prepared for the challenges they will face, resulting in high missionary attrition rates. This dissertation seeks to answer the question, how should a curriculum for accessible cross-cultural training of effective frontier missionaries from the New Sending Countries be designed and tested? The research answered this question by following a practical theological research approach. Using literature review and analysis, the researcher investigated the commonalities and differences between the main cultural traits of missionaries from the Sample of New Sending Countries and those from the Old Sending Countries. Another literature review examined the best practices in adult education, curriculum design, technological trends in education and missionary training. Further literary research and analysis resulted in a new competency-based framework for missionary training. The researcher then synthesized the results of these literature reviews to create a curricular approach that addresses the identified challenges. Concurrently, with these reviews, the researcher led a small team that implemented a set of online courses and evaluated learner experiences through structured questionnaires, opinion polls, computer log files and analytics of video usage. The literature reviews revealed that Western training methods should be adapted to suit the cultural learning preferences of New Sending Countries. The research found that adults prefer self-driven and self-paced learning, learnt Just In Time (JIT) for its application. Therefore, the synthesized curriculum uses hybrid online e-learning in a time-phased approach. The analysis of missionary competencies mapped onto missionary life phases is made possible by the CPL (Competency-Phase-Learning domain) training matrix designed in this dissertation. This analysis showed that pre-field training is mostly cognitive and could therefore be done mostly through online video-based training. Nevertheless, on-field training requires learning in the affective and psychomotor domains in addition to the cognitive. Therefore, a hybrid blend of online e-learning and practical application is the solution for training in each phase. Such training can be facilitated by the missionary team leader in conjunction with the online course content. Once implemented by mission organizations, this approach should make training accessible to missionaries from most countries. The empirical evaluation of actual course usage showed high levels of engagement and learner satisfaction among both New- and Old Sending Country learners. The final chapter of the dissertation contains the findings and recommendations for further research.
Bible Translation as Mission: Towards an Assessment of the Use of Translated Scriptures and their Missional Impact in Bakossi, South West Cameroon
(South African Theological Seminary Johannesburg) Ngole, David Some 1970; Kipimo, Jesse F.; Kipimo, Jesse F.
This thesis entitled, Bible Translation as Mission: Towards an Assessment of the Use of Translated Scriptures and their Missional Impact in Bakossi, South West Cameroon, researches the impact of the mother tongue scriptures as an evangelistic tool for missions amongst the Bakossi people in the South West Region of Cameroon. This study attempts to ascertain the impact the Bakossi Bible Translation Project (BBTP) of the Cameroon Association for Bible Translation and Literacy (CABTAL) has had on the socio-cultural and spiritual lives of the Bakossi people. It tries to emphasize the importance of the local language and how it shapes people’s world views, as well as how it is a tool for Bakossi churches in carrying out the mission of God. This thesis traces the historical aspects that led to the translation of the Word of God into the Akoose language. The missionaries identified the local language as an adequate medium for gospel communication. The emergence of the churches and the Bakossi Bible Translation Project is a realisation of the dream to bring the Word of God to the Bakossi people in their heart language. Since the time missionaries brought Christianity in 1896 and promoted the use of the local language for gospel communication to the recent translation of scriptures in the Akoose language, great strides had been made towards this goal. The Bakossi Bible Translation Project has been operational in Bakossi since 1996, leading to the translation of the book of Ruth, 1 Samuel chapter 1 and 2, the New Testament (Melle Mekoole), Parables, the Jesus Film, an audio form of the New Testament and posters for scripture exhibition. Moreover, a literacy program is put in place to teach people how to read and write the mother tongue and a program to promote the use of the translated scriptures called “Scripture Engagement.” 7The author consulted other literary or academic works in order to decipher what others have written towards the importance of mother tongue scriptures for missions. An empirical study was done by distributing questionnaires to the clergy, lay preachers, Christians, and scripture engagement personel. This study analysed the contextual engagement of the mother-tongue Scriptures with its socio-cultural and spiritual impact within the Bakossi churches. To buttress this, the author looked at the theological relevance and significance of Bible translation as a tool for effective missions. He developed theological models for the promotion of the Akoose scriptures in the Bakossi churches and studied its implications for evangelism, discipleship, and church growth. The results showed that despite the presence of the local scriptures, there is an absence of proper strategies and a need for more work promoting their use for evangelism and discipleship. Thus, the author sought to devise strategies for the effective use and promotion of the mother tongue scriptures to fulfil the missional goal of effective evangelism and discipleship. Finally, the author offered recommendations and action plans to be implemented by church leaders, lay preachers, literacy teachers, scripture engagement promoters, and Christians to promote the translated scriptures in the effective transformation of lives and church growth.
The Strategic Role of Expatriate Married Female Missionaries in Muslim-Majority Communities
(South African Theological Seminary Johannesburg) Vermont, Betsy 1959; Smith, Kevin G.; Smith, Kevin G.
The main objective of this thesis is to establish what the strategic role should be of expatriate married female missionaries (EMFMs) in Muslim-majority communities (MMCs). Literature surveys, supplemented by the researcher’s experience as an EMFM in MMCs in both Southeast Africa and Southeast Asia, as well as two small-scale surveys, give insights from history, culture, theology, and field experience to inform a vision of the strategic role that EMFMs should play in MMCs. The results of the historical overview showed that women always played a role throughout church history. In addition, developments and trends in mission praxis since the 1980s, especially the orality and disciple making movements as well as research on fruitful practices, showed that EMFMs have a strategic role in MMCs. The cultural overview highlighted the importance of intentionally focussing on reaching Muslim women. The view of women in Islam and related cultural customs shows that the constant factor in most Muslim communities is the difference in gender roles between men and women. This difference has a profound effect on the role of EMFMs in MMCs. Even though EMFMs have many challenges to overcome, many opportunities exist for EMFMs to play a strategic role in MMCs. Practical-theological reflection showed that the missiological themes of incarnational ministry, critical contextualisation as well as the multiplication in discipleship are key factors for ministry effectiveness. In addition, these themes can guide EMFMs to define their roles in MMCs. In addition, the traditional roles of female missionaries from being evangelists and disciple makers are shifting to that of mentors and trainers, especially in disciple making movements. Lastly, results of the empirical component on the experiences of EMFMs in MMCs in Southeast Asia correlated well with existing literature on fruitful practices in Muslim ministry. The results also confirmed that EMFMs have a strategic role to play in such communities. From a strategic perspective this study highlights the need to envision, train and mentor EMFMs to play key roles in MMCs. In addition, mission organisations need to prioritise reaching the women of Islam and inspire EMFMs to take an active role in ministry in MMCs.

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