The Church Finding and Playing Its Part
Mpho Moloele
The first missionaries to sail to Southern Africa came
soon after the arrival of white settlers in the sixteenth century. Although
some were from different churches, they became members of the Dutch Reformed
Church. When Black Africans and inter racial ethnicities did the same white
members pushed for racially segregated congregations. That resulted in the
establishment of a separate Black and Coloured Churches.
Now what occurred to the Church being one body with
different parts?
With a clear segregation within the Dutch Reformed
Church, they later gave their blessing to the system of apartheid by giving a
biblical justification claiming that it was God’s Will. Other church
communities recognised the system as being wrong and sinful resulting in action
to challenge them. Masses of people joined in anti apartheid movements preaching
and acting reconciliation in hope of the abolishment of the inhumane system.
The “Church” also known as the whole body of Christian
believers, played a significant role in the liberation of South Africa and to
its first democratic national elections. With a slight role change of the
Church in the democratic South Africa, new and old challenges need to be
combated in partnership with society and the government for genuine transformation.
Looking at the Church and State, the relationship
between the two parties is always better when both parties claim
counter-responsibility for what becomes of the relationship. In the first few
years of post apartheid SA, the relationship appeared to have been that of
government saying: “Churches must be the moral conscience”. Meaning that churches must help stop crime,
the spreading of HIV infections, as well as become a conduit for
development/welfare funding to communities.
” Agreements were signed by the Church and State to
that extent. This saw the formation of bodies such as the Moral Regeneration
Movement, National Interfaith Council of South Africa and National Religious
Leaders for Social Development” says The Evangelical Alliance of South Africa
(TEASA), General Secretary, Reverend Moss Ntlha. These were mainly matters that
would make government look good.
It is unfortunate that increasingly the relationship
became strained as churches wanted to broaden the moral compass of prophetic
witness by addressing the sins of government such as corruption, arms deal and
governance issues. The relationship soured to the point that government then
changed strategy to create its own framework.
But that did not stop the Church from simply being
itself. The Human Sciences Research Council’s recent study on social issues
like the single parent headed households
point to South Africa as having the least marriages
statistics in sub Saharan Africa, family instability, high rate of crime and
people with HIV. All of these points to the fact that weak family units set
people and nations on a trajectory of poverty and social dysfunction. These
issues are to a lesser or greater extent addressed by churches in their
discipleship and outreach programs.
The Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, Thabo Makgoba
has spoken out about issues affecting society in the media. He has been a vocal
instrument in matters affecting the nation. Those issues being the protection
of information bill, the killings in Marikana, and sometimes not affirming
President Jacob Zuma’s statements. One can simply say he is the Desmond Tutu of
the democratic state.
The Churches role is now drifting more to its mission
agenda being to evangelise, plant churches and discipleship. While Christian organisations
focus in community development and in the advocacy of moral issues.
The Evangelical Alliance of South Africa (TEASA) which
serves as a platform for collaboration, mission and advocacy demonstrate
biblical integrity in faith and practice. They stand on connecting,
capacitating and communicating evangelical concerns to government and other
publics. “We are committed to proclaiming the gospel in a wholistic manner
addressing inequalities, reconciliation and justice concerns” said Reverend
Moss Ntlha. TEASA became involved in opposing e-tolls in Gauteng. The
organization has established Micah South Africa, an initiative to help churches
to recover a pro poor agenda. Here evangelicals will tackle issues such as
justice for the poor. Micah SA attempts to connect evangelical witness with the
Millennium Development Goals, a prophetic agenda adopted by the United Nations
in 2000.
During the Triennal Conference in February 2014, the
South African Council of Churches called upon churches to proclaim the biblical
message of resources being a gift from God. Seeking to address the inequalities
and economic discrepancies in the country.
African Enterprise is an interdenominational
organisation whose mission statement is to evangelise the Cities of Africa in
Word and Deed in partnership with the Church. AE has been change agents in
society especially with their young evangelists called the Foxfire Youth Team.
They go into cross cultural communities nationwide with the mandate to set the
youth ablaze for Christ. Their ministry is done through preaching the Gospel,
sharing of their life stories, creative arts, facilitating life skills,
leadership development programmes and peer to peer counselling. Although they
go into prisons, hospitals, churches and market places, these youngsters visit
schools more. “If those who decide policies for our schools decide to take God
out of the system, then we are headed for immense destruction. This is why we
as the Foxfires consider it a matter of utmost importance to reach our youth in
schools” says Foxfire Youth Team Director, Julian Yon.
As two decades of a democratic South Africa has
progressed, the Church as one body is standing up in addressing social ills and
implementing sustainable initiatives to better society. With the strengthening
of the relationship between the Church, the government and all South African
citizens, socio economic factors can be a thing of the past, while having no guilt
and enjoying the fruits of real transformation.
