scholarly journals Building a Mission-Oriented Church in Ghana in the 21st Century: The Role of Theological Education

Author(s):  
Seth Asare-Danso

This study examined the role of theological education in building a mission-oriented church in Ghana in the 21st century. The study sought to find answers to the goal of theological education in Ghana; the motives for the church in embarking on missions; the models of theological education in Ghana; the structure and content of theological education in Ghana; how theological education in Ghana could be mission-oriented. The qualitative research methodology was employed with a focus on a case study of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and the Anglican Church of Ghana. Observation, Interview and Content Analysis of documents were used for data collection. The findings were that the goal of missions was to alleviate poverty, ignorance and hardships. The motives for missions were cross-cultural, international, co-operative and holistic. Different models of theological education were used. The study recommends theological education be provided for pastors and lay leaders in fulfilment of UN SDG 4, which seeks to provide equitable quality education; and equal opportunity be given to females to receive theological education, in fulfilment of UN SDG 5, which seeks to achieve gender equality.

Author(s):  
Valentyn Syniy

It is emphasized that the involvement of missionary theology in the discussion of ways to develop spiritual education allowed post-soviet Protestantism to successfully overcome differences in the vision of the formal construction of education, and then move on to discussions about its content. There was a gradual overcoming of modern individualism, the growing role of communities, the replacement of monologue models of mission with dialogical ones. The idea of the seminary as a community that is not self-sufficient, but serves the church as a community, has gained general recognition. The church also came to be understood as serving an eschatological ideal community similar to the Trinity community. The formation of community and dialogical models of missionary and educational activity allows Ukrainian Protestantism to effectively adapt to the realities of the beginning of the 21st century and to be proactive in today's society.


2017 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 22-32
Author(s):  
Graham Duncan

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.


2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 219-231
Author(s):  
Clara M. Austin Iwuoha ◽  

The demons of racism, bigotry, and prejudice found in society at large are also found in the Christian Church. Despite the very nature of Christianity that calls on Christians to be a counter voice in the world against evil, many have capitulated to various strains of racism. Some Christian denominations have begun to explore racism in the Church and have developed responses to addressing the issues in both the Church and the world. This article examines the historical context of race and religion in the Christian Church, and addresses the current efforts of some Christian denominations to become proactive in the struggle against racism. Jesus, in His Word, calls believers to pursue peace and oneness. The paper holds that racial harmony and racial unity are possible, but there are many false, old and d beliefs that will have to be crushed under the hammer of God's Word in order to get to a place of real peace.


2016 ◽  
Vol 72 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
John Klaasen

South Africa has experienced an unprecedented influx of migrants in the 21st century. Immigration and race have contributed to the raising of important questions of identity and social inclusion. Immigration and race are two crucial phenomena for the church in South Africa because the overwhelming majority of immigrants to South Africa are affiliated to Christianity and active participants in worshipping communities.This article is an attempt to critically engage with the complex phenomena of immigration and race for the role of Christianity in identity. I will attempt to show how mainstream Christianity as an open-ended narrative and can provide the space for creative tension between the ‘host’ and ‘stranger’ for identity formation. I will use the theoretical framework of Don Browning’s correlational approach to demonstrate how the experience of immigrants and minority race groups creates identity of self and the constructive other.


Author(s):  
Seth Asare-Danso

This historical study examines the spread of Christianity in India in the 16th and 17th centuries, and lessons to be drawn by Christian churches in Ghana in the 21st century. Personal interview and content analysis of primary and secondary source documents were used for data collection. The grounded theory design was used to develop four theories, namely: “cultural rejection approach”, “cultural replacement approach”, “cultural sharing approach” and “cultural transformation approach” to mission. The research findings revealed that Christianity was introduced in India to liberate the people from ignorance. The Jesuit understood the motives of mission to be cross-cultural, international, co-operative and holistic in nature. It further revealed that the Jesuit used the “cultural transformation approach” to mission, which required the use of “radical identification”, “culture transfer”, “indigenization”, “inculturation” and “primal religion” as evangelistic methods to fulfil the mission mandate. The study recommended that churches in Ghana adapt the “cultural transformation approach” to mission to suit their cultural environments, so that the use of “radical identification” and “culture transfer” will reduce inequality, in fulfilment of UN SDG 10; while the use of “indigenization”, “inculturation” and “primal religion” will provide inclusive and equitable quality (theological) education, in fulfilment of UN SDG 4.


Author(s):  
Nanette I. Marcum-Dietrich ◽  
Oliver Dreon

In this case study, two education professors examine how an instructional technology course founded historically in an industrial model of teaching evolved to reflect and model the pedagogy needed in a 21st century classroom. Critical in this evolution is the development of course content and structure that allowed their students (all future teachers) to identify problems and collaboratively create solutions. With this new focus, the role of the students changed from being passive actors in an instructor-designed space and evolved into one where students were actively engaged in creating their understanding through their participation.


2017 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
André G. Ungerer

In 2017 the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika (NHKA) celebrates its centenary of theological education at the University of Pretoria (UP). In this article the focus is on the build-up to setting up the first 50 years 1917– 1967 at UP. From as early as 1909 there was a yearning for our own theological seminary; however, some of the church leaders expressed their desire for theological education at a university. At the dawn of 1916 everything was in place for the NHKA and the Presbyterian Church of South Africa, as the first two partners, to start a faculty of theology at the Transvaal University College (TUC). On 01 April 1917 the Faculty of Theology commenced its work with prof. J.H.J.A. Greyvenstein of the NHKA and prof. E. MacMillan from the Presbyterian Church. The Presbyterian link with the faculty was broken in 1933. From 1938 the Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk (NGK) joined the NHKA and two independent sections were established: Section A for the NHKA and Section B for the NGK. There was a steady growth in the number of students and professors and on 13 June 1967 the NHKA filled its sixth professorship in the person of prof. I.J. de Wet. This era was also characterised by a lot of political tension in the heyday of the policy of apartheid. The NHKA was known for Article III in its constitution that propagates that church membership was for whites only. The NHKA support of the policy of apartheid was the cause of a dispute between the Church and prof. A.S. Geyser. In the end the matter was settled in favour of Geyser. There was also a dispute between professors A.G. Geyser and A.D. Pont that ended up in court in 1967. Pont was accused of defamation against Geyser. The court ruled against Pont and Geyser was granted the largest amount of compensation up till then.


2016 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ignatius W.C. Van Wyk

The article deals with the function and aim of the Apostles’ Creed in the Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa – and for that matter, all other Reformed churches. The history of the Credo is carefully described. By so doing the earliest uses of the Creed are established. This information is necessary to determine the present-day function and aim of our confession.The relationship between faith, confession and the catechisms also provides important perspectives on the role of the Creed in the life of the church. The ecumenical nature of the church and the unity amongst Christians are emphasised. Unity with previous generations also receives attention as one of the main functions of the Credo.In the article, attention is further given to a variety of misunderstandings about the Creed. Due to the fact that the confessional documents interpret the Credo, these documents tend to receive a status beyond the original intention. The Reformed understanding of the doctrinal standards is therefore explained.


2008 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Atta-Baffoe

ABSTRACTThe inconsistency between theological education and parish life is a sign of the breakdown of a theological paradigm for doing and communicating theology in Africa today. The role of Scripture within the framework of an Anglican tradition is now a matter of examination. There are biblical foundations for ministerial formation but they need to relate to the current situation of ministry. The only theological seminary in Ghana is St Nicholas, where the staff are indigenous but the programme offered is Western and imported. The result is that ministerial formation has failed to meet the needs of the people of Ghana. The way forward demands a thorough revision of the present course content and a focus on the needs of the particular time and place that is modern Ghana.


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