Township churches of Tshwane as potential change agents for local economic development: An empirical missiological study

This article contributes towards ascertaining the potential of township churches as change agents for local economic development (LED) in Tshwane. Five church leaders (i.e. two from Soshanguve and three from Hammanskraal) were engaged through personal interviews to gain insights from them about their churches’ praxes and mission orientations in relation to community building, including LED in Tshwane. Based on these personal interviews, it was established that these churches have assets as well as current ministries that could be steppingstones for LED. Township chChristian Spirituality, Church History and Missiolog

Mobilising the Local Church for Social Justice and Reconciliation:

Social justice and reconciliation are inseparable, and both are inextricably linked to ethics, discipleship and ministry, that is, with the Christian walk. More precisely the evangelical church of the “global south” has lagged behind on their praxis with regard to this aspect. “What could be done to get the church involved in social justice and reconciliation in post-Apartheid South Africa?” What theological and other resources and assets could be mobilised in order for the church to address the issues of social injustice and reconciliation? While using the Baptist Union of Southern Africa as a case study, this article carefully investigates these important questions and other questions with wider theological/missiological implications for how we are to understand our Christian calling in the world. Further, this article argues that the church is by nature and by calling an indispensable agent for fostering social justice and reconciliation. Finally, it suggests that this be achievable only if all the church’s assets and resources are mobilised for the purpose of social justice and reconciliationChristian Spirituality, Church History and Missiolog

Conversions in context: Insights from an autobiographical narrative of a Congolese-born missionary at Stinkwater

Indigenous African missionaries are increasingly becoming involved in various mission interests in their contexts. Assumptions made by many mission institutions are that when they call indigenous Africans, they would be easily accepted and integrated into the community and get on with mission duties. However, these assumptions do not hold for indigenous Africans who are not native to the land where they serve. In relation to the latter this article, based on an autobiographical narrative of a Congolese-born missionary at Stinkwater, highlights four ‘conversion episodes’ that the missionary went through before he begun to ‘weave together’ the story of the good news of Jesus with stories of people in this particular context. All these episodes have had profound implications towards reshaping and reviving his theology of mission and praxis at Stinkwater. Insights from this autobiographical narrative could be useful in the preparation of indigenous workers who intend to work in context where they are not native to the land.Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiolog

A vision for peace in the City of Tshwane: Insights from the homeless community

Communities living on the margins of society, such as the homeless, are overlooked in the process of building a vision for peace in the City of Tshwane. This article, therefore, seeks to explore the issue of a vision for peace from the perspective of the homeless in the City of Tshwane. Isaiah 65:17–25 was used as a hermeneutic key, within a community engaged action research framework, to stimulate reflection and application in the context of homelessness where meaningful peace is non-existent. Emerging voices of ordinary readers (participants) of the text, as represented by the homeless in the City of Tshwane (CoT), suggest institutions (of education, business, government, churches as well as other individuals) need to work together in synergy towards the realisation of this peace in the city. In relation to peace in the CoT, this research has unearthed some insights from a local homeless community which could contribute towards the development of an integrated praxis needed for transformative urban missiology. The recommendations derived from the research are: the homeless people must be partisans to such a holistic and integrated vision for peace and should be seen as active responsible citizens of the city willing to undertake actions that are in support of this vision.Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiolog

A vision for peace in the City of Tshwane: Insights from the homeless community

Communities living on the margins of society, such as the homeless, are overlooked in the process of building a vision for peace in the City of Tshwane. This article, therefore, seeks to explore the issue of a vision for peace from the perspective of the homeless in the City of Tshwane. Isaiah 65:17–25 was used as a hermeneutic key, within a community engaged action research framework, to stimulate reflection and application in the context of homelessness where meaningful peace is non-existent. Emerging voices of ordinary readers (participants) of the text, as represented by the homeless in the City of Tshwane (CoT), suggest institutions (of education, business, government, churches as well as other individuals) need to work together in synergy towards the realisation of this peace in the city. In relation to peace in the CoT, this research has unearthed some insights from a local homeless community which could contribute towards the development of an integrated praxis needed for transformative urban missiology. The recommendations derived from the research are: the homeless people must be partisans to such a holistic and integrated vision for peace and should be seen as active responsible citizens of the city willing to undertake actions that are in support of this vision. Read online:Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiolog

Poverty, marginalisation and the quest for collective wellbeing in the context of homelessness in the City of Tshwane

The aim of this chapter is to contribute towards a solution for addressing poverty and marginalisation associated with homelessness in the City of Tshwane. Twenty-six (i.e. 11 men and 15 women) homeless people were engaged through Contextual Bible Study to gain insights from the margins about appropriate actions to be considered for a transformative missiology in this context. Based on their encounterological reflection of Luke 16: 19 31 and for the vision of total freedom and collective wellbeing still to be realised in this city, this local homeless community suggested three key actions i.e. (1) partnership and collaboration to end poverty and marginalisation, (2) empowerment for social change and justice and (3) fostering mutual respect to be implemented here and now

An Investigation on the Perfomance of the Levy Collection System: a Case of Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA

Despite the reforms implemented to minimise non-compliance tourism, operators continue to be non-compliant in submitting levy due. Non-compliance reduces levy collected by Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) and has thus created a gap between levy collected and the actual levy owed. The study looked at the strengths and weaknesses in the current system, reasons for non-compliance and the ways used by operators to evade levy payments and it sought to provide strategies that could be used to improve levy collection. To obtain information on the performance of the current levy system the researcher reviewed literature from other sources of work previously published by others. ZTA was examined to obtain an understanding of the views and perspectives of the reasons for the poor performance of the current levy system in collecting levy due. The research adopted a case study research design. To obtain data on the performance of the levy system questionnaires were administered to twenty-five respondents, interviews were conducted with three managers being staff and employees at ZTA and document review of secondary sources was done. From the data gathered the researcher discovered that the current system was weak and contributed immensely to the poor performance of ZTA, compliance costs in the current system discouraged compliance and under-reporting and under-invoicing were the main ways used by operators to evade payments. The researcher thus recommends that ZTA should implement an automated system of levy collection, increase the amount of risk based audits it conducts on operators, streamline the levy according to operator size as well as improve operator education and training

Mission in an African city: discovering the township church as an asset towards local economic development in Tshwane

This multidisciplinary, applied study investigated whether the township church can be repositioned or re-discovered as an asset, which could be used to form strong community structures in local communities and in turn be the foundation for community development and Local Economic Development (LED) for Tshwane (specifically Soshanguve and Hammanskraal (S&H)). The concept of oikos is of central importance in the understanding of the ecological dimension of mission in relation to LED and was used in this thesis defined as oikomissiology which has a Christological basis and broadens the scope of mission by reinterpreting missio Dei and various socio-theological themes in order to realise the vision of collective wellbeing or shalom). Oikomissiology provided a framework / worldview for analysis, description, reflection and planning for action which releases the world, economics, the church and conventional Christian theology / missiology from the traps of anthropocentrism. A narrative approach enabled the “uncovering” of the voices of grassroots communities, giving grassroots participants (i.e. local church ministry representatives) freedom to tell their stories and share their experiences as far as LED is concerned, such that major economic concepts were spoken of in these stories in laymen’s language. The narratives were supplemented by interviews with experienced practitioners and church leaders, which resulted in gaining richer perspectives on LED and on how township congregations that participated in this research are attempting to respond to current socioeconomic crises in Tshwane (S & H). A literature study and a study of the physical space were performed in dialogue with narratives and interview findings. The findings of this applied study established that the township church, in relation to other community organisations and structures, is an asset that could play a number of vital roles towards improving LED in Tshwane (S & H).Christian Spirituality, Church History and MissiologyD.Th. (Missiology (Urban ministry)