Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The idea of deliberately planning and measuring the work of congregations does not settle easily with many church leaders and theologians. This study suggests that churches are becoming increasingly socially ineffective because they do not understand and apply scientific management knowledge and methods. Strongly held ideologies and dichotomies characterise the milieu of this topic. There remains a very real social problem concerning the role of churches. That is what this study has based its relevance on. The study is encouragingly supported by its finding that 90% of church leaders surveyed, disagreed with the notion that the church has no responsibility to society at large for its actions. 92% of respondents further agreed that the role of the church is the well-being and upliftment of its communities and not just to create converts. This study presents evidence that questions the success claims of the Church Growth body of knowledge. Evangelism world-wide has recently experienced the most extraordinary acceleration in the number of conversions in the history of the Church, but research in the countries where this phenomenon has been more prevalent, has found little equivalent growth in church membership. The work of researchers in the USA has repeatedly drawn attention to the alarming levels of "unchurched" Christians and the falling away of Pentecostal churches. This study confirms the trend in South Africa and reveals our unchurched level to be 53%. Analysis of congregational development interventions attempted by the sample reveals an almost three times greater success rate reported by churches that did not apply the church growth principles or combined them with management methods. The aim is to present explanations and solutions for the difficulties churches are having both in the areas of managing their own development and in retaining committed members for a nobler purpose than to laud their size over smaller, but possibly more caring and socially effective churches. An objective of this study is to present existing knowledge and methods from the field of management science as a conceptual framework for systematically fitting disconnected elements of contemporary Church Growth Theory into a holistic and integrated development approach that goes deeper than a mere mechanistic extrapolation of theoretical ideas and praxis from one context into another. The survey found a 74% support base from the South African church leaders surveyed for a synthesis of the best of both Church Growth and business management methods in fulfilment of its mission. The most compelling finding that this research contributes to social knowledge, however, is that local churches found to have reported significantly more externally focused growth such as evangelism, community work and church planting, applied strategic thinking, formal planning and management methods to their development without compromising the Gospel message that the Church is called bring to society. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie beweer dat kerke word meer sosiaal oneffektief omdat hulle nie wetenskaplike bestuurskennis verstaan en metodiek toepas nie. Dit is waarop hierdie studie se relevansie gebaseer is. Die studie is bemoedigend ondersteun deur die bevinding dat 90% van die kerkleiers wat aan die ondersoek deelgeneem het, nie met die mening saamstem dat die kerk geen verantwoordelikheid teenoor die gemeenskap in sy geheel het en daartoe bydra nie. 92% van die respondente het ook saamgestem dat die rol van die kerk is om by te dra tot die opheffing en welgesteldheid van die gemeenskap, en nie net om bekeerlinge te skep nie. Hierdie studie lewer bewys wat die sukses-aansprake van die Kerkgroei Beweging teenspreek. Wereldwye evangelasie het onlangs 'n buitengewone versnelling ondervind in die aantaI bekeerlinge in die geskiedenis van die kerk, maar navorsing toon dat in die lande waar hierdie verskynsel die sterkste voorgekom het, baie min ekwivalente groei in kerklidrnaatskap plaasgevind het. Hierdie studie bevestig die tendens in Suid Afrika en wys dat ons vlak van ongekerktes op 53% staan. Ontleding van die gemeente se ontwikkellings-intervensies wat deur die kerke in die proefskrif onderneem is, wys dat kerke wat nie kerkgroei beginsels toegepas het nie, of hierdie met bestuursmetodes kombineer, amper drie maal groter sukses behaal het. Die doeI is om verduidelikings en oplossings aan te bied vir die probleme wat kerke in beide die areas om hul eie ontwikkeling te bestuur asook die toegewyde lede te behou vir 'n meer eerbare doel as om af te kyk op kleiner, maar moontlik meer sorgsame en sosiaaI effektiewe kerke. 'n Doel van hierdie studie is om bestaande kennis en metodes in die bestuurswetenskappe as 'n konseptuele raamwerk aan te bied vir die sistematiese passing van ontwrigtende elemente van kontemporere Kerkgroei Teorie binne 'n holistiese en geintegreerde ontwikkelingsbenadering wat dieper gaan as sIegs die meganistiese ekstrapolering van teoretiese idees en praktyk van een konteks na 'n ander. Die navorsing het 'n ondersteuningsbasis van 74% bevind onder die Suid Afrikaanse kerkleiers wat aan die ondersoek deeIgeneem het, vir 'n sintese van die beste van beide kerkgroei en besigheidsbestuursmetodes in vervulling van die kerk se missie. Die mees afdwingbare bevinding wat hierdie navorsing bydra tot sosiale kennis is egter dat plaaslike kerke wat aansienlik meer in eksterne areas van evangelasie, gemeenskapwerk en kerkplanting groei, het toegepaste strategiese denke, formele beplanning en bestuursmetodes aangewend sonder om die Evangeliese boodskap waarvoor die kerk geroepe is om aan die gemeenskap te bring, te kompromitteer.

Text in English with abstracts in English, Afrikaans, Tswana and Tsonga / In a complex world, change is inevitable and wellness in the workplace remains a popular research phenomenon in facilitating employee and organisational productivity. Churches as organisations are not exempt from change dynamics in the world of work. Employees of the church, namely pastors and their well-being are similarly imperative, as they are also responsible for facilitating the well-being of others. Coaching has emerged as a valuable and useful psychological helping process aimed at enhancing employees’ well- being and facilitating their engagement, commitment and productive work behaviour. Mentoring and training are predominant interventions aimed at addressing aspects potentially relevant to pastor well-being in both the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) and the United Reformed Church of South Africa (URCSA), albeit each with very distinct objectives in terms of calling, and professional and skills development. In light of the current underutilised mentoring programme of the DRC and the sole emphasis on skills training in the URCSA, this study emerged from the need to understand how an in-depth understanding of pastors’ experiences of well-being can contribute to construct a coaching model for professional pastoral caregivers. In order to develop a coaching model to care for and optimise the well-being of the pastors, my multidisciplinary background (stemming from Industrial and Organisational Psychology [IOP], Human Resource Management [HRM] and Theology) increased my curiosity about pastors’ experiences of well-being in a Christian faith-based South African church context. In qualitative research inquiries, investigators creatively use multiple qualitative methods from a pragmatic stance. Hence, in this thesis I used at first two qualitative research methods, namely interactive qualitative analysis (IQA) and narrative synthesis that contributed to a transparent and systematic way to collect analyse, and document the research report. As a third qualitative research method, I used an auto ethnographic reflection writing style to make trustworthy inferences about the research findings and to think about the implications thereof on the rest of the research community. A coaching model was constructed and is proposed as a possible model to care for and optimise the well-being of the pastor (individual employee) and by implication also of a church (non-profit Christian faith-based organisation). This thesis also contributes methodologically to emerging IQA research in a South African work context. Lastly, the thesis contributes to multidisciplinary studies as it integrated theoretical and empirical perspectives from three disciplines, namely IOP, HRM and Theology. / In 'n ingewikkelde wêreld is verandering onvermydelik en welstand in die werksplek bly 'n gewilde navorsingsverskynsel om werknemer- en organisatoriese produktiwiteit te fasiliteer. Kerke as organisasies is nie vrygestel van veranderingsdinamika in die wêreld van werk nie. Kerke se werknemers, naamlik pastore en hul welstand is op soortgelyke wyse noodsaaklik omdat hulle verantwoordelik is om ander se welstand te fasiliteer. Afrigting het as 'n waardevolle en nuttige psigologiese hulpproses ontluik wat daarop gemik is om werknemers se welstand te bevorder en om hul betrokkenheid, toewyding en produktiewe werksgedrag te fasiliteer. Mentorskap en afrigting is oorwegende intervensies wat daarop gemik is om aspekte aan te spreek wat moontlik relevant kan wees tot pastore se welstand in beide die Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk (NGK) en die Verenigde Gereformeerde Kerk van Suid-Afrika (VGKSA), alhoewel elkeen baie duidelik onderskeibare doelstellings met betrekking tot roeping, en professionele en vaardigheidsontwikkeling het. In die lig van huidige onderbenutting van mentorskapprogramme van die NGK en die uitsluitlike klem op vaardigheidsopleiding in die VGKSA, het hierdie studie ontstaan uit die behoefte om te verstaan hoe 'n diepgaande begrip van pastore se ervaring van welstand tot 'n konstruktiewe afrigtingsmodel vir professionele pastorale versorgers kan bydra. Om 'n afrigtingsmodel te ontwikkel om pastore te versorg en hul welstand te optimeer, het my multidissiplinêre agtergrond (industriële en organisatoriese sielkunde, menslikehulpbronbestuur en teologie) my nuuskierigheid oor pastore se welstand in 'n Christelik-gebaseerde Suid-Afrikaanse kerkkonteks geprikkel. In kwalitatiewe navorsingsvrae, gebruik navorsers meervoudige kwalitatiewe metodes uit 'n pragmatiese standpunt kreatief. In hierdie tesis het ek dus aanvanklik twee kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetodes gebruik, naamlik interaktiewe kwalitatiewe ontleding (IKO) en narratiewe sintese wat bydra om data deursigtig en sistematies te versamel, te ontleed en die navorsingsverslag te dokumenteer. As 'n derde kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetode het ek 'n reflektiewe outo-etnografiese skryfstyl gebruik om betroubare afleidings oor die navorsingsbevindings te maak en om oor die implikasies daarvan op die navorsingsgemeenskap te dink. 'n Afrigtingsmodel is saamgestel en is voorgestel as 'n moontlike model om na pastore (individuele werknemers) om te sien en hul welstand te optimeer en dus ook die van 'n kerk (niewinsgewende organisasie wat op die Christelike geloof gebaseer is). Hierdie tesis dra ook metodologies tot ontluikende IKO-navorsing in 'n Suid-Afrikaanse werkskonteks by. Die tesis dra laastens tot multidissiplinêre studies by omdat dit teoretiese en empiriese perspektiewe van die drie vakgebiede, naamlik industriële en organisatoriese sielkunde, menslikehulpbronbestuur en teologie, integreer. / Mo lefatsheng le le marara, diphetogo di nna di le gona mme itekanelo ya mo tirong e sala go nna ntlha e e tlwaelegileng ya dipatlisiso go gokaganya tlhagiso ya badiri le ya setheo. Dikereke jaaka ditheo ga di a gololesega mo dintlheng tsa diphetogo mo tirong. Badiri ba kereke, e leng baruti, le itekanelo ya bona, ba botlhokwa fela jalo ka ntlha ya fa le bona ba rwele maikarabelo a go ela tlhoko itekanelo ya ba bangwe. Katiso e tlhageletse jaaka tsamaiso ya thuso e e boleng le e e mosola ya saekholoji e maikaelelo a yona e leng go tokafatsa itekanelo ya badiri le go gokaganya seabe sa bona, maitlamo le maitsholo a a mosola mo tirong. Tataiso le katiso ke ditsibogo tse di dirisiwang gantsi tse maikaelelo a tsona e leng go samagana le dintlha tse di maleba mo itekanelong ya baruti mo Kerekeng ya Dutch Reformed (DRC) le ya United Reformed Church of South Africa (URCSA), le fa tsotlhe di na le maitlhomo a a farologaneng go ya ka pitso, tlhabololo ya boporofešenale le bokgoni. Ka ntlha ya lenaneo le ga jaana le sa dirisiweng mo go lekaneng la tataiso la DRC le kgatelelo ya katiso ya bokgoni fela kwa URCSA, thutopatlisiso eno e bakilwe ke tlhokego ya go tlhaloganya ka moo go tlhaloganya go ya kwa botennye ga maitemogelo a baruti a itekanelo go ka tshwaelang ka gona go aga sekao sa katiso sa baruti ba batlhokomedi ba porofešenale. Go aga sekao sa katiso sa go tlhokomela le go oketsa itekanelo ya baruti, lemorago la me la maphatamantsi (go tswa mo Saekholojing ya Madirelo le Ditheo [IOP], Botsamaisi jwa Badiri [HRM] le Thuto ya Bodumedi (Thioloji)) le okeditse phisegelo ya me ya go itse ka maitemogelo a baruti a itekanelo go ya ka bokao jwa kereke ya Aforikaborwa e e theilweng mo tumelong ya Sekeresete. Mo dipotsisong tsa dipatlisiso tse di lebelelang mabaka, babatlisisi ba dirisa mekgwa e mentsi ya patlisiso e e lebelelang mabaka go tswa mo kemong ya dintlha. Ka jalo mo thesising eno ke dirisitse mekgwa ya ntlha e mebedi ya dipatlisiso tse di lebelelang mabaka, e leng tshekatsheko e e lebelelang mabaka ka tshusumetso (IQA) le motswako wa kanelo o o tshwaetseng mo tseleng e e seng bofitlha le e e rulaganeng go kokoanya, sekaseka le go kwala pegelo ya patlisiso. Jaaka mofuta wa boraro wa dipatlisiso tse di lebelelang mabaka, ke dirisitse setaele sa go kwala sa itshekatsheko ya othoetenokerafi go fitlhelela ditshwetso tse di ikanyegang ka ga diphitlhelelo tsa dipatlisiso le go akanya ka bokao jwa tsona mo setšhabeng sotlhe sa dipatlisiso. Go agilwe sekao sa katiso mme se tshitshinngwa jaaka sekao se se ka dirisiwang go tlhokomela le go tokafatsa itekanelo ya moruti (modiri a le mongwe) mme ka go rialo gape le ya kereke (setheo se se sa direng letseno se e theilweng mo tumelong ya Sekeresete). Thesisi eno gape e tshwaela mo ntlheng ya mekgwa mo dipatlisisong tse di tlhagelelang tsa IQA go lebeletswe Aforikaborwa. Kwa bokhutlong, thesisi eno e tshwaela mo dithutopatlisisong tsa maphatamantsi ka ntlha ya fa e kopantse megopolo ya tiori le ya maitemogelo go tswa mo maphateng a le mararo e leng, IOP, HRM le Thioloji. / Eka misava ya nsohensohe, ku cinca i nchumu lowu nga sivelekekiku na swona ku hlayiseka entirhweni swa ha ri nchumu lowu nga duma swinene eka ku endliwa ka rhiseche eka ku pfuneta mutirhi na nhlangano leswo swi tirha hi xiyenge xa vuyelo bya le henhla. Tikereke tani hi minhlangano a yi le handle eka timhaka ta ku cinca emintirhweni. Vatirhi va kereke, ku nga vafundzhisi na vuhlayiseki bya vona na swona i swa nkoka tani hi leswi va nga na vutihlamuleri eka ku tiyisa leswo van'wana va hlayisekile no va na rihanyu lerinene. Ku dzabela swi vonaka tani hi nchumu wa nkoka no pfuneta eka ku pfuneta hi swa ngqondo leswi swi nga na xikongomelo xa ku yisa emahlweni vuhlayiseki bya vatirhi no endla leswo va va eka xiyimo xa ku tirhisana, ku tiyimisela no va na mahanyelo ya ku gingirika emintirhweni na ku tirha hi vuyelo. Ku mentharixa na vuleteri i minchumu leyi endliwaka hi xikongomelo xa ku langutana na rihanyu lerinene ra vafundzhisi va tikereke ta Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) na United Reformed Church of South Africa (URCSA), hambi leswi yin'wana ya tona yi nga na swikongomelo swo hambana hi ku landza xivito, na ku hluvukisiwa ka vuprofexinali na vuswikoti. Hi ku vona leswo nongonoko wa ku mentharixa a wu tirhisiwi swinene eka DRC kasi eka va URCSA ku tshikileriwa ngopfu vuleteri bya vuswikoti, dyondzo leyi yi sukela eka xilaveko xa ku twisisa swinene hi vuenti swipiriyoni swa vafundzhisi swa vuhlayiseki bya vona ku pfuneta ku endla modlele wa vudzaberi eka vahlayisi va vafundzhisi hi swa vuprofexinali. Leswo ku endliwa modlele wa vudzaberi bya ku hlayisa no yisa ehenhla xiyimo lexinene xa vafundzhisi, tidyondzo ta mina (leti sukelaka eka Industrial Organisational Psychology (IOP), Human Resource Management [HRM] na tidyondzo ta ntivo-vukwembu ku nga Theology) swi yise ehenhla ku navela ku tiva ka mina hi swipiriyoni swa vafundzhisi hi vuhlayiseki bya vona eka vugandzeri bya vona lebyi byi nga le ka Vukresre eka tikereke ta vona eAfrika Dzonga. Eka swivutiso swa qualitative research na ntirhiso wa ndzavisiso hi vuswikoti leswi swi tirhisiwaka ku endla qualitative methods eka xiyimo lexi khomekaka. Hikokwalaha eka thesis leyi ndzi tirhise eka mafambiselo mambirhi ya qualitative research methods, ku nga interactive qualitative analysis (IQA) na narrative synthesis leyi yi nga pfuneta ku kuma maendlelo lama ya nga rivaleni ku hlengeleta nxopanxopo na ku endla dokumente ya xiviko xa rhiseche. Maendlelo ya vunharhu ya qualitative research method, lama ndzi nga ma tirhisa i ya authethnographic reflection writing style ku endla tiinferense ta ku tshembeka hi vuyelo bya rhiseche na ku ehleketa hi ti-implications ta swona eka hinkwavo lava va endlaka rhiseche. Modlele wa vudzaberi wu endliwile na swona hi wona lowu wu gangisiwaka tani hi modlele lowu kotekaku wa vuhlayisi na ku yisa ehenhla nhlayiseko wa mufundzhisi (ku nga mutirhi wun'we) kasi hi vuyelo na swona eka kereke (ku nga nhlangano wa vupfumeri bya Vukreste lowu nga tirheleku vuyelo bya mali). Thesis leyi yi tlhela yi pfuneta hi metodoloji ku humesa IQA research eka xiyimo xa Afrika Dzonga. Xo hetelela, thesis leyi yi tlhela yi pfuneta tidyondzo ta multidisciplinary tani hi laha ti nga hlanganisiwa eka thiyori na le ka empirical perspectives ku suka eka tidisiplini tinharhu leti ku nga, IOP, HRM na Theology. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / Ph. D. (Psychology (Industrial and Organisational Psychology))