No description available.

In this thesis the researcher argues that churches in Africa are being planted rapidly but are not growing to maturity, which produces troubling consequences. The Baptist Union of Southern Africa (BUSA) is then given as a representative case study of church planting in Afiica, because from 1990 they have seen as many as 413 new churches started. Yet there is growing concern over the stability of many of these young churches and their leaders. Key leaders in the BUSA are calling for an analysis of the church planting and a greater emphasis on church strengthening and equipping. Next, the researcher lays the exegetical foundation for building mature churches, drawing from Acts and the Pauline epistles. In Acts, keys for the growth of the church are given. In Paul's writings, the researcher identifies the core principles and content used in establishing churches. Next come the field research findings that show the condition of churches and church planting in the BUSA The research was conducted through church leader surveys and key interviews, supplemented by observations of Christ Seminary faculty in their training of pastors from these churches. Some disturbing statistics and characteristics of these young churches emerge. The researcher then seeks to demonstrate how to analyse the health of churches and church planting in Africa by interacting with the field research in light of Scripture. An analysis is given of the strengths and weaknesses of the BUSA's younger churches, in the areas of their evangelism, their establishing of the members, and their entrusting of leadership. Cautions were given against unbiblical church growth trends. Finally, the researcher offers suggestions and strategies for building stronger churches in Africa. He states, "In order for the gospel to steadily advance through the BUSA or through any churches in Africa, mother churches and church planters must take responsibility for strengthening young churches until they have qualified elders and are mature, reproducing churches." / Thesis (Ph.D. (Pastoral))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

In this thesis the researcher argues that churches in Africa are being planted rapidly but are not growing to maturity, which produces troubling consequences. The Baptist Union of Southern Africa (BUSA) is then given as a representative case study of church planting in Afiica, because from 1990 they have seen as many as 413 new churches started. Yet there is growing concern over the stability of many of these young churches and their leaders. Key leaders in the BUSA are calling for an analysis of the church planting and a greater emphasis on church strengthening and equipping. Next, the researcher lays the exegetical foundation for building mature churches, drawing from Acts and the Pauline epistles. In Acts, keys for the growth of the church are given. In Paul's writings, the researcher identifies the core principles and content used in establishing churches. Next come the field research findings that show the condition of churches and church planting in the BUSA The research was conducted through church leader surveys and key interviews, supplemented by observations of Christ Seminary faculty in their training of pastors from these churches. Some disturbing statistics and characteristics of these young churches emerge. The researcher then seeks to demonstrate how to analyse the health of churches and church planting in Africa by interacting with the field research in light of Scripture. An analysis is given of the strengths and weaknesses of the BUSA's younger churches, in the areas of their evangelism, their establishing of the members, and their entrusting of leadership. Cautions were given against unbiblical church growth trends. Finally, the researcher offers suggestions and strategies for building stronger churches in Africa. He states, "In order for the gospel to steadily advance through the BUSA or through any churches in Africa, mother churches and church planters must take responsibility for strengthening young churches until they have qualified elders and are mature, reproducing churches." / Thesis (Ph.D. (Pastoral))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

The aim of this work was to describe the history of the parish in Most in years 1945 - 1990. This period comprises almost half a century, which was full of dramatic events in the state, political, municipal, parochial and private area. The defeat of the Nazi ideology occured at the beginning of this period and the fall of the atheistic ideology at its end. Also the parish in Most was afflicted by many changes and strokes during this period. Firstly, it was the post- war terror against German inhabitants and their violent removal. Shortly afterwards occurs the communist putsch, which leads to the initially hidden and soon afterwards to the open fight against Churches. The Church becomes a slave to the supervision and the authority of state officials. The parish in Most with its churches is almost symbolically in the spirit of the time swept off from the earth's surface at this time and the asylum was founded in a small parish hall. After nearly twenty years of living in the constant provisional arrangement has the parish its own church again. The totalitarianism is at the end of its power and the democracy is coming. The parish in Most is learning to live and to breath freely after many decades of the lack of the freedom. Keywords History, church, parish, churches, priests