This dissertation seeks to address the issue of women, poverty and livelihoods in Ndola and how the Zambia Baptist Association, (the Z.B.A.) could implement development strategies in response to this problem. Through my field research, where I interviewed a number of poor women in Ndola, Church leaders at both local and national level within the Z.B.A, library research and internet search, I have come to realize that the problem of poverty among women needs addressing. I found out during my research that many poor women in Africa live in chronic poverty as a result of economic and social injustices they face in many societies. By virtue of their social status as females, many women are denied access to and control of assets that would enable them realize their development aspirations. I found out that many poor women in Ndola have come up with six key livelihood strategies for survival. These livelihood strategies being; selling food and groceries in shacks, subsistence farming, begging and sending children to beg, charcoal burning, formal employment and brewing illicit beer. Through this research, I was also made aware of the potential that the Z.B.A. has to help alleviate poverty among women in Ndola, despite some area of concern with regard to their patriarchal leadership structures at both local and national Church level and the patriarchal theology that restrict women's activities within the Church. This dissertation offers a number of development proposals based on the sustainable livelihoods framework which is a coherent and clear tool that is used to understand people's livelihoods. I propose in this dissertation that the Z.B.A. needs to respond to women's poverty in Ndola through three approaches, namely; transforming religion and culture, building poor women's asset portfolio and enhancing those strategies that could potentially become sustainable. When this is done, it would help to alleviate poverty among poor women in Ndola. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu- Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.

This study centres on Church involvement in community development. The study seeks to demonstrate that the model adopted by the Christian Community Services is a fruitful experiment of church involvement in community development - one that has a tremendous potential to shed theological as well as practical light on church involvement in community development. After offering the statement of the problem and a brief geographical and social analysis of Kirinyaga Diocese, the study traces the genesis, vision and the modus operandi of the Christian Community Services. It then discusses the CCS 'Food Increase Programme' through the organisation's Rural Development Department. The Community Health and Social Services Programmes are presented as some of the CCS's interventions to reduce poverty in the community. The impact of these interventions was evident after the data collection, analysis and interpretation. The study then offers a theological evaluation and reflection of the work of the CCS as a model of church involvement in development activities in the community.The study argues that Christian theology has a particularly significant contribution to make to the debates about community development. In a pluralistic society in a secular age, a special responsibility is laid on the Church to present its distinctive understanding and insights to address the abject poverty among the vast majority of her followers. Without this, her public life is impoverished. Theology of development is the tool of the Church to achieve this vision. Although difficult to define, development is seen as the process of transforming the conditions of life of the people referred to as 'the poor' such that they can lead a more holistic life. The main objective of the CCS development activities is to allow the poor to become the subject, not the object, of development strategies. Given the opportunity to do so, they have shown themselves to be capable of making rational choices regarding their own destinies. In this context, it is hoped that this dissertation will help to contribute to an increased understanding of Church involvement in development from within for, by and with the poor. As a result, therefore, new optimism for the role of the Church in development may emerge from the current pessimism. The study has concluded that the Church's involvement in development is not an 'extra' but a bona fide function of the Church. / Thesis (M.Th)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1999.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, 1995. / Includes annotated bibliographical references (leaves 163-170).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, Lombard, Ill., 2001. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 130-134).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, Lombard, Ill., 2001. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 130-134).

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität, Münster (Westfalen), 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 223-259).

The central theme of this study involves an ethical examination of the issues of justice and poverty in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Chapter one deals with the methodology of the research. It also provides an overview of the DRC. Chapter two shows that justice occupies a special place in society. It represents a fundamental aspect of human beings that illustrates one’s humanity. In the biblical perspective, justice is considered as a chief attribute of God. Chapter three discusses the phenomenon of poverty in the world, particularly in developing nations where people are unable to meet their basic needs. The chapter explores different causes of poverty on the African continent, as well as the crisis of underdevelopment, which to some extent is attributed to the exploitation of African nations by the Western powers. In chapter four, the researcher deals with the situation of poverty in the DRC. It is argued that regardless of its apparent wealth, the DRC remains one of the poorest countries in the world. The chapter explores the period of economic growth in the DRC, as well as its economic decline. Certain reasons for this economic decline are evoked, of which the most important are the economic policies of Zairianisation and radicalisation In chapter five, research steers toward the role that the Church could play in the areas of justice and poverty in the DRC. The Church is challenged to promote justice and the struggle against poverty in all its forms. It is also challenged to fully play its prophetic role. Chapter six explores poverty in relation to theological reflections. Poverty is considered as being evil. The responsibility of theologians and Christians in general is to promote a fair and just society in which the poor will be empowered in such a manner that they can contribute to the development of their community. In chapter seven, the researcher makes some recommendations to both Church and government and concludes that patriotism, justice, moral values and commitments to African solidarity are pillars on which Congolese citizens should build their nation. / Theological Ethics / D.Th. (Theological Ethics)

The Church social missions have undergone different paradigm shifts whilst trying to respond to challenges faced by the poor in the society. It seems that at the beginning the Development paradigm was the one used by churches in designing their social mission strategies. According to this paradigm, help for the poor in the society was to come from the Western countries’ development initiatives; in the process of implementing such strategies the local people’s cultural aspirations were often neglected. On the other hand, the poor were not given a chance to take destiny into their own hands in order to define the solutions to their problems. However, this paradigm was later declared a failure and a need to move to the Post Development Paradigm was advocated. This study argues that most churches in Mankweng still base their social missions strategies on the Development paradigm and therefore they fail to adequately respond to the challenges faced by the poor in that community. The study therefore looks at a possibility of developing a new social mission strategyin Mankweng that is based on the Post Development Paradigm. Though the title is about Mankweng, the focus of the study is on the Western part of the Township called Ntshitshane. Observations and interviews were conducted amongst the community members in that area. After a thorough analysis of the findings it was established that the poor in that context relies among other things on their cultural ethic of bothoas a means of addressing their social challenges. This study concludes that the same cultural ethic of botho used by the poor there can be a viable point of departure in defining a social mission strategy within that context. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)

East Africa, with Nairobi at its hub, is currently experiencing unprecedented rates of urban population growth. Much of this growth is absorbed into informal settlements which, in the case of Nairobi, house over 55% of the city's population. The largest of these settlements is Kibera with a population totaling approximately 700,000. The thesis focuses on Pentecostal churches in Gatwikera, one of the twelve urban villages which together make up Kibera. It is argued that what is emerging within these communities is a distinctive type of church which is defined as informal Pentecostal. Consideration is given to why mainline churches appear to struggle within the informal sector while these churches appear to thrive. The explanation for this is given in the way the Pentecostal churches emerge along the same lines as the informal economy. The thesis sets out to identify the distinctive nature of the churches and the way in which they exemplify a different form of Christian presence in the settlements to that of mainline churches and Roho churches. The study offers an analysis of their ministry and their pastors and considers their relationship to the flows of the rural urban continuum and the liminality of informal settlements. The study seeks to identify the contribution these churches make to mission within the community particularly looking at their role in social transformation. It concludes that while the churches provide an important Christian presence within the community and social capital to enable people to better survive and retain hope within the settlements they offer little towards the much needed social transformation within the settlements. It is further argued that for this to be achieved, attention needs to be given to the development of appropriate forms of training and the facilitation of higher degrees of networking and collaboration. The thesis is structured around the pastoral cycle which forms both the theoretical framework and the research methodology. The suitability of the pastoral cycle as a research method is explored within the thesis. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D.Th. (Missiology)

No abstract available / Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Systematic Theology)