Please read the abstract in the 00front of this document. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Science of Religion and Missiology / unrestricted

This thesis examines the role of Melodi Ya Tshwane Christian Youth Ministry (MyT CYM) in the context of what is increasingly observable environmental crisis with a view of developing a contextual approach to ecological mission. The research does not focus primarily on the environmental crisis itself except to note that its scope incorporates not only environmental issues, but has some important implications for social justice as well. The research recognises the role that MyT CYM must play as part of their contribution towards addressing the environmental crisis. Such a role is based not on a pragmatic response to the situation, but flows from the missional nature and theology of the church. Therefore, the missional church has an obligation to address this issue, through Christian mission that takes seriously the biblical call to care and preserve the integrity of creation. Finally, this research aims to assist MyT CYM to understand the theological basis for contextual action towards developing an appropriate ecological mission. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th.(with Specialisation in Urban Ministry)

The megachurch and the missional church are on-going global phenomena. Under the premise that the church has to be missional, this dissertation analyses and describes if a megachurch can be missional in both theoretical and practical ways from a Korean perspective. The megachurch is not simply a very large church in membership or size of its building. It, by the influence of interaction of socio-cultural, historical and theological backgrounds, has its own missiological and ecclesiological perspectives. The megachurch understands that the growth of an individual church is the expansion of the kingdom of God, so that the church must be functional and structural to fulfil the church growth efficiently. Thus, it is a powerful tendency that can be found not only in large size churches, but from all churches trying to achieve by all means the quantitative growth of the church and world evangelisation, through the power and material obtained from growth. The Korean megachurches represented by the Poongsunghan Church obviously display the characteristics of this tendency. The missional church is not simply a mission-driven church sending many missionaries to other countries. It believes that all churches are sent to the world by God who wants to reconcile the whole universe to Him, so that the church has to restore its missional essence to participate in the mission of God wherever it is as the early church did. Thus, the missional church is a reforming movement to witness to God’s rule by recovering its apostolic nature. The characteristics of the movement is clearly activating in the Bundang Woori Church, one of the Korean missional churches. In this line of research, any churches that are not resisting the megachurch tendency cannot be missional. The Korean church, which is in crisis being marginalised from society, has to join the missional movement. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / tm2015 / Science of Religion and Missiology / MA / Unrestricted

Thesis (DTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The church in the West is facing a crisis of identity. Who are we as the church and what is our purpose in the world today? The recovery of a missional ecclesiology in the West is an urgent task. The aim of this study is to contribute to this work on a missional ecclesiology by focusing on the need for the church to grow its capacity to discern missional vocation. This study‘s central question: ―How can the church in the West discern its missional vocation?‖ The first chapter considers how global realities are forcing the church to re-examine its missional identity and vocation. In addition, the local realities in which this study is situated are highlighted, with particular emphasis on the realities that demand discernment. The chapter concludes with consideration of historical developments in hermeneutics, in particular the development of a missional hermeneutic. The emergence of a missional hermeneutic is important in the church‘s discernment. The second chapter ―puts on‖ a missional hermeneutic to aid in this discernment of missional vocation. Dwelling in the biblical story with this lens, and so allowing the story to renew our understanding of the role and identity of God‘s people, will shape our missional discernment. The third chapter focuses on the contemporary cultural context in its North American expression, in which the church must forge its missional identity. A retelling of the cultural story of the West demonstrates the challenges, both old and new, facing the church. Two important movements are already seeking to answer the question of how the church discerns missional vocation. The fourth chapter engages the important conversations that are happening within both the Emergent and Missional Church movements. These conversations encompass a wide diversity of theological traditions and backgrounds, but are held together by a common desire to discern what a missional ecclesiology means for the West. Particular themes that are important for discernment are highlighted as these conversations are engaged. Finally, the questions of the early chapters converge on the crux of this study: a framework for discernment, articulated in detail in the fifth chapter. Building on important examples, both Western and African, this affirmative-antithetical model of discernment is offered as a broad ―lens‖ for reflective churches seeking to discern their missional vocation. The final chapter then practices discernment in six key areas facing the church in the West today, at times using for illustration the local context in which this study is situated. These parting thoughts seek to both recognize the challenge facing missional churches, and point to encouraging dialogue already happening among those seeking to do the same. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die kerk in die Weste beleef ʼn identiteitskrisis. Wie of wat is die kerk en wat is haar doel vandag? ʼn Misssionale ekklesiologie is in die lig hiervan ʼn noodsaaklikheid. Die studie beoog om ʼn bydrae te lewer tot die ontwikkeling van ʼn missionale ekklesiolgie. Dit wil fokus op die kerk se behoefte om geloofsonderskeidend missionale roeping beter te verstaan. Vandaar die sentrale vraag wat die studie stel: ―Hoe kan die kerk in die Weste sy missionale roeping onderskei?‖ Die eerste hoofstuk kyk hoe globale werklikhede die kerk tans forseer om sy missionale identiteit en roeping in heroorweging te neem. Die konteks waarin die studie plaasvind word beskryf met die oog op die vraag watter geloofsonderskeidende uitdagings hulle stel. Die hoofstuk hanteer ook hermeneutiese ontwikkelinge wat bygedra het tot die ontwikkeling van ʼn missionale hermeneutiek. ʼn Missionale hermeneutiek is belangrik vir geloofsonderskeiding. Die tweede hoofstuk werk met ʼn missionale hermeneutiek as dit geloofsonderskeidend die kerk se huidige roeping en uitdagings wil formuleer. As sodanig wandel dit in die Bybel se verhaal om die identiteit van die volk van God te verstaan. Laasgenoemde is ʼn voorwaarde vir enige missionale onderskeidingsproses. Die derde hoofstuk fokus op die huidige konteks van die Noord-Amerikaanse kultuur en die uitdaging wat dit vir missionale identiteit stel. ʼn Oorsig oor die verhaal van die Westerse kultuur demonstreer die ou en nuwe uitdagings waarvoor die kerk gestel word. Twee belangrike bewegings probeer antwoorde op dié uitdagings vind. Die vierde hoofstuk hanteer die gesprekke in die Ontluikende (Emergent) en Gestuurde Gemeente (Missional Church) bewegings. Die gesprekke vind plaas teen die agtergrond van ʼn wye verskeidenheid teologiese tradisies maar het in gemeen dat hulle probeer onderskei wat ʼn missionale ekklesiologie in die Weste behels. Belangrike temas in die proses van geloofsonderskeiding word belig in die bespreking van die twee bewegings. Ten slotte vloei die vrae van die vorige hoofstukke saam om die fokus van die studie aan die orde te stel: ʼn raamwerk vir geloofsonderskeiding. Hoofstuk vyf. Belangrike voorbeelde uit die Weste en uit Afrika word gebruik as ʼn lens om ʼn bevestigende-antitetiese geloofsonderskeidings-model voor te stel wat kerke kan help om hulle missionale roeping te ontdek. Die laaste hoofstuk pas geloofsonderskeidende beginsels toe op ses sleutelareas wat die kerk in die Weste moet aanspreek. Praktiese voorbeelde uit die konteks waar die studie gedoen is illustreer wat bedoel word. Met dié voorbeelde en gedagtes word die uitdagings waarvoor missionale gemeentes staan op die spits gedryf en word almal wat reeds deel is van die dialoog, uitgenooi om dit voort te sit.

The indispensability of the Church [in Africa] is the primary motive for the writing of this dissertation. Throughout the centuries, we have seen the Church in various contexts, and in many forms. We have borne witness to the good, bad and the ugly throughout the history of the Church. It is my belief that any constructive growth for the future success of the Church in Africa has to come from the bold recognition that if it is to succeed and fully partake in the Missio Dei, 'everything must change' (McLaren 2007). There is need for continuity and discontinuity; however, change is not negotiable!! The Church is called to be both confessional and Missional; the Church should always be forming (ecclesia simper formanda), and reforming (ecclesia simper reformanda)(van Gelder 2007). Therefore, there is a need to rediscover the essence of Jesus‟ intention for the Church; that is God‟s redeemed people, and their view of God‟s Kingdom with its various implications for an African Missiology. There is a need for Missional Churches in Africa, for dialogue, and for unity in action. In this dissertation, I will endeavour to present architecture for a Missional Ecclesiology in dialogue with Bosch; focusing on the emerging renaissance of African Missiology, and the current Pneumatological importance/ emphasis in many African Churches (otherwise known as African independent Churches- AIC). I have used the word architecture to mean overall framework emphasizing relationships between components, orientation and support as well as the innovative response to functional necessity. The focus/ niche of this dissertation will be faith communities in Botswana, because that is my current context of ministry, and there is an obvious research gap in this area of study as nothing has been researched and published in terms of an emerging Missional Ecclesiology amongst faith communities in Botswana. I will seek to collect, analyze and interpret current as well as historical data regarding Church (mission), population and emerging areas of concern for faith communities in Botswana, and, by implication, Southern Africa. / Dissertation (MA(Theol))--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Science of Religion and Missiology / unrestricted

Churches are confronted with the reality of younger, mobile generations challenging existing understandings of church and witness. They seem to live according to a different (postcolonial) script. This study probes the question as to how these churches are to understand and respond meaningfully, but also missiologically, to these transformations. Coming as a missiologist from a particular ecclesiological, theological, cultural background, I had two rationales for this study, namely to review the current theories we have about church and mission, i.e., missiological ecclesiology, and in order to do this, we need to craft a sensitive and creative dialogue, in the form of a missiological methodology with younger people. I address these rationales, guided by a research question: How can I design a creative dialogue with younger generations, to pick up the impulses, in order to discern a Southern African missional ecclesiology. Working with the metaphor of ―remixing‖, this discernment process started off where I engaged my own embeddedness. These were the older ―samples‖ to work with, in order to produce something new and in tune with the sensibilities, the ―soul‖ of newer communities. I then attempt to understand the current social transformations that younger generations are responding to. Through this, I want to design a methodology for a creative dialogue with these youth movements on the basis of an intersubjective epistemology. Using this methodology, I could develop a thick description from the dialogue with the two uniting youth movements. Lastly, I present the engagement (remixing) between these rich new impulses with the old (the existing), in carving out an appropriate missional ecclesiology for the audiences I‘ve been with. Starting with an outdated and colonial gereformeerde missionary ecclesiology, but then also the anti-colonial ecclesiologies and a postmodern (predominantly Western) emerging missionary ecclesiology, I discern a particular postcolonial African ecclesiology, which I call a Southern African missional ecclesiology. Instead of exclusion, I propose remixing church in terms of five dimensions as social network, spiritual home, mobile community, movement in the Holy Spirit and as story. These can serve as a map to guide Southern African congregations in their dialogue with younger generations. / Christian Spirituality, Church History & Missiology / D. Th. (Missiology)

Churches are confronted with the reality of younger, mobile generations challenging existing understandings of church and witness. They seem to live according to a different (postcolonial) script. This study probes the question as to how these churches are to understand and respond meaningfully, but also missiologically, to these transformations. Coming as a missiologist from a particular ecclesiological, theological, cultural background, I had two rationales for this study, namely to review the current theories we have about church and mission, i.e., missiological ecclesiology, and in order to do this, we need to craft a sensitive and creative dialogue, in the form of a missiological methodology with younger people. I address these rationales, guided by a research question: How can I design a creative dialogue with younger generations, to pick up the impulses, in order to discern a Southern African missional ecclesiology. Working with the metaphor of ―remixing‖, this discernment process started off where I engaged my own embeddedness. These were the older ―samples‖ to work with, in order to produce something new and in tune with the sensibilities, the ―soul‖ of newer communities. I then attempt to understand the current social transformations that younger generations are responding to. Through this, I want to design a methodology for a creative dialogue with these youth movements on the basis of an intersubjective epistemology. Using this methodology, I could develop a thick description from the dialogue with the two uniting youth movements. Lastly, I present the engagement (remixing) between these rich new impulses with the old (the existing), in carving out an appropriate missional ecclesiology for the audiences I‘ve been with. Starting with an outdated and colonial gereformeerde missionary ecclesiology, but then also the anti-colonial ecclesiologies and a postmodern (predominantly Western) emerging missionary ecclesiology, I discern a particular postcolonial African ecclesiology, which I call a Southern African missional ecclesiology. Instead of exclusion, I propose remixing church in terms of five dimensions as social network, spiritual home, mobile community, movement in the Holy Spirit and as story. These can serve as a map to guide Southern African congregations in their dialogue with younger generations. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D. Th. (Missiology)

This thesis examines the role of Melodi Ya Tshwane Christian Youth Ministry (MyT CYM) in the context of what is increasingly observable environmental crisis with a view of developing a contextual approach to ecological mission. The research does not focus primarily on the environmental crisis itself except to note that its scope incorporates not only environmental issues, but has some important implications for social justice as well. The research recognises the role that MyT CYM must play as part of their contribution towards addressing the environmental crisis. Such a role is based not on a pragmatic response to the situation, but flows from the missional nature and theology of the church. Therefore, the missional church has an obligation to address this issue, through Christian mission that takes seriously the biblical call to care and preserve the integrity of creation. Finally, this research aims to assist MyT CYM to understand the theological basis for contextual action towards developing an appropriate ecological mission. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology with Specialisation in Urban Ministry)