Spiritual Care in Hospitals in the South Bohemian Region In contemporary holistic perspective, we see man as an integrated unity existing and functioning in four dimensions. These are biological, psychological, social and spiritual dimensions. All these spheres create a whole; they are inseparable and they influence each other. Therefore, caring for the ill can be characterized as a combination of these aspects {--} taking care of his biological needs, assistance in his social needs, identification and fulfilling of his psychological needs and help in meeting his spiritual needs. Spiritual needs are inherent in man{\crq}s nature and so it would be erroneous to suppose that they are present and pronounced only in people who are believers. The intensity of the urge to satisfy these needs changes during life. Research done on this topic has revealed that this kind of need intensifies in old age and illness. In some countries, it is already common that hospitals employ spiritual workers or hospital chaplains. In the Czech Republic, there has been a discussion going on regarding the introduction of the hospital chaplain function and several hospitals have one already. The goal of this work is to present an overview of the offer and ways of providing spiritual care in the individual hospitals in the South Bohemian region and to find out whether the offer of spiritual care in these hospitals corresponds with the needs and interest of the patients. The work should also find out what kind of spiritual assistance the patients are interested in {--} whether they would welcome if the hospitals employed their own chaplains or if regular visit of a clergyman suffice, and also, who should perform the role of the hospital chaplain {--} whether a clergyman or a qualified layman. The hypotheses will be verified through a quantitative research. To find out the intensity and kind of interest of patients in satisfying their spiritual needs and to ascertain the level of their satisfaction with offered services, a method of questionning will be used. The research will be conducted through a standardized questionnaire and a guided interview with patients who are unable to fill it in. Possible ways of satisfying spiritual needs will be assessed by the method of questionning through guided interviews with head nurses in the individual hospitals in the South Bohemian region.

Evangelische Missionswerk in Deutschland / Esta tesis tiene como objetivo principal demostrar que las comunidades pesquisadas en la Iglesia Episcopal de Cuba (IEC) no son entes pasivos que reciben la acción de otros (ya sean líderes laicos o clérigos) sino que son comunidades sanadoras que ejercen el ministerio de cuidado pastoral a través de diversas acciones pastorales. Esto será demostrado mediante los resultados de la pesquisa de campo en dichas comunidades y su correlación con los presupuestos teológicos acerca de lo que define a una comunidad sanadora, además de los aportes hallados en el transcurso de la investigación que puedan guiar la reflexión sobre la práctica de acompañamiento pastoral en comunidades de la IEC. La tesis está estructurada en tres capítulos. El primer capítulo, toma en consideración las diferentes perspectivas que pueden auxiliar a discernir el significado de comunidad sanadora. Explora lo que significa ser comunidad cristiana desde su fundamento bíblico en estrecha relación con la koinonía, la diaconía y la liturgia; también de las categorías teológicas consideradas marcas de la iglesia como comunidad sanadora: pueblo de Dios, cuerpo de Cristo y morada del Espíritu Santo. Además de enunciar las implicaciones que para el Cuidado Pastoral, ejercido desde la comunidad sanadora, se desprenden de dichas perspectivas. El segundo capítulo sitúa a la IEC en su contexto histórico y sociológico. Ofrece una aproximación a la tradición denominacional desde su historia como iglesia, así como las implicaciones que ha tenido ese contexto histórico para la misión. Por medio de entrevistas realizadas en tres comunidades de la IEC, se procura conocer si ellas/os entienden que la iglesia ha sido comunidad sanadora, además de cuáles son las prácticas pastorales que expresan esa dimensión sanadora de la iglesia. El capítulo tercero retoma elementos de la pesquisa de campo bajo las categorías de fortalezas y desafíos, para el trabajo sanador de la iglesia y los relaciona con los aportes teóricos. Establece conexiones entre los resultados que emergieron de la pesquisa de campo con los elementos teóricos de la pesquisa bibliográfica. Esto permitió corroborar que muchos de los presupuestos, puntos de partida acerca de lo que significa ser iglesia como comunidad sanadora, forman parte de la práctica de aquellas comunidades, así como los desafíos que plantea para la educación teológica. / The main goal of this dissertation is to demonstrate that the communities researched in the Episcopal Church of Cuba (IEC) are not passive beings that receive the action of others (be they lay leaders or clerics) but are healing communities that carry out the ministry of pastoral care through various pastoral actions. This will be demonstrated through the results of the field research done in the aforementioned communities and their correlation with the theological presuppositions about what defines a healing community as well as through the contributions discovered during the investigation that can help guide the reflection about the practice of pastoral accompaniment in the communities of the IEC. The dissertation is structured in three chapters. In the first chapter the different perspectives that can help discern what is meant by a healing community will be considered. I explore what it means to be a Christian community reaching back to its biblical foundations in close relation with koinonia, diaconia and liturgy; as well as the theological categories that are considered marks of the church as a healing community: the people of God, the body of Christ and the dwelling of the Holy Spirit. Besides this I will enunciate the implications that these perspectives have on Pastoral Care carried out by the healing community. The second chapter situates the IEC in its historical and sociological context. It offers an insight into its denominational tradition based on its history as a church as well as into the implications that this historical context has had on its mission. Through interviews carried out in three communities of the IEC, I seek to discover if they understand that the church has been a healing community, as well as try to find out which pastoral practices express this healing dimension of the church. The third chapter once again takes up elements of the field research under the categories of strengths and challenges for the healing work of the church and relates them to theoretical contributions. It establishes connections between the results that emerged from the field research with the theoretical elements from the bibliographical research. This made it possible to corroborate that many of the presuppositions, the starting points about what it means to be a church as a healing community, form a part of the practice of those communities, just as the challenges that it presents for theological education.

O tema autoajuda tem invadido sem reservas a vida das pessoas no mundo atual. Esse tema, como um desdobramento cultural da modernidade tardia, está presente na literatura, na arte, na filosofia, nas discussões políticas e na administração de empresas. Está presente na pluralidade religiosa, na teologia cristã e nos consultórios de psicólogos e na psicanálise. O fenômeno cultural gigantesco não se limita a um segmento, mas, como iremos notar, faz-se presente em várias camadas sociais, desde as mais simples nas periferias das grandes cidades, até os moradores da zona rural nos rincões do mundo, alcançando a classe média e, aparentemente, fazendo dela sua promotora, interlocutora e reveladora. Uma vez que a cultura de autoajuda transita no mundo das crenças, é plausível admitir que se trate de um fenômeno não somente de natureza psico-física, ambiental ou de desenvolvimento, mas também de um fenômeno metafísico. Autoajuda como cultura recebe e empresta influências no campo religioso. Autoajuda serve a propósitos de filosofias que agrupam o conhecimento técnico em algumas áreas, tais como a psicologia, a administração e a medicina, dentre outras com as experiências transcendentais advindas das mais distintas religiões e crenças. Existe uma inquietação no sentido de que essa cultura de autoajuda já faz parte da vida das pessoas de comunidades cristãs que estão trocando o aconselhamento pastoral e a poimênica por essas leituras. O resultado de tais leituras é um movimento em direção ao individualismo, ao secularismo e pluralização que são desdobramentos dessa época em que vivemos. Nessa pesquisa, vamos trabalhar com a hipótese que o aconselhamento cristão é uma melhor resposta aos anseios das pessoas do que a cultura de autoajuda. O tema do aconselhamento pastoral será pontuado a partir da obra de Howard Clinebell, Aconselhamento pastoral: modelo centrado em libertação e crescimento. No primeiro capítulo, vamos trazer algumas definições de autoajuda. A partir dessas definições, vamos tentar nos aproximar de uma definição que traga os aportes que cumpram o papel de delimitar uma compreensão de autoajuda. A fim de sustentar a compreensão de autoajuda, trataremos, ainda nesse capítulo, da origem da literatura de autoajuda, tanto de um ponto de vista histórico antigo e filosófico quanto de uma posição sobre sua ascensão na cultura moderna. Esse capítulo vai tratar ainda da literatura de autoajuda e sua relação com a autonomia do indivíduo. Para tanto, vamos utilizar os textos de Francisco Ricardo Rüdiger, Auto-ajuda e individualismo. O capítulo dois trará uma introdução a Howard Clinebell, sua metodologia, seus propósitos ao escrever Aconselhamento pastoral: modelo centrado em libertação e crescimento. Apresentaremos o atual desafio da poimênica e do aconselhamento pastoral; e um modelo holístico centrado em cura e crescimento, bem como uma definição do trabalho do conselheiro cristão. Também serão abordadas nesse capítulo as técnicas mais usadas no aconselhamento pastoral. O ambiente do trabalho pastoral também será apontado nesse capítulo. E, finalmente, apresentamos nesse capítulo os cuidados do trabalho do conselheiro cristão. No capítulo três, faremos uma comparação entre o aconselhamento pastoral segundo Clinebell e as propostas da cultura de autoajuda com o conceito de vida plena e as seis dimensões da integralidade. Na conclusão do trabalho, pretendemos responder a nossa inquietação sobre a utilização por membros da comunidade cristã de literatura de autoajuda e responder a hipótese que o aconselhamento cristão é uma melhor resposta aos anseios das pessoas do que a cultura/literatura de autoajuda. / The theme of self-help has invaded without reservation the lives of people in the actual world. This topic as a cultural offshoot of late modernity is present in literature, art, philosophy, political discussions and in business administration. It is present in the plurality of religion, in Christian theology, and the offices of psychologists and psychoanalysis. The huge cultural phenomenon does not limits itself to one segment, but according to our research, we will notice it is presence in various strata of society from the simplest on the outskirts of large cities to the rural residents in the corners of the world, reaching the middle class and apparently making the latter its promoter, partner and developer. Since the culture of self-help transits in the world of beliefs it is reasonable to assume that it is a phenomenon not only of psyco-physical nature, environmental or development and industrial production and technology, but also a metaphysical phenomenon. Self-help culture receives and borrows influences in the religious field. Self-help serves the purposes of philosophies that combine the expertise in some areas of psychophysical nature, management, medicine, and others with the transcendent experience coming from the most diverse religions and beliefs. There is a concern in the sense that this culture of self-help plays great role in the lives of the Christian communities that are replacing the pastoral counseling and pastoral care to these readings. The result of such readings is a movement towards individualism, secularism and plurality that are developed in the present age. This research will work with the hypothesis that Christian counseling is a better response to the expectation of the people of that culture of self-help. The theme of pastoral counseling will be approached based on the work of Howard Clinebell: Basic Types of Pastoral Care and Counseling: Resources for the Ministry of Healing and Growth. The first chapter will bring some definitions of self-help. It is expected that these definitions will bring the inputs to delineate an understanding of self-help. In order to support the understanding of self-help the chapter will point out also the origin of self-help literature, both from a historical point of view and ancient philosophical as well as its position in the rise in modern culture. This chapter will also address the self-help literature and its relation to individual autonomy. For this the texts of Francisco Ricardo Rüdiger: Self-Help and Individualism will be used. Chapter two will bring an introduction to Howard Clinebell, its methodology, its purpose in writing Basic Types of Pastoral Care and Counseling: Resources for the Ministry of Healing and Growth. We will present the actual challenge of pastoral care and pastoral counseling, and a holistic model focusing on healing and growth, as well as defining the work of the Christian counselor. We will also discuss the techniques used in pastoral counseling. The work environment of this ministry will also be identified. And finally this chapter will point out the care of the work of Christian counselor. In chapter three we will do a comparison of pastoral counseling according to Clinebell and the proposals of the culture of self-help within the concept of full life and the six dimensions of human completeness. At the conclusion, we plan to respond to our concern about the members of the Christian community and their use of self-help literature. We will also answer hypothesis that "the Christian counseling is a better response to the expectation of the people than that self-help culture / literature.

O presente trabalho parte do pressuposto de que o momento presente aqui denominado contemporaneidade exibe um caráter paradoxal que se justifica na concomitância das cosmovisões iluminista e pós-moderna. Tal paradoxalidade torna necessária uma hermenêutica que, enquanto contemporânea, também se constrói paradoxalmente, e, portanto, serve de base para a construção de uma hermenêutica do cuidado, principalmente em seu aspecto pastoral. Tal empreitada se iniciará pela constatação de certa confusão nos conceitos de modernidade e pós-modernidade. Normalmente se usa essas expressões em diversas acepções, o que torna necessária uma clara conceituação, que estabeleça suas diferenças, e avance propondo o conceito de contemporaneidade. Com efeito, este se manifesta como o momento presente, aglutinador tanto da cosmovisão iluminista, quanto da pós-moderna. Com base no conceito de contemporaneidade, pretende-se investigar três relações possíveis que corroborem essa paradoxalidade na hermenêutica contemporânea: a primeira delas discute o paradoxo manifesto na relação velado-revelado, sob o signo da re- velação. Tal conceito será contrastado com a noção iluminista de revelação que se identificou com a Offenbarung hegeliana , na medida em que admite, em si, o movimento dialético de velamento e desvelamento. Karl Barth e Heidegger abrirão os caminhos para essa reflexão. A segunda relação se propõe a investigar as possibilidades de uma hermenêutica que se construa entre a tradição e a emergência, portanto, entre a memória e o esquecimento. Buscará na crítica nietzschiana da memória histórica, uma das fontes para a atual crise da tradição ocidental, bem como chamará a atenção para a sua importância constitutiva. A terceira relação se concentrará numa hermenêutica que se faça do movimento dialético entre ação e a afetação. Nesse sentido, mostrará os perigos de uma hermenêutica que se funde apenas no conhecimento pela ação o que pode não raro desembocar num pensamento de tom fortemente metafísico , e a necessidade de se buscar uma hermenêutica que se estabeleça a partir de um conhecimento também enquanto afetação. Essa empreitada cumprirá o seu objetivo ao propor possibilidades para uma hermenêutica contemporânea. A segunda etapa deste trabalho partirá de uma hermenêutica contemporânea que passou a ver toda a realidade como um grande texto, o que envolve as pessoas. Portanto, busca compreender as nuances que caracterizam os textos em movimento a fim de propor uma hermenêutica do cuidado pastoral. Assim, será necessário, primeiramente, haurir um conceito de cuidado subsidiado pela filosofia heideggeriana, que o considera como um modo de ser do humano. Lá se buscará as sementes que construirão uma plataforma conceitual a fim de que seja possível a proposta de uma hermenêutica do cuidado pastoral. Portanto, com base numa "filosofia do cuidado", a próxima etapa concentra-se em discutir a hermenêutica de textos vivos, ao ver na metáfora paulina de 2 Co 3:1-3 que versa sobre as "cartas vivas" um modelo hermenêutico para isso. Mas, falar de cartas vivas significa falar do dinamismo próprio desses textos que, neste sentido, encontram na concepção heideggeriana de ser como um "sendo", as bases conceituais para tal proposta. A ideia de mundo, outro e Outro, como elementos constitutivos do ser humano, também oferece suporte para o conceito de sendo do ministério pastoral. Finalmente, propõem-se três dimensões hermenêuticas do cuidado pastoral, que resgatem as relações paradoxais manifestas na ação-afetação, na tradição-emergência, e no velado-revelado. / This thesis has as its presupposition the understanding that the present time named the contemporary displays a paradoxical character, which is justified through the simultaneity of illuminist and post-modern worldviews. Such paradoxical character demands a paradoxical hermeneutics that may become the foundation to the construction of a hermeneutics of care, with a special focus on pastoral care. The work starts by noting certain confusion in the notions of modernity and post-modernity, in order to present the concept of the contemporary. The contemporary collapses the illuminist and the post-modern worldviews and creates the possibility to investigate three relationships in contemporary hermeneutics: the first one is the relationship between closed-disclosed under the sign of re-velation. This concept of revelation stands in contrast to the illuminist one identical to the Hegelian Offenbarung. Karl Barth and Heidegger open the way at this juncture. The second relationship investigates the possibilities of a hermeneutics built on the dialectic between tradition and emergence, memory and the forgotten. The third relationship has its focus on a hermeneutics under the dialectic between action and affection. It will show the dangers of an epistemology solely based on action prone to a strong metaphysical thought and the need of an epistemology also based on being affected. In this way it will accomplish the task of launching the foundations for a new contemporary hermeneutics. The second part of the thesis starts from this contemporary hermeneutics that sees all reality, texts and people, as the object of interpretation. Therefore, it tries to understand the nuances that define the texts in motion (people), in order to propose a hermeneutics of pastoral care. Its starting point is the Heideggerian concept of care as a mode of being human. The second step is a discussion of, based on 2 Corinthians 3:1-3, the hermeneutics of the living letters, metaphor that is taken as a hermeneutical model. The metaphor of the living letters emphasizes the being-ness of human beings and settles the basis for such a hermeneutics. The notions of world, other and Other as constitutive of human being also serve as a foundation to the being-ness of the pastoral care. Finally, the thesis proposes three hermeneutical dimensions of pastoral care, built on the paradoxical relationships displayed by the dialectics between action-affection; tradition-emergence; closed-disclosed.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / A presente pesquisa buscou analisar as narrativas das trajetÃrias de mulheres evangÃlicas atà a chegada ao cargo pastoral, centrando-se no sentido dado pelas pastoras à ordenaÃÃo feminina. Neste trabalho, apresentaram-se alguns dos casos existentes em Fortaleza e a partir deles foram apontadas as caracterÃsticas de um pastorado feminino e os modelos encontrados neste campo. Os modelos encontrados no campo encontram-se na equaÃÃo das variÃveis âpermanÃncia e rupturaâ com relaÃÃo ao modelo bÃblico de mulher que permeia o imaginÃrio religioso das pastoras. Foi utilizada a metodologia qualitativa com uso das narrativas de vida, com a finalidade de analisar suas trajetÃrias de vida, compreendendo como à o processo de ascensÃo de mulheres ao cargo pastoral em configuraÃÃes denominacionais diferentes. / The present research seeks to analyze the narratives of the trajectories of Protestant Christian women up to their admission to the pastoral office, focusing on the meaning of womenâs ordination as given by the female ministers. In this paper, some existing cases in Fortaleza were presented, and the characteristics of a female pastoral care and the models found in this field were noted. The models in the field are found in the equation of âpermanence and ruptureâ variables as related to the biblical model of women which permeates the religious mindset of the female ministers. A qualitative methodology was used with life narratives for the purpose of analyzing their life trajectories, understanding what the process is like in the rise of women to the pastoral office in different denominational settings.

Very little is known in the UK about how parental church-based ministry impacts the lives of their children. Clergy children themselves have rarely, if ever, been afforded the opportunity to formally express their views and opinions on this crucial aspect of their lives, to the extent that they have been described as a ‘lost voice’ in the Church. This thesis seeks to fill this gap in our knowledge with a combination of extensive literature reviews, data obtained from a Pilot Study using the social network system Facebook, and semi-structured interviews with six adult clergy children from different denominational backgrounds who are now ministers in their own right, and by so doing help raise their profile in the Christian community. Taken together, the data confirms that the church-based ministry of clergy parents does impact their children’s lives and that if responses are any indication, other clergy children too, are able to make their views and insights known if asked. In other words, their voices need no longer be “lost,” but can be heard. In so doing they offer a fresh perspective on the practice of church-based ministry. Based on these findings the thesis proceeds to outline the theological and practical implications for the practice of ministry with a call to affirm the importance of a person’s story in the task of theological reflection; to recognise the contribution of children’s insights to faith and practice, and the values on which pastoral care should be based as outlined by the participants themselves. It concludes by proposing that further research is required in order to ascertain the full extent on how church-based ministry impacts the lives of clergy children, a topic which in the UK still remains a largely unexplored aspect of Church life and practice.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of death on the family of the pastor. The study poses a question of what pastoral care model can be used to help the pastor’s family cope during their period of bereavement. A qualitative methodological design was followed, allowing individual experiences to emerge. Five female participants were interviewed. A qualitative analysis was undertaken in order to explore their grief and coping mechanism during the period of bereavement. The study traces the origin and causes of death, with the emphasis on African and biblical perspectives. The aspect of how people make meaning of death is also explored. The study revealed that death had a different impact according to their different culture. Death leads to grief which can be psychological, emotional, social, or spiritual. Several themes emerged from the study. The themes were used to produce a bereavement model that can be used to provide pastoral care to families during their period of bereavement. / Dissertation (MA Theol)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / gm2014 / Practical Theology / unrestricted

Magister Artium - MA / As a minister who is deeply involved in Christian counselling I am constantly reminded just how many problems marriages are facing today. There is no question that the failure of this fundamental relationship has unquantifiable devastating results in the lives of couples, their children, and society as a whole. The more one works with people one realises that many couples in relationships are just hurting individuals in search of happiness and wholeness. Marriage provides the perfect relationship with elaborate promises and expectations of love and warmth, where all needs and dreams are to be met by the husband or wife. Sadly, however, as substantiated by divorce statistics, too many couples find this sacred space intended for love and fulfilment become the most vulnerable, unsafe space. As a minister searching for a systematic process to unravel this mystery of failed or failing marriages, I discovered a psycho-social model for therapy, called Imago Relationship Therapy (IRT), which not only produced excellent counselling results, but also seemed compatible with more theological approaches to couples therapy. IRT unravels for me the “why” and gives me a quantifiable aspect to my work which helps me grasp conceptually that which I instinctively have discovered and known theologically. I have embarked on this research, firstly, to understand the problem and the extent thereof facing our society; secondly to identify the strengths and shortcomings in Pastoral Care theory and praxis (such as the recurring problem of a realistic and workable Biblical counselling model for pastors), and thirdly to investigate the feasibility whether and how the Imago Relationship Theory could be integrated in Pastoral Care praxis. The intention was, and remains, that after I have done this research to make it available, in appropriate format, to help pastors in assisting couples to avoid pitfalls in their marriages. In turn, it is hoped that this new found perspective would also benefit the pastor and his wife, since many pastors find their marriages also under strain. Every pastor who works with the lives of congregants understands the volatility of relationships. This understanding has been built over long periods of time with them and he has witnessed how their lives have morphed under pressure due to problems that at times have been overwhelming. Sadly some of the pain is self-inflicted or has been inflicted upon them. As one delves into this subject matter one becomes aware of just how inadequately equipped some pastors really are and how important it is to equip them to effectively help others. I chose to examine Imago Relationship Therapy (IRT), knowing its efficacy, and wondered how this would fit into a Pneumatological counselling model. Various practical theologians (such as DJ Louw and JJ Rebel) have recently been discovering Pneumatology – the reflection on the work of the Holy Spirit, through whom the work of God the Father and God the Son is being applied and appropriated in the person, in the congregation, and in the fullness of life in the world – as the framework for practical theology, especially Pastoral Care. I thus deliberately explored Pneumatology as such a theological Sitz im Leben for reflecting on IRT integrated into a Biblical model for counselling. I needed an affective therapeutic model which would could be integrated, and enhance the biblical framework in counselling. Furthermore this therapeutic mechanism needed to be subservient to attain the greatest goal of God and that is to serve and help transform humankind created in His Image. I conducted a systematic literature review of IRT and relevant theological insights from Pastoral Care theory. This investigation is to establish the viability of an integration of IRT into a Pneumatological Pastoral Care theory and praxis to be used as a Pastoral Tool for ministers dealing with the crisis of broken marriages. It was surprising to see how well IRT fits into the theological framework and can enhance an already effective psychological therapy process.

The research is focusing on understanding the problems that are caused by the patriarchal set-up and which become stumbling blocks for the rights of women in the church and society. The research is done by application of the liberation theology from the reality of the experiences of the oppressed women. The research will: - Use the practical case studies as an experience of the victimized society in order to understand their pain and need. - Study the biblical passages that helps to understand more about how men and women are expected to relate to each other by God. - Study the African traditional understanding about how men and women should relate to each other. - Give guidelines on how men and women can be equal participants for the kingdom of God, without undermining the rights of women and the biblical message on the view of women. Liberation theology pioneered by James Cone will be used pastorally and therapeutically to help the women as victims of gender oppression both in the church and in the society. / Thesis (PhD (Practical Theology))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

This study was undertaken around the following problem statement: As a result of erratic pastoral care for the ministers' corps of the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) by the denomination, ministers are often left to their own resources (to fend for themselves?) and consequently experience solitude. Because of developments in society and the church, they exist and function more and more on the periphery of the lives of people and of society. With some ministers, this results in an alienation from their calling and uncertainty about how this calling should be realised in specific circumstances and contexts. From this, the following research hypothesis was formulated: When the DRC appoints pastors pastorum as an essential component of a comprehensive and holistic approach to the pastoral care of the minister, ministers will fulfil their calling with renewed self-confidence, improved competence and greater authority. This study was approached from the methodological question: Who does what, regarding who, how, where, when, why? The DRC functions according to the presbyterial synodal system of church government. Each pastor and congregation is, although selfreliant, also part of the DRC and the Church of Christ in general. The presbyterial synodal church government system is not the only way in which the church can be managed and is also not infallible. The weaknesses in the system have a negative effect especially on pastors who have attained an exceptionally important position in the system. The system of corporate episcopes is inadequate in current circumstances.</p. Concerning episcope. The service of episcope is scripturally defined, but the nature thereof depends on place, time and circumstances. In churches with an episcopal character, the episcope are the function of the bishop and possess an individual character. A general consensus exists that these episcope can be executed in a synodal-collegial manner, OR in an episcopal-personal manner. It is not necessary to apply the service in the figure of the bishop exclusively. It is essential to supplement the system of corporative episcope in the DRC with a system of personal episcope. The function of episcope must be applied to all levels of church life. Concerning the pastor. The term pastor is preferred to that of minister or preacher. No definition is given for a pastor, but the profile of the pastor is described in terms of the triangle: person, office and profession. The calling of the pastor is considered to be fundamental to this triangle. The pastoral care of pastors comprises the totality of activities provided by the entire church in order to, by means of a personal episcope (thus officially), communicate the gospel to the pastor in all facets of his humanity and, by utilizing all possible aids, to enable the pastor to fulfill his calling with renewed self-confidence (security of identity), authority (security of office) and competence (security of profession). On the strength of this description, the following resposibility is assigned to each church assembly in the process of pastoral care of pastors: The synod functions on the level of profession and office with favourable results on the personal level of the pastor. The circuit functions on the level of mutual care among pastors. The church council and congregation function on the level of the general priesthood of believers. The pastor pastorum The ministry of the pastor pastorum should be founded upon the metaphor of the shepherd. To be able to use this nowadays, the metaphor should be deconstructed first in order to look past the various romantic portrayals thereof. Then it has to be reconstructed in order to be applicable to current circumstances. The position and profile of the pastor pastorum is pointed out. Special attention is paid to the pastor pastorum as shepherd and as person who should be able to think systemically. Empirical research <lo>The empirical investigation attempts to connect the who and the what to the where and the when.<ol> <lo><li>The empirical investigation confirms the supposition that a need exists for pastoral care among pastors.</li> <li>The pastor prefers to be pastorally cared for by the church.</li> <li>For the pastor, the receiver of the pastoral care, it is not really important which church assembly the care emanates (comes?) from. Care from a major assembly which is removed further than the regional synod from the pastor, would, however, not be effective. </li> <li>It seems that lack of a vision on the whole is a serious problem, especially in churches from the reformed tradition.</li> <li>Solutions concerning pastoral care of pastors should be directed towards the person of the pastor as well as towards the structure in which the pastor works.</li></ol> The church can and must learn from other church traditions. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Practical Theology / PhD / Unrestricted