Includes bibliographical references (leaves 83-96). / Thesis (D. Min.)--Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry, 2008.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Covenant Theological Seminary, 2002. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 262-267).

The study explores the hypothesis that the New Testament contains a model of church planting that could assist in rural church planting. After reflecting on the ministry of Jesus as portrayed by Mark, the study continues to unpack the Base Christian Community model that emanates from the Brazilian context, before it proceeds to outline the socio-economic background of first-century Palestine. In the main chapter the text, namely Mark 1:35-45, is reflected on against the socio-economic background and through the grid of the Ecclesial Base Community (CEB) model. Having done the above the study concludes that people gravitate towards an individual (as seen in the case of Jesus) who promises an alternative to their experienced reality. This begins a community, which, for the purposes of this study, is the church. Thus, the pattern of developments that led to the emergence of the church after the Crucifixion provides us with a church-planting model. / New Testament / Thesis (M.Th.)

Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2001 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The small rural congregations, of which the Dutch Reformed Congregation ofHofmeyr is part, strive to keep the status quo with their congregational structure and leadership. However the times we live in is characterised with a lot of changes. The rural areas cannot escape al these changes. It brings these congregations at a T-junction in the road, where they must decide which way to go. The problem is that these congregations do not always have a good understanding of who, what en how the church must be. With this self-initiated study the researcher tries to put in place a practicaltheological process for the Dutch Reformed Congregation of Hofmeyr with the aim to work out her nature and character, her ministry practise and structures. The researcher tries to discus in practicaltheological terms the future of the Dutch Reformed Congregation ofHofmeyr with spesific focus on the development of new structures for the faith-leaders of the congregation. With this study the researcher wants to render an account of the history, the statistics of the previous 17 years and an analysis of the context of the congregation with the aim to discern the current understanding of the congregation about the church. Through interaction with Scripture and other disciplines the researcher wants to develop a possible base and practical theory for the congregation. Following from this the researcher wants to set guidelines for the process of developing a new ministry practise. In this process the development and rol of the faith leaders is a keyfactor. The study is arranged in the following chapters: In the introduction the researcher places the study in the proper framework. The different dimensions of the study are explained. The purpose is to orientate the reader about the congregation, the community and the specific area of this research. The purpose of the second chapter is to give the reader a picture of the congregation and the context in which the congregation functions. It becomes clear that the members of the congregation grow older and hardly any young people join the congregation. The younger members and children of the congregation grow-up in an altogether different world than the older members did and very few of them make sense of the traditional way of being a congregation. The changes in the world have the result that the current way of being a congregation is just not exceptable to anybody. In the third chapter the researcher explains the paradigm shifts and megatrends observed in the world and their influence on the church as a whole, also the influence there-of on the local community and congregation. It becomes obvious that the small rural congregation cannot side-step these shifts and trends - with one part of the congregation routed firmly in the Christendom-era paradigm and another part of the congregation on its way to a different but still undefined paradigm. This whole process brings uncertainty and stress in the congregation. Following from this knowledge of the world and the congregation the researcher tries to develop a more Scripture-based understanding of who, what and how the congregation is supposed to be. The focus is to develop an improved base theory for the congregation. In the forth chapter this base theory for the congregation must be put into practice. The researcher tries to show what does this base theory means in practice. The following comes into play: the congregation must be an open family of God. We must not only say that we believe. We must have a faith that we live in practice. Each member must participate with his/her gifts in the different ministries of the congregation. The congregation must reach-out to the community to help the poor develop different skills with the focus to break the cycle of poverty. We must have good communication between all the different generations. We must be a congregation that loves nature and preserve it for posterity. Lastly we must have leaders that inspire and motivate the congregation through their service. In the fiveth chapter the researcher tries to develop a strategy to implement the practical theory of the previous chapter. The focus is on the development and equipping of faith leaders. The researcher presents some guidelines for doing this. He demonstrates that a new structure for the congregation is needed to be faithful in the development of these faith leaders. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die klein plattelandse gemeentes, waarvan die Ned. Geref. Gemeente Hofmeyr, deel is, strewe om die status quo rondom hul gemeentelike struktuur en leierskap te handhaaf. Die tye waarin ons lewe word egter gekenmerk deur baie veranderinge. Die platteland kan ook nie ontkom aan al hierdie veranderinge nie. Dit bring die gemeentes by 'n T-aansluiting in die pad waar hulle keuses moet uitoefen. Die probleem is egter dat diesulke gemeentes nie altyd 'n goeie verstaan het van wie, wat en hoe die kerk moet wees nie. Met hierdie selfgemisieerde studie poog die navorser om vir die Ned. Geref. Gemeente Hofmeyr 'n prakties-teologiese proses daar te stel, met die doel om sy aard en wese, sy bedieningspraktyk en 'n bedieningstruktuur uit te werk. Die navorser poog om in prakties-teologiese terme die toekoms van die Ned. Geref. Gemeente Hofmeyr, te beredeneer, met spesifieke toespitsing op die ontwikkeling van nuwe strukture vir die geloofsleiers van die gemeente. Met hierdie ondersoek wil die navorser deur middel van 'n oorsigtelike geskiedenis, die statistiese gegewens van die afgelope 17 jaar en die ontleding van die konteks van die gemeente, bepaal wat die huidige kerkbegrip van die gemeente is. Dan, in wisselwerking met die Skrif en ander wetenskappe, 'n moontlike basis- en praktykteorie vir die gemeente daarstel. Hieruit voortvloeiend, poog die navorser om riglyne vir die proses na die ontwikkeling van 'n nuwe bedieningspraktyk daar te stel. Die ontwikkeling en rol van geloofsleiers staan in die proses sentraal. Die studie word in vyf hoofstukke verdeel: Met die eerste hoofstuk poog die navorser om inleidende opmerkinge oor die verskillende dimensies van die navorsing daar te stel. Die doel is om die leser te orienteer ten opsigte van die gemeente, gemeenskap en vakgebied van die navorsing. Die tweede hoofstuk poog om 'n beeld van die gemeente en die konteks waarbinne die gemeente homself bevind, daar te stel. Dit is duidelik dat ons met 'n al ouerwordende gemeente te doen het. Die jonger lidmate en kinders van die gemeente word in 'n heel ander wereld groot en min vind enige sin in die tradisionele manier van gerneente-wees. Die verandering in die wereld rondom almal maak dat die huidige manier van gerneente-wees vir niemand meer aanvaarbaar is nie. In die derde hoofstuk kom die paradigma-skuiwe en hul invloed op die kerk as geheel, en die uitwerking daarvan op die plaaslike gemeenskap en gemeente, aan die orde. Dit word duidelik dat daar 'n groot paradigma skuif in die wereld aan die gebeur is en dat selfs ons, in die klein plattelandse gemeente, die invloed van die verskuiwing ervaar. Die een dee! van die gemeente is volledig in die vorige paradigma en die ander deeIis op weg na iets anders. Dit bring baie onsekerheid en spanning in die gemeente na Yore. Vanuit hierdie verstaan, poog die navorser om die bestaande verstaan van die gemeente-wees te plaas op In meer Skrifgefundeerde grond van wie, wat en hoe die gemeente moet wees. Die strewe is om In meer gesonde basisteorie vir die gemeente te ontwikkel. Met die vierde hoofstuk word hierdie basisteorie vir die gemeente in die praktyk omskep. Daar word gepoog om aan te dui wat dit prakties vir die gemeente beteken. Die volgende sake word aangeraak: Die gemeente moet In oop familie van God wees. Ons moenie net se ons glo nie, maar In geleefde geloofbesit. Elke lidmaat moet volgens sy/haar gawes betrokke wees in die vele bedieninge wat daar in die gemeente is. Die gemeente moet uitreik na buite deur onder andere In verskeidenheid vaardigheidsklasse te begin om mense te help om uit die siklus van armoede te breek. Ons moet In gemeente wees waar daar goeie kommunikasie tussen al die generasies is. Ons moet In gemeente van die aarde wees wat omgee vir die natuur en dit bewaar vir die nageslag. Ons moet ook In gemeente wees met In leiersgroep wat inspirerend en motiverend in die gemeente dien. Met die vyfde hoofstuk poog die navorser om In strategie te ontwikkel om hierdie praktykteorie wat in die vorige hoofstuk na yore gekom het, te implementeer. Die daarstelling en ontwikkeling van geloofsleiers word duidelik as die hoof-fokus uitgewys. Daar word gepoog om riglyne vir geloofsleiers-ontwikkeling uit te stip en dit te plaas binne In nuwe bedieningspraktyk vir die gemeente.

Text in Afrikaans / The URCSA's synod of Northern Transvaal consists of 128 congregations of which 48 are at present without a minister. Of the 48 congregations, 23 are small rural congregations. This does not include the numerous ward churches of large rural congregations that are in essence also small congregations. The URCSA has two historical legacies; namely, material poverty and the Presbyterian form of church governance known as the tipple office-bearers' doctrine (manus triplex) with a built-in hierarchy that affords pastors a prominent leadership role in congregations. The assumption can thus be made that each congregation should have a church council and pastor. As small rural congregations cannot afford the expense of their own minister, they therefore have to cope without one. Against this background one must understand the importance of elders in small rural congregations of the URCSA where the role of pastor is assumed and performed by elders, yet without any official training. This compels the church to probe alternative ways to become a pastor. The former DRMC and DRCA subscribed to an ecclesiastical practise whereby proven church leaders could be admitted as pastors on the grounds of their unique spiritual gifts. This practise has been accepted by the general synod of the URCSA. It is clear from this empirical study that the top leadership of the URCSA should adapt this accepted practise to accommodate the situation of the rural congregations. The possible synthesis of the apprentice, in-service-training, and tent-making models as general models for ministerial training amongst Protestants in the past, could pave the way for an adapted Pauline tent-maker model that will lead to the admittance of proven local church leaders as pastors in the URCSA's rural ward churches and small congregations. The prevailing situation of the rural church necessitates this mode of ministry as a supplementary alternative to the existing training of ministers. As it addresses a critical situation, it does not stand in opposition to the full-time ministry or the thorough theological training of especially the younger people. What does emerge from the context of the rural church, is the need for both modes of ministry. / Practical Theology / D.Th.

Text in Afrikaans / The URCSA's synod of Northern Transvaal consists of 128 congregations of which 48 are at present without a minister. Of the 48 congregations, 23 are small rural congregations. This does not include the numerous ward churches of large rural congregations that are in essence also small congregations. The URCSA has two historical legacies; namely, material poverty and the Presbyterian form of church governance known as the tipple office-bearers' doctrine (manus triplex) with a built-in hierarchy that affords pastors a prominent leadership role in congregations. The assumption can thus be made that each congregation should have a church council and pastor. As small rural congregations cannot afford the expense of their own minister, they therefore have to cope without one. Against this background one must understand the importance of elders in small rural congregations of the URCSA where the role of pastor is assumed and performed by elders, yet without any official training. This compels the church to probe alternative ways to become a pastor. The former DRMC and DRCA subscribed to an ecclesiastical practise whereby proven church leaders could be admitted as pastors on the grounds of their unique spiritual gifts. This practise has been accepted by the general synod of the URCSA. It is clear from this empirical study that the top leadership of the URCSA should adapt this accepted practise to accommodate the situation of the rural congregations. The possible synthesis of the apprentice, in-service-training, and tent-making models as general models for ministerial training amongst Protestants in the past, could pave the way for an adapted Pauline tent-maker model that will lead to the admittance of proven local church leaders as pastors in the URCSA's rural ward churches and small congregations. The prevailing situation of the rural church necessitates this mode of ministry as a supplementary alternative to the existing training of ministers. As it addresses a critical situation, it does not stand in opposition to the full-time ministry or the thorough theological training of especially the younger people. What does emerge from the context of the rural church, is the need for both modes of ministry. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D.Th.