Thesis (D.Th.)--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study and dissertation examines “Ethnicity and missional strategies within the Presbyterian
Church of Nigeria.” A historical study of the mission methods and an empirical study of current
missionary practices in the church point to the need for a new missional identity of the church. This
missional identity requires a reversal of and a change to missionary strategies that should result into
reconciliatory missiology.
In the process of making this assessment of the Presbyterian mission in Nigeria, it was necessary to revisit
the missionary ecclesiologies that shaped and contributed to the present identity. Thus, the
research focused on the missionary impact of the Church of Scotland, Presbyterian Church in Canada,
Presbyterian Church (USA), and the Netherlands Reformed Church (NRC). Insights from these
historical excursions helped in determining not only the blessings that these ecclesiologies brought to
bear on Nigerian Presbyterianism but also in discovering the burdens they brought on their trails,
especially, regarding the seed of racism which was a precursor to the present ethnocentrism in the PCN.
The second segment of this research was the empirical study of the current mission and work of the
PCN. Using a focus group approach, sixteen leaders (8 Nigerians, 7 Canadians and 1 American) were
interviewed through a structured questionnaire. The responses from these leaders were analysed in this
paper and details of the analysis applied in chapter 4. The assumption in the hypothesis that the bane of
contemporary PCN mission is ethnocentrism was affirmed. This problem as the research showed, was
compounded by lack of adequate theological response both in the educational training and the liturgical
activities of the church.
Combining the historical data and the empirical research carried out, it was determined that the PCN
needs a new theological orientation that can move it from the present institutionalized mode to a
missonal frame. It was shown that this process would require a new definition of mission and a
rediscovery of missional biblical metaphors that suit a conflict-ridden context of the Church as we have
it in Nigeria. Three important metaphors were selected: community, servant and messenger. These
metaphors formed the theological foundation for subsequent discussions on a missional frame which is
the focus of chapter five. Chapter six outlines the meaning of conflicts and the causes of conflicts in Nigeria arguing for a
reconciliatory missiology with a theologically-driven dialogue as its strategy. A theologically –driven
dialogue is a strategy that, as is presented, enables the church to be God’s counter-cultural agent in the
world, holding in tension the four cardinal points of obedience, critical contextualization, discernment
and the anticipation of Christ’s return. It is argued that dialogue is a credible theological option through
which the PCN can engage in the process of true reconciliation in the Nigerian society – a
reconciliation which is based on the biblical cornerstones of truth, justice, peace and mercy. It is a task
and a challenge for reconciliatory missiology - a momentous task the PCN is called upon to pursue in
the 21st century. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie proefskrif ondersoek “Etnisiteit en missionale strategieë van die Presbiteriaanse Kerk in
Nigerië”. ʼn Historiese blik op die sending metodes en ʼn studie van huidige missionêre praktyke binne
die kerk dui daarop dat die kerk ʼn nuwe missionale identiteit benodig. ’n Nuwe missionale identiteit
vereis ʼn transformasieproses in die huidige benadering van die Presbiteriaanse Kerk van Nigerië sodat
die weg tot ʼn versoenende benadering gevind kan word.
Om die huidige situasie te kan evalueer moes die missionêre ekklesiologie wat vorm gegee en bygedra
het tot die huidige identiteit geëvalueer word. Gevolglik is die missionêre impak van die Kerk van
Skotland, die Presbiteriaanse Kerke van Kanada en Amerika en die Nederlandse Gereformeerde Kerk
nagegaan. Hulle het in baie opsigte help vorm aan die huidige identiteit van die Presbiteriaanse kerk in
Nigerië. Die positiewe maar ook negatiewe gevolge van hulle werk is beskryf. Een aspek van hul werk
was die invloed van die stille rassisme wat destyds geheers het en wat die voorloper was van die
huidige etnosentrisme in die Presbiteriaanse Kerk van Nigerië.
Die tweede deel van die navorsing ondersoek die huidige missionêre bediening en ingesteldheid van
die Presbiteriaanse Kerk van Nigerië. Deur middel van ʼn fokus groep benadering en ’n vraelys, is
onderhoude gevoer met 16 kerkleiers (8 Nigeriërs, 7 Kanadese en 1 Amerikaner). Die antwoorde van
hierdie kerkleiers is geanaliseer en in hoofstuk 4 bespreek. Die voorveronderstelling in die hipotese dat
die PKN etnosentrisme openbaar, is bevestig. Hierdie probleem, soos aangetoon in die navorsing, is
versterk deur ʼn gebrek aan voldoende teologiese refleksie in die teologiese onderrig en in die liturgiese
aktiwiteite van die kerk.
Die historiese data en die empiriese navorsing toon aan dat die PKN ʼn nuwe teologiese oriëntasie
benodig en dat dit slegs kan geskied as daar wegbeweeg word vanaf die huidige geïnstitusionaliseerde
bedieningspraktyk na ʼn missionale raamwerk. Verder het dit duidelik geword dat ʼn nuwe verstaan van
sending en ʼn herontdekking van missionale bybelse metafore nodig is om te spreek tot die konflik
geteisterde konteks van die kerk in Nigerië. Drie belangrike metafore is voorgestel: gemeenskap,
dienaar en boodskapper. Hierdie metafore voorsien die teologiese fundering vir die bespreking van ’n
missionale verwysingsraamwerk vir die kerk se bediening. Hoofstuk 6 lig die betekenis van konflik asook die oorsake van konflik in Nigerië uit en argumenteer
vir ʼn versoenende missiologie met ʼn teologies-gemotiveerde dialoog as strategie. ʼn Teologiesgemotiveerde
dialoog is ʼn strategie wat, soos voorgelê in die navorsing, die kerk bemagtig om te
reageer op die heersende kultuur, waar die vier kardinale aspekte van gehoorsaamheid, kritiese
kontekstualisasie, onderskeiding en die afwagting van Christus se wederkoms byeen gebring word.
Daar word geargumenteer dat dialoog ʼn waardige teologiese opsie is waardeur die Presbiteriaanse Kerk
van Nigerië binne die Nigeriese samelewing kan opereer in ʼn proses van ware versoening – ʼn
versoening wat gebaseer is op die bybelse hoekstene van waarheid, geregtigheid, vrede en genade. Die
uitdaging van ʼn versoenende missiologie is die uitdaging waartoe die Presbiteriaanse Kerk van Nigerië
in die 21ste eeu geroepe is.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/17328 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Onwunta, Uma Agwu |
| Contributors | Hendriks, H. J., University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Practical Theology and Missiology., A-6024-2012, A-6024-2012 |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | xx, 294 leaves : ill., map |
| Rights | University of Stellenbosch |
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