Thesis (DTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2002 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study is an appraisal of the training program of Veritas College as an answer to
the training need of the untrained church leaders in Sub Saharan Africa, focusing on
the country of Malawi.
Partly as a result of the impact of the Church Growth Movement the number of
churches in Africa has increased significantly during the last decade. These
achievements have created a major training problem. Theological training institutions
have been unable to cope with the massive influx of church leaders. Despite
remarkable efforts by them, new methods of theological training have had to be
developed in order to fulfil the training needs of Africa. The situation in Africa has
changed due to many political and historical developments, creating a need for
Christians to be trained in how to impact their context. There is a new environment
and challenge for theological education in Africa today.
Ideally, theological education should develop all levels of Christian leadership, so that
leaders become devoted, effective and knowledgeable workers of God. The Church
has always tried to provide theological training for these workers, and has created
various educational models. Formal and non-formal education are important modes
of training, and form, together with the church, an important triangle in the provision
of learning services for the body of Christ.
Formal as well as non-formal theological training models, however, have various
weaknesses, including a tendency to dominate from the top; a fixed curriculum out of
context; an over-emphasis on a content approach; the inaccessibility of training for
the untrained church leader; the inaffordability of training for the really poor untrained
church leaders in Sub Saharan Africa. This creates a need for change in theological
training today.
Principles for an appropriate theological education for Sub SaharancAfrica should
include i) the development of local church leadership within the context, for the
context; ii) a holistic approach to theological education; iii) a focus on character
formation in leadership training; iv) training in the context of the local congregation; v) the equipping all levels of church leadership; vi) training to practise theology; and
vii) the provision of 'basic theological training'.
The training model proposed by Veritas College has an education philosophy called
"Integrated Leadership Development" (ILD). This training model is integrated into the
functioning of the local congregation and the life of the trainee. ILD also promotes an
integrated theological practice, where the trainee is taught how to practise theology.
Veritas' training program is built around the basic skills of how to do understand,
apply and communicate the Bible.
An appraisal is done of the training program of Veritas College as presented in the
Synod of Nkhoma of the Church of Central Africa, Presbyterian (CCAP) in Malawi.
From the perspective of the unique training context of Malawi and the CCAP, the
development of this program is described and evaluated in the light of the training
needs of Sub Saharan Africa. The potential of the Veritas training model to
contribute to the training need of Sub Saharan Africa is evaluated. The model has
the ability to i) present technical theological training for a semi-literate church
leadership; ii) implement basic theological training for church leaders in the local
congregation; iii) offer a theological training program not bound to many theoretical
books; iv) help semi-literate church leaders to make use of the only piece of
literature they possess, namely the Bible; and v) to teach the illiterate through an
oral medium.
It would indeed appear that Veritas is able to make a positive contribution to the
training needs of Sub Saharan Africa. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie beoordeel die opleidingsmodel van Veritas College as 'n antwoord op
die opleidingsnood van die onopgeleide kerkleiers in Sub Sahara Afrika, met die
fokus op Malawi.
Gedeeltelik as gevolg van die Kerkgroei Beweging was daar gedurende die laaste
dekade 'n aansienlike groei in die aantal kerke in Afrika. Dit het gelei tot 'n geweldige
opleidingskrisis. Teologiese opleidingsinstansies kon net nie voldoen in die
aanvraag vir opleiding in die steeds toenemende kerkleierskap nie. Ten spyte van
noemenswaardige pogings om in hierdie behoefte te voldoen, was daar 'n besef dat
nuwe metodes ontwikkel sou moes word om in die nuwe opleidingsbehoeftes van
Sub Sahara Afrika te voldoen. Verder vra die benarde sosio-ekonomiese konteks in
Sub Sahara Afrika dat gelowiges toegerus word om iets aan hulle konteks te doen.
Teologiese opleiding moet daarna streef om aile vlakke van Christelike leierskap te
ontwikkel tot toegewyde, effektiewe en ingeligde werkers van God. Die kerk het nog
altyd probeer om in die behoefte vir opleiding van hierdie werkers te voorsien deur in
'n verskeidenheid van opleidingsmodelle te voorsien. Formele en informele onderrig
vorm saam met die kerk 'n belangrike driehoek in die voorsiening van
opleidingsdienste vir die liggaam van Christus.
Formele en informele teologiese opleidingsmodelle toon verskeie tekortkominge,
insluitend 'n geneigdheid om voor te skryf van bo af; 'n vasgestelde kurrikulum wat
nie konteksgetrou is nie; die ontoeganklikheid van opleiding aan die onopgeleide
kerkleier; en duur opleiding vir die arm kerkleiers in Sub Sahara Afrika. Dit alles
skep die behoefte aan 'n nuwe benadering in teologiese opleiding vandag.
Sekere beginsels word voorgestel vir 'n toepaslike teologiese opleiding in Sub
Sahara Afrika vandag, insluitend i) die ontwikkeling van plaaslike kerkleierskap binne
die konteks, vir die konteks; ii) 'n omvattende benadering tot teologiese opleiding; iii)
'n fokus op karakterontwikkeling in leierskapsopleiding; iv) opleiding binne die
konteks van die plaaslike gemeente; v) die toerusting van aile vlakke van kerkleierskap; vi) opleiding om teologie te kan beoefen; en vii) die voorsiening van
'n 'basiese teologiese opleiding.'
Die opleidingsmodel wat Veritas College aanbied se opleidingsfilosofie word
saamgevat as "Geinteqreerde Leierskaps Ontwikkeling"'(GLO). Hierdie
opleidingsmodel is qemteqreer in die funksionering van die plaaslike gemeente en
die lewe van die opgeleide persoon. GLO bied ook 'n qeinteqreerde teoloqiese
praktyk aan, waar die student geleer word hoe om teologie te beoefen. Veritas se
opleidingsprogram is ontwikkel rondom die basiese vaardighede hoe om die Bybel te
interpreteer toe te pas en aan te wend vir effektiewe kommunikasie.
Binne die konteks van die Nkhoma Sinode van die Church of Central Africa,
Presbyterian (CCAP) in Malawi vertoon die opleidingsprogram van die Veritas
College potensiaal. Dit het die verrnoe om i) 'n tegniese teologiese opleiding aan te
bied op die bevatlikheidsvlak van die laaggeskoolde kerkleierskap; ii) 'n basiese
teologiese opleidingsprogram vir die kerkleiers binne 'n plaaslike gemeente te
implementeer; iii) 'n opleidingsprogram wat nie gebind is aan baie handboeke vir die
aanbieding van opleiding vir laaggeletterde kerkleiers; iv) laaggeskoolde kerkleiers
te help om die enigste boek in hul besit, die Bybel, beter aan te wend; en v) om die
ongeletterders mondelings te onderrig.
Dit Iyk dus inderdaad of Veritas wei 'n bydrae kan lewer tot die opleiding van die baie
onopgeleide kerkleiers in Sub Sahara Afrika.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/52661 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Wiid, Willem Jacobus |
| Contributors | Pauw, C. M., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Practical Theology & Missiology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 288 pages : illustrations |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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