Chapter Three: Identity of the Durban Christian Centre
3.1 Introduction
This chapter will contain a description of the identity of the DCC. Venter (1998:4-5) suggests that one of the focus areas in the understanding and study of an urban congregation is the analysis of the identity of the congregation, which, according to Venter, answers the question of "who" the congregation is and includes the "persistent set of beliefs, values, patterns, symbols, stories and style that make a congregation distinctly itself (1998:5). The identity of a congregation reveals the collective character of a congregation (1998:7). I have chosen to include a description of the vision, goals, theology and beliefs of DCC, together with a value system, which I have placed in a hierarchical order so as to mark the level of emphasis placed on each value.
The DCC worldview and mission orientation will also be discussed in order to locate the DCC within the wider Pentecostal/Charismatic movement. This chapter will thus highlight characteristics of Pentecostal/Charismatic spirituality such as experience, evangelism, eschatology and biblical authority. These themes will overlap in the various analyses because of their links with each other.
3.2.1 The DCC mission statement
Durban Christian Centre, based on the Word of God, is committed to proclaim the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, both locally and internationally in the power of the Holy Spirit, by all means available, to train, and send men and women of God, to raise up life groups, preach, teach, heal the sick, disciple, establish churches and be involved in community service.
3.2.2 The DCC vision statement
The Durban Christian Centre describes its vision as follows:
Committed to being a house of prayer for all nations, a city-wide multicultural church, which meets in life groups, congregations and celebrations. Constantly striving for excellence in ministry, based upon the integrity of God's word in submission to the leading of the Holy Spirit. (Welcome booklet: 1)
Notable elements of the DCC's vision are references to being "a house of prayer for all nations", "city-wide", and "multicultural".
In chapter two I refer to the racial demographics of the DCC. I continue to discuss the issue of race with the backdrop of the DCC vision statement. The reference to "the house of prayer for all nations" comes from senior pastor Fred Roberts who reports that he heard "the Lord speak" to him and tell him to build
"a house of prayer for all nations" in Durban (Roberts 2004:107-111). For Roberts, the call to build "a house of prayer for all nations" was firstly a call to establish a multiracial congregation. This was viewed as difficult because the apartheid government did not facilitate mixed race gatherings. Roberts (2004:95) records that "...members of all racial groups came by the hundreds"
and this roused the suspicion of the secret police who told him, "You can't have services with all races worshipping together". As Roberts (2004:95) asserts,
"the secret police didn't know that it was God's plan and no opposition would thwart it, we were challenging the spirit of apartheid!"72
Despite the threat from the apartheid government, Roberts (2004:94) was compelled to realise his vision and now considers the DCC to be the "first charismatic church to try to be actively multiracial". In 1984 Morran and Schlemmer put the figure of black congregants at 30% which represented a racial percentage breakdown of 2 % African, 13% Coloured, and 15% Indians
For further discussion on the dualistic worldview of the Pentecostal/Charismatics and their ascribing social and political problems to the realm of the spirit, see the section on worldview later in this chapter.
(1984:54). This is dated research but is nonetheless relevant in order to emphasise the fact that this was in 1984 and therefore the multiracial character was truly significant. This racial composition was recorded during some of the most turbulent times in the country. Poewe (in Burgess & Van de Maas 2002:237), referring directly to the DCC, calls this percentage "positively amazing", considering the difficulties of the apartheid period. Roberts (2004:98) is confident that his "house for all nations" vision was fulfilled and writes:
I firmly believe that the work our church and others did help end apartheid peacefully. The theatre where we met was in the Warwick Triangle, a few square miles of volatile and crime-ridden neighbourhoods, so bad that some people's cars were stolen during church, and others were mugged on the way home. We had to hire guards with police dogs to protect people's property. But the triangle was the first place in the entire country to be declared free of apartheid, even before the law came into existence.
The DCC operates on a cell structure with small group meetings taking place weekly in the homes of its members. Since members come from across the Durban metropole this gives the church its "city-wide" presence. However, this presence is noticeably absent in the informal settlements that also make up part of the city. Just three minutes from the luxurious Jesus Dome exists an informal settlement called "Beverly Hills". I have repeatedly enquired about the presence of the church in this location and was told that this place is "too dangerous".
From my observation, the DCC has not made significant or sustained attempts to work alongside the poor73 in this informal settlement which is literally "a stone's throw away". Therefore, the vision statement needs to be revisited in order to establish realistic plans for the church's necessary presence in the areas that most need social interventions, developmental assistance and communities of fellowship, faith, and solidarity.
This raises the question whether the DCC really identifies with the poor or is aiming at the middle class. I deal with this question later in the study, and set it in the context of other Pentecostal/Charismatic megachurches.