CHAPTER 3 JUDGING
3. THE OLD TESTAMENT AND POVERTY
3.6. THE CHURCH'S PERSPECTIVE ON POVERTY
3.6.2. The Lutheran Church
For the Lutheran Church, involvement in issues of poverty derive from their biblical understanding of service to the world, and Jesus' great commission (Lucsa 2001:No page). The church's action therefore is a response to God's creation and salvation. Mark 10:45, among others, serves as an example oftexts which inspire Lutherans' social responsibility to the world. "For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45).
Again, the involvement of Lutherans in social upliftment issues can be understood against the background ofLuther's Two Kingdoms doctrine, which maintains that God rules the world in "the kingdom of the left" and "the kingdom on the right." According to this doctrine the kingdom on the left includes government, churches and families; whereas the kingdom on the right is about God acting through the Holy Spirit to root out evil. Moila (1990:23) contends that these two institutions are intended to protect humanity from evil and injustice. Itis through these doctrines of the Two Kingdoms that Lutherans feel duty bound and empowered to engage an unjust government. On that Moila (1990:25) writes: "Luther believed that it is the right of all Christians to challenge the powerful wherever they are failing to do their duty of protecting the needy and the poor." For Lutherans, God is on the side ofthe poor and the needy. Maimela (1988:106) speaks about options for the poor and weaker members of society by the Lutherans. As the church sides with the poor, and engages the powerful on behalf of the poor, itwillbe reminding the state of its responsibility for the poor.
(a) Who are the Poor?
According to Lucsa (2001 :No page) the poor are those who hunger and have no food, the unclothed, those who have no energy for cooking, those who lack non-food requirements such as shelter, the unemployed, and disaster victims who cannot stand on their feet. Tsele (No date:3) describes them as the have nots, the destitute, the powerless and humiliated.
(b) Church Service to the Poor
The Lutheran Church established a developmental arm of the church called ELCSA Development Service. This organisation is a non profit organization and provides assistance to the poor aqd
victims of disaster on the basis of need, irrespective of race, creed, gender and political affiliation (ELCSA Development Service, 2000). The mission ofthis organisation is to serve the people in need in South Africa through the provision of emergency relief aid to victims of disasters and provision oftechnical and material support for activities that empower the disadvantaged. ELCSA Development Service empowers individuals and communities to overcome whatever obstacle has trapped them in poverty and dependency through sustainable development activities which ensure that they enjoy improved living conditions.
3.6.3. The Methodist Church
The involvement of the Methodist Church in social problems among the poor can be traced as far back as the time of John Wesley. The situation at the time is aptly provided by Thomas Madron who (in Eli 1993:30) contends that in Wesley's time England was a stratified society, where landlords and magistrates were the economic and political leaders of the community. Those who were at the bottom of the economic ladder were exploited and disenfranchised. Half of the population were paupers, consisting of the unemployed, the outcasts, criminals and the illiterate poor (Bowen 1937,viii). These groups of poor people whom Marquardt (1992:27) refers to as the
"lower classes" comprised his membership.
(a) Option for the Poor
John Wesley took a conscious decision early in his ministry to side with the poor in the community.
In his journal he writes:
Itis well a few of the rich and noble are called. On that God would increase their number!
But I should rejoice (were it the will of God)ifit were done by the ministry of others. If I must choose, I should still (as I have done hitherto) preach the gospel to the poor.
(Marguard 1992:27)
He could have worked among the rich and the powerful of his day; instead he chose to work among the poor.
(b) John Wesley's Work among the Poor
Wesley's work among the poor was inspired by the biblical understanding of the love of God and of neighbour. Itis one thing to love one's neighbour; but it is another thing to translate that love into concrete actions. Wesley believed that this was important. Vertical relationships were as
important as horizontal relationships. In fact, the vertical relationship became forhimthe basis for love ofthe neighbour. Christianity, for him,therefore, was not personal and individual, but had social implications. Eli (1993:30) putsitso well when he states: "Wesley's notion of Christian love was a social concept, extending beyond the personal sphere of the individual believer."
Wesley became aware of the plight of the poor, noting that they are the recipients of charity. The situation of the poor and their condition of need was known tohim. Itis precisely this contact and engagement with the poor that made his heart touched and transformed. Wesley went out of his way to ensure that the poor were relieved from poverty. He put in place various measures individually and in company with other social upliftment organizations to ensure that poverty was combated. These included self-help and works of charity for poverty alleviation. Marquardt (1992:28) records one such measure as he explains:
The earliest of most widely practiced aid for the poor was the weekly "class meeting;"
conducted by the class leader, with the aid of the members of the fellowship assigned to him. After careful consultation among administrators expressly chosen for this task, the collective contributions were distributed to the needy, partly in cash, partly in clothing, foodstuffs, fuel or medicine.
In cases of severe suffering resulting from poor harvest, Wesley encouraged special collections, and in some cases he would embark on fund-raising travels to feed the needy. He identified unemployment as one of the chief causes of widespread poverty, and to combat that he put in place the loan fund and a job finder. When many jobs could not be secured, he introduced projects, among which were cotton processing and knitting, mainly for women (Marguard 1992:29).
Wesley's work among the poorwillbe incomplete without mentioning the service he rendered to the prisoners of his day, and his efforts to ensure that slavery was abolished.
Having considered John Wesley and poverty we shall now turn to the Methodist Church in Southern Africa.
(c) The Methodist Church of Southern Africa
The Methodist Church, like John Wesley, understands itselfas a church for the poor, founded from amongst the poor. The New Dimension(January 1999) in an article headed, "Methodists advocate support for the poor this Christmas" reinforces this contention even further: "Methodism was born
among the poor, it canbe argued that it was a movement of the poor, by the poor and for the poor." The Methodist Church made a significant contribution during the struggle for the poor in apartheid South Africa. Together with other churches it became a voice for the voiceless. The Methodists, were outspoken about apartheid, arguing that differences oflanguage and culture are not sufficient reason for separation (SACC 1958:8). It is significant that as early as this the Methodists engaged the government on behalf of the oppressed poor. The contribution of the church was not limited to issues of separation, it established within itself relief and developmental organizations. Through it different departments such as the Christian citizenship and Relief and development among others, the Methodists ensured that the poor and victims of natural disasters were clothed, fed, and housed.
CONCLUSION:
The Bible adopts a clear stance of opting for the poor and the oppressed. God sides with the poor, engages the rich and powerful on their behalf, and provides spiritual and material needs. The three church bodies discussed (namely the SACC, the Lutheran, and the Methodist Church) are following in the tradition of the Bible by siding with the poor and the oppressed, and ensuring that they are freed from any form of suffering in their midst.
CHAPTER FOUR PROGRAMME OF ACTION 4.1. INTRODUCTION
In Chapter 2 we looked at the incidence of poverty and unemployment in Thaba'Nchu and have agreed that it is caused, among others, by government policy past and present. We have also looked, in Chapter 3, at both the Old and New Testament as to how the people of God should treat poverty and the poor. We concluded that Godis on the side ofthe poor and the oppressed and ensures that they are provided for their needs. This present chapter deals with what action needs to be undertaken to combat poverty. Such action will not be decided alone by the church, but involves the participation ofthe communities who are the victims of poverty and unemployment (See Appendix I, 2, 3, 4). The view thatis adopted in this research is that the poor are not mere objects of development, but have a valuable contribution to make with regard to anything that involves their lives. Itis important that the church ensures such a valuable contribution in planning, empowerment, decision-making, control, initiating, implementation, and evaluation (to mention but a few key tasks in development).
Let us turn to the church' contribution.
4.2. THE CHURCH'S CONTRIBUTION IN DEVELPOMENT