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2.10 THE INFORMAL SECTOR FUNDERS
3.1.6 The missionary legacy
There is no doubt that the church has been responsible for the promotion of education through the building of schools and colleges and the development of health facilities such as clinics and hospitals. The gospel was preached through social development by developing communities. The church did what it could to equip people with the means of self- sustainability.Although the church gave more to poor communities through subsidies it did not lose focus for participating in development.
Earlier on,the question was asked whether the church was equipped to deal with the issue of the informal sector in a holistic manner. One of the areas in which the church is equipped is that teaching.For decades the church has offered real education to orientate or conscientize people in such a manner that they will appreciate the dignity of labour,especially the small scale. Communities havebeen made to understand that humble beginnings can lead to great
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achievements . This is why many people looked down upon the informal trade as a way of making a living not to beemulated.Sincethe firstmissionaries the church had not been very enthusiastic about economic developm ent but rather it had become pre-occupied with spiritual matters. Unfortunately it becam e insensitive to people's needs. Khoza (in Nurnburger)felt that:
It is unfortunate that the church is more sadlyassociatedwith the issue of death ,than the affairs of the living . People have realized that going to church will earn one a decent burial, which indirectly means that as long as one is alive, the church has not much time with you (1978:93).
The church should learn from the missionary vision,where developmentwas theheartof the gospel. It should be more concerned with the affairs of the living than with those of the dying. Its aim should beto give spiritual, social,economic and political support to those who needit,in order to fulfil itsholisticmission.
3.1.7 The Church as a Primary Group
The church for many years has been respons ible in offering what the believers ought to be, and also giving critiquesand confirming values, nonns and goals. It offered acceptance and belonging and substantially assisted in the building of self-confidence in individuals and groups. Pietistic tendencies have brought about the problem where religious groups have developed tendencies to restrict themselves to narrowly defined spiritual objectives.
Nurnburger (1999:269) feels that such restriction s "must be penned open to allow for more holistic and natural relations within thegroup".
When considering African communities today, the level of poverty is very high and human livesarethreateneddaily.TheUnited Nation s Millennium Declarationstates that:
Some people are surviving with almost one single meal a day. The number of stunting and malnourished children is a demonstration ofthesephenomena.i"and such problems
26 For the problems of infant mortality, stunting and malnourishment see Ntuli, 8M & Ggubo, T 1999.
National Integrated Community Curriculum (Induction Course) Technical Report ofthe TrainingofTrainers in KwaZulu- Natal Province on theInduction Course.Kwadlangezwai: University ofZululand.
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are so high in the Third World communities, where there is need of poverty eradication and sustainable development programs (2000:2,5,7,8).27
The majority of such people could be part of the church. The church should be obliged to assist communities in improving their lives. A major problem of many governments is that of unemployment, which has become the main manifestation and cause of poverty.
Unemployment directly and indirectly affects the church,because it cannot preach to hungry congregations. The issue of the Holistic Ministry of the church in assisting the welfare of communities in which it is part is thus very crucial. Those who are miserably suffering in poverty question the meaning of life and doubt the existence of God. It is through the intervention of the church that lives can become meaningful and the involvement of God in human life evident. The Holistic Ministry of the church should thus sustain human lives. The church should focus every day on the issues that are central to the lives of the communities.
To deal with poverty and unemployment, which are the most challenging problems the church has to be involved in the alternative means of community development, which can be done through the support of the informal economy.
Poverty has adverse effects on humanity.For those who have to endure it, poverty demeans humanity, it diminishes people, it assaults human dignity. And Wilson (in Cochrane and West) believes that:
Helping people to deal with the enduring of poverty in order to empower them is where the churches must come in, but not in mere pity,because Christianity that focuses solely on the spiritual, which is not fundamentally concerned with human dignity and human well-being, is a ghostly Christianity (1991: 18).
Nurnburger (1999: 37) points out that, "the church is one of the institutions, which has access to the most deprived grassroots communities". It has stations in the remotest areas, where the government has failed to put a post office, a school, or a clinic. Italso has members who are part of the political,economic and civil leadership. This demonstrates how capable the church is in working with diversified community groups from both the poor and the affluent classes. It has always been part of the mission of the church to uplift the lives of poor communities.Its involvement in the informal sector is part of its ongoing mission.
27For further reference to the issues of povertysee United Nations Gener alAssembly,2000.
ss"
Session.is"
September. (www.un.org/m illenium/assemblv.htm).Pages2,5,7& 8.
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The church has an obligation to preach a ''full gospel," which brings real redemption to humanity.The church should not be caught up in a half-spiritualized ministry, which leaves the community unsatisfied in every sense.