In light of the dynamic urban context of Durban, this study attempts to critically evaluate the transformative practice of the Pentecostal/Charismatic megachurch in the city. A survey of the subject group's urban presence and social interventions was conducted to explore the intended and unintended consequences of the church's initiatives.
Chapter One: Introduction to Study and Methodology
Introduction
It is better to hear and see God in the stillness of the mountains and fields. This place has hosted major world conferences and is located in the heart of the city.
About the present study
Using De Gruchy's definition as a point of reference, the present study will critically reflect on the creed and social practice of the DCC. There will be an acute awareness of the urban context in which the DCC is situated.
Reasons for the choice of the Pentecostal/Charismatic subject group
- My Pentecostal/Charismatic background and experience in Durban I integrate my personal, social, religious and cultural identity in this study since
- The world-wide growth of the Pentecostal/Charismatic Movement
- Pentecostal/Charismatic presence in African cities
- Gaining academic interest in the Pentecostal/Charismatic Movement The impact of this movement has been the cause of much controversy and has
No survey of the Pentecostal/Charismatic church can be complete without necessarily acknowledging the movement's growth statistics. Many sociologists and theologians are deeply interested in the charismatic movement because of the large number of people it attracts and its belief system.
Global influences in the present study
The focus is placed on the nature and characteristics of the subject group and their impact on their urban context. The growth of the Americanized form of Pentecost is due to the bombardment of South Africa by American products.
Pentecostals and Charismatics in Durban
The ever-growing size of the Pentecostal church in Brazil is causing great concern to many outside the movement. This is typical of the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement, which relies heavily on the use of media (Hackett 1998).
Reason for the choice of the subject group
In the current undertaking I will attempt to describe the practice and presence of the pilot group in the city of Durban and discover how this practice is appropriate to the urban environment in which it is found. 34;International Christian Network18 of Churches19", a group of affiliated churches that receive their coverage from the DCC under the leadership and training of Fred Roberts, the founder of the DCC.
The reason for choosing the city as the context of the study .1 Personal interest and call to the city
- The Institute for Urban Ministry
- The World Council of Churches (WCC)
21 Giles Goddard makes similar observations regarding the role of the nightclub in the search for spirituality. As a member of the WCC group, "Young Missiologists", I helped develop a presentation and workshop on the role of the church in the city for.
Urban Theology
I presented this workshop together with three other young missiologists from other cities in the world. The strong media infrastructure present in cities ensures maximum connectivity with the rest of the world.
Urbanisation and city decay
Globalization has increased the city's propensity to influence and influence world religion and spirituality. Walmsley states, "Pessimism is now the order of the day, with the result that there is little active debate about the city's future beyond the projection of current doubts and anxieties into the future." Healy (1995:1) has the same negative image of the city: "Cities once seen as the heart of the innovative energy and cultural force of the western society now seem to be drifting into becoming decaying and dangerous places".
Urbanism
- The apartheid city
- The separate city
It is necessary to briefly discuss the history of the South African city in order to understand its unique dynamics in relation to race. The following statement obtained by the Stallard Commission reveals the attitude of the Transvaal Government to black urbanization.
South African cities today
Dons Kritzinger discusses the "growing presence" of the informal housing sector as part of the current urban scene in South Africa. According to Grigg (in Dons Kritzinger 1995:214), the city of Durban is one of the cities in the world where the majority of the population lives in informal housing areas.
Durban demographics 30
He states succinctly: "[t]he informal housing estates, whether planned or spontaneous, have evolved as the only means by which new cities worldwide can be accommodated in the cities".
Urbanisation in Durban
- HIV/AIDS in Durban and South Africa
The United Nations to fight AIDS estimates that at the end of 2003, 5.3 million people were living with AIDS, which is 21.5% of the population). 40 Nelson Mandela School of Medicine at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal Department of Medicine in Durban.
Key terms
- Evangelical
- Pentecostals
- Classical Pentecostals
- Neo Pentecostal/New Pentecostals
- Pentecostal/Charismatic Movements
The word charismatic comes from the Greek word charisma, which means gifts of the Holy Spirit. D Hocken credits Harold Bredesden (born 1918) and Jean Stone (born 1924) with coining the term "charismatic" to denote the movement of the Holy Spirit within older mainstream denominational churches.
Research methodology
- Type of research
- Style of research
- Exploratory research
- Descriptive research
- Fieldwork
- Participant observation
- The interview process
- Narrative approach: Life stories and testimonies
The purpose of this study is to extract the theologies, culture, values and worldviews that are present in the life stories of the individuals interviewed. According to Peacock and Holland in The Narrated Self: Life Stories in Process, anthropology, the social sciences, and the physiological sciences have developed two main approaches to the life story.
Chapter content
For the purpose of the current study, the subjectivist approach to narratives will be used. A summary of the findings of the previous chapters and possible areas for further research will be presented.
Chapter Two: The History, Demography and Method of Operation of the DCC
Introduction
Fred Roberts
While attending a Wednesday evening prayer meeting at the house of Gideon Roberts, he received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. According to Roberts, he was so overwhelmed by the power of the Holy Spirit that he could not even walk.
Nellie Roberts
This marked the end of the old John Torrens and the beginning of the new. Torrens' new faith and enthusiasm led him to become involved in the life of the church.
History of the Durban Christian Centre
- Fred Roberts and the personality cult
In 1982, the Sunday services were again to be moved to the center of the city at the Ambassade Theater. The leadership and membership of DCC affectionately refer to Fred Roberts as "Pastor Fred".
DCC demographics: Detailed description of subject group .1 Size
- Factors that contribute to the growth of the DCC
While there are generic factors69 that contribute to the growth of these churches, the factors that contribute to the growth of DCC as a specific church/social institution need to be discussed. Pastors and members often attribute the growth of DCC to the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit calling people to the Church.
Home cell network
Eventually, the cycle ends; the new member begins his home cell gathering and addresses other people in the neighborhood. Thus, home cell meetings are the entry point for new members and also the beginning of the person's own involvement in KKD service.
Agency of women
Retention and rewards
DCC members who actively contribute to the activities and presence of the church are rewarded with advancement in the various programs in which they participate. Participating members seek endorsement and confirmation from DCC senior pastors as a defining reward for serving in the church.
Programme orientation and marketing
In the case of the youth teachers, children's teachers and the senior vice teacher (at the time of this study) it is clear that upward mobility through the DKK ranks is possible. In addition to this, world-renowned gospel musicians and singers perform at the DCC Jesus Dome.
DAVID YOUNQfEN
Other factors
- Racial composition
- Socio-economic composition
- Family and individual composition
- Foreigners in attendance
- Gender, age and language composition
- Durban Christian Centre's methods of operation .1 Authority: hierarchical structure of the DCC
- The bureaucracy of the DCC
- The DCC constitution
- The DCC as a political system
- The decision-making processes of the DCC
- Conclusion
The office of pastor is one of the apostolic gifts that Jesus placed in the Church. This chapter contained the stories of the key players in the DCC along with the demographics and how the church operates.
Chapter Three: Identity of the Durban Christian Centre
Introduction
- The DCC mission statement
I proceed to discuss the issue of race with the background of the DCC vision statement. This racial composition was recorded during some of the most turbulent times in the country.
DCC goals
The messages from the pulpit about prosperity, self-improvement, and success far outweigh the "reach the lost at all costs" messages. Another concern of DCC is the welfare and betterment of the population of Durban through poverty and hunger reduction, employment placement, health care, etc. (see Chapter Four for further discussion).
DCC theology
- God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit
- The Bible
- The Second Coming
- Healing/miracles
- Worship
- Tithes, offerings and giving
- Testimonies
- Speaking in tongues
- Holy hugs: physical contact
- Deliverance
- Women in ministry
The following three songs are examples of the types of lyrics sung at the DCC. The leadership and members of the DCC liberally quote Bible texts about faith.
Value hierarchy
- Evangelism
God is described as a father who does not want to see his children suffer and wants them to look and feel like "the king's children". Blessings are seen as God working in the life of a person or family.
The role of dreams, visions and impressions
This postmodern view of the universe and its events is connected to Poewe's description of charismatic Christianity. Charismatic Christianity is imaginative because of its interpretation of the universe of signs, especially the passive imagination of visions, prophecies and dreams, and discernment.
Spiritual warfare
The nature and scope of the spiritual warfare movement has become global, organized and theoretical. In the case of the DCC, his description of the charismatic worldview would be both true and false.
Five implicit values that govern Pentecostal spirituality
- Experience
- Orality
- Spontaneity
Spontaneity generally refers to the lack of formality in the structure of public worship and the freedom of congregants and leaders to be "led by the spirit." The content of the services illustrates that it has been carefully chosen, rehearsed and compiled.
Faith to live by 87
Life Group Leadership Training: At this point the course prepares individuals for leadership positions in the various "life groups". Effective Leadership: This course concludes the entire series by further equipping participants for leadership positions in various departments in the church.
Conclusion
Chapter Four: The Social Presence of the DCC in the City of Durban
Introduction
The DCC Youth Programme
A few minutes from the DCC Jesus Dome is the "Thunder Dome", which is home to the DCC youth program. The DCC youth program has adopted this style of youth outreach and appears to be reaping the rewards in terms of its appeal to young people.
The youth of the DCC
Issues such as peer pressure, premarital sex, sexually transmitted diseases, drugs and HIV/AIDS are discussed at the youth meetings. They show the youth "the truth behind the issues", such as sex, alcohol and drugs.
The youth pastors
The youth leaders explained that they are discussing these issues in the light of media exposure to youth culture. 34;position prayer" and eventually they were given the task of leading the youth department.
Theological discussions at the Thunder Dome
- Made in God's Image
- Mission, the Holy Spirit and the DCC youth
The overarching theme of DCC, "anything is possible", is evident at the youth meetings. Van de Spuy has witnessed what he calls "the manifestation of the Holy Spirit" at the youth meetings.
Transformations and restorations
- The DCC Hope Centre Clinic 1
- Clinic Theology
- The DCC Hope Centre Clinic: Situation and Operations
- Future Plans
Youth at DCC are trained and empowered to become powerful agents of evangelism. In my observation, DCC values the youth of the church and the city.
The Place of Hope
This text has been the primary inspiration for the work with Naidoo and Place of Hope. Naidoo does not earn a salary and personally raises money for the monthly maintenance of Place of Hope.
Analysis of the three social interventions
- Strategic locations
- Youth Investment
- Maslow's hierarchy of needs 126 and the DCC interventions
- Mission and evangelism
- The Great Commission Model
- The Compassion Model
- The Resource-Responsibility Model
- The characteristics of community ministry
The inclusion of God's love represents a significant shift in the vision of the DCC AIDS Clinic. In the case of interventions, this level of need is addressed to some extent.
Summary of Findings
Intentions to improve their output and efficiency were detected in meetings with the facilitators of the interventions. The DCC considers many of the contemporary social evils that are present in the city of Durban and the world as prophecy that is fulfilled before the coming of Christ.
Conclusion
According to my observations, the perceived level of success with respect to each of the interventions is high. In the next chapter (5), testimonies of people who are members of the DCC will be discussed and analyzed.
Chapter Five: Testimonies of the DCC Members
Introduction
The presence of patterns in the self and collective identity and theology of the participants will be determined. The relationship between charismatic Christianity (which is influenced and informed by DCC) and participants' self-formation will be assessed.
The methodological approach
This part of the chapter contains the testimonies of seven individuals and one group at the DCC. Yamane (2000) criticizes the study of religious experiences in his article Narrative and Religious Experiences.
Testimonies
- Testimony One
- Testimony Two
- Testimony Three
- Testimony Five
- Testimony Six
- Testimony Seven
- Testimony Eight:- Group Testimony 132
She enjoys the youth program of the DCC and explained that participation in this program. In the early nineties, she first attended a service at the DCC where she was "reborn".
Analysis of the testimonies
- The participants and the process
- Two types of testimony
- A conversion testimony
- A non-conversion testimony
- Conceptual framework
It is necessary to explain the scope and content of the two categories in order to fully understand the testimonies of the participants. According to Snow and Machalek (in Yamane, the narrativization aspect of the conversion experience is referred to as an alignment process that connects the individual to the group.
GOD IS; THEREFORE 1 AM
At this point it was clear that new themes and unique themes were no longer detectable. The main themes and associated sub-themes that emerged from the data can be observed in the conceptual framework below.
Theol Patt
After reading the testimonies, it became clear that certain themes were common to most, if not all, of the data.
Praise Reports
Psychological Patterns
- Theological views
- Images and experiences of God
- The World
- Rituals for transformation
- Views of the DCC
- Knowledge, skills and attitudes learnt from the DCC
- Conservatism
- Evangelism
- Praise reports
- Unlikely candidates for success
- Orientation, disorientation, reorientation
- Psychological Patterns .1 Belonging and acceptance
- Self-esteem and self-actualisation
- Personality types
- Resilience/Breakthrough
- The attachment theory
- General Analysis
- Learned behaviour and thinking
- Motivation
DCC's charismatic worldview and theology contributes to increasing optimism and hope in the lives of participants. The impact of DCC on participants' attitudes and behaviors is reciprocated by the participants themselves.
