DECLARATION
NTSHENGEDZENI JOHN MHAPHULI Reg.No.204000048
DEDICATION
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
WALLACE (Cape Town. and last workshop) and all the PARENTS and MEMBERS of their local churches who made it possible for me to compile this research document. To all the LEADERS and MEMBERS of different denominations and local churches who participated during the workshops.
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
Background and Information of the Study
These derogatory and unfounded comments referred to the mixing of the black and white races in South Africa and had the full support of the Church. This division in the church was influenced by the apartheid government's Group Areas Act.
The Research Problem/ Problem Formulation
Multiculturalism in the local churches is the biggest challenge facing the church in southern Ati'ica today. In recent years, the Church of South Attica's approach to almost everything has been Eurocentric.
Aims and Research Objectives of the Study
Assumption
Research Methodology (Qualitative Method)
Critical Research Questions to be answered by this Study
The Relevance or Rationale of the Study
Most local churches in South Africa are made up of people from one or similar cultures, especially one racial group. The church in South Africa must now react while there is still time to do so, so that it does not react when it is already too late.
Definition of Key Concepts
He or she is the head or leader of the village, tribe or tribe. It is recognition of the equal value of different cultures, it is affirmation and unconditional acceptance of different cultures.
Proposed Dissertation Outline
This chapter will analyze and interpret the challenge of multiculturalism in the local churches in relation to the changes taking place in South Africa. As the final chapter of this thesis, it also proposes some recommendations regarding the way forward in the local churches in South Africa.
Literature Review
- Cultural Drift
- Acculturation
- Forcible Change
- Offensive Cultural Practices
Color began to play a decisive role in church discord in South Africa from the early beginnings. This would require the leaders of the church in South Africa as well as the members.
Conclusion
In this chapter we will focus on the Early Church in relation to the issue of multiculturalism. The same thing happened to Peter; his ministry extended to the Gentiles rather than focusing solely on the Jews.
The Purpose of Studying the Early Church in Acts
- Evangelism
- Both for Jews and Gentiles
- The Formation of the Antioch Church: Acts 11: 19 - 26
0' eill continues to claim that the book of Acts is a confirmation of the gospel. Luke's purpose was to show not only the rise of the Church and. Luke tells about the inclusion of the Samaritans in the Church and the conversion of the pagan Cornelius.
Leadership also seems to have been a critical point in the success story of the church in Antioch.
The Early Church and the Leaders' Solution to the Challenge of Multiculturalism
- The Problem in the Early Church
- The Problem in Acts 15:1 - 35
- The Problem - Galatians 2:1 - 16
The presence of trouble in the Church is not necessarily an indication or symptom of weakness or unspirituality. The basis of the problem in the two scriptures mentioned above is that Gentile Christians are not discriminated against. Concerning the permanent division of the Christian Community, with special reference to the Early Church,.
The problem of relationships in the Early Church becomes clearer in two books of the New Testament.
Introduction
Here we take a look at some of the missionaries who have contributed greatly to missionary work in South Africa.
J.T Van Der Kemp of the London Missionary Society
Van Der Kemp tried to evangelize the Xhosa people in the eastern part of the Cape Colony. Van Der Kemp and Read negotiated and obtained permission from the Governor of the colony. He was accused of meddling in the politics of the country which is reserved only for the politicians.
At one point in his career as head of the mission in the Cape Colony.
William Shaw of the Wesleyan Methodism
The absence of mission stations did not mean that people did not believe and worship God. Jesus Christ in Matthew 28: 18-20 applied to any part of the world at any time. If the Savior's words ever applied to any part of the world at any time.
In 1865 Shaw was called back home and was elected president of the British Methodist Conference.
Missionary Functions and activities in South Africa
- The Confiscation of the Land
- The Politics of White Domination
- To Undermine the Authority of the Chief
- Mission Stations Served as Military Bases
- Wolves in Sheep Skins
- Divide and Rule
- Multiracial Co-option
With the settler conquest of the territories and the later introduction of individual tenure (signaled by the Glen Gray Act of 1894). Racial discrimination was the worst evil and enemy of the black majority in South Africa. Inequality was then practiced in the church and in the country's politics in South Africa.
Many Churches in South Africa are divided according to the color of the people's skin.
African Indigenous Churches
It is clear that most of the terms used to refer to the AICs go along with pejorative terms such as Kaffirs. Native, Bantus and plural names often used by apartheid government officials or authorities to refer to the black people of South Africa (Makhubu 1988: I). It is obvious that many of the African independent churches can hardly be classified as Christian churches.
The word ``indigenous'' instead of ``independent'' church indicates a positive desire on the part of African church leaders to adapt the gospel message to the cultural heritage of African people in South Africa.
The Rise of African Indigenous Churches
Mokone understood this as the self-government of the African Church under African leaders. He represented the black people at the Jubilee Meeting of the Free Church of Scotland in 1902. They received all the help and respect of the black people and were given the best seats.
The result was frustration and thus some African indigenous churches were born.
Conclusion
Introduction
These cultures must be allowed to exist and be nurtured, hence the study of the challenge of multiculturalism in local South African churches. Our cultural differences should be used in order to compliment each other rather than cause division in the body of Christ in South Africa. This is the result of people of different cultures living together South Africa has experienced an influx of people from different cultures who came to South Africa for various reasons.
If the Church in South Africa is not ready to learn about the cultures of the people.
What Is Culture?
This would mean that nature or the natural is the basis for the development of culture and that culture becomes visible in the form of language. They say that culture refers to knowledge and values that are passed from one generation to the next generation of one social group. In this study, the researcher will use the definition of culture as articulated by Wederspahn.
Culture is not static but changes slowly due to the influence of other cultures and internal developments and innovations.
Understanding Culture
- Culture is a world of values
- Cultural Values which are Human Achievements are predominantly those of the Good of Man
- Culture is Concerned with the Temporal and Materialization of Values
- Pluralism
Better knowledge and understanding of culture is an essential tool when working for and with people from different cultures. Culture is the social heritage that individuals and societies receive from their immediate ancestors and also pass on to the next generation. Most culture lies beneath the surface, where it is realized or easily understood, especially by insiders.
Varathan also mentions three points that can help in understanding what the culture is about.
Misunderstanding of Culture
- Fallacy of Cultural Holism
- Fallacy of Cultural Distinctness
- Fallacy of Cultural Positivist, Historical or End-of-history
- Fallacy of Cultural Enthnicisations
- Fallacy of Cultural Closure
- Fallacy of Cultural Determination
- Fallacy of Cultural Anatomy
Folk or popular culture refers to the beliefs and practices of ordinary men and women or to culture as it is actually lived. High culture refers to the great creative achievement of the talented thinking of the society (Bhikhu 200: 143). They actually feel that their cultural practices are being demonized in the name of the Christian faith simply because they don't march up to the "Western way" of doing things.
The issue of culture has certainly contributed to the understanding of different people as well as to the serious misunderstanding of some Christian groups.
Defining Multiculturalism
- Cross-Cultural
- Multicultural
- Trans-Cultural
- Intercultural
- Cultural Diversity
It is far from being a transparent and unambiguous system of meanings that demands the spontaneous loyalty of its members. By ignoring the politics and economics of culture, many misunderstand the process of its creation and consolidation and the basis of its power. The term intercultural refers to interactions and communications that take place between different cultures or people of different cultures.
Multicultural refers to interactions and communication that take place between people of different cultural backgrounds.
What Is Multiculturalism?
- The Multiculturalism Conditions
- The Contributors to Multiculturalism
- The Themes of Multiculturalism
- The Readers of Multiculturalism
Fain further says that this idea is supported by many educators in the United States. In the South African context, the proponents of multiculturalism would argue that too little attention has been paid to the contributions of Africans (blacks). They also include the relationship between the status of national political formations and local and transnational capitals; between the institutionalized power of managed multiculturalism in the academy and the politics of the rebels.
Power and empowerment would refer to cultural diversity in the coexistence of different cultures within a society and moreover within one community, more specifically the local churches.
Conclusion
Multiculturalism, as it is defined in this thesis, is when two or more people from different cultures come together to form themselves. This conclusion was drawn because of the meaning of the word 'multus'. A Latin word meaning more than one. In this approach, people of different cultures are accepted with their culture, as long as it does not conflict with Scripture or the Christian faith.
The point here is that local churches that embrace this approach will create equal space for all cultures represented in their believers.
INTRODUCTION
It should remind us how dangerous it is to even use words like this in the context of the Church. It is the duty of each local church to be fully representative of the different cultures in its. 34; met the true God" through the kindness and love of the people of the local church.
This is a big challenge and requires a quick attention from the local churches in South Africa.
The Challenge of Multiculturalism and Community
- What Is Real Community?
There must be a dream or vision in the Church in South Africa to see multicultural local churches develop across our country. Unless the Church in South Africa begins to dream and produce local churches that are multicultural in heart and spirit. There are five areas that will prove to be major challenges for any local church in South Africa that wants or dreams of being multicultural.
In the following section we will critically examine each challenge of multiculturalism in the context of local churches in South Africa.
