Windhoek as Centre of the Gennan Congregation
Missionaries and Politics in Namibia
The Rhenish Missionary Society came to the southern part of Namibia as part of Germany's colonial project. In this concept, there is no room for a distinction between the task of the Rhenish Missionary Society and the German colonial government.
The RMS and the Nama Leaders
The employment of many keenly observant Namas in white households contributed to the white man's realization of human weakness. Petrus joined the Spellmeyers in transporting the Witbooi who had been captured at Gibeon to Windhoek.
New Outlooks on Missions
Another factor that militated against the work of Christian missions was that the Western powers had twice plunged much of the world into destructive war. In this inspired interpretation of the Great Commission, the conversion of non-Christians became the immediate and even sole purpose of missions.
Research Design
- Problem Formulation
- Background Motivation
- Aims of the Dissertation
- Significance of the Research
- Sources of Information
- Scope and Limitations
The research shows that the RMS missionaries in Namibia have implemented the postponement of the ordination of the indigenous population with considerable success. The RMS deliberately spread colonialism among the indigenous people, instead of the liberating Word of God.
Ecclesiastical Departing Point
The Sources of Black Theology in Namibia
Such a presence of the church in such a context reveals the very nature of Jesus' power and authority. But the church possesses the power of the divine word and sacrament, which have been entrusted to the church.
Thesis Structure
My Lutheran heritage told me that we are dealing with a gracious God who could free himself from the grip of the law. It is a reflection on AMEC's continued journey on the road to self-determination in the wake of Namibia's independence in 1990.
Conclusion
In order to effectively analyze the activities of the Rhenish Missionary Society in Namibia between 1842 and 1946, it is important to place this study in its proper social, historical and political context. The following elements which form part of the context of this study are discussed in the following sections: general considerations, German colonization and conflict, the Mandate era, the Bondelswart rebellion, the period of black mobilization in the 1940s and 1950s, the history of the RMS in Namibia, the London Missionary Society , education under RMS, separate development of congregations and criticism of RMS policies.
General Considerations
Gennan Colonisation and Conflict in South West Africa
The Mandate Era
On behalf of the League of Nations, South Africa received full administrative powers and legislation over the territory. As an integral part of the Union of South Africa, it had the power to apply the laws of the Union of South Africa to the territory.
The Bondelswarts Rebellion
The total black power is estimated at 481,000, of whom 240,000 are involved in unproductive subsistence agriculture and 241,000 are employed in the white-owned sectors of the economy. This resistance was not only limited to the Nama and Herero, but also extended to the North in the latter part of German colonialism.
The Period of Black Mobilisation in the 1940's and1950's
The South African government responded with a military expedition and bombing of the Bondelswarts community using aircraft. The introduction of administrative structures in the various ethnic homelands was a further manifestation of the transformation of Namibia into an apartheid society.
The goal of the Rhenish missionaries in Namibia was the spread of Christianity among the pagans. Most pioneering work was carried out from 1842 onwards by members of the Rhenish Missionary Society.
The Significance of the Rhenish Mission Society in Namibia
Due to instability among the natives in the south of Namibia and the destruction of the missionary station at Warmbad in 1811, the LMS handed over missionary work to the RMS. Far from fulfilling its missionary goals, the Rhenish Missionary Society became deeply involved in the political situation in the country.
Education in the Rhenish Mission Society
On October 17, 1867, the Board of Directors of the Finnish Missionary Society had accepted an agreement to cooperate with the Rhenish Missionary Society. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in South West Africa, which arose from the work of the Rhenish Mission Society, was founded in 1957.
Separate Development of the Congregations
DELK's current headquarters are in Windhoek and the official language of the church is German. In the case of the two black Lutheran churches, their pastors receive their salaries from the congregations.
Critique of the Rhenish Mission Society 's Policies
The German missionaries themselves were divided on the question of ordination of the native leaders. In this way, the focus is on the historical background of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
The Historical Background of the African Methodist Episcopal Church
The African Methodist Episcopal Church in the USA
But the AME Church in the USA emerged as a protest against the inhuman treatment that the helpless people of African descent had to accept from the whites who were members of the St George Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Today, the AME Church has 18 active bishops and more than one million members throughout the 50 states in the U.S., Canada, South America, West Africa, South Africa and the West Indies.
The African Methodist Episcopal Church in South Africa
The first annual conference of the AMEC took place in 1897 in Queenstown, in the Eastern Cape. The AMEC in South Africa forms two districts of the American African Methodist Episcopal Church.
The African Methodist Episcopal Church in Namibia
As he was very interested in the church's social teaching, he read a lot about it. Since the training of local leaders was a priority during the schism, he asked for help from abroad and from AMEC in South Africa to help with the training of priests, teachers and other members of the laity.
Investigation into the Factors which led to the 1946 African Methodist
Diehl contradicted himself in the same interview in which he clearly spelled out the official policy of the Rhenish Missionary Society, initially to train the native staff as evangelists and teachers. During this period there were only chief evangelists in the districts, under the supervision of the German missionaries.
The Leading Figures in the African Methodist Episcopal Church
The Feeling of Loyalty of the Nama-speaking People Towards the
They made great sacrifices and were defeated in the face of the superior firepower of the Germans. In doing so, the RMS undermined the authority and leadership of the Witbooi tribal chief.
The African Methodist Episcopal Church Schism of 1946
A positive aspect on AMEC's side in Namibia is that they are not dependent on foreign funding. However, this venture of the RMS could not succeed as the accumulation of activities of the society was too much for the Namibian Christians.
The Issue of Ordination and the African Clergy in Southern Namibia
External Political Factors that Influenced the Schism
Problems between the German Leadership and African StaJJ
The Present Structure of the AMEC in Namibia
The AME Church is one of the few churches in Namibia that practices tent making. Currently, some of the AMEC ministers include school inspectors, teachers, businessmen, farmers and politicians.
Conclusion
The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the historical-chronological developments of the AMEC schism in Namibia. With its primary focus on the schism itself, this chapter hopes to strengthen the thesis on the events of the 1946 African Methodist Episcopal Church schism in Namibia.
The Rise of Ethiopian ism in South Africa
He asked the General Superintendent for a certificate of ordination in the Wesleyan Church and that he was leaving at his own request. 7. Two synods, black and white, with the continued presence of white ministers in leadership positions, for example, were to him an indicator of discriminatory practices in the Methodist Church.
The RMS and the Growth of the Christian Church among the Nama People
In 1903, the Peace Church of the Rhine Missionary Church was inaugurated in Windhoek with 526 members. Martial law during World War II after 1939 disrupted the early church development efforts of the Rhine Mission.
The RMS and the Nama Leaders Before 1946
This is so because the Ethiopian movement was already known in Namibia at the beginning of the twentieth century. The mission review of April 1905 reported that the leader of the Nama rebellion, Hendrik Witbooi was a Christian they trusted.
The RMS and the Nama Leaders: January - April 1946
The letter itself announcing the outbreak from RMS, signed by the Nama leaders in Keetmanshoop. The letter itself announcing the outbreak from RMS, signed by the Nama leaders in Keetrnanshoop.
The RMS and the Nama Leaders: May - July 1946
- May 1946
- June 1946
- July 1946
- The Immediate Aftermath of the Schism in 1946
37 Actual letter of notification of separation from RMS, signed by Nama leaders in Keetmanshoop. Actual letter of notice of dissociation from RMS, signed by Nama leaders in Keetmanshoop: Pastor P.A.
The 1955 Secession and the Oruuano Church
During the period 1905-1923 the RMS then became the political, social and religious home of the Herero people. They refused to become involved in the political and social aspirations of the Herero community.
The First Decade after the Schism
The first communication is a statement by Pastor Mayer who was the Superintendent of the RMS in the South, based in Gibeon. The second communication is a letter that refers to the effect of the AMEC split on the RMS congregations.
Self-determination and RMS Ideological Sentiments
He was very aware of the great demand for stronger participation in decision-making on the part of the indigenous population. The colonial regime viewed the indigenous population in terms of potential labor force in the country's industrial development.
The Institutional Effect of the Schism
The African Methodist Episcopal Church in Namibia and its
Early Ecumenical Actions in Namibia
In May 1964, the leaders of the two Lutheran churches signed the first joint memorandum to the South African government. The unity of the church increasingly became an expression of the unity of the Namibian people.
The Open Letter to the South African Government
The African students followed the Department of National Education syllabus, which was essentially the old Bantu education system. After publication of the open letter, “Several Finnish missionaries working among the Ovambos were expelled from Namibia.
The Organisation of the Local AMEC Schools in Southern Namibia
Dit bly die beleid van die Administrasie dat nie-blanke skole sodra moontlik oorgeneem word. Wat betref vry reiskaartjies eenmaal per jaar beveel die Departement aan dat die versoek sonder meer van die hand gewys word.
The Necessity for Cooperation during the Apartheid Era
The Namibian Churches' Alliance and the Rise of SWAPO
In the meantime, South Africa's 1964 Odendaal Report recommended the extension of the Bantustan program to South West Africa. He and Nujoma put enormous pressure on the South African government for its inhumane treatment of the indigenous population.
The Armed Struggle
The Namibian churches, especially the black churches, were very concerned about the political situation in the country. The historical context of Namibia has shown that God's Spirit and the voice of the Church strengthened the people and helped to frustrate the occupation of Namibia.
The African Methodist Episcopal Church Leadership in
Secondly, the strength of the AMEC in Namibia was also weakened by the Oruuano Schism of 1955. The Oruuano retained many of the general worship practices of the current church, but added a new and vibrant element.
Conclusion
It will also analyze the inability of the AMEC to produce an indigenous bishop in Namibia, and critically assess the work of the Church. It is now clear that in AMEC we are dealing with an aspect of the total transformation of Nama society.
The Establishment and Growth of the African Methodist Episcopal
Those who left the RMS and followed the AMEC were actually Nama people, mainly relatives of the schism's leaders, teachers and evangelists. Those who left the RMS and followed the AMEC were in fact Nama, mainly relatives of the leaders of the apostasy movement.
Rhenish Mission Society Reactions to the Newly Established
The question of the debate was: How was the education, training and formation of the indigenes insufficient to ordain them?. According to the RMS, the pay scale for the workers was for the evangelist five British pounds, for the chief evangelist 6 pounds and for the indigenous pastors 7 pounds.
The Decline of the Work Started by the AMEC in the Rest ofNamibia
The Roman Catholic mission began to work in Namibia at the beginning of the twentieth century. Most of the Herero speaking people who originally joined AMEC split from RMS and AMEC and formed the Oruuano church in 1955.
The Question of AMEC Membership
How does Visser'T Hooft's statement relate to AMEC's activities in its ecumenical context. The findings show that the AMEC break-up restored the dignity of the local clergy.
Poverty and Disease among the Nama People
Problems with African Leadership after the Schism
The Paulinum Theological Seminary in Namibia
The Paulinum Theological Seminary in Namibia was established by the RMS in 1866.19 This was the very first institution, which in 1963 was moved to Otjimbingwe to occupy the land and buildings of the United Lutheran Theological Seminary. Paulinum is the combined institution of the two Lutheran churches - ELCIN (Finnish tradition) and ELCRN (Rhenish.
By-laws and Code of Conduct
The Curriculum
Some of these students were also advisers to the AMEC leaders who led the split in 1946. Attendance at the school increased due to the activities of AMEC in southern Namibia, especially the activities of Rev.
The Relationship between the Newly Established AMEC and Other
The evidence presented in this study strongly points to the reluctance of the RMS to ordain native priests. THE INFLUENCE OF THE SCHISM ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE RHINE MISSIONARY SOCIETY AND THE GOVERNMENT.
Conclusion
The Arrival of the Missionaries
At the request of the RMS, Finnish Lutheran missionaries arrived in 1870 to help with missionary efforts. The genocidal reprisals of the German troops under General von Trotha resulted in the decimation of the Herero and.
The Invasion of Afrikanerdom
The Contemporary Situation and the Rhenish Mission Society
The Role Played by Churches in Namibia
The Deutsche Evangelische Lutheran Church in South
The Anglican Church
The RMS and Politics
Namibia and International Status
Consequences of the AMEC Schism
Conclusion
