I am grateful to the Global Joint Ministries of the United Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The new students are then welcomed and invited to the front of the church to be introduced.
6 admission to and the programme of the school. Only article 179 references in any way the purpose
7Previous Calls for a Study of MTS
8 The minutes from this Seminary Commission meeting then address the issues mentioned (above) in
9 were compiled and coded for use in writing the final report. The Commission‘s working papers
10The final report of the Commission included three pages of specific recommendations related to
REASON FOR VISIT
ANSWER
11not respected.12 These rules relate to the Board advising the Seboka regarding
12 response, and reflected that perhaps the seminary would benefit from input and study regarding its
His knowledge and concern for the life and work of MTS derives, it seems, from his love and continued involvement in the ministry of the Lesotho Evangelical Church. 14 often as ―sent‖) by Joint Global Ministries, a joint Global Mission of the United Church of.
14 often as ―envoys‖) by Common Global Ministries, a joint Global Mission of the United Church of
15 about community life, spiritual practices, and faithfulness are important and necessary barometers
16 community; involved elements of both theory and practice; and that its findings would have
18 participation by the members of the LEC involved in the important issues this research addresses
18participation of the members of the LEC involved in the important issues this research addresses. 19LEC, and six specific groups of people in the LEC who could answer the question with different or.
19 LEC, and six specific groups of people in the LEC that might come to the question with distinct or
21 My particular work of descriptive theology proceeded as a qualitative organisational case
It is my hope that the information gathered from each of the other five contextual categories, in addition to providing a context for presenting findings related to "Campus Life and the General Course of Study", will assist members of the Evangelical Church in Lesotho and any future researchers as they explore issues of denominational life. and theological education. 23 the current role of Mori Theological Seminary in the life and ministry of Lesotho.
23 the current role of Morija Theological Seminary within the life and ministry of the Lesotho
Chapter Two
During a brief introduction, they point to the seminary director's home, a white house just up the hill from the library. A few days later we get the telephone number of the seminar from our colleague Global Ministries and arrange to meet with the director of the seminar.
26 Casalis relates his memory of Moshoeshoe‘s physical appearance and dress, and then recounts
To my knowledge, we have no extant written account of either the meeting with Krotz or the first meeting with Casalis from Moshoeshoe's perspective. These were as complex and embedded in context as the issues and perceptions of the missionaries.
28 to trust in many of the practices of certain types of traditional doctors, and never to
This can be seen in much of the language used by Casalis and others in the early and mid-nineteenth century, and is present in Lesotho well into the twenty-first century. This book tells the exciting story of our venture in Lesotho to plant the Church of the Nazarene.
30 bringing the riches of God to the spiritually impoverished, that the gospel is truly
On the coast the same transformation took place; wide streets, excellent shops, an observatory and an exchange office, now adorn the former abodes of jackals and hyenas (1997, 7). Casalis here seems to connect his own sense of the importance and immensity of his initial journey from Western Europe to southern Africa, playing on his European readers' preconceptions of Africa as the "mysterious land of Ham" and the "terrible jackals." and a hyena.” Perhaps his dramatic fervor exaggerates reality.
32 participate in relationships with Africans. They did, from their own limited viewpoints and
Mohapeloa repeats over and over the question of whether the Basotho are "real" or "nominal" Christians in the church as she tells the story of the church movement from her mission days. Willoughby, "Relation of the Missionary to Native Customs," in Report on the Proceedings of the Third General Missionary Conference for South Africa (Cape Town, 1909), p.
34 Today the question is whether the Native must become a European before becoming
The question should not be whether one is a Mosoto or a Christian, but what it means to be a Mosoto Christian or a Christian Mosoto. It should be emphasized that although the Basot had a clear moral code, they nevertheless had no organized religion.
36 they were presented under such a mean exterior that the spectator imagined them to
Moseme, director of the seminary for over twenty years, holds a Doctorate of Ministry from Louisville Theological Seminary in the United States of America. 42 I have tried to briefly discuss some of the prepositions that are part of this thesis - including.
In this respect, we have never pretended to speak for or represent South Tswana, whatever that may mean in the fraught political world of South Africa, past or present. Sometimes in the active voice, sometimes in the passive, sometimes through their embodied practices.
Chapter Three
46 The classrooms have tales to tell, as well. Samplings from their walls include old
Education for Christian living and leadership has played an important role in the life of the Lesotho Evangelical Church. In response to the prejudices present in the writings and thoughts of the 'white missionaries' and those who came after them, N.
50 Cranmer Matsa, from an outstation of the Morija parish (and listed as the most intelligent of the
50 Cranmer Matsa, from an outpost of Morija parish (and listed as the most intelligent in the parish). Job Moteane's turn came on September 6 of the same year in Morija.
52 write that over the twenty-nine years of its existence, under the direction of Krüger, Dieterlen, and
The political situation in Lesotho and race relations in southern Africa concerned some missionaries. God, the message was, required Church members to strengthen their faith, love, and devotion.
54 missionaries had been involved in leadership at the very top of nearly every crucial institution of
Martin reports that some of the pupils of the school spoke ill of their school, and that they tried hard to instill a spirit that the school was a bad school. In a number of letters and reports, beginning in September 1969, the Director of the school, Michel Bernard, fellow instructors and Board members respond to a situation in which the two remaining students of the school decided to cancel the classes of some boycott. of the instructors (only apparently expatriate instructors).
56 and that, though he does not have proof of where the sentiments are coming from, it seems that the
Director‖ was consistently used as the title for the head of the seminary while I was there from 2003-2007. At this time I would like to remind the Board of the request to E.C.
Chapter Four
My research on whether and how the Morija Theological Seminary prepares leaders who can, will and actually "participate fully in the further mission of our Lord Jesus Christ" closely examined the language and practices of community in the life of the seminary and the contextual outlines in the life of the Church and the communities it serves. Centering any of the other twelve categories would of course provide further avenues for investigation and further reveal the wider discussion of ministry in the Evangelical Church of Lesotho.
64 and concerns. Though other researchers might (would!) have asked other questions and focussed
I was interested in finding out if and how the field education program was serving the students and the local congregations, and if there were any discernible areas for improvement or concern. As with other areas of the curriculum, one important question centered on how the field education.
66 experience was designed in concert with the rest of the curriculum to provide the students with a
The experience was designed in conjunction with the rest of the curriculum to provide students with a... The Undisputed Epistles of Paul, as well as the disputed and non-Pauline Epistles, address many of the same issues, and more, as certain communities of faith work to receive and understand the Good News of Jesus as Christ while interacting. with their context – the social worlds in which they are embedded.
68 Niebuhr‘s concern with culture (and, of course, many, many others), Christians have been
With a reported prevalence of 31% (UNAIDS estimates) in a population of approximately 2.2 million people, HIV/AIDS is a crisis of enormous proportions. The revised estimate for prevalence among adults (15-49 years) for South Africa in 2001 was. Despite revised estimates indicating a lower prevalence among adults than previously thought, the two countries where the LEC has parishes remain two of the world's nations. with the highest HIV prevalence per capita, and HIV and AIDS remain issues of extreme importance to those preparing for and participating in ministry in Lesotho and South Africa.
70 When the first AIDS case was diagnosed in Lesotho in 1986, it was seen as a disease
Moseme, the director of MTS, to participate in a "Training of Trainers" event on HIV and AIDS in the theological curriculum, sponsored by the World Council of Churches. My work as HIV and AIDS Coordinator included education throughout the LEC; write grants; to form partnerships with national and international NGOs, government agencies and ecumenical and interfaith organisations; testing and counseling (I had been trained and certified by the government of Lesotho).
72 My inquiries throughout the LEC regarding HIV and AIDS and theological education at
Each of the six contextual categories outlined above was an integral part of the research program I conducted within the LEC. The questionnaire was divided into sections related to the six contextual categories of the research design.
76 type transcripts of the interviews.86 Each interview lasted approximately one hour. Students
Priests can provide diachronic information about seminary life as they recall and share their impressions of their various years at MTS. My spouse Susan (also teaching at MTS), I'm sure, was one of the seven respondents.
78 education has impacted their ability to serve faithfully in the contexts in which they minister
Participants gave their names and consent verbally, and transcriptions were made from the digital recordings of the conversations. The transcripts were prepared, reviewed, and approved, and each participant kept a copy of the transcripts for their interview.
80 Additional EC information comes from occasional letters and interactions between the EC and me,
Chapter Five
Many of the issues I present and address are evident in most of my interview conversations and are corroborated by documents, observations, and off-the-record conversations. For the similar item in the student questionnaire, "Living at Morija Theological Seminary is beneficial to my course of study," of the twenty-one (21) students surveyed in that article, eighteen (18), or 86%, responded "5 - - Completely agree.‖.
86 J: Some of my early research showed me that when students arrived here they
All ten students interviewed and eight out of ten pastors interviewed indicated that the seminary had not turned out to be what they had expected prior to their arrival on campus. The behavior of the students, especially the behavior of the students was the one that was completely different from my expectations.
88 P: Let me say I had an understanding that the people, the students in the
Addressing both is critical to the academic and spiritual development of the seminary. The communication between the EC and the MTS management board is also not the best.
I would say that if the leader works...consolidates their power by making sure that he has these little groups fighting each other to bring all the information to him or her, then people start doing it.
94 M:103[Translation]
They may have communicated in their own ways their versions of "communities-of-faith-and-learning" (Dykstra), as presented in chapters 1 and 4 (above), and "redemptive communities" (Farley), as presented in chapter four (above). However, some students and priests found that not only was MTS not as "holy" as they had expected, it was worse, in some ways, than the villages they had come from.
96 L: People are not sharing things and others are blaming others and all the bad
Worship participants include all TS and BS students, and often include their family members, instructors, and the Seminary Director. Worship always takes place in the seminary chapel and is the most frequent and formal occasion for the gathering of the seminary community.
98 (S 10.1; Limakatso; 145-146; 29-52)
Moseme changed the "welcome" part of the service and decided to list the names of the new students, give them short words of welcome to the seminary and lead the congregation in applause to welcome them. Whether the missionary had difficulty adjusting to the lifestyle and culture of the host country.
100 responses involving the atmosphere at the seminary were fostered during services of worship in the
100 responses that encompassed the atmosphere in the seminary were prompted during worship services at. So as time went on in seminary, worship and hymns especially helped lift your spirits.
102 R: Because I can make the example, Ntate, this thing we are doing in here
Sometimes we are so busy in seminary that we don't even think to go to church. We're busy with our homework and, or maybe we're busy with something in college, but we're forced to go to church.
108 J: Are there oth---how else can you show them? Do you use your face or your
M: [sigh] When I first came to the seminary, you were taken to the director or to the prefects or you will be marked in the homiletics class. But later people would just say words in the chapel if you make a mistake.
110 M: …because they were not expecting such behaviour in the chapel
But I always say, “Yes, you really gave it a good try.” I still use the same words I used with you. So, in a sense, “Because I am the one teaching you how to lead worship.
112 Though the Director of the Seminary recalls that the students alone instigated the change,
114 If this is the word used by Moseme, and the word spoken during the interview (the recording seems to clearly indicate ―sephoqo‖), the meaning is reminiscent of the village jester or fool. 114 notes the ongoing issue of the nature of the in-chapel criticism, and the presence of the Director of.
114 note the constant issue of the nature of the in-chapel critiques, and the presence of the Director of
Well, let me ask more about what it's like to live here and then we'll move on to classes and other things. When you go to worship here at the seminary, you find that worship is helpful for your spiritual growth.
116 J: But have you heard the director say that?
So do you have any suggestions on how worship can be better or do you think it is okay for us to just practice worship. Then the second time was when he told us we were going to have a couple of sermons and a sermon, you have to do this and this and whatever and the introduction to just his topic.
120 L: But what he normally refers to is that at school we get the information from
Adoration, then, when used to refer to the event that takes place eleven times a week in the seminary chapel, is a euphemism meaning, "practice for leading the liturgy of the Church, carried out in fulfillment of the requirements for Homiletics". , worship and liturgy courses taught by the Seminary Director.‖ All of the MTS students, pastors, and instructors I spoke with were clear that the church services at MTS were an extension of the classroom exercises associated with the teaching of Homiletics and Liturgy. However, what seems inappropriate to the task of forming the workshop is the process of critique, described by all participants, which focuses the thoughts of the "worshipper" on seeing and hearing the faults of the worship leaders.
122 Moseme‘s comments here highlight both the more formalised expectations for public worship and
Reading the Word of God is in itself a healing medicine for the overworked heart. Therefore, the reader of the Word of God must read it in such a way that it becomes self-evident to the ears of the hearer.
124 It is, then, for Calvin, at least, the Spirit of God that provides the ―inward persuasion‖ that allows
J: …and the hymns, but maybe you could have had another time where you could really just worship as yourself. You are there to worship, that you are going to pray and during Easter, before the Easter holidays, we used to be there and I wish we could feel a little better.
126 T: Yeah, but many times it‘s their mistakes
And so if the worship services were not spiritually edifying, where did you find time or place during your five years at the seminary to pray and worship God, to really worship God.
128 May I start first of my expectations I did expect that people were praying every hour
WORSHIP LIFE
Opportunities for worship are offered eleven times a week as students and their families lead morning and evening chapel. 130 The description of ―Worship Life‖ in the Student Handbook and the actual practice of worship at.
130 The description of ―Worship Life‖ in the Student Handbook and the actual practice of worship at
His proposal and the proposals of others focus, in addition to the worship life of the seminary, on the provision of pastoral care for the students. 132 the purpose of taking care of spiritual matters in the students' lives, was recorded in a report by.
132 the purpose of attending to spiritual issues in the lives of the students, was recorded in a report of
The counseling groups described in the Student Handbook were conducted in three of the four years I served as a seminar instructor. In each of the three years in which they were conducted, they were initiated by the director, who assigned the students to faculty members.
134 Counselling Groups to report directly to him about all things that were said and done at the
Q6: Since pastoral subjects are taught by different instructors, they can better say whether the provision of pastoral care to students is sufficient. While some felt that pastoral care opportunities existed – mostly in the person of the Director of the Seminary or of one of the instructors – others felt that pastoral care provision was lacking.
136 J: When you were at the seminary and I‘m trying to remember, I think you told
When you were in seminary, did you feel like there was someone you could go to for pastoral care? If you needed pastoral care, was there someone in the seminary community you could go to who would keep the faith and shepherd you.
138 L: I think that is important. That should be practiced in the theological school
But you felt you could go to the lecturers and they would keep secrets and help you. Do you think you could go to pedagogues now if you needed pastoral care?
140 (S 4.6; Lerato; 48; 209-225)
One of the things I asked on the questionnaire was, “Do you feel like you had access to confidential pastoral care while you were in seminary?” Among those who reported accessing care and confidential pastoral care options, the seminary director or faculty appeared to represent the usual providers of said pastoral care.
144 system for the provision of pastoral care for the students at MTS would benefit both staff people,
Community Life
And the other most important things we feel, if we train future leaders of the church, they must be really prayerful people. Because of the desire for an opportunity for communal worship and prayer at MTS, a small group of students started an evening prayer group.
146 Not everyone on campus chose to participate, and a small core group of about seven people
A member of that prayer group informed me that as part of discussions with the Seminary Director about the prayer group, the Director had told members of the group not to "associate with the whites on campus anymore." Again, the student asked me to please not discuss this with the principal. I decided that since I would not be able to speak openly with the director of the Seminary and continue to maintain trust with the students, I would refrain from starting a conversation with anyone about this prayer group.
148 Again, I said, ―Why?‖
In fact, self-motivated attempts at a community spiritual experience on the part of the students were systematically destroyed. Hooker presented the part of his report above, the Director of the Seminary called out that Rev.
150 the students themselves, I will likely never know.139 This issue was never discussed by the
The power of the liturgy to which each of these theologians refers is, I believe, related to two important characteristics of the liturgy. Second, the liturgy is strongly formative because of its reference: the history of the Christian faith.
152 The term should convey an inherently circular phenomenon: the purpose of
This overt appeal to God's authority in the form of "worship" reinforces the reproduction of the sensibilities and values represented in the attitudes and behaviors described by students and former students, teachers, former teachers, and administrators. 154 aspect of the ritual is short-circuited, creating a point of reference that may not be in first-century Judea.
154 aspect of the ritual is short-circuited, creating a reference point not, perhaps, in first century Judea,
Perceptions and understandings about the nature of campus governance are influenced by the broader CEC governance structure. The Synod Committee can call the meeting of the Synod at any time, if necessary (Constitution of the CEC.
156 The Theological School is provided for in part (b) of Chapter 16 of the LEC Constitution. Article
In addition, with regard to "curriculum and student activities", the school's committee has now been designated a "commission" - a designation that suggests a purely advisory capacity. In addition, because the Church Assembly approves budgets for all ecclesiastical institutions, the School Committee has limited discretion in relation to buildings and grounds.
158 6.4.1 Communication
The seminary staff were said to be “unqualified” and students were given a “certificate of attendance” on graduation rather than diplomas (Maphutseng Presbytery). Based on all the relevant information, which was based on a thorough investigation of the issue, the Seminary Council had no choice but to dismiss the above-mentioned students.
160 numerous to reproduce here, these records indicate ongoing frustrations, hopelessness, and even
Because they are all from the seminary and now that they are out, they would like to get into the seminary through students. They'll - if I hate somebody who was teaching in the seminary at that time and he's still there, I'd like to fight him with students using students.
162 J: I see
Only the Church Executive Committee selects instructors for the seminary. We are only represented by the secretary of the board, who is the director of the seminary.
168 communications they receive. This makes for an incredibly inefficient system for external
M. MOSEME
Professor Sebatane told me that the Council had not seen any of the letters in question, had not discussed my research and that Dr. had not asked. You told me that you do not recall the Council being informed by Ntate Moseme of the letter from the Executive Committee (dated January 30, 2007) directing the.
170 Board to meet with me and receive my research findings. You further shared that
It is – because he is the secretary of the board, at the same time he is the link between the board and --- hmm. 172 J: …and one of the things that I would like to suggest and I would like yours.
172 J: …and one of the things that I would like to suggest, and I‘d like to get your
The Chair of the Board of Trustees clearly assumes that there is (or should be) collaboration at the faculty level regarding field education practices. And they noticed the advantages of students as far as the ministry was concerned.
178 M: The reports from the parishes…
Perhaps one of the important functions of my research design and implementation was the way in which it attempted to access information and opinions within and between these different groups in a way that was somewhat unmediated by the Seminary Director. 161 Each report to Seboku is written in its entirety by the director, and then signed by both the director and the chairman of the board.
180 This communication difficulty between the Faculty, Board, and EC has been discussed by
Pastor questionnaire item 10 (in ―Campus Life and General Course of Study‖) contains the statement: ―I found the system of campus government (administration, Prefects) useful for campus life.‖. Four (4) of these included a response to item 10.167 Of the four (4) responses to this item, two (2) marked "Unsure" and two (2) marked "Somewhat Agree". MTS instructors were less positive about the system of campus management, with only one instructor responding.
184 The standard could be improved that students who come should at least have
She also seems to believe that the seminary director was not always aware of the prefects' decisions and actions. 171 At the bottom of page four of the MTS Student Handbook is the bold sentence: 'ALL RULES APPLY TO ALL STUDENTS AND ALL PREFECTS.' Perhaps this is a response to the idea that Carol suggests, that prefects seem to have forgotten 'they are still students'. .‖.
188 C: Yes, Ntate
But you mentioned two things: to organize things the right way, and then also if someone has done something wrong, to meet with him and the director. But sometimes it was the director who took the initiative to call the prefect.
190 J: And overall, do you think, without that problem, do you think the prefect
L: [pause] Yes, because I think, I want to be honest in this, because I think some of the things are not taken by the prefects. He would have left this kind of government in the hands of the prefects, so that sometimes they could even make their own decisions about some of them.
192 things. But for maybe for difficult things that are not easily solved, they can go and
Pene is very clear that the Prefects, instead of representing the students, represent the interests of the Director of the Seminary. He refers to the Director of the Seminary as a ―tyrant‖ [sic] and someone involved in s.
194 P: Yes, that is the real danger because we‘ve had such type of students who, at
