Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
A recurring decreasing of membership in a congregation : a pastoral challenge
Dissertation (MTh Practical Theology)--University of Pretoria, 2022.
Saved in:
| Other Authors: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of Pretoria
2023
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867613513119170560 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author2 | Masango, Maake J.S |
| author_browse | Masango, Maake J.S |
| author_facet | Masango, Maake J.S |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | © 2022 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. |
| description | Dissertation (MTh Practical Theology)--University of Pretoria, 2022. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/89709 |
| institution | University of Pretoria (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:37:20.380Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| publishDateRange | 2023 |
| publishDateSort | 2023 |
| publisher | University of Pretoria |
| publisherStr | University of Pretoria |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| spelling | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/89709 A recurring decreasing of membership in a congregation : a pastoral challenge Masango, Maake J.S lmakhura@sars.gov.za Makhura, Louisa UCTD Pastoral Care Church Membership Declining Congregational Life Practical Theology Unemployment and Church Participation Positive Deconstruction Shepherding Ministry Theology theses SDG-01 Theology theses SDG-03 Theology theses SDG-10 Theology theses SDG-16 Theology theses SDG-17 Dissertation (MTh Practical Theology)--University of Pretoria, 2022. Gone are the days when Sunday was marked with different uniforms on the road across all directions. Now the people of God have deserted their fellowship with the Creator to follow their own ways. The proposed study seeks to investigate the incessant of unfaithful attending of church services on Sundays especially after the same priest has been deployed for more than two years in the congregation. This does not only hamper the church growth but breaks the relationship with God which sometime results to the stay in the shebeens, and the loss of human dignity. Therefore, the proposed study seeks to pastorally respond to the dwindling church that bunks church services for every two years and stay in the shebeens. The proposed study is qualitative in approach because it deals with social science, matched with a positive deconstruction technique in order to listen and treat the participants with respect. Therefore, the research methodology would be theological action research conducted in the form of a semi-structured interview to obtain data that would use for the better improvement of church life. The conclusion that was drawn was that offering, and tithing needed by the central office was causing a pressure to the congregants mainly the poor, which subsequently caused the division as the poor felt unwanted and excluded by the pastors. Another conclusion was that the causes for drinking were mainly linked with a high rate of unemployment as a result bunking the church Services on Sundays became the option for the poor people in Bela-Bela. As a result, the researcher and pastor will journey with the congregation, employing Pollard's theories, positive deconstruction, and Gerkin's shepherding to heal broken souls and return the congregation to the house of the Lord. The study concluded with findings and recommendations that will help the congregation change from a congregation that started out destitute and had no choice but to stop attending church, to a congregation that sees their situation as an opportunity to make a difference in the Bela-Bela community, particularly in the AME Church. ae2026 Practical Theology MTh (Practical Theology) Unrestricted SDG-01: No poverty SDG-03: Good health and well-being SDG-10: Reduced inequalities SDG-16: Peace, justice and strong institutions SDG-17: Partnerships for the goals 2023-02-21T07:13:10Z 2023-02-21T07:13:10Z 2023 2022 Dissertation MTh (Practical Theology) A2023 https://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/89709 Disclaimer Letter en © 2022 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria |
| spellingShingle | UCTD Pastoral Care Church Membership Declining Congregational Life Practical Theology Unemployment and Church Participation Positive Deconstruction Shepherding Ministry Theology theses SDG-01 Theology theses SDG-03 Theology theses SDG-10 Theology theses SDG-16 Theology theses SDG-17 A recurring decreasing of membership in a congregation : a pastoral challenge |
| title | A recurring decreasing of membership in a congregation : a pastoral challenge |
| title_full | A recurring decreasing of membership in a congregation : a pastoral challenge |
| title_fullStr | A recurring decreasing of membership in a congregation : a pastoral challenge |
| title_full_unstemmed | A recurring decreasing of membership in a congregation : a pastoral challenge |
| title_short | A recurring decreasing of membership in a congregation : a pastoral challenge |
| title_sort | recurring decreasing of membership in a congregation a pastoral challenge |
| topic | UCTD Pastoral Care Church Membership Declining Congregational Life Practical Theology Unemployment and Church Participation Positive Deconstruction Shepherding Ministry Theology theses SDG-01 Theology theses SDG-03 Theology theses SDG-10 Theology theses SDG-16 Theology theses SDG-17 |
| url | https://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/89709 |