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Exploring the role of the church in sustainable development : a case study of the relief and Development Department of the Church of Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) Nkhoma Synod
Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 1974.
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613850565607424 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Saka, Arnold Kalemba |
| author2 | Bowers Du Toit, Nadine |
| author_browse | Bowers Du Toit, Nadine Saka, Arnold Kalemba |
| author_facet | Bowers Du Toit, Nadine Saka, Arnold Kalemba |
| author_sort | Saka, Arnold Kalemba |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 1974. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/131901 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:42:41.823Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/131901 Exploring the role of the church in sustainable development : a case study of the relief and Development Department of the Church of Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) Nkhoma Synod Saka, Arnold Kalemba Bowers Du Toit, Nadine Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Practical Theology and Missiology. Sustainable development -- Religious aspects -- Christianity -- Malawi Human ecology -- Religious aspects -- Malawi Economic development -- Religious aspects -- Christianity -- Malawi UCTD Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 1974. ENGLISH SUMMARY: Development that is sustainable in nature and which attempts to “balance the social and economic needs of present and future human generations with the imperative of preserving or preventing undue damage to, the natural environment” is key (Kulik, 2024). Both on the broader continent of Africa, and in the context of Malawi, many development projects have faced the challenge of sustainability due the exploitation of natural resources and a failure to consider the fact that local people must participate, be empowered and own the projects in order for long term sustainability to occur. This thesis also observes the fact that development in Malawi is mainly donor funded and, as such, donors dictate the direction in which they want their money to be utilized. It is this kind of scenario that is argued as robbing the local people of Malawi of the motivation to own their own projects and become self-reliant. As a result, this thesis finds that when donors withdraw aid or leave the projects under their care, development is not sustainable. Unfortunately, the church has not been spared this challenge and this study, therefore, seeks to explore the issue of sustainability with reference to a case study of the Nkhoma Synod Relief and Development Department (NRD), which is the department that the Synod of Nkhoma designated to carry out relief and developmental. The study begins with a discussion on the rampant nature of poverty in Malawi and its causes. The causes range from physical, social, mental and spiritual. In this study, it is argued that the church should be seen as a catalyst of development owing to its very nature and calling. While the study shows how instrumental the Synod of Nkhoma has been in the development of poor and marginalized groups through projects such as: agro-forestry, a diaconal program, “share a goat” and “women in economic empowerment”, it also argues that improper training offered to the beneficiaries of the projects and over dependency on donor aid resulted in a lack of sustainability in the long term. The sad consequence was the closure of the department following the withdrawal of donor funding. The study concludes by making recommendations to the Synod with regards to revitalizing the department and finding sustainable ways of funding the department as well as to the government of Malawi at large with regards to issues of development and sustainability. Masters 2025-04-08T08:30:31Z 2025-04-08T08:30:31Z 2024-12 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/131901 Stellenbosch University xiii, 118 pages ; includes annexures application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Sustainable development -- Religious aspects -- Christianity -- Malawi Human ecology -- Religious aspects -- Malawi Economic development -- Religious aspects -- Christianity -- Malawi UCTD Saka, Arnold Kalemba Exploring the role of the church in sustainable development : a case study of the relief and Development Department of the Church of Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) Nkhoma Synod |
| title | Exploring the role of the church in sustainable development : a case study of the relief and Development Department of the Church of Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) Nkhoma Synod |
| title_full | Exploring the role of the church in sustainable development : a case study of the relief and Development Department of the Church of Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) Nkhoma Synod |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the role of the church in sustainable development : a case study of the relief and Development Department of the Church of Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) Nkhoma Synod |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the role of the church in sustainable development : a case study of the relief and Development Department of the Church of Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) Nkhoma Synod |
| title_short | Exploring the role of the church in sustainable development : a case study of the relief and Development Department of the Church of Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) Nkhoma Synod |
| title_sort | exploring the role of the church in sustainable development a case study of the relief and development department of the church of church of central africa presbyterian ccap nkhoma synod |
| topic | Sustainable development -- Religious aspects -- Christianity -- Malawi Human ecology -- Religious aspects -- Malawi Economic development -- Religious aspects -- Christianity -- Malawi UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/131901 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sakaarnoldkalemba exploringtheroleofthechurchinsustainabledevelopmentacasestudyofthereliefanddevelopmentdepartmentofthechurchofchurchofcentralafricapresbyterianccapnkhomasynod |