Baptist identity and mission in a rainbow nation: Distilling imperatives from mixed-methods research within the Baptist Union of Southern Africa (1994–2012)

Desmond Henry,Cornel J.P Niemandt

doi:10.4102/hts.v71i2.2026

Desmond Henry, Cornel J.P Niemandt

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v71i2.2026

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Abstract

The Baptist Union of Southern Africa’s (hereafter BUSA) future is conspicuous unless it understands the context within which it ministers in our ‘rainbow nation’. As a union of churches, BUSA faces significant challenges that have been highlighted through a mixed methods research approach. Through many months of data collection at the Baptist Union archives, an online survey and informal interviews spanning many parts of South Africa, the researcher practically demonstrates the importance of the cumulative results for the future of BUSA. This article highlights, in overview fashion, a few of the major challenges that need to be urgently addressed in the light of BUSA’s historic ecclesiological presuppositions that have their roots in the missional ministry of Hugo Gutshe who saw each of his Baptist congregants as missionary, and expanded the influence of BUSA in South Africa.

Highlights

Setting the scene for researchThis article presents an analysis of the author’s doctoral research findings on the state of Baptist Union of Southern Africa (BUSA) in post-1994 South Africa through a process of mixed-methods research applied to BUSA’s local churches
It is important to note that there is a plurality of Baptists in South Africa, with a number of ‘denominational coverings’; the Baptist Union of Southern Africa (BUSA), the Baptist Convention of South Africa (BCSA) and the Baptist Association of South Africa (BASA), as well as various independent-type Baptist groups that are representative of this movement
The missional survey was electronically distributed among pastors and leaders of BUSA churches listed in the South African Baptist Handbook ([SABH] 2009–2010) and the results were collated and analysed further – especially in the light of data collected from BUSA archives and qualitative research

Summary

Introduction

Through many months of data collection at the Baptist Union archives, an online survey and informal interviews spanning many parts of South Africa, the researcher practically demonstrates the importance of the cumulative results for the future of BUSA. This article presents an analysis of the author’s doctoral research findings on the state of BUSA in post-1994 South Africa through a process of mixed-methods research applied to BUSA’s local churches.

Results

Conclusion