Abstract
The RCSA’s ‘missional standstill’ after 150 years: While the Reformed Churches in South Africa (hereafter RCSA) is looking back gratefully over the past 150 years, it is also compelled to reflect on its disparaging existence of the past 25 years. Several RCSA Synods have for some time, been paying close attention to comprehensive deputy reports on ‘falling membership numbers’. They also have made incisive decisions on, among other things, a ‘Conversion Strategy’, and recently on a ‘Church Growth Ministry’. The same reduction in numbers that degraded the Christian church within the Western culture to a post-Christendom reality, has also been identified in the RCSA. This article looks back in history and focuses, among other things, on the spiritual legacy of the RCSA. This legacy, from the historical and theological development of post-Reformational theology, and also from the Netherlands, influenced the church life of the RCSA in Southern Africa. This reflection is essential to really understand the current challenges of the RCSA in order to refocus its future biblical response to God’s call. It is clear that the RCSA will have to reform missiologically in order to face the new post-Christendom reality of our globalising world.
Highlights
Ongeveer 2000 jaar gelede het Jesus Christus die werklikheid van die koms van ’n nuwe koninkryk bekendgemaak (Matt 28:18)
Sonder die missionêre roeping is nie net die wese van die kerk in gedrang nie, maar is haar toekoms ook in die weegskaal
Spoelstra (1986:5) is daarvan oortuig dat die Rasionalisme van die agtiende eeu, tesame met Abraham Kuyper se filosofie van soewereiniteit in eie kring, asook die Wysbegeerte van die Wetsidee, die kerkbegrip onder hierdie neo-Calviniste in Nederland verwêrelds en vervlak het
Summary
Read online: Scan this QR code with your smart phone or mobile device to read online. This article looks back in history and focuses, among other things, on the spiritual legacy of the RCSA This legacy, from the historical and theological development of post-Reformational theology, and from the Netherlands, influenced the church life of the RCSA in Southern Africa. This reflection is essential to really understand the current challenges of the RCSA in order to refocus its future biblical response to God’s call. Ten spyte van hierdie duidelike opdrag is Floor (1990:99) van mening dat die Gereformeerde Kerke in Suid-Afrika (hierna GKSA) weinig bewus is van hierdie roeping.
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