Abstract
This article investigates the theoretical and practical effectiveness of the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa’s (URCSA) ministerial formation of the Northern Synod. The URCSA is part of the Reformed Movement (Calvinism) that was established by the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) of South Africa that mainly came from the Netherlands to establish itself in South Africa and later established ethnic churches called daughter churches into existence in terms of a racially designed formula. After many years of the Dutch Reformed Church missionary dominance, the URCSA constituted its first synod in 1994 after the demise of apartheid. It was only after this synod that the URCSA through its ministerial formation tried to shake off the legacy of colonial paternalism and repositioned itself to serve its members; however, it fell victim to new ideological trappings. This article is based on a study that traces some basic Reformed practices and how the URCSA Theological Seminary of the Northern Synod dealt or failed to deal with them in its quest for the ideal theological ministerial formation.
Highlights
The Reformed Tradition (Calvinism) was brought to South Africa mainly through the work of the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) in 16th
The Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa (URCSA) is part of the Reformed Movement (Calvinism) that was established by the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) of South Africa that mainly came from the Netherlands to establish itself in South Africa and later established ethnic churches called daughter churches into existence in terms of a racially designed formula
The following assumptions can be detected in the URCSA Northern Theological Seminary (NTS) ministerial policy as presented by its chairperson and leader Kritzinger in an article published in Missionalia under the heading: “Ministerial formation praxis in the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa: In search of inclusion and authenticity” in 2010
Summary
The Reformed legacy within the URCSA is found in its church polity which is expressed in the church order, synod acts, confessions, hymnals, liturgical and teaching manuals and other policy documents as espousing Calvin philosophy. It is for the reasons above that a deeper scrutiny of the URCSA NTS policy for ministerial formation is scrutinised hereafter It is the contention of the author of this article that any meaningful assessment of the theory and practice of the Reformed (missionaries) teaching into the life of African people ought to include theological education as it was the gateway into African customs and beliefs. The aim is to establish to what extent the Uniting Reformed Church in South Africa (URCSA), especially the Northern Theological Seminary (NTS) ministerial formation, has “rinsed itself from apartheid stains” and has stopped a veritable “colonization of brother by brother or liberal white compatriots” (Fanon 1963:61). The dehumanising conditions are still self- inherited from the colonized and practiced by “black on black” (Ilunga 1984:7)
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