Theological reflections on the ministerial challenges of the Dutch Reformed Church in Africa in the Orange Free State in post-apartheid South Africa

Khamadi J Pali

doi:10.4102/hts.v73i2.4666

Abstract

The Dutch Reformed Church in Africa (DRCA) is one of the Dutch Reformed family churches. It was established for the black Africans by the Dutch Reformed Church in the early 20th century. The contemporary situation in the DRCA is such that it is struggling with two issues: historical and contemporary ministry challenges. The challenges are growing at an alarming rate that soon the church may find itself in a crisis situation. This article uses the DRCA Orange Free State (OFS) as a case study. The research question is as follows: What is the theological reflection on the ministerial challenges of the DRCA OFS in the post-apartheid South Africa? The Practical Theological Interpretation theory of Osmer is used to analyse the situation in the DRCA OFS.

Highlights

The Dutch Reformed Church in Africa1 (DRCA) is one of the members of the Dutch Reformed family of Churches in South Africa together with the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC, for the Afrikaners), the Dutch Reformed Mission2 Church (DRMC, for the mixed race), and the Reformed Church in Africa (RCA, for the Indians) (DRCA Orange Free State (OFS),3 Church Order 2003b:7, Article 2)
The name DRCA was adopted after a merger of the four churches established for black Africans by the DRC on 7 May 1963 in Seeisoville, Kroonstad, in the Free State province of South Africa (DRCA OFS, Church Order 2003b:6, Preamble)
DRCA OFS is one of the mainline and African churches. It displays to a great extent many of the challenges that the African mainline and the mission churches have

Summary

Introduction

The Dutch Reformed Church in Africa (DRCA) is one of the members of the Dutch Reformed family of Churches in South Africa together with the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC, for the Afrikaners), the Dutch Reformed Mission Church (DRMC, for the mixed race), and the Reformed Church in Africa (RCA, for the Indians) (DRCA OFS, Church Order 2003b:7, Article 2). The name DRCA was adopted after a merger of the four churches established for black Africans by the DRC on 7 May 1963 in Seeisoville, Kroonstad, in the Free State province of South Africa (DRCA OFS, Church Order 2003b:6, Preamble). Those churches are the DRMC4 in the OFS, the DRMC in Transvaal, the Dutch Reformed Bantu Church in South Africa and the DRMC in Natal (DRCA OFS, Church Order 2003b:6, Preamble). According to Crafford (1982:149, 158, 173, 245, 564), prior to 1994, the DRCA had eight regional synods, namely the DRCA OFS (established on 9 March 1910 in Bloemfontein); the DRCA in Transvaal (established on 2 March 1932 in Johannesburg), which was later on 27 April 1964 divided into the DRCA in Northern Transvaal and the DRCA in Southern Transvaal regional synods; the DR Bantu Church in South Africa in Western Cape (established on 7 November 1951 in Molteno, Western Cape); the DRCA in Natal (established on 30 October 1952 in Ladysmith); the

Objectives

Conclusion