Urban poverty as a challenge for ministry within the Malawian context

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation develops a theory for doing Malawian urban ministry called Holistic hermeneutical practical theology. The effects of urbanization: secularization, disorientation, poverty and pollution in Malawi's urban centers make it difficult for the CCAP to implement successful ministry that deals with the shantytowns' circumstances. Chapter one: The first chapter describes the Malawian urban context. It defines the five components of the researcher's topic of study: Urban poverty as a challenge for ministry within the Malawian (African) context and the three components of the methodology: Holistic hermeneutical practical theology. Four relational hypotheses are formulated to guide the study. Different research methods applied to gathering information for chapters of this dissertation are documented at the end of this chapter. Chapter two: The second chapter examines the CCAP's existing ministry practice and addresses the first hypothesis: Its rural background and theory of ministry prevent the CCAP from developing an effective urban ministry that adequately addresses the problems of the poor. The missionaries introduced a comprehensive ministry approach to the early leaders of the CCAP Nkhoma Synod. In the process of blending the missionary approach to ministry in the local Chewa context, a philosophy of ministry that emphasizes spiritual salvation (neglecting the physical needs) was developed in the CCAP Nkhoma Synod. This approach poses a problem for the Church to adequately address the physical needs and realities of Malawians in the cities. Chapter three: The third chapter discusses the poverty situations of Malawian and South African shantytowns and slums and is the result of research conducted in order to examine the validity of the four hypotheses. The responses of the groups interviewed were helpful for an understanding of the current congregational challenges and ministry opportunities in urban areas. This chapter addresses issues of this thesis positively: research objectives, the population growth data of urban inter-censal, a brief historical description of Malawian cities, the government efforts to address urban challenges and problems, the CCAP ministry approach to urban ministry, and a brief description of two South African poverty scenarios. The research reveals that the church and the government work independently of each other. In this way the validity of the third hypothesis: A holistic approach to urban ministry with joint forums for development is needed to address urban poverty problems, is confirmed. Chapter four: This chapter describes the extent of poverty in Malawi, which is most disturbing. The recent studies on Malawian poverty indicate that the poverty scenario is a pervasive problem affecting approximately 60% of the population; urban poverty, in particular, is 65%. Furthermore, chapter four discusses a number of issues, some of which are: a description and Christian views of the poor, an overview definition of urban poverty, the causes of poverty and the vocation of the urban church. The cities' informal economies can make a huge difference in the lives of the poor. All of the four hypotheses form the background to this chapter. Chapter five: Chapter five examines four different approaches of the urban ministry in poverty areas. The purpose of this chapter is to understand the approaches of current work in poverty areas. Various approaches are discussed: community organization, effective congregationally based advocacy ministries, a liberation model, and a church in solidarity with the poor and oppressed. This chapter repeatedly confirms the first and the fourth hypotheses. Chapter six: In this chapter the theory of a holistic, hermeneutical practical theology is applied to a number of activities called pillars, juxtapositioning it with the four hypotheses. This is presented as a model for doing urban ministry in Malawian (African) cities. In the process of describing or developing the model, the four hypotheses - that have already been thoroughly proved and discussed - now serve as orientation markers pointing the CCAP towards its future role in urban ministry. The model emphasizes a hermeneutic-communicative praxis, which makes it constantly concerned with understanding the Christian meaning produced in the past, and relating it to interaction with the present-day faith community. Thus, the church in urban Malawi will address the challenges presented by the effects of urbanization and industrialization. The model's ten pillars are discussed: i) ministry in a new era and context, ii) urban ministry among the poor requires community participation, iii) proclaiming the Gospel in word and deed, iv) Christian faith development, v) urban evangelism, vi) effective pastoral care, vii) the need to build faith communities, viii) the need to equip the urban mission, ix) moving towards ecumenical alliances in African cities, and x) the importance of congregational studies. Chapter seven is a summary and conclusion of the dissertation. It discusses issues of this thesis positively: orientation of the study hypotheses, congregational study methods used in each chapter, the study's path and results, the contribution the study has made to the existing knowledge, and the conclusion of the whole dissertation. Urbanization is Africa's new missionary challenge for this century. The Christian task in Africa is the mission of the continent, which is in the process of rapid urbanization. If the church delays its adaptation to the urban context (the theories of which are changing constantly) it will forsake her strategic mission of being a foreign body in the world, where the old and new overlap in her, rendering her too early for heaven and too late for the earth.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University