The Mission Christianity In South Africa Religion Essay

Kritzinger ( 1988:33 ) explains mission as a controversial subject in which the term is questioned as it can non be taken for granted that people mean the same thing when they speak about “ mission ” . Therefore every Christian has his or her ain apprehension of the word “ mission ” . The writer presupposes that there is a narrow and a wide position of mission. The narrow position is regarded as a definition whereby there is merely involvement in the religious redemption of the evildoer. This position of mission is hence concerned with sermon, witnessing and announcement thereby prosecuting unwritten, ocular and audio- ocular communicating methods. All mission activity harmonizing to this position is so directed towards the ultimate end of change overing people to the Lord Jesus ( discipling ) every bit good as the planting and growing of populating local churches. In decision of this position we can see that mission is evangelism or the communicating of the good intelligence of redemption to those outside the church. The advocates of the broader position feel that the above position is but one aspect of mission even if it is an indispensable dimension. Harmonizing to the broader position mission encompasses and addresses the whole of life, psyche and organic structure. Therefore mission will besides include facets of service in every twenty-four hours life. And to this terminal we see that the mission had to be practiced in word and title. In South Africa particularly we can follow modern medical services, schools and other indispensable endeavors back to the work of the missionaries reacting to the demands of the state of affairs.

Saayman in Prozesky ( 1990:28 ) nevertheless gives us the other side of the coin refering Mission Christianity in South Africa. From the oncoming Saayman takes issue with the missional attempt in South Africa whereby he feels that Christianity in South Africa was more concerned about conforming to society than approximately transforming it. He besides feels that the mission in South Africa identified with the Western forms. Saayman ( Prozesky 1990:31 ) besides quotes Majeke in the point made by her viz. : ” That the whole missional attempt in South Africa can be interpreted as the method by which the ultimate purpose was to present capitalist economy in South Africa.

Against this background we can see that the assorted writers had different positions on what Mission Christianity was besides approximately and with this in head we foremost look into the enlargement of Mission Christianity in South Africa.

2. The enlargement of Mission Christianity in South Africa

As we already know Mission Christianity refers to the version of Christianity brought by missionaries. And now we need to happen out who these missionaries were and how they expended their missional activities into the assorted races in South Africa.

As we start this subdivision of the assignment it is of import to take attentiveness of Saayman ‘s ideas in Prozesky ( 1990:24 ) amongst others. Here we think particularly about his remark that from the really get downing all churches and mission societies that became involved in mission in South Africa tended to organize their missional attempts along racial lines.

It is besides of extreme importance to advert the province of Mission Christianity in South Africa here. Harmonizing to Dr. Khathide ‘s Missiology notes ( 2010:55 ) we are one time once more reminded that the first European seamans landed at the Cape in the 15th century in hunt of a trade or sea path to the East. These Dutch seamans were besides under direction by the Dutch East Indian Company and their authorities of 1622 to advance and protect public faith which at that clip was the Reformed orthodoxy. This was the spiritual policy that would determine the character of the societal construction at the Cape and find the nature of the slave trade in the part until its abolishment in 1834.

Villa-Vicencio in the Missiology category notes ( 2010:6 ) goes farther and explains to us that Reformed Orthodoxy at the Cape was further strengthened by the reaching of the Gallic Huguenots at the Cape in 1689. They were absorbed into the Dutch Settler Community. De Mist, the Cape Commissioner issued a Church Order in 1804 which permitted the pattern of other spiritual beliefs. This liberalization led to the Jews merely constructing a Synagogue in 1841 and Islam was merely confined to the slaves. However before this policy was enacted Christian Missionaries like the Moravian George Schmidt had already started working chiefly among the Khoikhoi. At this clip we find that Schmidt ‘s work among the Khoikhoi had earned him the anger of the DRC curate in the Cape who saw what he was making as a misdemeanor of Reformed Orthodoxy. The opposition from the Company Officials who feared that independent Khoikhoi folds could sabotage their legal power. Schmidt instead left the Cape than subjecting to the authorities ‘s control. This in bend led to the practical disappearing of mission work

from the Cape for about 50 old ages. The Moravians returned to Baviaanskloof shortly before 1792. And although the Dutch Settlers ‘ reaction was negative the DRC mission work had already started among the Khoikhoi.

The South African Missionary Society was partially established by M. C. Vos who worked within the church. The major missional urge nevertheless came from the London Missionary Society, a non-denominational enterprise which emerged from the Evangelical Revival in Europe. Anglicans, Methodists and others shortly chose to work independently. The LMS gave birth to the Congregational Church in South Africa. The work of the LMS was personified in the ministry of Dr. Johan Van der Kemp who arrived in the Cape in 1799 and as we are told by Saayman in Prozesky ( 1990:33 ) a adult male who was known for talking up for African rights and non merely prophesying the Gospel.

Van der Kemp started working among the Khoikhoi in 1801 in Graaff Reinet assisted by James Read harmonizing to Villa-Vicencio in the Missiology notes ( 2010:62 ) . He did non let unintegrated worship thereby gaining the wrath of the Boer Settlers, As the LMS missionaries were profoundly engaged in the struggle between the Khoikhoi and the Boer they were virtually driven out of the country. They were allowed to set up a mission station at Bethelsdorp near Algoa Bay in 1803. Once once more they had to make with contention around their ministry which did non allow unintegrated worship. Unfortunately Van der Kemp at times had to compromise with the authorities. To this terminal he one time had to carry Klaas Stuurman a local Khoikhoi leader to accept a colony in return for privileges. This led to Stuurman losing support among the Khoikhoi thereby sabotaging Khoikhoi integrity. After the decease of Van der Kemp at the age of 64 in 1811 Read pursued the tribunal instance against the Boers in a circuit tribunal. Because much of the charges against the colonists were dropped the Khoikhoi were outraged and their intuition towards the colonial governments were deepened.

Chidester ( 1992:45 ) informs us that Van der Kemp spent 18 months with the Xhosa head Ngqika. Van der Kemp got caught between Settler husbandmans who regarded him as a trouble maker and the Xhosa heads who regarded him as a British agent. The Xhosa speech production people in general showed really small involvement in Van der Kemp ‘s mission. Villa- Vicencio ( Missiology notes 2010:62 ) explains that the societal and political substructure of the Xhosa was integral and responses to Van der Kemp ‘s overtures was limited, The Khoikhoi on the other manus ‘s societal order was in a well advanced province of decomposition so Van der Kemp turned his attending to the Khoi as he was certain of a more positive response. Even though Van der Kemp had made contact with Ntsikana a diviner. Significant missional contact with the Xhosa speech production people had to wait until Lord Charles Somerset who became governor in 1814 decided to exert influence on Ngqika the dominant Xhosa head in the country. The missionaries were expected to move in double functions both as missional and authorities agent, and when they objected to this they were discredited by authorities functionaries. And here we think particularly of the occupant missional Joseph Williams who was even accused of criminal conversation by Reverend George Thom for being unwilling to collaborate with the colonial authorities. We besides read that the Methodist missional John Ayliff was instrumental in obliging Ngqika to give up three thousand square stat mis of his land to assist the British authorities to settle the Mfengu people who were flying the Mfecane. Ngqika remarked that although he was protected it felt like his defenders were suppressing him. This action would announce in the equivocal missional engagement in the Xhosa peoples colonial subjection. The spiritual civilization brought about by Ntsikana and Nxele would finally lend to the formation of the African Independent Church motion.

Once once more Villa-Vicencio in the Missiology notes ( 2010:64 ) informs that due to the Mfecane in the 1820 ‘s the missional engagement in the Northern Cape became a world. This set of marauding Sothos played a major function in the constitution of a Christian presence amongst the Bechuana and the Ndebele of Mzilikazi. The Batlaping who at foremost was apathetic to the LMS mission in Kuruman were now forced to look to the missionaries for safety at their mission Stationss and finally using the influence of the missionaries to derive colonial protection. Political instability and spiritual rousing were intertwined.

James Archibald convinced Moshoeshoe to let the Baralong to settle at Thaba Nchu which would go a Centre for extended missional work in the country. We should besides bear in head that Mzilikazi and Moffat had a womb-to-tomb friendly relationship due to Moffat ‘s work among the Batlaping.

Chidester ( 1992:42 ) informs us that missionaries were merely valued in Zululand and Natal if they could turn out their influence with the Natal Governor, Theophilus Shepstone. Homestead caputs in Natal and Zululand allowed their chikdren to go to mission schools but they were frequently removed before they could be baptised. The bulk of Zulus ignored the Christian missions. The lone people interested in missions were societal castawaies, misfits and refugees. The Zulu male monarch issued a royal edict in the 1870 ‘s doing transition to Christianity illegal as they frowned upon the double trueness in Zululand. They besides viewed the mission Stationss as the vanguard of a foreign political power.

Christian Missions were seen as accelerators for the alteration in the nineteenth century. Religious alteration was clearly linked with the economic, societal and military progresss of European colonialists. Due to Christian missionaries being seen as vanquishers Zulu in Chidester quotes the undermentioned apothegm, “ When the white adult male came to Africa the black adult male had the land and the white adult male the Bible, now the black adult male has the Bible and the white adult male has the land ” .

In decision to this subdivision we can see that the Christian missions in general had successes in perforating the communities that did non hold strong societal, cultural and other constructions. Importantly excessively to observe is that the about 16000 Africans who lived on Mission Stationss were largely marginalised and they were safeties but there were about no Zulus. We besides need to advert here excessively that merely like the Zulus the Tswanas besides resisted transition to Christianity thereby thwarting the attempts of Robert Moffat and others. Furthermore Chidester ( 1992:36 ) informs us that the slaves at the Cape were excluded by their proprietors from Christian transition or baptism in order to retain belongings rights over them as an regulation of 1770 forbade the purchasing and merchandising of slaves who had converted to Christianity. This regulation was repealed in 1812 following a communique from the DRC curate Miciel Vos in the 1790 ‘s proclaiming his concern with the disregard of their immortal psyches.

3. Successs of Mission Christianity

Saayman in Prozesky ( 1990:30 ) informs us that really frequently the Christian church in its mission was the first importer of thoughts of freedom, independency and human rights. Christian mission planted the seeds which would finally turn to dispute unchristian and dehumanising forces like rascim. Saayman quotes De Gruchy ( 1990:31 ) that Black consciousness was a religious reawakening which drew its resources from Christianity.

One of the really of import aspects of the mission motion sing the Christian position was the web of churches that was established. And in this respect Pillay and Hofmeyr in the ATS Church History note of Prof. Nel ( 2010:4-7 ) enlightens us on the formation of the undermentioned church groupings in South Africa. The DRC had its get downing point from the missional ardor of people like the Reverend Andrew Murray from Scots descent as it was hard to enroll appropriately qualified curates from Holland. The Anglican Church which originally came here due to the Protestant Churches ‘ missional push and because their congregants, the British soldiers needed a religious place. This church subsequently played a major function in Natal for all its dwellers. The Wesleyan missionaries like Shaw and Barnabas were the precursors of the Methodist Church as we know it today. The Roman Catholic Church was founded by Roman Catholic missional orders. Their policy of offering quality schooling as opposed to the hapless public schooling system won them a batch of blessing in South Africa. We can see that the missional ardor besides led to the constitution of the Lutherans, Baptist and Presbyterian churches in South Africa.

The ATS Church History notes of Prof. Nel ( 2010 ) besides gives us an penetration into the

formation of the African Independent Churches which grew out of the Protestant mission

context. These churches chiefly arose where there were defeat with the Western

missionaries or differences in the manner of making things.

The schools within these missional Stationss even till today still has had a singular

consequence on the leading in Africa. Many outstanding leaders in Africa have been the merchandises of the missional schooling system. And in conformity with Dr. Khathide ‘s Missiology notes we find that infirmaries in peculiar and even the wider scope of health-care and social-service establishments were mission merchandises. The missions besides provided the base on which rational programmes aimed at societal public assistance was built. Another of import bequest of Mission Christianity in South Africa was the development of the written linguistic communication. Linked to this the Bible besides had to be translated into many African linguistic communications as there was a demand to show the Gospel to autochthonal people. As antecedently mentioned the mission small towns besides offered a step of safety and protection for the Christians who were displaced due to the activities of the Zulu raiding parties and the Afrikaner colonists.

4. Failures of Mission Christianity in South Africa

Saayman in Prozesky ( 1990:30 ) touches on the affair of how the autochthonal civilizations were despised by the missionaries. In this respect we are told that the church made the silent premise that it would be best for Africans to follow the Western form. Thus evangelisation was besides equated with geting the furnishings of Western civilizations.

Villa-Vicencio in the ATS Missiology notes ( 2010:61 ) informs us that the Christian Church gave limited indicant of desiring to work with the slaves. This aso contributed to the Islamisation of the slaves because many of the slaves came from the East originally and they arrived in South Africa as Muslims. Many other slaves were assimilated into the Muslim religion for a assortment of extra factors. Muslims adopted neglected and abandoned kids, the proviso of matrimony ceremonials for slaves, the neglecting of burial services for slaves by Christians, the instruction of the Quran in schools under the control of the Islamic community. Slaves were attracted to Islam by the promise of freedom. The emerging Muslim civilization promoted the well-being and release of slaves. Muslim slaves were frequently freed by Muslim slave proprietors. We besides find that some Christian slave proprietors encouraged slaves to go Muslim because the Islamic prohibition on intoxicant made Muslim slaves more dependable. Slaves were besides non allowed to idolize together with their Christian Masterss.

Saayman tells us that Majeke saw the mission as the method by which the ultimate purpose of presenting capitalist economy was achieved. Missionaries besides acted as mediators for inkinesss with the colonial authorities. The colonial authorities sometimes used missionaries for its intents. The missionaries were kids of the colonial epoch. They therefore paternalistically saw many benefits in the procedure of colonialism and geting the Western civilization. Add to this that all missional attempts were organised along racial lines. We besides read a citation by Northcott in Prozesky ( 1990:31 ) that the Christian church had to go portion of the “ image ” of Africa lending its ain life and verve to the “ African personality ” . In this respect we think of the isufficiency of the gospel merchandise to turn to the African Spirit universe and the wrapper of the Gospel in Western attire.

5. Critical Evaluation of Mission Christianity

When we evaluate Mission Christianity in South Africa we find that many missionaries came here with a firing desire to do adherents of all states and to baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and to learn them about the Gospel. The missionaries did nevertheless non take clip to acquire to cognize the civilizations and patterns of the autochthonal people. The informant of the church was besides compromised in every bit far as worship and other services were organised along racial lines as explained by De Gruchy in Prozesky ( 1990:34 ) .

As we can see in this assignment the missionaries were non ever found busy with the work of mission entirely but many a clip they were concerned with the fringe of missional work. In this respect the missionaries in South Africa were sometimes so busy with puting up constructions for enabling mission that they at times forgot it was about distributing the Gospel and non about the constitution of support constructions for instruction, wellness and other services merely However if we take everything into consideration so we have to state that Mission Christianity in South Africa led to many positive results in the state as can be seen by the figure of churches we have today in our society.

6. Decision

After holding evaluated the function Mission Christianity played in set uping the Gospel in South Africa we have to acknowledge that the missionaries may non hold ever acted in a Christianly right mode but they tried their best. We should retrieve at all times that they besides were kids of their Western surroundings and in many cases they were non prepared for the conditions, people or civilizations they would hold to postulate with here. And given the many errors they made we have to acknowledge that God ‘s work is still on class turn outing to us that God will ne’er let His Gospel to be lost to the states. And to this terminal we bear in head what Kritzinger ( :41 ) said about mission. He said that mission is the entire undertaking to which God sends the church for the interest of the universe ‘s redemption. It is the look of God ‘s interst in the whole universe therefore He commissioned the church to go involved in His ministry to the universe. And in decision refering mission it is the reign of Christ is manifested through the lives, words and workss of His adherents in their ministry of informant, rapprochement, justness, forgiveness and release.