Abstracts Category : Other

Unity atcross-roads : a Southern African missiological casestudy

by Mpeane Karabo Makofane

This thesis is a missiological case study on organicunity in the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa(UPCSA). The purpose of this study is to revisit the subject ofunity within the UPCSA consisting of three countries, South Africa,Zimbabwe and Zambia in the period 1999-2009 and to assess how farthe denomination has progressed with unity since the mergerbetween the former Reformed Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa(RPCSA), predominantly black church and a white dominatedPresbyterian Church in Southern Africa (PCSA) in September 1999.The study observes that the union was based on what is nowconsidered to be inadequate preparation and as a result manyunresolved problems have emerged to test the witness of thedenomination and to hamper the consolidation of the union. Hencedespite ten years of organic union unity seems to be atcross-roads. In this connection, this case study will examine somekey challenges inherent in already achieved structural unity inthe UPCSA. For the purpose of this study the challenges which cameunder discussion centred around ministerial formation,differentiation in stipends of ministers and conflicts which havedogged the process of amalgamation of church associations in theUPCSA. It appears that these challenges are a consequence oforganic union which was rooted on secular rather than theologicalfoundations which were supposed to guide and inform the merger.The study argues that these challenges demonstrate that a strugglecontinues for a genuinely unified UPCSA and therefore it would benaive to assume that the denomination is not plagued with its owndifficulties in achieving unity. This study will argue thatalthough it is fundamental that the church of Christ must beunited, the unresolved challenges which have been highlighted inthis study are a litmus test for the UPCSA to wait and assesswhether it has already achieved tangible unity. Furthermore, thesechallenges indicate that structural union was ongoing process, thehistoric moment which took place in 1999 with the union of the twodenominations was merely the beginning of wrestling with some ofthese realities. The concluding chapter will bring the subject ofunity within the UPCSA to closure by drawing reflections andevaluating the model of union which guided and informed the mergeras an important lead to understanding the intricacies relating tothe challenges already highlighted and the implicationsthereof.Advisors/Committee Members: Duncan, Graham A. (advisor), (Nelus) (coadvisor).