Abstracts Philosophy, Religion, and Theology

The struggle for unity: towards a pastoral model for the post-unification era in the Full Gospel Church of God

by Moses Hobe

History is absolutely crucial for a comprehension of identity and culture of a denomination or church. In the history and culture of a people lies the genetic code of their identity and mission. Honest historical observation is required to evaluate the current state of affairs. Denominational diversity should be seen as a blessing in disguise where lack of unity when we claim to be unified is deplorable. The meaning of the future and the unity of the human story which encompasses the whole “journey” is a discovery which offers wonderful possibilities. A truly unified atmosphere is truly needed through structural expression from top to bottom, where members will enjoy a similar unified expression. No matter how strong our identification is with the core stories of our own group, we must always hold on to the possibility of change, resulting in being freed from damaging interpretations. As a Pentecostal denomination, we need to understand that the Pentecostal power is a unifying factor. In the post-unification era we need not repeat the mistakes of the past but we need to work together in order to triumph in issues of freedom, equality, social and political engagement. The focus of the study was on the Struggle for Unity: Towards a Pastoral Model for the post-unification era in the Full Gospel Church of God. The aim of the study is to explore and evaluate critical success factors for unification by means of the literature, empirical, exegetical and hermeneutical methodologies, and propose s a pastoral model in this regard. This study holds that critical factors for unity can be identified and integrated into a pastoral model for the FGC to achieve full reconciliation and healing in South Africa.