The role of the church in the struggle against poverty : a Hervormde Kerk in Suidelike Afrika perspective

Abstract

The essence of being a church is love. The church as an organization based on love has the responsibility of loving God, his people and the world which God himself loved first. This paper is about the responsibility of a 'poor church', the Hervormde Kerk in Suidelike Afrika, which despite its poverty still has the vocation of becoming meaningful to its members. Two appeals are made here: firstly, that both the rich and the poor churches should, despite their circumstances, play their roles in combating poverty among their members. Secondly, churches should shift from charity work to development.

Die essensie van kerkwees is liefde. Die kerk as 'organisme', gebaseer op liefde, het die verantwoordelikheid om God lief te he en sy volk wat By eerste liefgehad het. Die artikel fokus op die verantwoordelikheid van on arm kerk', die Hervormde Kerk in Suidelike Afrika, wat ten spyte van armoede steeds die roeping het om sin toe te voeg tot die lewe van lidmate. Twee oproepe word gemaak: ryk sowel as arm kerke moet die teenwoordigheid van armoede in eie kring bestry; kerke moet toesien dat die klem verskuifvanafbarmhartigheidsbetoning na ontwikkeling.