Pastorial ministry : exploring the relevancy and theology of doing practical theology in rural Zambia

Abstract

This study has investigated the biblical and historical relevancy of doing theology of pastoral ministry in rural Zambia .After a meticulous examination of essential distinctives of pastoral ministry, the study brought to the fore the fact that the role of the faith community among other things is to engage the community in a practical and relevant way by creating an enabling environment that promote dialogue. Social communication and cohesion are important imperatives especially in the context of rural Zambia where life thrives on informal social support networks which are the lifelines of rural Zambia thus the need to empower rural pastors with relevant skills and training to sustain a healthy hermeneutical dialogue. The study further examined the validity of three-fold theological perspectives namely: biblical, historical and cultural. The investigation revealed that these are important pastoral imperatives that should not be seen as an end but a means in a theological process. Therefore, this study calls for a re-examination of how the pastoral ministry engages in Rural Zambia in light of scripture and the social economics. The researcher has argued that most pastors, who engage in ministry within the Zambian rural context, do not fully understand the fact that for pastoral ministry to be effective it has to engage the community holistically. Many models appropriated in the Zambian rural context focuses on the salvation of the person “soul” with no due concern for the communities “social salvation”. With all the complications and implications that go with application of genuine pastoral ministry practice, this study has formulated and proposed a model that would be effective to rural Zambia. More research still need to be done to address adequately all the impediments identified through this study. Copyright