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.
