Autonomy of the Igreja Presbiteriana de Moçambique (IPM) pastoral concern for liberation

Abstract

The present thesis is about the Autonomy of the Igreja Presbiteriana de Moçambique (IPM). The IPM was started by Mozambicans who had heard the message of the gospel in South Africa (Spelonken) since 1870. Yosefa Mhalamhala, one of the Mozambicans converted in Spelonken, went to Mozambique in 1880 and spread the gospel. In 1882 an African Church was born in Mozambique. Five years later, in 1887, Swiss missionaries joined the African Church in Mozambique and founded the Swiss Mission. Since then, the African Church has been known as the Swiss Mission. Step-by-step, the Swiss Mission established schools, hospitals, agricultural settings and other services that helped Mozambicans to grow and to identify themselves with the image of God. Pastoral schools trained African ministers and evangelists. In 1948, the Swiss Mission declared Autonomy of the church under the Swiss Mission and baptized it as “Igreja Presbiteriana de Moçambique” (IPM). Since 1948, the leadership of the church that had previously been exclusively in the hands of Swiss Missionaries was systemically handed over to Africans. The handing over was finalized in 1970 through the signing of a Convention, exactly twenty two years after the declaration of Autonomy. In 1998, the IPM celebrated fifty years of Autonomy. This Autonomy, however, is perceived as “a heavy burden” by leaders, workers and members of the IPM. Workers feel as though the leadership is failing to meet their rights, while the leadership accuses workers of not performing their job adequately. While the leadership and workers fight with each other, church members relax. As a result the IPM is financially weak and dependent from her mother church. The present thesis aims at challenging this phenomenon of dependency disorder that is affecting the IPM, and to call her to accountability while bearing in mind that she is called to care for God’s flock that has been entrusted to her responsibility. The IPM is reminded that in her search for liberty, she has trust in Christ; who is a liberator of the oppressed, gives sight to the blinds, heals the heartbroken, and proclaimed the acceptable year of the Lord (Luke 4: 18-19). Gerkin and Pollard methods of Pastoral Care and of Positive Deconstruction were employed in order to help the process of liberation take place within the IPM, so that she can reaffirm herself as an authentic and autonomous church.