Christelike sending as ‘n Ekumeniese uitdaging

Abstract

Die wese van Christelike sending is nie die oorwegende faktor in die waarneming van die histories-diakrone nie. Christelike sending, maar ook die ontstaande transkontinentale inheemse sending-onafhanklike Kerke – die begin van die Christelike geloof en om uit dié geloof te lewe –, behels die uitbreiding en begrensdheid in die Sendingteologie van die 20ste eeu. Die globale fenomeen van Christelike sending is omvangryk, vertoon diversiteit en werk met lang tydsverlope in sending-historiese navorsing. Die verhouding en uitdaging tussen Christelike sending en die Kerk in die 20ste eeu berus op twee vlakke, naamlik die institusionele integrasie van Kerke, Sendingkerke en Sendinggenootskappe in die Christenraad van Suid-Afrika – as ‘n voorbeeld – en die integrasie van die Internasionale Sendingraad in die Ekumeniese Raad van Kerke. Christelike sending word uitgedaag om op verskillende kontekste, konfessionele, nasionale en kontinentale perspektiewe te reageer, maar word ook gekonfronteer met verskillende sendingteologiese modelle of insigte. Enersyds substitueer die bewussyn en opkoms van kultuurprotestantisme die ouer paradigmas van kerkvestiging en Christelike godsdiens met missionêre handelinge van die kulturele en die sosiale. Andersyds gee die teleurstelling in die eerste ontwikkelingsdekade tot die besef aanleiding dat die geskiedenis nie evolusionêr, maar konfliktief verloop. Die ontwikkelingsmodel is met ‘n bevrydingsmodel vervang, terwyl nieteologiese faktore of kontekstuele sake ‘n bepalende invloed op ekumeniese prosesse en teologie uitoefen. Wanneer die Christelike sendingbeweging tot die ontstaan van die aanvanklike Ekumeniese beweging bydra, fokus die strewe van die moderne Ekumeniese beweging – met haar drie groot formasies, naamlik die Wêreldsendingkonferensies, die “Beweging vir Geloof en Kerkkonstitusie” en die “Beweging vir die Praktiese Christendom” – op die eenheid van die Kerk, in terme van organisatoriese eenheid en die teologiese begronding van eenheid. Hierdie ekklesiologies-ekumeniese strewe na eenheid bly steeds ‘n onherkenbaar gesig, ondanks die ouer program van “versoende verskeidenheid” en die nuwe konvergensie studie: The Church: Towards a common Vision. Die breë doelstelling van hierdie studie is om komplekse, uiteenlopende en teologieshermeneutiese insigte, handelinge en kontekstuele perspektiewe in die sending en die ekumene uit te lig. Die volgende temas kry o.a. aandag: historiese aktualiteit, sendingteologiese program en model, Sendingwetenskap, Konvivenz, die Evangelikale beweging, Evangelisasie, bekering, barmhartigheid, geloof, heil, vryheid, lewe, getuienis, (sosiale / on) geregtigheid en verantwoordelikheid, etiek, menswaardigheid, nie-teologiese faktore soos byvoorbeeld taal, Swart Teologie, kulturele en religieuse pluralisme, dialoog, entologie, identiteit, opvoeding, skepping, ontwikkelingshulp, sang, vreemdheid, armoede, interkulturele samehange, Christenraad van Suid-Afrika, Internasionale Sendingraad, Wêreld Sendingkonferensie, Afrika Onafhanklike Kerke, die Berlynse Sendinggenootskap, die Suid- Afrikaanse Raad van Kerke, Ekumeniese beweging, die Ekumeniese Raad van Kerke, Kommissie vir Wêreldsending en Evangelisasie, die ERK voltallige vergadering en die PCRprogram. Hierdie studie probeer om ‘n bydrae tot die kennisontsluiting in verstaande Christelike sending, Sendinggeskiedenis en Interkulturele Teologie, asook die Suid-Afrikaanse Kerkgeskiedenis te lewer.

English: The nature of Christian mission is not the predominant constituent when observing the historical diachronic approach. Not only Christian mission but also the genesis of the transcontinental missionary enterprise in die fortification of indigenous Mission independent Churches – the acceptance of Christian faith and living by faith –, imply both expansion and limitation in the Theology of Mission in the 20th century. The extensive global phenomenon of Christian mission is diverse and encompasses long periods of time in the historical research of mission. The relationship between and challenge for Christian mission and the Church in the 20th century have two different levels of requirements, namely the institutional integration of, for example Churches, Church Missions and Missionary Society’s into the Christian Council of South Africa and the integration of the International Missionary Council with the World Council of Churches. The challenge for Christian Mission is to react to the result of different contextual, confessional, national and continental perspectives, besides various models and insights in the Theology of Mission. On the one hand, consciousness and the rising of cultural Protestantism substitutes the older paradigms regarding the establishment of Churches and Christian religion with missionary actions, in a socio-cultural framework, while on the other hand sensing the disappointment in the first decade of development, the realization ignites the idea that the course of history was not an evolutionary progression, but elapsed in a conflictual manner. The liberation model was called on to substitute the model of development. Non-theological factors or contextual issues had an determining influence on ecumenical processes and theology. While the Christian missionary movement contributed to the initial Ecumenical movement, the focus was on the pursuit of the modern Ecumenical movement with her three main formations, namely the World Mission Conference, Faith and Order and Life and Work of which the focus point is the unity of the Church in terms of the organizational unity and the theological justification for unity. This ecclesiastic, ecumenical pursuit towards unity, still remains unrecognizable, notwithstanding the older program, Reconciled Diversity and the new convergence study, The Church: Towards a common Vision. The broad objective in this study is to highlight the complexity, the diverse and theological hermeneutical insight, as well as the action and contextual perspectives in mission and ecumenism. It was necessary to study the following themes, among others historical actuality, program and model on the Theology of Mission, Missiology, Konvivenz, the Evangelical movement, Evangelism, conversion, mercy, faith, salvation, liberty / freedom, life, witness, (social / in) justice and responsibility, ethics, human dignity, non-theological factors for example language, Black Theology, cultural and religious pluralism, dialogue, ethnology, identity, education, creation, development aid, choral music, foreignness, poverty, intercultural coherences, the Christian Council of South Africa, International Mission Council, World Missionary Conference, African Independent Churches, the Berlin Missionary Society, the South African Council of Churches, Ecumenical Movement, the World Council of Churches, Commission in World Mission and Evangelism, the Assembly of the World Council of Churches and the PCR-programme. This research seeks to contribute towards knowledge production, within the framework in the understanding of Christian Mission, Mission History and Intercultural Theology, in addition to South African Church History.