In hierdie studie is geluister na die narratiewe van Suid-Afrikaans gebore immigrante, wat hulself
in Brisbane, Australië gevestig het. Die plaaslike konteks word in die gereformeerde gemeente, die “Mansfield Christian Reformed Church” gevind en die ontwikkeling van diensbare leierskap
word beskryf as deel van die kultuur van die gemeente wat fokus op die nood van immigrante.
Die navorsing het plaasgevind vanuit ’n epistemologie wat uit ’n narratiewe benadering vloei.
Die postfundamentele teologiese posisionering inkorporeer transversale rasionalisasie, met die
doel om ’n dieper verstaan van die narratiewe navorsing te bewerkstellig.
Die ontwikkeling van diensbare leierskap word as ’n natuurlike uitvloeisel van die
immigrasieproses bespreek. Die gevolgtrekking van hierdie studie is dat diensbare leierskap as
’n integrale deel van gelowige immigrasie en globalisering verstaan word en dat dit intensioneel
deel vorm van die leierskapkultuur in ’n immigrant-vriendelike gemeente. Die voorstel wat hieruit
voortvloei, is dat verskillende gemeentes en kerkverbande van Suid-Afrika en Australië kan baat
by die aanwending van diensbare leierskap binne die konteks van immigrasie en globalisering.
In this study narratives of immigrants are presented from a spiritual and psychological perspective.
The local context is described as the faith community of the Mansfi eld Christian Reformed Church
in Brisbane, Australia. The development of servant leadership is an integral part of the culture
of the congregation. The congregation of Mansfi eld focuses on the needs of immigrants and they
see themselves as a migrant-friendly church. The narratives of two South African born immigrants were listened to, who fi nd themselves
in the context of the Mansfi eld Christian Reformed Church. The research approach in this study
fl ows from an epistemology based on a narrative theory. The postfoundational approach
incorporates the social context of immigrants as part of the process in exploring a deeper meaning
of the stories told by co-researchers (immigrants). Within this framework of postfoundational
practical theology, the praxis is therefore the starting point of research. This consists of local
knowledge, described and interpreted by the co-researchers and informed by traditions of
interpretation.
The experiences of co-researchers are interpreted on a second level with the appointment of
four interdisciplinary respondents. The respondents take part in an interdisciplinary conversation
and they each contribute from their fi eld of experience in psychology and theology. This is done
by using transversal rationality and the in-context experiences are thickened through
interdisciplinary investigation. Furthermore, a study of relevant literature is introduced and added
to the conversation. The research process is therefore developed from a postfoundational
theological positioning with the aim of describing immigration narratives and interpreting these
narratives in order to facilitate a deeper knowledge and insight into the immigration process. The
in-context experiences of immigrants serve as the primary narrative and their interpretations of
experiences will be studied.
The interpretations of the co-researchers are used as discussion points in follow up
conversations and their narratives are therefore allowed into a process of growth. Their language
which points to their experience, as well as their language used in the process of immigration, is
listened to.
Servant leadership is discussed as a vital part of immigration for believers. The stories of
the co-researchers reveal servant leadership in different forms as part of the culture of the
congregation in Mansfi eld. The narratives show the co-researchers becoming part of the ministry
of servant leadership in a migration-friendly congregation. Co-researchers experience the infl uence
of servant leadership in their lives and tell stories of how the needs of immigrants are met by the
servant leaders in the congregation of the Mansfi eld Christian Reformed Church.
The conclusion of this study at the end of the research process, points to some suggestions
and alternative interpretations regarding immigration and globalisation beyond the local context.
The outcome of the study shows servant leadership as an important part of immigration and
globalisation. The intentional focus is on how a culture of servant hood will benefi t an immigrationfriendly
congregation. The subsequent proposal is to engage other congregations and churches,
both in South Africa and Australia, in a conversation on the effect of implementing servant
leadership within the context of immigration and globalisation.
