The Struggle of the Lesotho Evangelical Church in Southern Africa (LECSA)/Paris Evangelical Missionary Society (PEMS) in Meadowlands, Soweto, in becoming a missional ecclesia in a local context

Abstract

The existence of the Lesotho Evangelical Church in Southern Africa (LECSA) or Paris Evangelical Missionary Society (PEMS) in the Western Areas of Johannesburg, South Western Township (Soweto) and more poignantly, Meadowlands and their forced removals experience is succinctly captured. The struggle of the LECSA/PEMS Meadowlands Parish in becoming a missional ecclesia in a sea of missional challenges in her context are vividly spelt out. They, inter alia, include constitutional matters, language policy, finances, ministerial preparation, lay-ministry development, institutionalisation of ministry, unity issues, prophetic ministry, mission and evangelism. The researcher, then, proposes an intervention – of course not a perfect one – that perhaps will galvanise the LECSA/PEMS Meadowlands Parish members to improve on what they have been doing and become a missional ecclesia in her context, Meadowlands.