Abstract:
This article is a critique of Reformed Ecclesiology, particularly as regarding
ministry and church polity. It is argued herein that a static ecclesiology results
in church ministry that is seemingly deficient in responding to the context. This
is seen in the current church polities and ways in which different denominations
explain and carry out their ministry in the face of the new religious environment
of the 21st century. This critique demands imperatives from the church,
especially now in the advent of the emerging church, virtual ministry and such
pandemics as Covid-19. The church cannot afford to remain ambivalent; her
relevance is at stake. This article deals with Reformed Ecclesiology and polity
in the context of Zimbabwe, with a special focus on the United Congregational
Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA) and the Uniting Presbyterian Church in
Southern Africa (UPCSA) in Zimbabwe. These two denominations are in a
“prolonged” engagement for church unity. From a strategic perspective, a
possible ecclesiology will be proposed that can facilitate this renewal in the
context of a Calvinistic ecclesiology. It is argued that a change in ecclesiology
will result in a refined church ministry and polity. This is done by investigating
the “church as epiphany.”
