Latin America in confronting their institutionalised churches. It was a 'demanding, but at the same time, most promising moment in its history' (Gutierrez 1983:25). Political oppression in Southern Africa's recent history caused enough bloodshed. Any form of socio-economic and cultural oppression or suffering today should be rejected. Practical theology should be a reciprocal process of reflecting on the Praxis of the Trinity in and through the transformation of the church's praxis towards the liberation of the world's praxis (Dames 2009:84). CONCLUSIONPathological conditions remain a way of life for most of the poverty-stricken families and communities in Southern Africa. Missional pastoral ministryshould engage in the liberation from and transformation of pathologies in the daily lives of suffering families and communities. Liberation 'from below' proposes to transform oppressive conditions into God's preferred praxis of total liberation: Prophets need not advocate a revolution to overthrow an unprincipled regime. Commitments to a new understanding [how to live and transform suffering] undermine the allegiances to old realities and assure the collapse of [pathological socio-economic, political and even ecclesial] structures that are at odds with the new vision. (Simmons 1989:521)Christians are to be signs of hope, salt and light in the world, pointing to the moral influence that should be exercised in transforming pathologies, deconstructing and reconstructing public policy and ecclesial maintenance they ought to be guided and sustained by a commitment to justice, human rights, dignity and religious liberty, which is conspicuously absent from Christendom's moral priorities.22 REFERENCESBallard, P. & Pritchard, J., 1996, Practical theology in action: Christian thinking in the service of church and society, SPCK, London. [ Links ]Barret, L.Y., Guder, D.L., Hobbs, W.C., Hunsburger, G.R., Stutzman, L.L., Van Kooten, J. & Ziemer, D.A., 2004, Treasure in clay jars: Patterns in missional faithfulness, Eerdmans, Michigan. [ Links ]Bass, B.M. & Steidlmeier, P., 1999, 'Ethics, character, and authentic transformational leadership behaviour', The Leadership Quarterly 10(2), viewed 10 February 2010, from http://web.ebscohost.com.ez.sun.ac.za/ehost/ [ Links ]Boff, L., 1986, Ecclesio-Genesis: The base communities reinvent the church, Collins, Glasgow. [ Links ]Bohmer, A.C. & Spangenberg, J.J., 2001, 'Depressie en angs onder predikante van die Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk in die Wes- en Suid-Kaap [Depression and anxiety among ministers of the Reformed Church in the Western and Southern Cape]', Nederduitse Gereformeerde Teologiese Tydskrif 42(1&2), 6-14. [ Links ]Bosch, D., 2005, Transforming mission: Paradigm shifts in theology and mission, 12th edn., Orbis Books, New York. [ Links ]Botha, J. & Naude, P., 1998, Op pad met Belhar: Goeie nuus vir gister, vandag en more [On the road with Belhar: Good news for yesterday, today and tomorrow], Van Schaik, Pretoria. [ Links ]Botman, H.R., 1993, 'Discipleship as transformation? Towards a theology of transformation', unpublished doctoral dissertation, Department of Systematic Theology, University of the Western Cape. [ Links ]Brown, J. & Hendricks, H.J., 2004, 'The Aids fulcrum: The church in Africa seesawing between alienation, estrangement, prejudice and love', Practical Theology in South Africa 19(2), 19-36. [ Links ]Buffel, O., 2006, 'Pastoral care to people living with HIV/Aids: A pastoral response that is contextual and liberating', Practical Theology in South Africa 21(1), 1-18. [ Links ]Cairncross,