the hungry are fed, when the naked are clothed, when the sick are healed, when the prisoners are visited' (Wimberley 1979:18). Healing, reconciliation, sustaining and guiding functions characterised pastoral care historically. Wimberley (1979:19-20) focuses only on the last two functions, which dominate pastoral care in the black church. Reconciliation occupies a secondary position, while healing became difficult because of the racial climate. The sustaining function enables families in crisis 'to transcend and endure conditions that are not immediately alterable.(Wimberley 1979:20)The guiding function helps families in making informed choices and in acting on it. Wimberley focuses also on the choices families make in coping with crises. The prophetic presence of Christians and pastors in crisis situations of victims characterises pastoral ministry (Moila 1989:205-206; Dames 1999:3; MacMaster 2003:61-66, 69; Pedro 2001:44). The symbolic significance of Black pastors is revealed in the manner in which they engage in and through the functions of sustaining and guiding (Wimberley 1979:20).Pastoral ministry is called upon to engage in eco-systemic liberation: 'Racism and oppression have produced wounds in the Black community that can be healed only to the extent that healing takes place in the structure of the total society' (Wimberley 1979:21). Such liberation is justifiable: 'For the slave, healing meant liberation from oppression; therefore, it was impossible to repair the damage done by slavery without manumission (freeing/freedom)' (Wimberley 1979:29). The ecumenical movement in South Africa was and is still confronted with the anger of Black and the fear of White people. Pastoral facilitation of confession, restitution and reconciliation remains crucial today (Botman 1993:34).Black pastoral ministry differs from pastoral care in White mainline Protestant churches (Wimberley 1979:22): 'Psychotherapists [and pastoral therapists] often have difficulties in relating to and understanding clients who are socio-economically and culturally different' (Wilson & Lyles 1984:133). Healing has been the dominant pastoralfunction in traditional White churches17 due to the absence of economic, political and social oppression.However, Black pastors have persistently demonstrated a rare creativity in meeting the needs of families, whilst pastoral care and counselling of White churches was inadequate in providing communal pastoral ministry (Wimberley 1979:23). The Black church utilised significant supportive resources in enabling families to overcome and endure life crises exacerbated by oppression (Wimberley 1979:23-24, 27). Black churches became an alternative society as a community resource in sustaining Black families' self-esteem in the midst of powerlessness, whilst substituting families for economic and political participation in the wider society (Wimberley 1979:30). The need for a prophetic missional ministry in the Black church has become urgent again (Wimberley 1979:34). The transformation of pathological socio-economic and systemic factors in society is part of the church's mission (Wimberley 1979:92).The time is ripe for the missional ministry of the Black church to readdress socio-economic and political pathologies that inhibit psychosocial and economical development of poor families and communities (Wimberley 1979:92-93). 'Changes in the structures of our economic relationships will lead to changes in social relationships; and in all this the churches have an important part to play' (Taylor 1984:229). The Black church should engage in influencing government policies in ensuring job creation for the poor, job skills