Hendriks, H. J.
Breedt, Jacob Johannes
University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Practical Theology and Missiology.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: “First, the church isn’t ours; it’s God’s. And second, it isn’t ours; it’s us” (McLaren 2000:7).
Wat ook al van die Kerk gesê word, hoe ons as Kerk funksioneer en leef – dit moet altyd gedoen word met hierdie woorde van McLaren in gedagte. Die gesindheid waarmee ons na mekaar kyk en met mekaar verskil is juis dit wat vertel van ons
volwassenheid in Christus. “Die kriterium waarmee julle oordeel, sal ook vir julle self
gebruik word” (Matteus 7:2)1. Gelowiges vanuit verskillende kerklike agtergronde, met verskillende dogmatiese tradisies en oortuigings, aanbid en dien die Here saam in 'n
geloofsgemeenskap sonder enige teologiese spanning. Terwyl daar ruimte gebied word vir verskeie denkrigtings en elkeen se eie pad met God gebied word, gaan dit vir elke gelowige om 'n verhouding met God deur Jesus Christus en die leiding van die Heilige Gees. Verder gaan dit oor verhoudings tussen medegelowiges en 'n
missionale praksis2 in die gemeenskap. Volgens Barna verlaat miljoene gelowiges die denominasies en tradisionele gemeentes (2005:11) omdat hulle gefrustreerd geraak het met die beheer binne die onbuigbare mensgemaakte strukture, sisteme en tradisies. Die bedanking van 'n paar honderd gelowiges vanuit die hoofstroom denominasies, net in George alleen, waaronder daar 'n hele aantal voltydse werkers, kerkraadslede en aktiewe lidmate is, maak dit nodig dat die tradisionele manier van kerkwees heroorweeg word. Die Kerk 24/7-beweging wat ontstaan het rondom predikante met Pinkster en Gereformeerde agtergronde, bied 'n geloofsgemeenskap vir dié wat saam met Barna se miljoene, die denominasies verlaat het. Die Beweging besef dat dit deel is van 'n postmoderne omgewing waarin die Kerk besig is om te verander. Hierdie beweging is deel van die Ontluikende Kerk as fenomeen en nie as 'n organisasie wat deur sekere “emergants” of enige iemand anders gelei word nie. Hierdie studie beskryf die Ontluikende Kerk soos veral deur die oë van Barna, Gibbs & Bolger, en McLaren gesien. Dit omskryf ook die ondervindinge en betrokkenheid van veral drie predikante, Breedt, Badenhorst en Potgieter wat saam met ander gelowiges op soek is na God se wil vir die Kerk in 'n postmoderne omgewing. Gedurende die bestaan van drie en 'n half jaar het nog agt ander predikante en voltydse werkers vanuit die Charismatiese, Pinkster en Gereformeerde agtergronde betrokke geraak en is deel van die vorming van die huidige bedieningspraktyk van die Kerk 24/7-beweging. Die antwoorde van die respondente werp meer lig op die redes waarom die betrokke gelowiges hul denominasies en gemeentes verlaat het om hulle saam met ander wat dieselfde oortuigings deel, te “fellowship” en die Here dan so te dien. Hierdie kwalitatiewe studie is die navorser se bydrae om die siening en belewenis van die postmoderne Christen se kerklike ervarings binne sy leefwêreld te beskryf. Die ontstaan van die Kerk 24/7-beweging is volgens die navorser 'n antwoord op die behoefte van talle gelowiges om die Here buite die tradisionele kerkstrukture en sisteme te dien.
ABSTRACT: “First, the church isn’t ours; it’s God’s. And second, it isn’t ours; it’s us” (McLaren 2000:7).
Whatever is said about the Church, how we function as the Body of Christ and how
we approach the future, must always be done with McLaren’s quote in mind. The attitude with which we differ from each other, will always point to our maturity in Christ. “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:2). Believers from different spiritual backgrounds and convictions fellowship together in a faith community without any theological tension. While the focus is on a relationship with God through the Holy Spirit, each person is allowed to minister as he or she feels led by the Holy Spirit. What is very important, is the relationship amongst fellow believers and a missional praxis within the community.
According to Barna, millions of believers leave the denominations and traditional
congregations because of the control within the human-made systems and structures. In George alone a few hundred believers, of which quite a number were full-time workers, left the mainstream denominations in the past four years. This definitely calls for a reconsidering of the traditional way of doing church. The Church 24/7 movement, which was started by pastors from Pentecostal and Reformed backgrounds, offers a faith community to those who left their congregations just as Barna’s millions. The Movement realizes that it finds itself in a postmodern environment where the church is constantly changing. The Church 24/7 movement forms part of the Emerging Church as phenomenon and is not an organization led by the emergants like Brian McLaren or any other leader. This study describes the Emerging Church as chiefly seen through the eyes of Barna, Gibbs & Bolger and McLaren. It also emphasizes the experiences and involvement of Breedt, Badenhorst and Potgieter who started the Movement together with fellow believers. During the past three and a half years, eight other Ministers and full-time workers from the Charismatic, Pentecostal and Reformed backgrounds became part of the exciting development of this ministry which day by day unfolds through the Holy Spirit’s inspiration. The answers given by the respondents help us to understand why believers left their traditional congregations to spontaneously get involved with this new way of thinking about God’s Church. This qualitative study is the contribution of the researcher to describe the experience and perception the postmodern Christian have of church life within this world. According to the researcher the rise of the Church 24/7 movement is an answer to the believers who long to serve God without the traditional church structures and systems.
Postmodernism -- Religious aspects -- Christianity
Masters Degrees (Practical Theology and Missiology)