A Critique of the Development Approach of Kongo Central Protestant Church in Poverty Alleviation
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TOWARDS A FUNCTIONAL DEACONATE UNITY: A CRITIQUE OF THE DEVELOPMENT APPROACH OF KONGO CENTRAL PROTESTANT CHURCH IN POVERTY ALLEVIATION By NUNI-NDUNDU MAKITU 216076102 Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, School of Religion Philosophy and Classics, College of Humanities, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa Supervisor Dr. Clint Le Bruyns 2019 DECLARATION I, Nuni-Ndundu Makitu, hereby declare that the research presented under the title, “Towards a functional deaconate unity: a critique of the development approach of Kongo Central Protestant Church in poverty alleviation”, is my original work, except where otherwise indicated. Further, this thesis has not been submitted for any degree or examination at any other university. It does not contain information copied from the Internet unless specifically acknowledged as such with the sources provided in detail. Signature: ---------------------------------------- Date: ------------------------------------ Nuni-Ndundu Makitu Signature: ---------------------------------------- Date: ------------------------------------ Dr. Clint Le Bruyns i DEDICATION - To my regretted parents Jean Nuni and Myriam Nkanani Sumba from whom I inherited this brain of intelligence; - To my late sisters Helene Mambueni Masika and Suzanne Kintona Diena Ma Suza, who initiated this project without seeing its achievement; - To Margueritte Yawutua Makiese the one who understood and supported my passion despite all the vicissitudes of life; - Finally, to all who consider the other as the image of God and fight for his dignity I dedicate this work. ii ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS Prof. Professor REOPAD Network of Protestant Development Support Agencies RESEN State Report of the National Educational Systems AA Animators of Axes AFLD Alliance of Democratic Forces for Liberation AfDB African Development Bank BMS Baptist Mission Society BDC Community Development Office CAP Protestant Reception Center CCC Christian Council of the Congo CCPD Commission on Churches Participation in Development CEDI Publishing and Dissemination Center CECO Evangelical and Cooperation Center CEVAA Evangelical Community of Apostolic Action CGC General Council of Congo CMC Conference of the Protestant Missions of the Congo CMN Congo Mission News CNONGD NGOs National Council of Development COPAL Local Council of Pastors COPALD Local Council of Pastors for Development CPC Protestant Council in Congo CPD Parish Committee for Development CRAFOD Center for Research and Support to Training for Development CWM Council for World Mission DFF Woman and Family Department DFFR Woman and Family Regional Department DRC Democratic Republic of the Congo (The DR-Congo) ECC Church of Christ in Congo (ECZ: Church of Christ in Zaire) Ed. Edition EDS Demographic and Health Surveys EIC Independent State of the Congo ET English Transcription, English Translation iii FNFP National Federation of Protestant Women GDP Gross Domestic Production GTER Technical Group of Regional Framing IME Evangelical Medical Institute IMF International Monetary Fund INERA National Institute for Agricultural Studies and Research INS Statistics National Institute JPC Justice, Peace and Creation JPSS Just Participatory and Sustainable Society LECO Community Evangelical Bookshop LIM Livingstone Inland Mission MERU Ministry of the Church for Refugees and Emergencies MILAPRO Ministry of Protestant Laity MICS Multiple Indicators Cluster Surveys MONUSCO Mission of the United Nations for Security in DR-Congo MPR Movement Popular of Revolution ODA Official Development Assistance OMD Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) ONG/NGO Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) P. Page SADC Southern African Development Community SOCE.PAX Society, Development and Peace SSE Social and Solidarity Economy UNDP United Nations Development Program UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund UPC Protestant University in DR-Congo iv ABSTRACT This research concerns the approach of the social commitment of the Church of Christ in the Democratic Republic of Congo (ECC) regarding the struggle against poverty and external dependency in development matter. The Protestant Church of Kongo Central province served as a sample. Given the unstable political life and economic crisis in which the DR-Congo is plunged, the Church is consequently living in poverty that makes the faithful unable to support its development projects. The Church became more financially dependent on the outside, a situation deemed humiliating (Mahema 2014:19-20). The present study focused on this state of dependence and strategies of fighting poverty. The study used a sample of 18 participants using random sampling technique. Observations from the study indicated that the social action of the Protestant denominations has less impact than that of missionaries; the main cause being that the present denominations engage in poverty alleviation separately. The research hypothesis lies on a collaborative development approach, a unitary strategy especially in strengthening the functional deaconate unity. A dialectical method was applied in using qualitative paradigm coupled with historic- critical analysis. Since the beginning of the 19th century, Europe embarked on an expansionist adventure towards other continents. This expansionism reflected in religious, political and commercial aspects, quickly reached Africa, America and Asia. From the religious viewpoint, this expansion was characterized by the implantation of Christianity in a specific context of mission, while domination and colonisation as well as exploitation marked both the political and commercial views. What has been more interesting in this Christianisation, is the unitary approach initiated by the Protestant missionaries for evangelism and modernisation projects, radiant and useful to the population that the isolated projects could not achieve. However, this momentum of unitary development did not reach its peak because of the lack of preparation of Church elite and cadres who would ensure the recovery after the departure of missionaries. That impetus was broken in this postcolonial period. People still languish in poverty for more than five decades in the DR-Congo. Christians especially remain unable to take charge of their own Church. Since the Church does not have African development theology, it also lacks a development approach to fight and overcome poverty and the dependence it brings. Research findings illuminate the v multidimensional character of poverty and the different metaphors it has produced, the many facets of the fight against poverty at all levels, new understanding of the Church today and the role it is called to play, the level of WCC interventions in the world and finally the new international order that leads the world with interest-based theories. However, the essential premise of this study is that whatever theories and praxis, poverty alleviation lies on the motivation and self-determination of the community itself. With regard to the functional deaconate unity envisaged approach to fight poverty, the study deals in its introductory part with the lack of definition of the Church mission and a specific development theology, underscoring the scientific direction of the study under consideration (Chap 1); the concern of the Protestant elite about the autonomy of the Church in the preliminary literature and the explanation of the key concepts related to the subject reinforce the purpose of the study in relation to the vacuum found (Chap 2); the verification of the research hypothesis from the primary sources data collected in the DRC as well as from the documentary data classified according to the qualitative paradigm corroborates the evidence of poverty in the Church and the reference to an unity approach in tackling poverty (Chap 3). However, prima facie, the unpreparedness of the future elite, geopolitics issues, external interference, wars and rebellions, social injustice, and mismanagement of public affairs appear from the diagnose of the origin of poverty in the context of the DRC and the consequences of its effects in the life of the Church (Chap 4). The missionaries’ development achievements to illiterate people would be a model for the Protestant Church. Yet their strategy of unity and fellowship has also been noticed, but it remained forgotten and unknown to the present denominations; a reminder and sensitization were essential (Chap 5). Updating the Church development approach to current demands is felt by the ones who base their hope on the Church, the various governments of the country not caring about their fate (Chap 6). The study propounds a functional deaconate unity that meets the expectations of the local Church (Chap 7). Finally, the overview of the topic under consideration with some recommendations concludes the study with hope that other researchers will pursue the project (Chap 8). Key concepts: Church, Protestant Church, Dependence, Development, Post-colonialism, Unity, Deaconate, Functional deaconal unity, Kongo Central, Poverty, Poverty alleviation. vi RESUME Cette recherche concerne l'approche de l’engagement social de l'Eglise du Christ en République Démocratique du Congo (ECC) en matière de lutte contre la pauvreté et la dépendance extérieure speciallement en matière de développement. L’Église protestante de la province du Kongo Central a servi d’échantillon. Face à la vie politique instable et à la crise économique dans laquelle se trouve la RDC, l'Église vit par conséquent dans une