Struggle for the Centre South African Pentecostal Missiology in Context
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
STRUGGLE FOR THE CENTRE SOUTH AFRICAN PENTECOSTAL MISSIOLOGY IN CONTEXT by CHARLES PETER WATT submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF THEOLOGY in the subject MISSIOLOGY at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA PROMOTER: PROFESSOR W.A. SAAYMAN JUNE 2001 ************* TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. v SUMMARY...... ... ... .. ... ...... ... ...... ... ...... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...... ... ... ... ... vi INTRODUCTION ............................................................................. vii I. THE PENTECOSTAL CHURCHES OF SOUTH AFRICA ......................... vu 2. CLARIFYING THE USE OF TERMS ................... .. ..... " . .. .. .. \'iii 3. THESIS STATEMENT .. .. .. .......................................................... IX 4. METHOD..... .. ...................................... .. xi 5. SOURCES... ... ... ... .. .. ............................... .. xii CHAPTER ONE PENTECOSTALISM IN SOUTHERN AFRICA ............ I I. INTRODUCTION ...................... .. I 1.1. CONTRAST-THE IMC AND PENTECOSTALS ........................................ I 1.2. INHERITED MISSIONARIES.. .. ......... 4 1.3. SOUTH AFRICA-A FAVOURABLE ECOLOGY ........................................... 5 1.3.1. REVIVALISM IN SOUTH AFRICA ........................................................ .. 5 1.3.2. THE SOCIO-POLITICAL SITUATION 6 1.3.2.1. THE JOURNEY TO UNION ..................... 7 1.3.2.2. POVERTY AND SOCIAL DISLOCATION ............................................. .. 9 1.3.2.2.1. POOR WHITES .................................... 9 1.3.2.2.1.1. THE ROOTS OF POVERTY .................................... 10 1.3.2.2.1.2. THE PERPETUATION OF POVERTY ........................ .. 11 1.3.2.2.1.3. THE DEEPENING OF POVERTY ..... 12 1.3.2.2.1.4. CONCLUSION ................ 14 1.3.2.2.2. AFRICAN POVERTY ................. 17 1.3.2.2.2.1. LAND LEGISLATION .......... .. ························ 17 1.3.2.2.3. COLOURED AND ASIAN POVERTY .. ................. 22 1.3.2.2.4. DEFINITIONS OF POVERTY ................ "......... 23 1.3.2.2.5. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF POVERTY .. 25 1.3.2.2.6. CONCLUSION - NOT MANY WISE OR NOBLE (1 Corinthians I :26).... 26 CHAPTER TWO PENTECOSTAL MISSIOLOGY IN SOUTH AFRICA ......... 32 2. INTRODUCTION.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ...... ................... 32 2.1. A MODEL OF PENTECOST AL MISSION .. 33 2.1.1. AN UNUSUAL SPIRITUALITY ........... .. .. ........ 33 2.1.2. THE ANOINTING......................... .......... 34 2.1.3. A REVISED ECCLESIOLOGY.. .. .............................. 36 2.1.3.1. THE HOLY SPIRIT, LOCAL CONGREGATIONS AND MISSION..... 37 2.1.3.2. PENTECOSTAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETINGS.. .. ... ... ... ... ... .. .. .. .... .. ... 38 2.1.3.2.1. THE FIRST POLE........ .......................................................... 38 2.1.3.2.2. THE SECOND POLE ...................... .. ............................... 40 2.1.3.3. THE APOSTOLICITY OF THE CHURCH ........ "' ... ... ... 43 2.1.3.3.1. BORNINMISSION .......................... 44 2.1.4. HEALING AND DELIVERANCE............................ ......... .. 46 2.1.5. REJECTION BY HISTORIC PROTESTANTISM.................... .............. 47 2.1.6. THE CALL TO REPENTANCE........ ... ...... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. ... ... ...... ...... ... 48 2.1. 7. THE AGENTS OF MISSION... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 49 2.1.8. CHURCH PLANTING ....................................... 50 2.1.9. CHURCH AND STATE................................................ .. ........ 51 2.1.10. THE BIBLE AND MINISTRY ............................................ : ............... 51 2.2. AN EVALUATION OF THE MISSION MODEL...... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 53 2.2.1. EVANGELISM AND CHURCH PLANTING................ .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 53 2.2.2. THE IDEA OF POWER................. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 54 ii 2.2.3. ECCLESIOLOGY ................................................................................... 55 2.2.4. THE HOLISTIC NATURE OF PENTECOSTALISM .. .. .......... 55 2.2.4. I. THE MEANING OF THESE EMPHASES ............ 56 2.2.4.2. GNOSTIC DUALISM.... ............. 56 2.2.5. PENTECOSTAL HERMENEUTICS ................... ... ... ...... .... 57 2.3. CONCLUSION ...................................................................... ~ CHAPTER THREE PENTECOSTALISM IN CRISIS ..... 59 3. INTRODUCTION....... .. ....... ......... .. ... ..... 59 3. I. THE CRISIS OF SUCCESS . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 60 3 .2. A STRUCTURAL CRISIS.... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 65 3.3. THEOLOGICAL CRISIS.............. .. ...... ... .... .... ........ ... ... ... ... ... ... ....... 76 3.3.1. PENTECOSTALS, NEO-PENTECOSTALS AND CHARISMATICS.................... 77 3.3.2. EDUCATION .. .. .. ... ... ... ...... ... ... ... ... ... .. ... ... ... ... ...... ... .. ... ... .... .. ... ...... 79 3.3.3. ANTHROPOLOGY.............. ....... 82 3.3.4. ECCLESIOLOGY..................... .. ... ... ... ... 83 3.3.5. PNEUMATOLOGY... ... ... ... ... .. ... ..... ... .. .. .. ... ... ... .. .. ... .... 91 3.3.5. I. THE TRADITIONAL POSITION OF PENTECOSTALS ON SPIRIT BAPTISM..... 92 3.3.5.2. THE CAUSES OF UNCERTAINTY ................................... 94 3.3.5.2. I. CHARISMATICS QUESTION PENTECOSTAL DOCTRINE ... 94 3.3.5.2.2. PENTECOSTAL HERMENEUTICS...................... .. ...... .. 96 3.3.5.2.3. PHENOMENA AND THE HOLY SPIRIT................................................. 97 3.3.5.2.4. NEW AGE PHILOSOPHY, POSTMODERNISM AND INDIVIDUALISM.. 99 3. 3.5.2.5. TONGUES AND BLACK PENTECOSTALS...... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 103 3.3.5.2.6. RACISM AND THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT .............................. 105 3.3.5.3. CONSEQUENCES OF UNCERTAINTY 107 3. 3. 5. 3. I. SPIRIT BAPTISM.. .. ........ .. 107 3.3.5.3.2. TRIVIALISING SPIRIT BAPTISM .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 108 3.3.5.3.3. WEAK PASTORAL LEADERSHIP........................................................ 109 3.3.5.3.4. INDIVIDUALISM .............. .. ......... 109 3 .4. CONCLUSION.... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ............................................. 110 CHAPTER FOUR EXODUS -A METAPHOR OF MISSION 112 4. INTRODUCTION ..................... .. 112 4.1. EXODUS AND LITERARY SOURCES ........... 113 4.2. EXODUS - LBERATION THEOLOGY AND PENTECOSTALS .................... 113 4.3. THE CALL OF MOSES-ENCOUNTER AND MISSION ........... 115 4.4. OUT OF EGYPT ................. .. 119 4.5. TO MYSELF ............. .. ... ... ... 123 4.5.1. GOD TAKES THE CENTRE FOR HIMSELF................................................ 123 4.5.I.l. THE THRONE OF GOD....................................................................... 124 4.5.1.2. THE ADMINISTRATION OF GOD ............................ .. .............. 125 4.5.1.3. THEFEAROFGOD ............................. .................................. lU 4.5.1.4. THE LAW OF GOD......... .. ... ... ... ... ... ...... ... ...... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ........ 126 4.5.1.5. THEMERCYOFGOD ............................. 127 4.5. 1.6. THE GRACE OF GOD ............................................. 129 4.5.1.7. THEPROVIDENCEOFGOD .............. 129 4.5.1.8. MANY OTHER STATUTES ................................................................... I29 4.5.1.9. CONCLUSION..................................... ... ....... ...... ... .... ... ...... ... ..... 130 4.5.2. THE STRUGGLE FOR THE CENTRE ... ............... 130 4.6. CONCLUSION ........................ .. 133 iii CHAPTER FIVE CONCLUSION ......................... 136 5. INTRODUCTION ........................ 136 5.1. PENTECOSTALS AND THE POOR... 136 5.2. SOUTHERN AFRICA TODAY................... .. ... ... .. .. .. .. ... ... ... .... 137 5.3. TOWARDS ARENEWEDMODELOFMISSION...... .. ... ....... ............. 140 5.3.1. EVANGELISM AND CHURCHPLANTING................................................ 142 5.3.2. THE AGENTS OF MISSION - MISSIONARY CHURCHES.............................. 142 5.3.3. SPIRIT BAPTISM ............................................. ... ... ... 143 5.3.4. PENTECOSTAL LITURGY ....................... .. ... ... .... 143 5.3.5. HEALING ...................... 143 5.3.6. THE WORD OF GOD ................. 144 5.3.7. THE LEADING OF THE SPIRIT ............ 144 5.3.8. THE NEED AND THE AGENDA.. .. ... ... ... .. ... ... ... ... ... .. .. ... ... .. .. ... .. .. 144 5.3.9. THE MODEL... ... ... ... ... ... .. .. ... .. .. .. ... ... ... .. .. ... ... .. ... ... .... 145 5.4. THE STRUGGLE FOR THE CENTRE OF PENTECOSTALISM............ ... ... .... 145 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................... 149 I. PUBLISHED SOURCES ............... 149 2. FRAGMENTS .................................................................... 154 3. PERIODICALS ...................... 154 4. PERSONAL INTERVIEWS ..... 154 ADDENDA ADDENDUM! .................................... 158 . AFM WELFARE COUNCIL - An excerpt from the Regional Co-ordinator's resource manual ADDENDUM2 ........................... 174 WEKIRBY- Thoughts on the AOG (movemeut) ADDENDUM3 .. 177 CRLAFOY- The role of the Pentecostal Axis in an Apartheid Society ADDENDUM 4... ... ... .. ... .. .. .. .. ... ... .. .. .. ... .. .. .. ... ... .. .. ... .. ... ... 185 A POSITION PAPER OF THE ASSEMBLIES OF GOD (USA) The Baptism in the Holy Spirit - The initial Experience and the continuing Evidences of the Spirit-Filled Life ADDENDUM5... ............................................... 197 A POPSITION PAPER OF THE ASSEMBLIES OF GOD(USA) Endtime Revival - Spirit-Led and Spirit-Controlled. A Response