HONEY from the ROCK Poverty Alleviation from a Missio Dei
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HONEY FROM THE ROCK Poverty alleviation from a missio Dei perspective. Presented as a missiological case study of Integral Mission through the African Honey Bee project in the uMfolozi area of South Africa Guy Stubbs NWU Stubent number: 31535844 ORCID ID: 0000-0003-1470-7077 A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor in Philosophy in Missiology at the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University Promoter: Prof P.J. (Flip) Buys Date of submission: 25/11/2019 My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste. Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off. Proverbs 24:13-14 Photograph by: Guy Stubbs, 2017 Dedication I dedicate this PhD thesis to My wife, Retsi, and my children Joshua, Ross and Robin. Thank you for your love and for taking care of me throughout this project. Acknowledgements This thesis is a culmination of the efforts of various people who have made a tremendous contribution through their numerous capacities. To mention just a few: I am heavily indebted to my supervisor, Prof Flip Buys, who has been a real pillar of encouragement and guidance. Thank you to the Rev Arthur Miskin, my spiritual father, who reflected the light of Jesus so that I could see. William and Victor Mavuso, you both have taught me so much, without you, this thesis would have not been possible. My friend from school, Andrew Weeks – I know it has been frustrating at times, but your wisdom and empathy have given me much direction. Kobus Visser, thank you for friendship, advice and support. To many others, I am duly indebted – thank you from my heart for your various forms of input into this endeavour. soli Deo gloria Guy Stubbs Photograph by: Guy Stubbs, 2017 And when I looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me, and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. And he spread it before me. And it had writing on the front and on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe. And he said to me, “Son of man, eat whatever you find here. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat. And he said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.” Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey1 (Ek 2:9 - 3:3). 1 The researcher concurs with Sproul (2015:2312) regarding his commentary on Revelations 5:1–14 that the scroll (as in Da 12:4 and Ek 2:9-3:3) is “a heavenly book containing God’s plan [missio Dei] and the destiny of the world and may also be seen as the same scroll mentioned Rev 20:12 containing the names of all Gods elect. The unsealing of the book implies the accomplishment of the things God has purposed. John weeps (v. 4) because he longs for God’s purposes to be accomplished (Ma 6:10), and it is hard to see how that can happen. However, through Christ’s decisive sacrifice a whole host is redeemed (v. 9), and the purposes of the exodus and of man’s original dominion are finally fulfilled (v. 10).” According to 3:1b Ezekiel is told to “go [and] speak to the house of Israel” or as Dyer (1985:1231) puts it, “Deliver God’s word to God’s people.” Ezekiel would have done this through Integral Mission: “my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1 Cor 2:4-5). 1 Table of Contents CHAPTER 1: Problem statement, background, and research methodology ......................................... 8 Title .......................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Key Terms .............................................................................................................................................................. 8 Abstract ................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Choice of title .......................................................................................................................................................... 9 Concept clarification ............................................................................................................................................ 10 The African Honey Bee Project .................................................................................................................... 10 Integral mission ............................................................................................................................................... 12 Missio Dei ......................................................................................................................................................... 15 Missiological case study ................................................................................................................................ 17 Poverty alleviation ........................................................................................................................................... 17 uMfolozi ............................................................................................................................................................ 19 Preliminary literature review ............................................................................................................................... 20 Databases used .............................................................................................................................................. 20 Existing relevant literature ............................................................................................................................. 20 The need for holistic ministry ............................................................................................................................. 28 Problem statement .............................................................................................................................................. 28 Research question............................................................................................................................................... 30 Sub questions .................................................................................................................................................. 30 Aim .................................................................................................................................................................... 30 Objectives ........................................................................................................................................................ 31 Central theoretical argument ......................................................................................................................... 31 Research methodology .................................................................................................................................. 31 Ethical considerations .................................................................................................................................... 32 CHAPTER 2: Theological principles on the place of poverty alleviation in Integral Mission............. 33 Worldly or biblically-based poverty alleviation ................................................................................................. 33 God’s sovereignty over Missio Dei .................................................................................................................... 40 The sending of the church .................................................................................................................................. 42 Proclamation and demonstration – the mission of God’s people ................................................................. 44 Faith, love and hope ............................................................................................................................................ 51 2 Faith: God establishes the work of their hands .......................................................................................... 52 Love: Understanding that we are God’s ambassadors on earth ............................................................. 54 Hope: Plans for welfare .................................................................................................................................. 58 CHAPTER 3: Contextual analysis of the uMfolozi region in KwaZulu-Natal ......................................... 63 The priority of contextualisation ......................................................................................................................... 63 A socio-economic profile of uMfolozi ................................................................................................................ 64 A worldview profile of the families living in uMfolozi ....................................................................................... 70 An overview of the project .................................................................................................................................. 72 Empirical research ..............................................................................................................................................