The Church in Tanzania: "Faith Based Organizations" or "Church of Jesus Christ"? A dogmatic study GR Chisaye orcid.org 0000-0003-3057-6919 Dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts in Dogmatics at the North West University Supervisor: Prof CFC Coetzee Graduation ceremony: July 2019 Student number: 25765566 i DECLARATION I, GODWIN ROBERT CHISAYE, declare that this study: “The Church in Tanzania: Faith- Based Organizations or Church of Jesus Christ? A Dogmatic study:” is my own work and that all sources used and quoted have been accurately reported and acknowledged. And thus, this dissertation has not been previously submitted by me or any other person for degree purposes at this, or any other University. GR Chisaye ………………………………………… Signature Date: July 2019 i ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This work was possible and completed under the guidance and provision of the Almighty God. I hereby, with my sincere heart, praise God for making this possible. My sincere gratitude and thanks also goes to: My promoter, Prof CFC (Callie) Coetzee for his kind, and helpful attitude for from the very beginning he was willing to accept me as his student and was available to assist me. I appreciate each step we walked together until the completion of this work. Prof Callie spent the time reading my work, word for word, and made positive comments whereverrequired and necessary. I realy wish to acknowledge his positive contributionsregarding information about the church and the kingdom of God. The Bible Churchmen‟s Missionary Trust Limited, for their prayers and financial support, and especially that of St Michael‟s Church in London. I am thankful for their decision to support me through the Best Enabling Strategic Training (BEST) scheme. Prof ED Mbennah ,my mentor, and spiritual leader, who, during his stay in South Africa, provided me with a very good communication service until my admission to NWU had been completed. I am also grateful for his prayers, encouragement, and recommendations. May God continue to bless him and his family. The North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus for its hospitality and high quality services including that of the library services, information technology and financial support. My special thanks also goes to the faculty of Theology which is highly recognized and respected among the Reformed Churches worldwide for their high standard in providing knowledge and services for the Kingdom of God. Specifically then to the staff at the theological library (Jan Lion-Cachet Library) for their services and willingness to assist students in every matters regarding the use of library facilities. The Korean Church Mission in Tanzania for establishing the Calvin Theological College where I undertook my first Theological education for 4 years. Special thanks to missionary, Mama Eun Soon Park, who financed my studies at CTC which was the beginning of my academic journey up to this point. I also thank Reverend missionary Jin Sup Lee for his encouragement, prayers and financial assistance. Lastly to all Korean Church Mission members in Tanzania and the Calvin Theological College family: may God bless you! My family, Mother (Mariam) Father (Robert) sisters (Agnes, Leah and Deborah) brothers (Wilfred, Musa, Kaleb, Ezekiel) and the rest of the family: thank you for your prayers and support. May God bless you all. ii ABSTRACT The church in Tanzania has been involved in providing both spiritual and physical needs to the people, and this then is to fulfill its calling in society. But it has been revealed that too much engagement of the church in community, social development and income-generating projects had created the assumption with the people within and outside the church, that a church is a business venture and a service-focused Faith-Based Organization (FBO). An example is, for instance, the Pogoro tribe in the southern part of Tanzania, who sees the church as an institution. This concept came about during the missionary era, when Mission Centres functioned as banks, post offices, medical dispensaries, markets and employers. However, in most cases, this is still happening even today in most churches in Tanzania (Green 1995:28). The church of Tanzania throughout its history has revealed that apart from preaching the gospel, the church also partners with the State in providing social services. Leurs et al., 2011 states that, the churches supported the government‟s development objectives. Even today the government continues to depend on faith-based institutions, especially the contribution of the churches to social services, specifically in education and health (Leurs et al., 2011:2). Moreover, apart from providing health, education and other social services in the community, the church in Tanzania has been engaged in establishing and developing income-generating projects. This was more evident recently after the departure of western missionaries and the withdrawal of funding from western and other developing countries. Therefore, the church is functioning as a mission and at the same time as a business venture. The church is no longer prioritizing evangelism for it has to do all it can in order to cover its annual budget and to meet the needs of the community that it serves (Leurs et al 2011:2, Augustine 2013:1). This research explored the engagement in community, social development and income- generating projects of the three oldest denominations throughout their history in Tanzania. These denominations are the Catholic Church, Lutheran Church and Anglican Church who since 19th century and recently have been very involved in the community with social development and in income-generating activities. It also determined the perceptions of the people in regard to the church engagement in development activities; then it examined and set out the essence, attributes, nature, function and governmental structure of the church from a biblical and theological point of view. The following example is used: scripture clearly describes the foundation of the church as seen in Mathew 16:18 where Christ undertook/commissioned the founding of the church; the uniqueness of this church is that it is a deity-founded entity which is different from that of any other secular organizations, even though it is socially constructed, but it stands as a divine institution. The church also was given a task in Matthew 28:16-20, where Jesus Christ instructed His disciples to go and preach the gospel to all the nations of the earth. Furthermore, Apostle Paul in his writings describes the church as the body of Christ in Eph. 1:22-23; and in 1 Cor. 12:27 and Col. 1:18 he indicates that Christ is the head of the church (Grenz 2000:467). Therefore, from a biblical and theological point of view it argues that, the functioning and perception of the iii church in Tanzania should focus more on being a church in the scriptural sense, than being a Faith-Based Organization or a service-focused entity. 1. Key Words Function, nature, attribute, scripture, church, Faith-Based Organization, income-generating, Tanzania, health, education iv OPSOMMING Die kerk in Tanzanië is betrokke by die voorsiening van beide die geestelike en die fisiese behoeftes van die mense en daardeur sorg dit ook dat sy roeping in die gemeenskap vervul word. Dit het egter duidelik geword dat te veel betrokkenheid van die kerk by die gemeenskaps - en sosiale ontwikkeling en inkomste-skeppings projekte , die indruk skep by die mense binne en buite die kerk, dat 'n kerk 'n besigheidsonderneming en ' n Geloofs gebaseerde Organisasie (GBO)is wat fokus op diensvoorsiening. 'n Voorbeeld hiervan is, bv. die Pogoro stam in suidelike Tanzanië wat die kerk sien as so 'n instelling. Hierdie idee het ontstaan tydens die sendelingetydperk, toe Sendingstasies gefunksioeneer het as banke, poskantore, apteke( medisyne-verskaffers), markte en werkgewers. Dit gebeur, tewens selfs vandag nog in die meeste kerke in Tanzanië ( Green 1995:28). Die kerk in Tanzanië het dwarsdeur die geskiedenis getoon dat benewens die prediking van die evangelie, dit ook met die regering saamwerk in die voorsiening van maatskaplike dienste. Leurs et al., (2011:2) beweer dat, ná onafhankilkheid, kerke die regering ondersteun het in sy doelwitte vir die ontwikkeling van 'n eie infra-struktuur. Selfs vandag nog steun die regering op geloofsgebaseerde instellings, veral in die betrokkenheid van kerke in sekere dienste, soos dié van onderwys en gesondheid ( Leurs et al.,2011:2) Die statistieke van 2006, soos voorsien deur Green et al.( 2010:53) het die volgende getoon: die regering het 3348 apteke, - die kerke 658; die regering het 379 gesondheidssentra, teenoor die kerke se125; die regering het 89 hospitale, en die kerke 90. Dit beteken dus dat die kerke 13 persent van die apteke, 22 persent van die gesondheidssentra en 40 persent van die hospitale besit het in 2006 ( Green et al. ,2010: 53). Daarbenewens, behalwe vir die voorsiening van gesondheid, onderwys en ander sosiale dienste in die gemeenskap, is die kerk in Tanzanië ook verantwoordelik vir die vestiging en ontwikkeling van inkomste-genererende projekte. Dit het veral onlangs duidelik geword met die vertrek van die westerse sendelinge en die staking van befondsing vanaf westerse en ander ontwikkelende lande. Dus funksioneer die kerk as sending- en terselfdertyd as besigheidsonderneming. Volgens Green( 1995:31) prioritiseer die kerk nie meer sy evangelisasie nie omdat dit reeds 'n reuse uitdaging het om sy jaarlikes begroting te laat klop en om in die behoeftes van die gemeenskap wat hy dien , te voldoen. v Hierdie navorsing het die betrokkenheid in die gemeenskap, tov sosiale ontwikkeling en inkomste- genererende projekte deur die drie oudste denominasies dwarsdeur die geskiedenis van Tanzanië,ondersoek. Hierdie denominasies is die Rooms Katolieke , die Lutherse en die Anglikaanse Kerke wat sedert die19e eeu tot onlangs toe ,nog baie betrokke was by die gemeenskap se sosiale ontwikkeling en by inkomste-genererende aktiwiteite ; toé is die volgende sake ondersoek en uiteengesit: die essensie( wese), eienskappe, aard, funksie en regeringsstruktuur van die kerk soos dit uit 'n bybelse en teologiese oogmerk blyk.