KwaZulu-Natal Consultative Dialogue Between the WMC and the OAIC, September 25-27, 2019

The CIHA Blog through its sister organisation, the Institute for Religion, governance and the environment in South Africa (IRGESA) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal brings to its readers the ongoing consultations between the World Methodist Council (WMC) and the Organisation of African Initiated Churches (OAIC). These consultations are aimed at charting the way forward for the two institutions’ collaboration towards among other themes, “theological education and decolonization in Africa.” This will also include a public lecture by retired Bishop Mike Vorster of the Southern Africa Methodist Church on “The African Church’s response towards Environmental Crisis.” Read more…

Concept Paper

Overview

“Theological Education and Decolonization in Africa” is the theme of the dialogue conference between the World Methodist Conference and the Organization of African Initiated Churches. This conference will be hosted by the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Institute of Religion, Governance and the Environment in Southern Africa (IRGESA), South Africa and will bring leaders, scholars and practitioners to interrogate the role of theological education in the formation of African leaders for both the church and nations, whilst also assessing the current trajectories of the quest of decolonization in Africa.

Primary Questions to be addressed:

1. What is the role of theological education in the formation of leaders for both the church and the nations in Africa?
2. What is the role of religious leaders in the decolonization of theological education?
3. More specifically, how do scholars and religious leaders of the two traditions WMC & OAC assess the legacy of Christian missions, the quest for ecumenical collaborations and the growth of African Christianities?
4. What is the role of African churches and decolonization on the continent today, as opposed to the past, and to what degree are religious leaders aware of these issues?
5. To what extent have these church traditions shaped and directed and or controlled forms of theological education on the continent, as opposed to state or other colonial authorities?
6. What are merging themes in theological education in Africa today in which these traditions and leaders are playing a significant role (e.g. humanitarian aid, environmental care, gender and sexuality, immigration/migration, HIV and other issues)?
7. What are the tensions in theological education and decolonization in the continent? Which tensions are potentially productive (i.e. “prophetic initiatives”) and which potentially disruptive (i.e. complicity with oppressive governments)?

Objectives

In assessing these and related questions, we intend to do the following with the dialogue:

• Explore the critical genealogies of theological education and focus on how the two traditions, from colonial times to present-day Africa, have framed and reframed the uses and misuses of ministerial training or formation;
• Interrogate the current of theological education on the continent in relation to Christianity and church leaders’ actions in relation to the challenges such as governance, migration, HIV, gender and human sexuality in the continent of Africa;
• Assess the extent to which the Methodism and its mission agencies differs or is similar to the mission organizations of the past, in terms of assisting or undermining African churches and institutions;
• In general, assess the role of Methodism and religious leaders in determining the decolonization of theological education in Africa and enabling collaboration.

Point-Paper Presentations

The Consultation will begin with a brief history of how the idea of the consultation meeting came about and its strategic goals. This will be followed by point-paper presentations by a representative from each of the participating churches. The papers to be presented at the beginning of the Consultation should address the following five questions:

1. What are the areas of commonality and divergences between Methodism and AIC denominations?
2. Theological education in these traditions
3. Theological education and decolonization as understood by these two traditions
4. Christianity and African culture and traditions
5. Issues that church traditions are grappling with in Africa:
   1. Immigration and migration
   2. Gender and human sexuality
   3. Poverty and bad governance
   4. Environmental degradation and global warming
   5. Poverty and food insecurity
   6. HIV and AIDS
   7. Church and state relations

Participants

The KwaZulu-Natal Consultation will consist of representatives from some of the WMC, OAIC and some academics who specializes in the field of African Instituted Churches. The appropriate authorities of the organizations shall nominate the members of the delegations.

Presentations

Presenters are to conceptualize and develop papers informed by the scope of the conference. The selected topics were shared with the organizers for programming processes by 25 August 2019 (deadline). The subsequent papers will be presented during the conference sessions as scheduled. Each presentation will consist of 30 mins (20 min presentation + 10 min Q/A period for clarification only). An in-depth discussion will follow after the five presentations are given. The presentations are the key input that will inform the small group discussions. The papers should be limited to 2500 words. 

Thereafter, furnished copies will be submitted to the organizing team for review and publishing.