Reforming reformed church polity in South Africa's Black Reformed Churches (RCSA) : an African decolonial approach

Abstract

The issue of decolonising the Reformed church polity in Africa and South Africa has its roots in the history of colonialism and missionary activity on the continent. The black Reformed churches in South Africa still operate primarily from within the Europe mindset especially in terms of church polity which implies that any region outside of Europe must follow the European model for conducting all religious activities. The utilisation of aims objectives and research questions facilitated to the elucidation of the problem and the development of strategies aimed at the decolonisation of Reformed church polity. This process enhances its relevance and imbue it with an African perspective. The study primarily concentrated on the methodology of a literature review, utilising the information collected to integrate African decolonial theories and the praxis framework into the polity of the Reformed church. The literature review provides a comprehensive analysis of current scholarly discourse and research pertaining to relevant subject matter. The study's population of interest was comprised of individuals dyads groups organisations or other churches who seek to comprehend the present system and to whom the study outcomes can be extrapolated or applied. Given that the study was theoretical and interpretive in nature it is unnecessary to seek informed consent. The study aims to employ a praxis-based approach in conjunction with a theoretical framework to devise a potentially pertinent decolonised church polity that ensure effective governance and order in the black Reformed churches of South Africa. The focus of chapter one introduced the study on the reformation of church polity in the black Reformed churches of South Africa (RCSA) with a specific focus on employing an African decolonial perspective. The main focus of chapter 2 of this study involved a comprehensive assessment of relevant academic literature and church documents. The purpose of chapter 2 was to enhance understanding of the phenomenon being investigated, specifically the evaluation of the decolonisation strategy in reforming the Reformed Church governance within the black RCSA. The main aim of chapter 3 was to investigate the origins of the decolonisation notion and to assess the importance of these objectives in current discussions surrounding the decolonisation of the black Reformed church government. The primary objective of chapter 4 was to analyse the theories proposed by theologians from Western and African backgrounds to develop a full comprehension and theoretical framework for the concept of Reformed church polity. Chapter 5 was the conclusion where the researcher summarised chapters 1-5 with the aim of developing the decolonised church polity for the black Reformed Churches in South Africa. The discovery pertaining to the structure of church governance represents a fusion of Biblical tenets and human cognitive viewpoints, harmoniously culminating in a framework that governs and steers the whole functioning of the church. The present study has revealed the significance of incorporating Frantz Fanon's theory on decolonising the mind and the liberation of oppressed individuals within the context of the black RCSA (racialised and colonised social and academic) community. The present study has discovered that the notion put forth by Ngugi wa Thiong'o on the decolonisation of literature possesses considerable potency and the capacity to effect profound change. The black RCSA would benefit from a church polity that facilitates effective communication, addresses their unique challenges and concerns, and also accommodates their native tongue. A highlevel overview of the proposals for a decolonised form of government in an African context that can assist the black RCSA. There is a desire for the black Reformed Church in South Africa (RCSA) to adopt a decolonised church polity, thereby ensuring its alignment with the specific needs and context of the black church community.