A Pentecostal perspective of mission in the context of violence

Abstract

Several cases have been reported to the police since 2022, where at gunpoint, criminals would storm into the church building in the middle of a sermon and demand congregants to hand over their electronic gadgets and cash. This traumatic experience has, in some cases, resulted in the loss of lives. The question that this article interrogates is why criminals are targeting Pentecostal churches. Literature reveals that most Pentecostal churches in urban areas, where this criminal practice is prevalent, have an affluent membership. This affluence is mainly demonstrated by their flamboyant cars parked in the church’s parking lot and, in some cases, their expensive dress code. Another attraction to Pentecostals by criminals is the recent media attention on controversial Pentecostal pastors who extort money from their members, which creates an impression that Pentecostal churches are an easy target for quick cash acquisition. A literary analysis using relevant case studies will be engaged to demonstrate how such violent crimes negatively impact the mission of Pentecostals. The study’s objective is to provide a solution on how Pentecostal churches can protect themselves against this violent phenomenon that threatens their mission in communities. Kritzinger’s theoretical framework of missiological encounterology, buttressed by the Spiral Dynamics theory, will be used to describe how Pentecostals, as agents of God’s mission, encounter violence caused by the context of poverty, drawing from the ecclesiological practices of other Pentecostals in East and West Africa who have learnt how to do mission within the context of security vulnerabilities. This framework will further assist Pentecostals to reflect on their theology and spirituality in the context of security vulnerability and help them develop practical action points to help them maintain the mission in their daily reflections.
Contribution: One of those pragmatic outcomes is for Pentecostal churches to hold dialogues among themselves and with strategic stakeholders such as private security companies, including the South African Police Services (SAPS) and its community policing forums, in protecting the mission of the gospel within vulnerable communities.