Original Research

Towards an authentic transformation of the Church of Christ in Zimbabwe

Gift Masengwe, Francisca H. Chimhanda
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies | Vol 75, No 1 | a4776 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v75i1.4776 | © 2019 Gift Masengwe, Francisca H. Chimhanda | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 17 August 2017 | Published: 18 March 2019

About the author(s)

Gift Masengwe, Department of Philosophy, Systematic and Practical Theology, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
Francisca H. Chimhanda, Department of Philosophy, Systematic and Practical Theology, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa

Abstract

This article evaluates the impact of transformation in the Church of Christ in Zimbabwe (COCZ) over the past 10 years. The study is guided by the following questions: What does it mean to be COCZ in the Zimbabwean society? What is the COCZ mission that empowers it to play a meaningful role in nation building? The critical analysis is observed from the Christian education (CE) pedagogy. This raises questions on the historical foundations, transformation tenets and future plans and guidelines towards authentic transformation. Transformation could be affected by new developments, and thus participants need to be guided accordingly. The article gives a critical analysis of the COCZ journey experiences using a dialogical approach to CE. This study presupposes that lack of CE is a limiting factor to the transformation process in the church. This study is an interdisciplinary study that combines missiology, African ecclesiology and Christian theology. The study was conducted using surveys, observations and interviews among leaders and members of the COCZ.

Keywords

Christian Education; Church of Christ in Zimbabwe; Frerian dialogical approach; postmillennial journey; Restoration Movement; Church at the crossroads

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