- Churches, with their strong influence, need a vision of influence on all spheres of the South African society
- The church as a moralistic community has a vast treasure of Biblical ethics which can bolster the faith of the community
- The task of love is emphasised, namely to build up
- The church is needed in all her ministry forms
________________________________________________________________________________________
A nation is symbolically depicted as a body. Therefore, illnesses can also be attributed to the success or failures of a nation.
In the same way, a healthy body can also make the good life analogy applicable to a nation. Then, by definition, churches can be classified as moral agents and are needed for the healing of the body. This includes areas of influence like discipleship, empowerment, and community involvement.
Discipleship
Churches, with their strong influence, need a vision of influence on all spheres of the South African society through preaching, teaching, and involvement in society.
Churches must take care of society as moral agents. One of the fundamental needs in the search for wisdom involves the building of people’s morality. The maintenance of good moral values is of cardinal importance, especially in the everyday management and leadership world. No work environment or country can be prosperous if morality and integrity are not regarded as primary discipleship principles
Empowerment
The church as a moralistic community has a vast treasure of Biblical ethics which can bolster the faith of the community to exhibit exemplary behaviour in the secular society and through which people can be led closer to God.
Through the establishment of new habits which the Spirit teaches, man is changed to become good, be virtuous and moralistic, living with character and integrity. This means that the faith community in this manner has a role to play in the restoration of morality in South Africa.
The role of the church as a community which sets the example of what morality involves in practice, is thus necessary. When churches awaken believable hope in South Africa, they will not only make a big contribution to moral renewal, but also awaken a re-evaluaion of the Christian belief in the secularized South African society. The church as moral community means that every church sets the example of what Christian morality entails in practice.
Community involvement (socio-economical responsibilities)
The task of love is emphasised, namely to build up. God created life to be in fellowship with Him and your neighbour.
Every person must be treated with dignity and fairness. Any violation of dignity or disrespect, towards whoever, is regarded as sin. To live out righteousness as God commanded, entails the participation of the disadvantaged in the search for just communal solutions. The modern conception that religious convictions actually embody morality, consequently means that religious convictions as a way of life include moral acts. In this way, a moral community is formed which lives faithfully to their God.
The role of the church (with the church leader as forerunner) in social challenges, therefore includes that the church, as God’s disciples, takes responsibility for the civilian society and joint injustices.
The church is needed in all her ministry forms.
The role of the church leader as forerunner in the guidance of the faith community to the ripple effect of righteousness (goodness) can therefore not be emphasized strongly enough. Shalom.
– Dr Jackie Botes, AFM Deo Doxa
