Assessing the Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa in the light of the one, holy, catholic and apos

247 Pages·2006·0.8 MB·English

From Vision to Structure

From vision to structure: Assessing the Apostolic Faith
Mission of South Africa in the light of the one, holy, catholic
and apostolic church.

Daniël Nicolaas Andrew

A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the
degree of doctor theologia in the faculty of arts, University of
the Western Cape.

Supervisor: Professor D.J. Smit

November 2005

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From Vision to Structure

KEYWORDS

1. Vision

2. Structure

3. One

4. Holy

5. Catholic

6. Apostolic

7. Experience

8. Tradition

9. Models

10. Dialogical

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ABSTRACT

The intention of the AFMSA to revision its policies, processes and structures is the
motivation for this study. The relationship between the vision and essential nature of
the church and the structure or form given to it is central to all the chapters.

The first chapter gives an analysis of the origins of the Pentecostal Movement and
the AFMSA in order to reveal their original vision of the church and the way in which
this vision became structured in their history. After a section on the importance of a
clear vision and strategic structures for organizations today, the biblical metaphors
that served as a foundation for the early Christians’ vision of the church are
discussed. Our Christian predecessors’ envisioning and structuring of the church in
each period of history are analyzed. This gives an idea of the need for reform and
the challenges involved in this process, which are still faced by later generations.
The historical survey reveals the development of the marks and the vision of the
early Christians to represent the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church. In the
conclusion, a preliminary dialogue is established between the vision of the early
Pentecostals and the leaders of the AFMSA with regard to the structuring of the
church and other expressions of the same vision.

The next four chapters (2-5) address the significance of the specific marks in the
Pentecostal Movement and the AFMSA. This is followed by a short analysis of the
biblical foundation and the historical development of these marks in the history of the
Christian church. The chapters are arranged according to the prominence of each
mark in the Pentecostal Movement and the AFMSA. Chapter two therefore starts
with the apostolicity that is followed by the holiness in chapter three, unity in chapter
four and catholicity in chapter five.

It becomes clear from chapter two that the Pentecostal Movement and the AFMSA
want to restore the apostolic faith of the early Christians while the rest of the
Christian church confess every Sunday through the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene
Creed that they believe they stand in the tradition of the apostles. The mark of
holiness that is discussed in chapter three expresses the particular view of holiness
held by Pentecostals. Biblical and historical connections are made between it and
other Christian expressions revealing that we can all become true followers of Christ
in holiness. Chapter four addresses the fact that the church has to accept that we
exist as a unity in diversity. In chapter five, the linking of all traditions is established
because all have the challenge to share their unique expression of God’s fullness
with the universal Body of Christ.

In chapter six, all the elements so far discussed: the vision of the church that was
based on the Bible, and the history of the Pentecostal Movement, AFMSA and of the
Christian Churches are summarized to gain an overall perspective. This is followed
by an analysis of the vision of the church today and applied to the AFMSA. The
AFMSA is encouraged to revision and restructure itself in the light of the apostolicity,
holiness, unity and catholicity that are shared by the witnesses in Scripture and
history so that it will be an example of God’s vision for the church and the world.
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From Vision to Structure

DECLARATION

I declare that FROM VISION TO STRUCTURE:
ASSESSING THE APOSTOLIC FAITH MISSION OF
SOUTH AFRICA IN THE LIGHT OF THE ONE, HOLY,
CATHOLIC AND APOSTOLIC CHURCH is my own work,
that it has not been submitted for any degree or examination
in any other university and that all the sources I have used or
quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by complete
references.

Full name : Daniël Nicolaas Andrew

Date : ……………………………….
.

Signed : ……………………………….

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From Vision to Structure

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

1. Soli Deo Gloria – I give thanks to God for the ability and the
opportunity to complete and share this thesis with others for His
Glory.

2. My wife Hazel and son Deinol for their patience and support
during the time of reading and writing.

3. AFM of SA and all the churches that allowed me to learn from
them what it is to be part of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic
church.

4. Sarepta Theological College and especially the students that
allowed me to share my ideas on topics with them and to be
enriched in return.

5. The bursary department of UWC and the face that represented
it, Mr Errol van der Merwe.

6. The National Research Council for the financial assistance.

7. Lindie Jantjies, for the typing of the thesis.

8. Professor Dirkie Smit, who believed in my ability and taught me
to love the church, academy, and society.
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From Vision to Structure
TABLE OF CONTENTS Page

TITLE PAGE i
KEYWORDS ii
ABSTRACT iii
DECLARATION IV
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS v
INTRODUCTION 1
CHAPTER ONE
FROM VISION TO STRUCTURE: ASSESSING THE AFMSA
1.1 Assessing the Pentecostal Movement and the AFMSA 9
1.1.1 Pentecostal Movement 10
1.1.2 AFMSA 22
1.2. From vision to structure 25
1.3. The role of the Bible 44
1.3.1 Elements that describe a Pentecostal reading of the Bible 45
1.3.2 Metaphors in the Old Testament 53
1.3.3 Metaphors in the New Testament 56
1.4 Historical development of the doctrine of the church 63
1.5 Conclusion 71

CHAPTER TWO
Q - WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE AN APOSTOLIC CHURCH? 75
2.1 The AFMSA and apostolicity 76
2.2 The Bible and apostolicity 82
2.3 The history of apostolicity in the church 86
2.4 Conclusion 97

CHAPTER THREE
Q - WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A HOLY CHURCH? 102
3.1 The AFMSA and holiness 103
3.2 The Bible and holiness 110
3.3 The history of holiness in the church 114
3.4 Conclusion 128

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CHAPTER FOUR
Q - WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE ONE CHURCH? 133
4.1 The AFMSA and unity 134
4.2 The Bible and unity 144
4.3 The history of unity in the church 150
4.4 Conclusion 163

CHAPTER FIVE
Q - WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A CATHOLIC CHURCH? 169
5.1 The AFMSA and catholicity 169
5.2 The Bible and catholicity 177
5.3 The history of catholicity in the Church 179
5.4 Conclusion 196

CHAPTER SIX
THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE MARKS FOR THE VISION AND
STRUCTURE OF THE AFMSA 201
6.1 The implications of apostolicity for the AFMSA 202
6.2 The implications of holiness for the AFMSA 208
6.3 The implications of unity for the AFMSA 215
6.4 The implications of catholicity for the AFMSA 221
6.5 Conclusion 226

BIBLIOGRAPHY 231
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INTRODUCTION

The Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa (hereafter referred to as the AFMSA)
is presently involved in a process of major restructuring. In this process their
practical decisions are informed by their vision of what the church should be. For
any part of the Pentecostal Movement such a process poses major challenges.
What is the ecclesiological vision of the AFMSA, do they have such a vision and
how does institutional restructuring make sense in such a Pentecostal vision?

In this study the concentration will not be on the abstract theoretical question of
the institutionalisation of vision. This question will rather form the framework from
which the process of institutionalisation that is presently happening in the AFMSA
will be discussed. My focus on the AFMSA is therefore intended to make a
contribution to the current process of revisioning in the church.

The process of the institutionalisation of such a dynamic movement like the
Pentecostal Movement is a well-known complex social theoretical question, but in
that broad and general sense it is not what the problem statement of this thesis is
all about. This specific question, namely how the AFMSA could move from vision
to structure, of course calls for an answer to the question what the ecclesiological
vision of the AFMSA is? It will be argued, based on the history of the AFMSA that
at heart four aspects characterise the original vision and self-understanding of the
AFMSA namely that it envision to be apostolic, holy, one and a church of fullness.
The remarkable truth about this vision is that it corresponds precisely with the
classic ecclesiological vision of the early church as expressed in the Creeds.

The initial question underlying this thesis is therefore whether and how the
AFMSA could benefit from this classic vision and from the biblical and historical
insights and contributions supporting and informing this vision. The second, more
practical question flowing from that will be how these so-called marks of the
church thus were understood and received in the AFMSA and the systematic
question how it should be received and embodied?
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This question will be answered within the methodology of a Pentecostal
framework. This will be done through an explanation of what the vision is, that
already lives within the AFMSA and on, which they call intuitively.

This study will not be based on church history and my methodology will thus not
be historical. The study will give a historical overview on the marks of the church
and how it can be related to the vision of the AFMSA. A research visit was
undertaken to the AFMSA head office and interviews were done to obtain relevant
documentation for a responsible perspective on the vision of the AFMSA on the
marks of the church.

The study also does not use the Bible as a point of departure although the role
and use of the Bible by the theologians from diverse traditions is used to provide a
biblical foundation to understand the marks of the church. The exegetical and
hermeneutical implications of reading the Bible today will be taken seriously but
will be placed within a Pentecostal hermeneutic.

The doctrine of the church will also not be the point of departure because that
would also not be in line with a Pentecostal framework that is based on
experience as normative. That is why the narrative of the origin and
institutionalisation of the vision of the early Christians from the Bible and the
history of the Christian Church will be taken seriously. The Pentecostal
understanding of this narrative and its implication for the vision of the Pentecostal
Movement and the AFMSA is of cardinal importance for this study.

In a second critical step, the See-Judge-Act method will be used to reflect on the
question whether the way in which the AFMSA assess the marks is adequate and
whether it cannot be enhanced and complemented, even be criticised through the
insights from the Bible, church history and the ecumenical church.

These steps, which involve the Bible, church history and the ecumenical church,
will not be developed individually into a study of its own. I will rather make use of
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secondary sources and the Bible will be used from a Pentecostal hermeneutic that
is narrative and not traditionally Protestant or historical-critical. I will make
comparative, illustrative and therefore eclectic use of church history and will use
every time a Catholic, Protestant, Reformed, South African and where possible a
Pentecostal theologian in principle. They will be used to assess some aspects that
are important to a relevant understanding of the marks of the church and its
implications for a Pentecostal framework.

Every chapter will end with the question, what the implications could be of such a
broad overview from a biblical and church historical perspective for the vision that
the AFMSA intuitively share concerning each mark. Some of these questions are,
whether apostolicity is understood widely and richly enough, whether the holiness
should be understood more holistically, whether the current search for unity is
conceived widely enough and whether the full gospel could not also be
understood as the fullness of catholicity? I will also relate these implications with
the practical institutional questions asked within the AFMSA and try to provide
some proposals or ways to answer them.

The Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa forms part of the worldwide
Pentecostal Movement. The churches that belong to the Pentecostal Movement
historically regarded themselves as organisms, but due to certain challenges, they
developed into organisations. Their initial rejection of church structures was based
on their understanding of the church as the Body of Christ and their determination
to restore the roots of the early Christianity to the present age. The lack of
acceptance of them by other branches of Christianity has created in them an
exclusive vision of the church and a peculiar understanding of church structure
and ministry. In their search for a particular expression of Christianity they have
developed their own confessions of faith and structured their churches according
to these beliefs. The global nature of the Pentecostal Movement requires one not
to generalise about the developments in different countries, but to search for
some elements that provide some insight into the vision and structure of the
AFMSA

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