Uncovering Paul’s missional strategy for declining Reformed Churches in South African cities

Abstract

This article explores Paul’s missional strategy as a means of addressing the decline of the Reformed Churches in South African cities. Since 1994, there has been a scholarly outcry regarding the inward focus, decline and demise of established Church denominations – particularly within South African cities. Over 100 Reformed local congregations have merged, with some continuing to experience decline and even death within the Reformed Church in South Africa (RCSA) as in other mainline protestant churches like the Presbyterians, Congregational, Lutheran, Baptist, Methodist, et cetera. Scholars have identified an identity crisis and a lack of spiritual zeal in engaging with God’s mission in the world, especially in the multicultural context of South African cities. This raises the question: What strategies are necessary to revitalise the urban gospel witness revealed in the Bible? From the missio Dei perspective, this article evaluates Paul’s missional strategy based on Acts 17, using 10 ‘C’ acronyms: Christ-centred commission, City-centred compass, Courage-capacitated conviction, Companionship-cooperative contacts, Core-content communication, Convinced Christian converts, Cell-group and household churches, Conflict-causing critics, Context-concentrated challenge, and Comprehensive concluding charisma. The article concludes with a reflection on these insights.
Contribution: This article contributes by uncovering the city as a platform and opportunity granted by God to individual Christians and the church collectively, enabling them to apply their God-given biblical and missional strategies. These are essential not only for an introspective witness addressing historical amnesia and the loss of missional identity but also for an intensive and extensive witness to the polarised communities of South Africa and beyond.