FOCUS Awards Ceremony 2023

September 21 marked a significant day of celebration for 44 students at the Mukhanyo campus in KwaMhlanga as they were awarded certificates for completing the church-based Focus program. Some of these students spent four years to achieve this milestone.

The Focus program offers church-based education in both English and Zulu. It was established several years ago to cater to church leaders who did not meet the qualifications for Mukhanyo's accredited programmes, including higher certificates at the tertiary level or a Bachelor of Theology degree. This program plays a vital role in bridging an important gap, particularly for church leaders seeking fundamental training in various aspects of the Bible and church-related matters.

The graduates of 2023 have affirmed that this program has increased their ability to instruct and lead within various independent African churches. Here are a few examples:

• Israel Gumede, from Scottsburg on the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal, serves as the leader of the Holiness Union Church. He completed the program in Zulu. Gumede asserts that this course has not only enriched his understanding of the Bible but has also transformed his approach to its interpretation. Mukhanyo's teachings have provided him with a biblical perspective on ancestral beliefs, which he now fervently disavows.
• Thabo Kgomakae, Tsukulu Gideon Thibeng, and Radebe Puseletiso, residents of Welkom in the Free State province, embarked on their studies together, although they serve as preachers in different churches. They unanimously attest that the programme has transformed their spiritual lives. Their comprehension of the Bible has expanded significantly, resulting in a notable shift in their preaching styles compared to their earlier approaches. They expressed a shared aspiration to further their education by enrolling in one of Mukhanyo's Higher Certificate programmes.
• Amos Nhlapo preaches in the African Free Congregational Church near Tweefontein in the Limpopo province. He also expressed the desire to continue his studies. Nhlapo states that his view of Christ has changed through the Focus study: Christ sacrificed Himself for our sins; we now are His children and should serve Him, not the other way around.
• Gideon Khamoble, also from Tweefontein, dedicated four years to successfully finishing the Focus programme. This educational journey has been a revelation, significantly broadening his perspective and understanding. He now recognises that a substantial portion of his previous teachings were inaccurate. His former belief in ancestral roles has become a thing of the past.
• George Masango serves as an elder in the “New Divine for All Nations” church, located in Kwaggafontein within the Limpopo province. He has already enrolled in Mukhanyo's Higher Certificate program. Masango emphasises that he now understands the significance of the Old Testament, of which he had limited knowledge in the past. The Focus programme has shed light on numerous traditional practices, highlighting their inaccuracies such as rituals associated with burials.

The Focus program is tailored to an academic level roughly equivalent to grades ten through twelve. This program places a strong emphasis on enhancing the knowledge and understanding of Christians within a church setting. It is specifically designed for individuals such as pastors, elders, deacons, Sunday school teachers, and other church leaders.

Students are offered the choice between three elective tracks: church leadership, church growth, or church life. The curriculum comprises modules covering a wide range of topics, including Bible studies, the in-depth exploration of specific books of the Bible, apologetics, the practice of worship within the African context, and the cultivation of godly living.

Upon registration, a student joins one of Mukhanyo’s local learning sites, each one having a Mukhanyo-trained tutor or facilitator. These sites, numbering around 100 in southern Africa, serve as educational hubs where not only the Focus programme but also a substantial portion of Mukhanyo's accredited programmes are taught.