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In our present days, it is very hard to live a righteous life, especially for young people. This is the case throughout a confused and mixed-up world, but even more so in South Africa with its many cultures, religions and divisions. Christian role-models are often not there. Worldly thinking and behaviour is advertised over the media and the youth battle with many questions. Some matters which are called sin in Scripture are seen as normal standards in their communities, etc.
During the afternoon boys and girls had separate sessions while these topics were further elaborated on by the various leaders. Responses from the youth showed that the teachings were much appreciated. All who took part arranging the conference agreed that it was richly blessed by the Lord. The day was a success, a good start for a Biblical way forward. However, they also agreed that they hardly could scratch the surface of these very important subjects on which very much teaching is needed. May the Lord help Mukhanyo to touch this need again in the near future and to pray earnestly for our young people in the meantime!  Over the past 18 months, the first draft of Mukhanyo’s 25-year history was completed. But it still lacks some detail, anecdotes and the roles of some key-participants, much of which has never been documented. Therefore this is a call to all readers of this newsletter to assist by submitting their experiences in respect of Mukhanyo’s history. More specific, also the following:
Help wanted! Additionally, we now need a final editor to complete this project. An experienced author is needed to polish the whole book and put it into its final form. Please contact the Principal, Dr Brian DeVries (brian.devries@mtc.ac.za), if you are willing to assist with this project. To know your Bible is one thing – a very important one at that. To apply it in your daily life is another matter. But for church leaders to give biblical counselling to other people – individuals, couples and families – can be very difficult and requires specialised knowledge and wisdom. Above all, a biblical counsellor must firmly believe that God alone brings change in the hearts and lives of counselees.
 Prof Buys taught the students the basic guidelines for counselling, how to build trust and give hope, how to understand counselees and to place them before God and how to help them plan for change. Topics discussed in class included counselling for marriage and the family, trauma, HIV/Aids, processing bereavement and grief, witchcraft, ancestor spirits and demon possession. In all this, it was made very clear that a counsellor must to know that he or she may plant and water as God’s fellow worker, but that God gives the growth (1 Cor 3:5-9). There is no substitute for prayerful devotion to God in the counsellor’s character and conduct. God must be the mainspring of the counsellor’s effort, the fountain and crown of all the counsellor’s endeavours. At the end of a week of concentrated, all-day lecturing, and after many lively discussions, the students will hand in an assignment on a real-life challenge that describes the approach they would follow to restore a counselee to a life that pleases the Lord.
The first step in this plan is to find a qualified Christian who can lead this project. Please review the job advert (below) for a Durban Centre Manager. Do you want to be part of this growing vision? Please contact Dr Brian DeVries to discuss ways Mukhanyo can partner with local churches to make this vision a reality. Mukhanyo seeks applicants for appointment for the Durban Centre Manager: This position will be responsible for management and development of a proposed learning centre in Durban. The ideal candidate will also serve as a Senior Lecturer on the Academic Team. 
What is quality in theological education? A few points to ponder:
Other aspects to ponder include the components of quality such as goals and motives, as well as practical aspects such as accreditation. Additionally, consider the many spheres determining the quality of an institution such as the environment, lecturers, contents, processes and outcomes, and the students themselves. https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?m=t&s=71191424152510.
 Conducting self-assessment. The Bible encourages self-examination. For example, one can refer to Holy Communion before which one should evaluate oneself. Are you worthy for participating in the communion? The Bible also teaches that everyone is to count the cost before going to war or beginning to build a house. Likewise, Bible schools should also examine themselves. To assess an institution’s quality requires much more than a look at classes, books, students, teachers or the curriculum. The assessment is rather how well one does in respect to the unique task with unique students. Should we not look more at the fruits and less at the qualifications? There is a long list of questions to answer. Are the teachers/lecturers qualified? (right experience, teaching ability, continuous study, pastoral skills, good role models, etc.). Does the institution have the right students from an educational, emotional and social ability points of view? Are they willing, mature, spiritually gifted and called? Next, is there a coherent, integrated and contextual programme? And does the institution have the physical and financial resources to make the programme work? https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?m=t&s=71191437544603. Quality cooperation. Is there a need for Bible colleges to work closer together and help each other with matters of facilities, curricula, quality or a joint voice to the authorities? At the Consultation this year it was remarked that there are numerous Bible colleges and schools all over Africa, a number of whom have good quality and are biblically reliable. But there are also some that are not there yet. It is also a well-known fact that there is an enormous shortage of trained church leaders. Some say that approximately 90 % of churches have to do without. At the same time new churches are planted just about daily. Africa is shouting out for the need for well-trained and able pastors and other church leaders. At the end of the Consultation, Dr Brian DeVries made the suggestion that we must consider ways to find greater cooperation on a more regular basis, helping each other in many aspects, all in line with certain delineated points of agreement. Further info available: The main topics and presentations can be downloaded for free from Mukhanyo’s website: https://www.mukhanyo.ac.za/sermons.html. Papers and PowerPoint presentations are also available upon request from Wynie Malan, office.mukhanyo@gmail.com. Note: The tentative dates for next year’s Bible College Consultation are 9-11 June 2020.  Is the quality of teaching in your Bible college up to Biblical standards, in line with the need of churches and also to the satisfaction of the accreditation authorities? This was not an easy question to answer for the forty plus Bible colleges and some hundred delegates attending Mukhanyo’s ninth Bible College Consultation, held in Pretoria from 11 to 13 June. The participating institutions came from ten different African countries, as far north as Uganda. Each country has its own rules and regulations in respect to education and training. Levels of quality differ. Needs differ. The capacity of colleges and their lecturers differ. These factors make it difficult to define how quality should be promoted in the practical situation of each college, university or seminary that is teaching church leaders. The first question to be answered was how quality – especially in theological education – should be defined. It is not as easy and straightforward as it seems. Dr Brian DeVries, principal of Mukhanyo, opened the event for the week and laid a biblical foundation for understanding and promoting quality. The next question was about what a quality lecturer is and how he could grow in his calling. This matter was addressed by Dr Conrad Mbewe, who is presently involved in the establishment of the African Christian University in Zambia. He also addressed the all-important underlying issue of worldviews.
If one knows what quality is, how do you determine or assess the quality of your institution? There is a long list of self-assessment questions to attempt this, as explained by the experienced Dr Steve Hardy, who has been a missionary educator in more than six countries for close to half a century. He also addressed the matter of the governance, management and administration of institutions, as well as the question of how to transform the teaching of colleges.
The next topics on the theme were about a quality curriculum and a quality learning environment. The curriculum part was addressed by Dr Richard Seed, a consultant for a number of theological colleges in several African states. Then the learning part was discussed by Prof Rantoa Letsosa, acting dean of the Faculty of Theology and Religion of the University of the Free State. What should be the quality outcomes? Are they what the local church requires? It has to be seen in context, which was addressed by Dr Victor Nakah who has for many years been teaching, preaching and managing various institutions in a number of countries in Africa. The Consultation also held a number of workshops and cohort discussions on all the relevant subjects. Workshops discussed matters such as partnerships between colleges, confronting unbiblical philosophies, the needs of today’s churches, missional excellence, the problem of plagiarism, and governmental accreditation. Further info available: The main topics and presentations can be downloaded for free from Mukhanyo’s website: https://www.mukhanyo.ac.za/sermons.html. Papers and PowerPoint presentations are also available upon request from Wynie Malan, office.mukhanyo@gmail.com. Note: The tentative dates for next year’s Bible College Consultation are 9-11 June 2020. |
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