Mukhanyo is pulling-out all stops to facilitate the ever growing number of distance learning centres all across the country and beyond. The number is expected to reach a hundred centres with a thousand students within the next few years.

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Planning for 100 + 1000
During a three-day Distance Forum for the tutors and administrators of the Distance Learning Support Centres at Mukhanyo’s KwaMhlanga campus in September, Glyn Williams, the distance manager, said that in the past year the number of centres increased by 44% to 78, with some 550 active students. A further eleven centres are being planned and are expected to start within the next few months.

Some centres are small – with four or five students – but some others have many more. In general attendance and participation during classes is high. Most centres have weekly classes, some even more frequently. Quite a number of students are already serving in churches, while upgrading their Bible knowledge and understanding.

The expected growth is not without challenges, such as:

• The administrative load on Mukhanyo’s staff, which already is heavy, but the level of service to the centres will continuously have to be upgraded. The necessary preparations are being taken.
• The programme to upgrade and even rewrite the study guides is also making good progress, but is another additional responsibility of the lecturers who also teach at Mukhanyo’s campus and other centres.
• The South African educational authorities are phasing out the diploma-level qualification, so Mukhanyo has designed and applied for two higher certificates as better options to replace the old diploma. The first Higher Certificate is in Bible teaching and the other in church ministry. Provisional accreditation has already been given, but Mukhanyo is still waiting for the final full accreditation.

At the Forum the tutors of many centres indicated high praise for Mukhanyo’s distance programme and qualifications. They expressed their commitment and also provided useful information on how to keep on growing.

Our gracious God in heaven is blessing the work and also giving many opportunities for spreading His Word further. We trust He will also make it possible, because while He commands, He also shows the way and provides the means.

Students’ Comments
“My eyes have opened to the truth”, one student confessed to his tutor. Others have commented to their tutors that they have found the Mukhanyo modules Christ-centred and biblically sound. They also indicated they find the fees affordable, although more support would be appreciated. They are impressed with the high quality curricula and the context that is contextualised for African ministry, and the academic content of the modules is found to be at the right level.

Glyn Williams, the Mukhanyo distance manager, has visited a number of centres in different parts of the country. Various groups of students tell him of the high praise they have for their tutors and their commitment.

According to the tutors, many students have indicated that they would like to continue their studies and start with the BTh degree. However, this is presently only possible at Mukhanyo’s campus in KwaMhlanga and at the Advanced Learning Centres in Johannesburg and Pretoria and at the new Advanced centre starting in Durban in early 2020.

One of the problems which distance students encounter, is a desperate need of resources, especially finances. Distances are also a problem with transport facilities expensive. So Mukhanyo greatly subsidies the programme by keeping student fees as low as possible: for example, module fees (including study guides and other material) for centres outside of South Africa are only R200 per student per module.
Mukhanyo now has distance learning centres in all of South Africa’s provinces, with the exception of the Northern Cape. There are also centres in Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Wednesday 18 September, Mukhanyo’s KwaMhlanga students held a debate. Two teams were selected and started preparing several weeks before. The topic: Should pastors be involved in politics?

When the debate started, the affirmative team led by Paul Kivumbi argued that pastors must be involved in politics. Next was Titus Padi from the negative group, who used the Greek word for pastor to state that pastors need to care for their flocks.

Elias Mavimbela argued passionately in the affirmative and he was followed by Kgotso Maikhoso, who argued that pastoring is a full time job and so is politics – he asked the affirmative team where they would find the time for church work if they were politicians.

Both of the second speakers picked up on comments from the opposing teams and remarked on it. The audience listened with attention.

Ronald Gonyora ended his team's presentation with his calm way of stating the need for pastors in politics. Kudzai Chimedza's concluded that pastors shouldn't be in politics, but that pastors had to pastor those who would one day be in politics.

At the end of the debate it was explained that the purpose of a debate is to acquire skills in doing research about a specific topic and then being able to state your argument in a civil way. The teams not only have to know their own topic but also the arguments of the opposing team. This is done so that they can react to statements made by the opposing team. This is an important skill that they will use frequently in their lives.

The three judges declared Titus Padi's negative team the winners. Titus was also adjudicated the best speaker. Pastors should not be involved in politics!
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All the students agreed that the debate should be a regular part of the KwaMhlanga campus calendar.

The enrollment process for theology students is again well underway. We are thankful for the strong interest in each area and for the number of students already accepted for studies in 2020.
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Prospective students are urged to apply soon.

Contact information and other details are listed below. Bursaries are also available, based on financial need and other criteria. Students are eligible to apply for bursaries upon acceptance and after the full registration fee has been paid.

Study Fees for 2020

• Registration (per semester): R500
• Certificate (unaccredited): R350 per module
• Diploma or Higher Certificate: R700 per module
• Bachelors in Theology (BTh): R1 325 per module
• Honours in Theology (BTh Hons): R1 925 per module

Contact details for more information
Main campus in KwaMhlanga:
Phone: 013 947 2179 / 074 137 5050
Email: kwam@mukhanyo.ac.za

Johannesburg centre:
Phone: 011 339 1223
Email: jhb@mukhanyo.ac.za

Pretoria centre:
Phone: 012 004 1215
Email: pta@mukhanyo.ac.za

Rustenburg centre:
Phone: 071 62 5984 / 067 822 2442
Email rustenburg@mukhanyo.ac.za

Durban centre:
Phone: 067 256 6332
Email: antonio.coppola@mtc.ac.za

To join a Distance Learning Support Centre: contact the distance manager, Glyn Williams, at distance1@mtc.ac.za.

Mukhanyo’s BTh Honours programme is off and running, according to Dr Bryson Arthur, honours programme manager and senior lecturer. This exciting initiative, fully accredited by the South African authorities, has a duration of 18 months. Three tracks are being developed: Systematic Theology, Biblical Studies and Church History.

“Currently we are offering the Systematic Theology track. This degree itself is a worthy advancement and capping of a first degree in theology. But it also serves, of course, as the requirement for entry on to a Masters degree” says Dr Arthur.

“We have begun very well, with an excellent first semester. At present we have six students, with others waiting to begin next semester. The students who are either already pastors of churches, or are seeking to enter church ministry, have already demonstrated mature, academic competence and ability.”

Most students are married with families and are excited about the honours programme advancing their theological training. However, they are experiencing difficulties in financing their studies. This is a vital challenge particularly in this start-up period.

God willing, Mukhanyo expects to have at least its first two honours graduates by the middle of 2020. For further info contact Dr Arthur at Mukhanyo or bryson.arthur@mtc.ac.za.