Ferdinand N. Kamati
Where is our society heading? In the early 1800s, missionaries have done the recommendable task of planting the seed from which the black churches of the 21st century emanate.
In the early days, the church performed a great evangelical task by constructing churches, schools and hospitals in the community to serve the people, including the poorer.
The church had been actively involved in transforming society via its contributions to all spheres of humanity.
During the apartheid era, the church fought for the majority of the poor and oppressed to enhance their quality of life.
The church had been historically viewed as a transformative and a change agent through protesting against apartheid law imposed on the people in their community.
One can observe clearly from that that the church in the early days had worked hard toward the transformation of humanity and the larger community, ensuring that the entire society is free from oppression, discrimination, exploitation, segregation and racism of any kind.
During that time, the churches had been actively involved in assisting the people in the society, who were experiencing social and political difficulties, brought about by apartheid policy.
In the early days, the church identified itself with the poor and joined other social groups to protect society from injustice, social evils and ill practices.
The church had been embracing the liberation theology that insisted that God is on the side of the poor and joined with the poor to fight for justice and human rights.
In seeking the liberation of the poor and oppressed, the church radically opposed the systems and policies that dehumanised the masses. The church encouraged the participation of the poor and oppressed in the social transformation to enable them to become more human and valuable in their community. It had been the responsibility of the church to advocate for societal identity, development, well-being and peaceful community.
In the beginning, the church doctrine dominated the community and overrules the traditional laws, ethics and norms by moulding the appropriate principles of life, advocating for community transparency in politics, policy formulation and implementation of public programmes and projects.
In a community where there is considerable influence of Christianity, there would be fewer social evils and ill practices such as gender-based violence, rape, passion killing and others.
Christian teaching doctrines strongly advocated the transformation of individual lives, re-building the society, including political stability, economic prosperity, social and moral sanity, a reduced rate of corruption and strengthening mutual cooperation among members of society.
In the past, through social interaction in the religious sphere, the church had made a significant contribution to the well-being of the entire society through building centres for youth empowerment programmes and religions; actively engaged in public and civic activities such as establishing rehabilitation centres for the destitute and drugs and alcohol addicts within the society.
Many churches had nurseries, primary and secondary schools and private hospitals to create employment, and health care and provide admissions to children who seek admission including the poorer.
Despite the significance underscored the roles the church played in social transformation and its advocate the radical social change.
The church had gradually diminished in the important task of social transformation and became less focused on positive social influence on public life. The reason why is something we need to ponder another day.
The poor are longer important to the church. The church had turned a blind eye to the poor and oppressed in society. Life had become unbearable to this group in our community. Church services are no longer accessible to people of low economic status. As of current, the private schools owned by churches are among the most expensive schools in our society. The question is how many poor people in our society could afford to send their children to these schools or afford to seek medical assistance from the church’s private hospitals. This can be a subject of another day.
The statistics have shown that only less than 100 children from the poorest families had completed their education at church-owned private schools since independence.
Despite the initial purpose of the church for standing for the poorer, their service had become unfordable to the children from the families who reside in the circle of abject poverty.
Instead of serving the poor community, the church-owned schools and hospitals had become profit-making organizations targeting children from the rich and high-class families.
Moreover, church-owned hospitals are unfordable for the people from the poorest society but only serve the working-class group and people from well-off societies.
What are the possible solutions?
It is high time that churches avail scholarships to enable children from poor families to get educated at the church-owned private schools to receive a quality education and subside poor people to receive health services at church-owned private hospitals.
The church and all faith institutions in a religious society should play a fundamental role to motivate and influence the social-political and economic life of the people within their community.
The church should transform the social life of the people by functioning as a symbolic form, which integrates and cares for social humanity irrespective of their social-economic status.
The church should act as a moral regenerator, builder, and value-based organisation for the poorest of the poor, advance cultural diversity and build relationships among the community and curb all racial barriers to transform the current society.
The church must declare creeds that lead to demonstrating good deeds and tackle injustice faced by the voiceless in society instead of focusing on the richer and high-class society.
The church must never be silent but speak out against unjust practices of any form faced by our society. The church must influence the good character of society and contribute to the preservation of the status quo of society.
Despite the positive feelings the society had toward churches, nowadays, society had lost faith in the church’s contribution to societal transformation.
The church supposes to address poverty by helping the needy, poor and disabled, by distributing food and clothing and assisting the homeless.
The church should contribute positively by engaging in community activities such as giving spiritual direction, serving youth, families and the elderly and cultivating biblical values in individuals and communities.
The church should teach and instil morals and values, cultivate a sense of belonging, show compassion and love toward the poor and oppressed and bring unity to the community.
The church should provide counselling, support social groups and other forms of guidance and assistance to get our society get back on track. Only the church can make society finds its direction.
*Ferdinand N. Kamati is a PhD scholar, motivational speaker and academic researcher. He can be reached at ferdinandkamati@yahoo.com