Die pastor se belewenis van die uitdagings in multikulturele Pinkster-Charismatiese gemeentes van Suid- Afrika

D.Litt. et Phil.South Africa is a culturally diverse country, which is becoming more and more complex due to secular influences like globalisation and the influx of African migrants. As different ethnic groups are integrated in South African communities, pastors are faced with new challenges to develop multicultural congregations, that reflect the demography of the community. Pastors also face challenges with regards to the interaction of men and women, as well as the interaction of various age groups. The handling of current challenges will however not be effective without an understanding of the painful exclusion of various ethnic groups and women from certain ministry and leadership positions that characterised the Pentecostal history. The lack of mentorship from generation to generation also led to generation gaps. In order to provide pastors of multicultural Pentecostal-Charismatic congregations with guidelines to handle these challenges, it was necessary to give a rich description of the challenges that pastors themselves experiece with regards to the interaction of various ethnic groups, men and women as well as the interaction of various age groups in multicultural congregations. The description of the challenges that pastors of multicultural Pentecostal- Charismatic congregations face, as well as giving guidelines in handling these challenges, formed the research goals of the study. The qualitative model of practical theological reflection developed by Swinton and Mowat (2006), was used to guide the research process. In the first stage of the research process, a literature study was done to describe the multicultural context of Pentecostal-Charismatic congregations. The study took place against the background of the Pentecostal history. This led to a description of the DNA of Pentecost, that explained how unity in the initial Pentecostal movements gained momentum through the work of the Holy Spirit. A description of the Pentecostal history also explained how the introduction of formal structures, as well as a shift from the missionary task of Christ to an inward focus on the vii preferences of certain people and groups led to the division of believers, based on ethnicity, gender and age. Challenges are also faced with the current integration of various ethnic groups, men and women, as well as different age groups. In the second stage of the research process, qualitative research was used to explore and to describe the challenges that pastors of multicultural congregations face. The themes that were identified by the study, were compared to current literature as well as Scriptural guidelines in the third stage of the study. In the final stage, new practices were given to aid pastors in handling the challenges of multicultural Pentecostal-Charismatic congregations. These practices include a return to the original DNA of Pentecost, a strong theological and cultural grounding, as well as the implementation of practical guidelines under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The study was concluded with the unique contributions of the study to the field of Practical Theology and by making recommendations for further research