“It has been a time of immense growth and self-discovery. Over my time at College I have found myself asking question I never even knew could be asked – I have discovered questions! I have always been of the conviction that theological training is important yet, my time here has brought that into focus in a way I did not expect. All of a sudden the question is: how much training is enough training!
On that note of training, in consultation with my pastors both sending and those I have come to know through my time here, and in consultation with the Presiding Bishop of our denomination, Glenn Lyons, it has seemed wise to us that I pursue postgraduate studies. One of the realizations I have had while being at College is the lack of black South Africans in particular, who go on to do postgraduate studies.
The conviction I have grown over the few years I have been here is that my passion for my country ought to be coupled with a zeal to thoroughly think through our context in light of the Bible. I have found that very little of this has been done, specifically for the South African context. It has been a growing desire that I be part of the conversations of our country armed with a well-thought through treatment of the message of the Scripture for us.
It is the seminal missiologist David Bosch who said: Without a faithful and sustained contact with God the Church loses her transcendence. Without a true solidarity with the world she loses her relevance.”
Bongo Mkiva, South Africa