The Reformed Church of East Africa (RCEA) was founded by the Dutch Reformed Church in 1944. The R... more The Reformed Church of East Africa (RCEA) was founded by the Dutch Reformed Church in 1944. The RCEA however deviates in its church governance from Reformed/Presbyterian church polity principles ordinarily embraced by Reformed churches across the globe. The church judicial development of the RCEA has been influenced on the one hand by the mission agencies for example the Dutch Reformed missionaries as well as the Reformed Mission League and on the other hand by the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA). The researcher assessed the Constitution of the RCEA in this dissertation against the Reformed/Presbyterian church polity principles (see Chapter 3 and 5). The research tries to determine to what extent the Constitution of the RCEA is grounded in reformed church polity principles, namely: a) Self-government under the sole headship of Christ, b) The limited autonomy of the local congregation, c) The denominational ties serve the well-being of the Church, d) The restricted power and responsibilities of ecclesial assemblies, The researcher concluded at the end of the dissertation that the RCEA should make provisions in the envisaged church order regarding: The ordination of women, The authority and responsibilities of the ecclesial assemblies, The confessional basis of the RCEA, The necessity and nature of Christian discipline and the right to appeal. Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Huffel, for her useful guidance, insightful comments, and considerable encouragements to complete this thesis. Her expertise supervision, enthusiasm, rigorous attitude to church polity, valuable advice and suggestions on my work and extensive knowledge put me in the position to complete the dissertation. A word of indebtedness is being expressed to Professor Pieter Coertzen and Robert Vosloo of the Department of Systematic Theology and Ecclesiology at the University of Stellenbosch for their guidance in the early phases of my research. I own my deepest gratitude to the Faculty of Theology at the University of Stellenbosch for travel bursary granted to me that put me in position to finalize my research.
This paper drawing to the foundations of both Presbyterian and Reformed church polity principles,... more This paper drawing to the foundations of both Presbyterian and Reformed church polity principles, evaluates the constitution of the Reformed Church in East Africa providing a proposed church order for the future of RCEA. The distinctiveness of church law is that it must also derive from the Bible what entails Christ’s will for His church and then implement it for contemporary times (Coertzen, 1998, p. 7). In Church and Order, A Reformed Perspective the principles of Reformed Church law and church government are exclusively and extensively treated as well as the historical development of Reformed church government and the practice of the subject as part of the theological curriculum.Presbyterianism negates that all church power vests in the clergy: that the apostolic office is perpetual, and that each individual Christian congregation is independent. It is upon this principle that RCEA was born having adopted the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) in 1963 p...
The Reformed Church of East Africa (RCEA) was founded by the Dutch Reformed Church in 1944. The R... more The Reformed Church of East Africa (RCEA) was founded by the Dutch Reformed Church in 1944. The RCEA however deviates in its church governance from Reformed/Presbyterian church polity principles ordinarily embraced by Reformed churches across the globe. The church judicial development of the RCEA has been influenced on the one hand by the mission agencies for example the Dutch Reformed missionaries as well as the Reformed Mission League and on the other hand by the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA). The researcher assessed the Constitution of the RCEA in this dissertation against the Reformed/Presbyterian church polity principles (see Chapter 3 and 5). The research tries to determine to what extent the Constitution of the RCEA is grounded in reformed church polity principles, namely: a) Self-government under the sole headship of Christ, b) The limited autonomy of the local congregation, c) The denominational ties serve the well-being of the Church, d) The restricted power and responsibilities of ecclesial assemblies, The researcher concluded at the end of the dissertation that the RCEA should make provisions in the envisaged church order regarding: The ordination of women, The authority and responsibilities of the ecclesial assemblies, The confessional basis of the RCEA, The necessity and nature of Christian discipline and the right to appeal. Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Huffel, for her useful guidance, insightful comments, and considerable encouragements to complete this thesis. Her expertise supervision, enthusiasm, rigorous attitude to church polity, valuable advice and suggestions on my work and extensive knowledge put me in the position to complete the dissertation. A word of indebtedness is being expressed to Professor Pieter Coertzen and Robert Vosloo of the Department of Systematic Theology and Ecclesiology at the University of Stellenbosch for their guidance in the early phases of my research. I own my deepest gratitude to the Faculty of Theology at the University of Stellenbosch for travel bursary granted to me that put me in position to finalize my research.
This paper drawing to the foundations of both Presbyterian and Reformed church polity principles,... more This paper drawing to the foundations of both Presbyterian and Reformed church polity principles, evaluates the constitution of the Reformed Church in East Africa providing a proposed church order for the future of RCEA. The distinctiveness of church law is that it must also derive from the Bible what entails Christ’s will for His church and then implement it for contemporary times (Coertzen, 1998, p. 7). In Church and Order, A Reformed Perspective the principles of Reformed Church law and church government are exclusively and extensively treated as well as the historical development of Reformed church government and the practice of the subject as part of the theological curriculum.Presbyterianism negates that all church power vests in the clergy: that the apostolic office is perpetual, and that each individual Christian congregation is independent. It is upon this principle that RCEA was born having adopted the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) in 1963 p...
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