A part of the group of students from the Northern Cape at their graduation ceremony. With them is Dr Marina van Loggerenberg, academic programme manager. (NWU)
The faculty of theology of the North-West University’s Potchefstroom campus has made an impact on the Northern Cape with its distance learning programmes.
One of these programmes focuses on obtaining a degree in theology.
The distance learning programmes started in 2007 under the leadership of Professor Dries du Plooy, focusing on Upington, Kakamas, Olifantshoek and Kuruman.
This area is far from any university and as a result there was in “explosion” of interest in tertiary training that was available locally, with almost 60 prospective students.
The students’ ages ranged from 29 to 57 and they were mainly from the coloured community, many of whom were in the teaching profession, as well as people who were lay preachers and evangelists in their respective churches.
Some of the programme’s theology alumni who live in the Northern Cape are already installed as pastors in their churches.
A few women will soon also be able to join the ministry. Alumni also serve as teachers and leaders in their communities, making a difference by applying and sharing their knowledge.
The manager of the Upington programme, Dr Etienne van Loggerenberg, says a total of 47 students successfully completed their BTh and BA honours courses in theology since the inception of the programme in the Northern Cape.
The programme made great progress and in June 2011, 20 students completed the BTh degree, while another 12 received their degrees in November 2011.
Eight students completed their degrees in November 2012 and seven students have completed their BA Honours in Theology since the inception of the programme in Upington.
“They are now equipped to offer to others, further practical support and to share their knowledge in their communities,” says Van Loggerenberg.
Alumni who have served as part-time ministers in their congregations since 2012 include Michael Davids and Christopher Jansen (both Congregational Church), Josef Isaks (AFM, primary school principal) and Dicky Mathys (Evangelic Lutheran Church, a retired superintendent at the Northern Cape department of education).
Fulltime pastors who have completed their studies include Pastor Harold de Wee (Living Word Assemblies), Pastor Patrus Goeieman (Hebrew Pentecostal Church), Father Simphiwe Malo (Anglican Church) and Pastor Joe Luvuno (AFM).
Jannie Simon of the Roman Catholic Church is a primary school principal and also delivers Sunday morning meditations on Radio Riverside, the local community radio station that has 200 000 listeners in the Northern Cape and the Kalahari.
Jacobus Shorty is currently in training at the Methodist Church in Kakamas and Etzel Mathys works in a small congregation as a pastoral counsellor, while being trained in the Congregational Church.
Alumni and current students are adamant that they want to equip themselves further and become part of the ministries in their churches.
According to Van Loggerenberg these people make a huge impact in their communities.
“And so are many, many others who are not ministering; but who are playing a huge role as teachers and leaders.”
Van Loggerenberg says although none of the students are members of the Reformed Churches of South Africa, the content of the programme immediately made them fond of the reformed teaching.
“They are inspired to apply and preach what they learned,” he says.
Van Loggerenberg says that “the Lord took this programme to the people” and that students do not have to empty their pockets for the privilege of studying elsewhere, or leave their communities for several years.
According to Van Loggerenberg some of the students testified that now, for the first time, they “know what a church is” and “I now know where a confession of faith comes from”.
“It makes one truly thankful to be part of a programme that makes a real difference in peoples’ lives,” says Van Loggerenberg.
Van Loggerenberg and his wife, Dr Marina van Loggerenberg, are the programme managers and their co-workers in Upington are Dr Sarel Corrie and his wife, Dr Lesley Corrie.