Higher Certificate in Christian Ministry

Purpose

The purpose of the Higher Certificate in Christian Ministry is to prepare learners for positions such as church elders, deacons, worship leaders, youth leaders, welfare leaders, community relief volunteers, bible-study group leaders, and related volunteer and auxiliary positions in the local church and community. It is designed to equip learners with competencies in the areas of biblical understanding and interpretation, church leadership, community outreach and development, ministry to youth groups, leading in public worship, public speaking, leading out in group discussions and group management, supervision, communication, writing skills, and basic research.

It provides training for both first-time church and community leaders, and for those who are experienced in church leadership and community activities. For those who are employed in churches in an auxiliary capacity, it provides a qualification with which they can advance their careers. Since this is a qualification which has a vocational orientation, the learners will be required to complete work-integrated learning during the two-year duration of the programme.

Upon completion of the qualification, qualifying learners will be able

• Apply the basic principles of biblical interpretation and understanding.
• Explain the basic tenets of the Christian faith.
• Demonstrate an understanding of church organization and management.
• Demonstrate a knowledge of church history.
• Develop an appreciation for the diversity of people in the community based on different cultures and generational variance, etc.
• Apply the basic principles of discipleship, disciple-making, and nurturing of members in the church.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the characteristics and needs of different communities.
• Develop strategies for addressing the social, ethical, spiritual, and moral needs of different communities.
• Lead out in worship services as a worship leader or as a person required to deliver the homily.

Rationale

The updated Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook lists Christianity as the major religion practised by South Africans with Christianity at 86%, ancestral, tribal, animist, or other traditional African religions at 5.4%, Muslim at 1.9%, other 1.5%, nothing 5.2%. Various studies identified the need for professionalising the training of religious lay workers and professional practitioners through the formation of professional associations and qualifications registered on the NQF. The churches and ministry institutions will benefit by working in a regulated environment with reference to professionalising religious practice via the National Qualifications Framework Act.

The envisaged target audience would be church members who have held positions of leadership in their local congregations. These are members who feel the need to improve their skills in serving in their church, or who have been requested by their local churches to seek upskilling so that they may serve the congregation more proficiently.

The institution identified the need to provide the Higher Certificate in Christian Ministry to provide training for lay members to become effective leaders in local Christian communities, which comprise 86% of the population in South Africa. The Seventh-day Adventist Church's (SDA) minister-to-church ratio being 1:6 results in the church members performing a variety of responsibilities within the local church.

The qualification was developed in consultation with the Theology Liaison Committee and church members to address the need for trained ministers. The Theology Liaison Committee is a significant body representing the SDA constituency in Southern Africa. The eight regional heads covering Southern Africa, i.e. eSwatini, Lesotho, and Namibia, are members of the Liaison Committee. As the regional heads represent close to 500 000 adherents, a recommendation and request emanating from this Committee carries significant weight in terms of constituency needs. The institution is thus, through its governing and consultative boards, responding to the need to provide professional training to vocational and lay leadership for the community in general and Christian churches in particular.

The qualification will contribute to fighting corruption and enhancing accountability. One of the targets is a corruption-free society, a high adherence to ethics throughout society and a government that is accountable to its people. In this qualification, learners will be required to understand and interpret the fundamentals in scripture and will be guided to develop preaching skills which they would use to encourage ethical behaviour in their congregants. The qualification is therefore designed to train community members for effective service and leadership, moral regeneration, and ethical conduct in the local community, as per the fundamental beliefs and ethical guidelines of the SDA church, the institutional aforementioned values and the Code of Conduct, behavioural expectations and standards and moral conduct.

Graduates will lead their communities and contribute to the development of society in moral, cultural and religious areas. The modules in the programme will provide them with the requisite knowledge and skills to assist them in serving as intergenerational and intercultural mediators; grief and trauma first responders; community-programme developers, and spiritual mentors.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

The institution aspires to meet the transformational needs of the people of South Africa by providing alternative access to education in the form of the RPL. RPL refers to the formal identification, assessment and acknowledgement of the full range of an individual's skills, knowledge and capabilities, irrespective of how and where they have been acquired.

RPL for access

• RPL for access is aimed primarily at those who are over the age of 23 and do not meet the conventional matriculation requirements for admission to undergraduate programmes.
• The provisions of the Higher Education Act allow for the Senate's Discretionary admission of candidates who do not meet the conventional requirements for undergraduate qualification offered by the institution. Such admissions are regulated by the additional requirements of the Matriculation Board.
• The institutional policy for gaining access via RPL may be applied on condition that applicants are 23 years and older and that the number of applicants for this alternative route of admission does not exceed 10% of the cohort.

The RPL admissions policy and procedures will be used to achieve two purposes

• Learners who are over the age of 23 and do not have formal qualifications at NQF Level 4 or equivalent, or who do not qualify for relevant age exemptions, may apply to be granted access to any undergraduate qualifications by means of RPL.
• Learners who have extensive but relevant experiential or informal knowledge in a particular field of learning may apply to obtain advanced standing for a qualification or to obtain credits towards a qualification providing that the institution shall not grant credits more than 50% of the total required for the qualification by this route.
• The purposes of advanced standing may also be achieved through the recognition of transfer credits from another institution, although the 50% residency clause also applies to this condition.

RPL for exemption of modules

• Learners may apply for RPL to be exempted from modules that form part of the qualification. For a learner to be exempted from a module, the learner needs to provide sufficient evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates that competency was achieved for the learning outcomes that are equivalent to the learning outcomes of the module.

RPL for credit

• Learners may also apply for RPL for credit for or towards the qualification, in which they must provide evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates prior learning through formal, non-formal and/or informal learning to obtain credits towards the qualification.
• Credit shall be appropriate to the context in which it is awarded and accepted.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• National Senior Certificate, NQF Level 4 granting access to Higher Certificate studies.

Or

• National Certificate (Vocational), NQF Level 4 granting access to Higher Certificate studies.

Or

• Senior Certificate, NQF Level 4 without endorsement.

This qualification consists of the following compulsory modules at NQF Level 5 totalling 120 Credits.

Compulsory modules, Level 5, 120 Credits

• Introduction to Research and Academic Writing, 9 Credits.
• The Gospel of Jesus Christ, 9 Credits.
• Biblical Interpretation, 9 Credits.
• Teachings of the Church, 9 Credits.
• Survey of Church History, 9 Credits.
• Church Governance, 9 Credits.
• Biblical Studies, 9 Credits.
• Biblical Preaching, 9 Credits.
• Multicultural Ministry, 9 Credits.
• Christian Ministry Field Work, 12 Credits.
• Church Worship and Liturgy, 9 Credits.
• Church Growth, 9 Credits.
• Intergenerational Ministry, 9 Credits.

1. Demonstrate the ability to understand the basic principles of biblical interpretation and understanding.
2. Demonstrate the ability to understand and explain the basic tenets of the Christian faith.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of church organization and management.
4. Demonstrate a knowledge of church history.
5. Demonstrate the ability to develop an appreciation for the diversity of people in the community based on different cultures and generational variance, etc.
6. Demonstrate the ability to understand and apply the basic principles of discipleship, disciple-making, and nurturing of members in the church.
7. Demonstrate an understanding of the characteristics and needs of different communities.
8. Demonstrate the ability to develop strategies for addressing the social, ethical, spiritual, and moral needs of different communities.
9. Demonstrate the ability to lead in worship services as a worship leader or as a person required to deliver the homily.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Explain presuppositions arising from the claims of the Bible.
• Identify and explain principles of interpreting passages of the Bible.
• Explain methods of Bible study appropriate for the different individuals in society.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Describe the role of prayer, Bible study and witnessing in the Christian's life.
• Identify the different ways of church involvement for the various age groups in the local church.
• Outline the fundamental Bible doctrines and their relevance to the life of the Christian.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Identify the different forms of church governance and describe the relationship between the different levels of church organization within the church's hierarchical structure.
• Facilitate meetings with a clear understanding of the meaning and role of agendas, and minutes, quorum, understanding terms such as quorums.
• Describe basic principles of parliamentary procedure as a committee member or chairman.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Describe the geographical, socio-political, author and audience of the religious context of the Old and New Testament.
• Narrate events in the development of the Christian Church in South Africa.
• Explain the role of the Church fathers in Church History and their significance for the Church today.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• Build a knowledge base for leadership in relating to the different generations in the community.
• Relate and minister to the different generations in the local church, with a particular emphasis on Generation Z.
• Explain the basic principles of forming an urban centre of influence.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6

• Explain the biblical and theoretical rationale for church growth.
• Identify and describe the sections of the GROW model of evangelism which deal with disciple-making and nurture.
• Discuss the steps for leading a person to become a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 7

• Develop a knowledge base for leadership in multicultural societies.
• Observe multicultural church worship in various settings.
• Be familiar with the rudiments of research for ecclesiastical purposes.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 8

• Observe and make notes about community engagement programmes
• Discuss the basic principles of outreach in the various communities.
• Describe the elements of Christ's method of reaching people and explain how Christ's method can be realised by the church today.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 9

• Define worship and its nature in a church context and lead out in worship services.
• Organise a preaching roster and preach Bible-based, Christ-centred sermons.
• Recognise and explain the nature and structure of liturgical programmes in the varied worship services of the church.

INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT

Continuous assessment practices form an integral part of the design of this qualification. Learning outcomes are made explicit to learners and there is a coherent assessment strategy in place for each module, with a fair balance between formative and summative assessment strategies.

The modules generally have one midterm test and a summative examination, while a few modules have an additional test prescribed.

The assignments vary depending on the nature of the respective module and the module outcomes and include the following

• Sermon preparation and preaching.
• Reading reports.
• An online blog.
• An interview; a term paper.
• Reporting on observation in a church setting.
• Practical projects like conducting meetings.

Summative assessments are used to certify achievements in a module and to allocate grades. Their function is to evaluate learning by comparing it to a standard as informed by the NQF Level Descriptors. Furthermore, the intention is to assess the knowledge base and meaning-making as it is related to the outcomes intended for a module. Furthermore, final summative assessments are to be both integrative i.e. integrating theory and application and comprehensive.

The learner will be expected to fulfil the requirements of the Christian Ministry Fieldwork module after having completed the four Foundation Modules, as well as Church Governance and Biblical Preaching in the Core Modules. A Portfolio of Evidence is required for the Work-based Learning module.