The current management of our Church, as one of its
main goals and part of its vision for the future, has prioritized the training
of pastors, as well as management councils. With training we refer to practical
equipment to minister to today’s church, rather than academic qualifications
and titles. However, the latter is just as important. Training requires a
substantial financial commitment, which would be impossible for an already over
committed Head Office and which would also not be possible for the local
congregations. The purpose is to provide free training for all pastors, in
order to equip them as effectively as possible, without any additional layout
to the pastors’ couple. The following training aspects have enjoyed attention:
- The curriculum of the
Church Seminary, have been completely upgraded to the extent that it is now
acknowledged as a bridging course for university admission.
- The Seminar was accepted
as a satellite campus of the North West University for the course BTh Practical
Theology.
- A licence was obtained
for the presentation of the International School of Ministry’s full course, for
both South Africa and Australia.
- Three weeks of intensive Faith
Home training for all prospective pastors’ couples have been implemented since
2010.
- Several practical, highly
effective seminars and short courses were facilitated and presented to the
pastors and their wives, since 2010.
- Management councils have
been subjected to numerous courses in the different regions.
Some examples of other areas where Head Office, under
the current management, takes a much greater responsibility than in the past,
include the following:
- The establishment of a
monthly goodwill amount, currently R 2 100.00 per month, to every pastor who
retired from the full-time ministry from our Church, whether due to age or
health reasons, that does not own property or is self-supporting.
- Retired pastors who do
not have their own accommodation after retirement, will be accommodated, as far
as possible, at very reasonable and subsidized rates at the Willie de Waal Complex
in Pretoria, if they are willing to stay there.
- A monthly goodwill amount
paid to the previous, retired Moderator.
- Every living retired
pastor and his wife receives a small token of appreciation on his or her
birthday.
- The subsidization of
congregations where pastors, who live under the breadline, also do not have the
privilege of a parsonage and therefore have to rent a house.
- The planting of new
congregations, of which the latest Bloemhof and Thaba Patsoa were, in 2017. 24
new congregations have been planted since 2010.
- The National Conference venue
at Helderberg has been upgraded in total, also as far as the accommodation is
concerned. This entire project was driven by NASFO.
- The supporting of
projects among all communities in the Church, to realize the establishment of
worship places.
All the above goals would have been in vain without
the enormous inputs of NASFO, as it required a substantial financial commitment.
We are privileged to have exceptionally blessed business people as members in
our Church today. These individuals, due to their daily exposure in various
fields of the business world, are better equipped and able to generate finances
than many pastors can ever be. In the words of some of these people, they may
not be musicians or preachers, or might not even have the time to get involved
in management councils at local congregations, but they would like to use their
talents for the benefit of our Church, in the field where they are strongly
developed, specifically the identification of business opportunities and the related
generation of funds.
This brought us to the convening of the current
Business Forum in May 2010. Tremendous goals have already been reached by this
small group of formidable people, currently 22 couples and one single brother, supported
by nine pastoral couples. Together with their investment, the Lord has also
provided highly competent pastors and lecturers for the Church to realize the
above-mentioned goals.
As already mentioned, this attempt has a direct effect
on the growth of our Church and there has already been a positive growth in all
areas, whether in members, finances or presentation at the local congregations.
1.
BANK ACCOUNT PARTICULARS OF NASFO
Account name : Lede in Christus Kerk Nasfo
Bank : ABSA Bank [Cheque account]
Branch code : 632005
Account number : 6-3040-1038
