Browsing by Author "Sigaba, Avis Lumka."

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A marriage enrichment programme : a study of the proposed contribution of a modern pastoral care and counselling model to urbanised Xhosa communities with special reference to the congregants at Umtata Methodist Church, Eastern Cape.
(2000) Sigaba, Avis Lumka.; Ward, Edwina Deborah.
This study was done to explore how modern Pastoral Care and Counselling models could be in dialogue with some valuable Xhosa traditional practices in the urbanised context around Umtata in the Eastern Cape. The intention is to provide a marriage enrichment programme to the congregants of the Methodist Church in this region. This has been offered in response to increase in the rate of divorce, separation and emotional distress experienced by many couples in the area. Chapter one offers the methodological framework for the entire theoretical and practical study. The second chapter explores various concepts of the family systems theory with particular focus on Murray Bowen's systems theory. This should bring forth a clear understanding of behavioural patterns which manifest in marriage when the system loses equilibrium. Grounded in the family systems theory is the concept of normal family processes. The third chapter looks into the understanding of normal family processes as brought across by various American authors. The chapter takes the interpretation further by looking into normal family processes in the original Xhosa cultural communities. The reason for the exercise is to bring awareness about what is normal before one can address what is abnormal. This is for widening the horizons so that what is culturally normal should not be labelled as abnormal. The fourth chapter prepares groundwork for the establishment of intervention and counselling strategies specifically within the Xhosa communities around Umtata. This chapter is field work done through interviews so as to gain an awareness about what the people of this region presently think, feel and say about marriage and family life experiences. The fifth chapter looks into the minister's uniqueness in marriage enrichment in comparison with his or her colleagues in medical, social work and family therapy or psychotherapy fields. A theological exploration is dealt with in the sixth chapter with a view to contend with biblical principles applicable to marriage. Chapter seven discusses a training model for a lay team of twelve members to promote the concept of the priesthood of all believers. The views of authors like Switzer, Clinebell, Colilns, Herbert Otto and others are consulted and opened to dialogue with Xhosa Traditional practices offered by oral sources. Chapter eight focuses on premarital education. Within this eduGative counselling, a hand-out on marriage contracts is prepared in both English and the vernacular language. Interdisciplinary work has been included through the engagement of resource personnel from the medical, financial and legal fields. Chapter nine actually presents the Marriage Enrichment Programme in a workshop form. Within the programme, theoretical and practical work is done in contextual bible study, communication and conflict resolution exercises as well as conscietisation about valuable Xhosa traditional marriage practices. The contextual model on marriage enrichment is offered to a group of forty-four congregants. The evaluation forms provide a positive result of this marriage enrichment model. The results express a need to address marital problems in our communities. This does give support to the Hypothesis that was tested. Modern pastoral care and counselling models can be adapted to traditional context with positive results. Lay involvement promotes maximum participation of the People of God in care giving. However, further results will be achieved with more workshops or retreats. More effectiveness will also come with the training of more lay teams. This demands large sampling in lay training, more interviewing and more involvement of the rural community elders for more information on traditional practices.
A pastoral marriage and family wholeness programme: a contextual cross-cultural contribution to enrichment, growth and healing through pastoral care and counselling in the South African context, with particular focus on Methodist families in the community of KwaNdengezi in KwaZulu-Natal.
(2011) Sigaba, Avis Lumka.; Ward, Edwina Deborah.
Following decades of political struggle in South Africa, the 27 April elections in 1994 offered many people a long-awaited chapter in their lives as democracy was ushered in. The researcher has observed that the result of this political change has had a profound impact on the people of South Africa, especially for the Black constituency, in many ways. The political changes caused thousands to move from the rural areas to live in the peri-urban or township areas for economic reasons. The uprooting of families from their original rural homes has had a negative effect on the new generation with respect to principles and values about marriage and family. The researcher has further observed that in the area of research at KwaNdengezi, as well as surrounding areas, the social, political and economic changes have contributed to an increase in separation and divorces and a general weakening of the moral fibre of families. The marriage and family system is under a lot of strain. There is a critical need for enrichment, growth and healing. As an ordained Methodist minister, the researcher has been fortunate to witness the development of various milestones of the Methodist Church, which has been an instrument of change in the Southern African context in the past decades. In the context of transition into “a New Land” (Olivier 1996: 1), the mission statement of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa has created a relevant message. The vision in the mission statement as declared in the MCSA Year Conference book is “A Christ-healed Africa for the Healing of Nations” (2010: 2). This is achieved by fervently “proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ for healing and transformation” by both ministers and laity (L & D 2010: 3). This study seeks to align and broaden the above MCSA vision through pastoral care and counselling. The intention is to precipitate the work done by clergy training laity in basic Christian care giving and counselling skills. This will hopefully address the apparent brokenness in marriages and families in the various contexts in the communities and precipitate healing and transformation. ii The approach of this thesis, whilst predominantly pastoral, is ecclesiological as well as missiological. Elements of contextual theology bring forth the cultural perspective of the community in the area of research as hermeneutical tools of reading scriptures are applied. A cross-cultural dialogue between existing Western pastoral care and counselling models and African care giving and counselling practices plays an important role in this study. Through fieldwork, data was collected via questionnaires, interviews, recording, transcribing, participant observation and empathetic listening to the responses of the participants in the communities of KwaNdengezi. Valuable themes emerged from the process of assessment and analysis through theological reflection on the data. The various themes emerged through engagement with married couples, single parents and families. These include communication skills, scriptural values in marriage, Zulu cultural values and customs in a Christian household, the parent-child relationship, family health matters, family finance matters, teenager problems, resolving conflict, forgiveness and healing. Emanating from the themes, the study seeks to publish a contextual booklet or manual on “marriage and family wholeness”. In an effort to bring about enrichment, growth and healing to marriages and families, the new programme intends to use the lay team trained in basic Christian counselling as resource people when marriage and family retreats are offered by the local church. The programme also emphasizes partnership and interdisciplinary engagement with other disciplines through engaging with, for instance, social workers, clinical psychologists, medical doctors, local congregations, ethical theologians and financial accountants. This study presents the programme as a new tool or model relevant for a specific cultural context. The context encompasses the Methodist people of KwaNdengezi near Pinetown in KwaZulu-Natal. However, because of its cross-cultural dialogue, the model can be adapted for use in any cultural context as an enrichment, growth and iii healing tool for all people of God as they struggle with the complexities of marriage and family life in a changing world.