The North-West University’s (NWU’s) Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) and Faculty of Theology will be hosting a virtual colloquium on 8 September 2021 on decolonising Christianity and its implications for preparing future ministers.

According to Prof Emmanuel Mgqwashu, CTL’s director for faculty teaching and learning support, one cannot ignore how both the oppressed and the oppressor have used Christianity in the past to justify opposing beliefs and actions in a post-colonial, post-apartheid and post-conflict context.

“We, therefore, cannot overemphasise the imperative to discuss the decolonising of Christianity. This is particularly critical for future ministers and the next generation of pastors,” he says.

During the colloquium, a multidisciplinary panel will engage with keynote speaker Benjamin IT Khutsoane on this topic.

The panel members will be Prof Marius Nel and Prof Vhumani Magezi from the Faculty of Theology, and Prof Anné Verhoef from the Faculty of Humanities.

Benjamin, the keynote speaker, is the visionary founding minister and member of the Kingdom Power Dimension Outreach Centre, the Kingdom Heritage Academic School, and CITIZENS AWAKENING, a national governance support initiative. 

He conducts intense programmes at universities, schools and churches on the church’s mandate in the transition politics of South Africa, and has written several books on the subject.