Preaching, teaching, mission and evangelising are the main aims of the graduates.
This emerged from the answers of a questionnaire handed to all the graduates before the ceremony. No less than 42 graduates completed the long list of questions. Although they had to write down the answers in a hurry, the result gives a good indication of what they are doing and thinking, also providing Mukhanyo with some good impressions of their way forward, also concerning the College.
This emerged from the answers of a questionnaire handed to all the graduates before the ceremony. No less than 42 graduates completed the long list of questions. Although they had to write down the answers in a hurry, the result gives a good indication of what they are doing and thinking, also providing Mukhanyo with some good impressions of their way forward, also concerning the College.
Some of the main features of the answers are as follows:
- Nearly all of the responding graduates are preaching in their respective ministries already and will continue to do so, on average to an audience of some 80 people.
- The same applies to other church work they are doing: leading Bible studies, home calls and evangelising, most often without any remuneration.
- A majority of Mukhanyo’s graduates are already involved in church planting or mission work, not only locally but also all over Africa.
- Just under half are already involved in one or other form of school teaching, while the majority thinks school teaching is or could be the way to earn a salary.
- All graduates state that ancestors do not play any role in their religious and daily lives.
- With the exception of one, all reject the prosperity gospel, often in strong words such as: ”the gospel of hell”, “false teaching”, “heretical”, “preached by people who make money and tell lies”, “not seeking the Kingdom of God when all other things will fall into place”, etc.
- To make a living, the majority of Mukhanyo’s graduates have other jobs, from being a police officer and working for the public service, to being in one or other form of business, nursing, electrician or working in the ICT world.
- About a third of the graduates belong to a Pentecostal church, a fifth to a Reformed church and six claimed to be members of an Evangelistic church. But to many students these categories mean something different from what it is meant in Western terms.
- From the names of the churches mentioned is clear that most churches or ministries are African independent or African indigenous with names such as Living Path Healing Ministry, SA Blessing Church, His Glory Temple, Deeper Life Church and Divine Power Apostolic Ministry, etc.
- Some two thirds of the graduates want to continue their studies at Mukhanyo while some have already started doing so.
What they think of Mukhanyo’s work? In general it is rated highly (“excellent”; “keep up the good work” …), but there is a need for more distance study centres and programmes