From Sheep to Sheperds : The African Church in a Post-colonial Era: Educating for Social Transformation

To educate for life in Abundance in Africa the church has to educate for social transformation. Christian Education has to lead to the real transformation of people's lives, from poverty to life in its fullness,from oppression to liberation, from disenfranchisement to empowerment, from dependency to independence and from sheep to sheperds. Kumalo argues that education in the church must go beyond indoctrination to liberation and freedom. He argues that this can be done when Christian Educators take into account a multi- disciplinary approach which includes social and political issues which affect people as they struggle to make life possible for themselves. Drawing from his South African experience, the theories of African Educators such as Steve Biko, Canaan Banana,Anne Hope and the Wesleyan heritage, he argues for a holistic and comprehensive approach to Christian Education. He proposes for' a Transformation-Centered Model' of Christian Education. Through this he argues that Christian Education can be a tool for liberation, transformation and development both the church and society in the African context.